🎯 About This Template 🎯

This template is a self-evaluation assessment for B2B SaaS founders to evaluate if the founding team and early employees possess the right technical skillset to build the first prototype of a modern SaaS product.

During the prototyping stage, the focus is on validating the product idea and getting early feedback from users, rather than building a fully-featured and scalable solution. Therefore the expectations for the product are limited to basic functionality and limited features and the emphasis should be on quickly building a functional prototype that can gather feedback and drive further iterations. At the same time, first prototypes are designed to be learning experiments, helping you validate assumptions and learn about customer needs. It's common for prototypes and even MVPs to undergo significant changes based on user feedback, which may result in technology choices that differ from those of later stages.

Self-assessment of technical skills for prototyping

Below is a non-exclusive list of key areas and technologies that you should have in your initial team:

1. Programming Languages:
   • Proficiency in the primary programming language used for prototype development (e.g., JavaScript, Python, Ruby, etc.).
2. Web Development:
   • Understanding of HTML, CSS, and basic front-end development to create a functional user interface.
3. Back-End Development:
   • Familiarity with back-end technologies and frameworks that provide basic functionality and are quick to set up (e.g., Node.js, Flask, Django, etc.).
4. Database Knowledge:
   • Basic knowledge of databases and their integration with the back-end (e.g., MySQL, SQLite, MongoDB).
5. Version Control:
   • Experience with version control systems like Git, enabling efficient collaboration and tracking changes.
6. API Integration:
   • Ability to connect with third-party APIs or services to enhance the prototype’s functionality.
7. Basic Security Measures:
   • Awareness of essential security practices to prevent common vulnerabilities in the prototype.
8. Deployment and Hosting:
   • Understanding of deploying and hosting web applications on platforms like Heroku, Netlify, or AWS.
9. Testing:
   • Familiarity with basic testing approaches (e.g., unit testing, integration testing) to ensure prototype functionality.
10. Agile and Lean Methodologies:
    • Knowledge of agile and lean development methodologies to efficiently manage the prototype development process.
11. Adaptability and Learning:
    • Willingness to learn new technologies and adapt quickly as the prototype and later the MVP evolves based on customer feedback.

Low-code / No-code:

• Some prototypes can be built very quickly with no code tools like bubble.io and softr.io or by extensively leveraging automation and workflow platforms like Zapier or make.com.