spike

Validate feasibility by isolating ideas into disposable spikes that decompose concepts into 2-5 questions and generate observable outputs. This repeatable workflow builds lightweight prototypes to gather verdicts and guide decision making for early product exploration.

A spike is a throwaway experiment for rapid validation of technical risks during architecture tradeoff analysis. It requires a standalone directory to research and build lightweight implementations, ending with a finished README and verdict section to guide decisions.

Structure rapid validation prototypes by creating a standalone directory per spike. Follow a repeatable workflow to decompose, align, research, build, and evaluate the prototype, ensuring outputs include a finished README with a clear verdict section for decision making.

Yes, the spike workflow applies to risk assessment across research tasks and lightweight implementations. It isolates unknowns into disposable experiments, generating observable outputs and a final verdict to evaluate technical or product viability before full commitment.

The best way to document throwaway experiments is to output a finished README with a dedicated Verdict section. This captures the rapid validation results and observable outputs from the spike, creating a repeatable record for early product exploration and risk assessment.

Avoid using a spike for prototype testing when the concept is already well-understood or requires production-ready implementation. Spikes are designed for rapid validation and early-stage exploration, not for building scalable architecture or final deliverables.