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invent.me

The invent.me Sprint

Give the idea a place to go.

The invent.me Sprint is a focused engagement for ideas, problems, and opportunities that are too uncertain to fund as projects, but too interesting to ignore.

From “What if?” to “Now we know.”

Start with a What if?

What you buy

You are not buying a prototype. You are buying a decision.

A prototype is one of the tools we use to create evidence. The goal is to reduce uncertainty enough to make the next investment decision intelligently.

At the end, we recommend

GO
Pursue it.
ITERATE
There is signal, but another question matters first.
STOP
The evidence does not justify more investment.

Sprint anatomy

How a Sprint actually runs.

  1. 1

    Frame the question

    What are we actually trying to learn? What would have to be true for this idea to matter?

    Typical artifacts. Question brief, assumptions map, success and failure criteria.

  2. 2

    Get close to reality

    Talk to users and operators, observe workflows, inspect data, understand constraints, and test whether the original problem statement survives contact with reality.

    Typical artifacts. Observations, job and problem map, evidence, constraints.

  3. 3

    Invent alternatives

    Generate multiple ways to create the desired progress. We do not assume your first idea, or AI, is the answer.

    Typical artifacts. Concepts, trade-off map, feasibility notes, selected experiment.

  4. 4

    Make the experiment

    Build the cheapest credible artifact that can answer the riskiest question.

    Typical artifacts. Whatever the question needs. See below.

  5. 5

    Put it in front of reality

    Test with the people, systems, data, physics, or economics that matter.

    Typical artifacts. Test results, observations, measurements.

  6. 6

    Decide

    Deliver the evidence, prototype and artifacts, recommendation, and a clean handoff package.

    Typical artifacts. GO, ITERATE, or STOP, with the reasoning attached.

What we invent

The experiment takes whatever shape answers the question.

We are solution-neutral on purpose. The right artifact might be software, a model, a mechanism, a workflow, or a test that involves building almost nothing at all.

  • Software

    Working software prototype

  • AI

    AI agent or workflow

  • Data

    Data analysis or model

  • Product

    Clickable experience

  • Physical

    CAD model

  • Physical

    FEA or simulation

  • Physical

    Physical prototype

  • Operations

    Process redesign

  • Product

    Wizard-of-Oz test

  • Software

    Technical spike

  • Or

    Something we haven’t thought of yet.

Timing

A Sprint runs in weeks.

Most invent.me Sprints are measured in weeks, not quarters. We scope the smallest engagement capable of answering the question credibly.

What you leave with

You leave with evidence.

  • Clear problem and question definition
  • Key evidence and assumptions
  • Explored alternatives
  • Prototype and experiment artifacts when appropriate
  • What was tested and what happened
  • GO, ITERATE, or STOP recommendation
  • Risks and unanswered questions
  • Handoff notes for the next team if GO

What happens after GO?

Then we stop being the center of the story.

If your idea deserves to move forward, we can help prepare the handoff and recommend what kind of team should own the next phase. Sometimes a short follow-up experiment makes sense. But invent.me is not designed to become permanent staff augmentation or your forever development vendor.

Give us a problem

What would you want to know at the end of a Sprint?

Bring the question before the solution. We’ll tell you what it would take to answer it.

Tell us what keeps making you say “What if?”

Start with a What if?

We’ll tell you quickly whether it sounds like an invent.me problem.