Pretotyping: Validate the Right Idea Before You Build the Wrong One
Introduction
In corporate innovation programs, too many ideas fail—not because they’re executed poorly, but because they shouldn’t have been built in the first place. Time, capital, and internal credibility are lost chasing solutions that customers never wanted.
Pretotyping flips the script. It’s a fast, lightweight method for testing the core appeal of an idea before significant resources are committed. At Hangar 75, we use Pretotyping inside our IDEATE∞ platform to help enterprise teams test assumptions, de-risk decisions, and prioritize ideas that demonstrate true signal—not noise.
The mantra? Make sure you’re building the right “it” before you build it right.
What is Pretotyping?
Pretotyping, coined by Alberto Savoia at Google, focuses on testing the initial appeal or demand for a concept—before any real product is built. It differs from prototyping in one important way:
Pretotype: Fake the product to see if people care
Prototype: Build a working version to test how it works
Pretotyping involves ultra-low-fidelity simulations such as:
Landing page tests
Manual “concierge” services
Fake button tests
Brochures for non-existent products
“In-the-wild” behavior observation
It’s about validating desirability—not functionality.
Why Pretotyping Is Powerful for Corporate Innovation
In enterprise settings, ideas are often greenlit based on internal conviction, not market evidence. Pretotyping inserts a layer of evidence-based discipline at the top of the innovation funnel.
It’s particularly valuable when:
You have many ideas but limited build capacity
Internal stakeholders need fast signals to commit
You want to test multiple directions before investing in one
Customer input needs to be grounded in behavior, not just opinions
Pros of Pretotyping
Ultra-Fast: Tests can be deployed in hours or days
Cost-Effective: Minimal resources required
Behavior-Based: Tracks what customers do—not what they say
De-Risks Investment: Eliminates weak ideas early
Great for Internal Buy-In: Early results help unlock sponsorship
Cons of Pretotyping
Surface-Level Testing: Doesn’t evaluate usability or technical feasibility
Risk of Misinterpretation: Poorly designed tests can give false signals
Ethical Gray Zones: Some versions blur lines between simulation and deception
Requires Cultural Maturity: Some organizations resist testing “unfinished” ideas
Needs a Strong Hypothesis: Without clear assumptions, tests become meaningless
Illustrative Example: Testing a New Service Line in B2B Manufacturing
A global industrial equipment provider approached Hangar 75 to explore launching a digital predictive maintenance platform—a major shift from its hardware-focused business.
Rather than build an MVP, we ran a Pretotyping campaign:
Built a marketing site offering the proposed service
Targeted key buyer personas through LinkedIn
Tracked sign-up rates, feature interest, and CTA interactions
Followed up with “waitlist” emails and optional interviews
Results revealed low initial interest in the predictive dashboard—but high demand for on-demand expert consultation and SMS alerts. The team pivoted to develop a leaner, expert-led offering that aligned with real-world buyer pain points.
Pretotyping saved months of engineering and helped the client define a service people actually wanted.
Where Pretotyping Fits Within the IDEATE∞ Platform
At Hangar 75, Pretotyping is embedded into the validation layer of IDEATE∞, typically after an idea has cleared desirability scoring and before resource allocation.
IDEATE∞ supports pretotyping through:
Landing page generation templates
Hypothesis-to-test framing tools
AI-suggested test formats based on the idea type
Real-time dashboards for behavioral analytics
Experiment sequencing to test multiple variants in parallel
We often pair pretotyping with AI-Augmented Ideation (to generate test variants) and Lean Startup (to transition from fake to functional once validation occurs).
The Strategic Role of Pretotyping in Innovation Portfolios
Pretotyping is ideal for:
Prioritizing ideas before prototyping or MVP investment
Testing emotional and behavioral resonance
Exploring alternative positioning and messaging
Gathering real-world data to support internal pitches
Running portfolio-wide assumption tests at scale
It’s especially useful when the opportunity cost of building the wrong thing is high—which, in large organizations, it almost always is.
Final Thoughts: Test It Before You Build It
Pretotyping is a low-risk, high-value discipline that forces teams to ask a critical question early: “Does anyone want this?” In enterprise innovation, that clarity is priceless.
At Hangar 75, we embed Pretotyping into every innovation cycle via IDEATE∞—ensuring bold ideas are backed by behavior, not just belief.
Ready to Unlock Transformational Ideas?
This is just one of the many powerful techniques embedded within IDEATE∞, Hangar 75’s enterprise-grade ideation engine. Whether you’re launching a new product, solving complex challenges, or evolving your innovation strategy, IDEATE∞ helps you generate, enrich, and prioritize high-impact ideas—fast.
👉 Explore how IDEATE∞ can be deployed inside your organization.
Schedule a no-risk, personalized demo and discover precisely how IDEATE∞ can drive strategic advantage for your organization.