spike

To validate technical feasibility, you conduct rapid, disposable experiments that test specific implementation questions against clear success criteria before writing production code. This isolates unknowns and provides empirical evidence for architectural decisions.

A spike is a rapid, disposable experiment used in software engineering to validate technical feasibility or compare implementation approaches. You need it during research and prototyping phases when project uncertainty requires empirical evidence.

To compare different implementation approaches, you run side-by-side disposable experiments that test each library or method against predefined success criteria. This comparative analysis reveals the best path forward before production development begins.

To mitigate technical risk when building new features, you decompose feasibility questions into isolated, testable units and prototype the highest-risk components first. This identifies unviable solutions early and prevents wasted development time.

Yes, you can test if a new library is compatible with your existing stack by running a rapid prototyping experiment. This structured feasibility test isolates the integration question and provides empirical evidence of compatibility.