Developing a proof of concept and a prototype

Creating a prototype is probably the most fun part of being a solution architect. To choose a proven technology, a solution architect needs to develop a proof of concept (POC) in various technology stacks to analyze their fit for functional and non-functional requirements for the solution.

The idea of developing POC is to evaluate technology with a subset of critical functional implementations, which can help us to decide on technology stack based on their capabilities. It has a short life cycle and is limited to being reviewed by experts within a team or organization. The solution design POC is when a solution architect is trying to figure out the building blocks of the solution.

After evaluating multiple platforms using POC, the solution architect may proceed with prototyping to a technology stack. A prototype is developed for demonstration purposes and given to the customer so that it can be used to secure funding. POCs and prototyping are by no means production-ready; solution architect builds have limited functionality, which can prove a challenging aspect of solution development.