pol-probe

## Purpose Define and document a **Proof of Life (PoL) probe**—a lightweight, disposable validation artifact designed to surface harsh truths before expensive development. Use this when you need to eliminate a specific risk or test a narrow hypothesis **without building production-quality software**. PoL probes are reconnaissance missions, not MVPs—they're meant to be deleted, not scaled. This framework prevents prototype theater (expensive demos that impress stakeholders but teach nothing) and forces you to match validation method to actual learning goal. ## Key Concepts ### What is a PoL Probe? A **Proof of Life (PoL) probe** is a deliberate, disposable validation experiment designed to answer one specific question as cheaply and quickly as possible. It's not a product, not an MVP, not a pilot—it's a targeted truth-seeking mission. **Origin:** Coined by Dean Peters (Productside), building on Marty Cagan's 2014 work on prototype flavors and Jeff Patton's principle: *"The most expensive way to test your idea is to build production-quality software."* --- ### The 5 Essential Characteristics Every PoL probe must satisfy these criteria: | Characteristic | What It Means | Why It Matters | |----------------|---------------|----------------| | **Lightweight** | Minimal resource investment (hours/days, not weeks) | If it's expensive, you'll avoid killing it when the data says to | | **Disposable** | Explicitly planned for deletion, not scaling | Prevents sunk-cost fallacy ...