Technical Risk Reduction in Product Development

Risk is always present in product development, but managing it well leads to success. Product risks relate to target user assumptions, product-market fit, and financial viability. Technical risks relate to feature and function feasibility, design interdependencies that drive rework, and whether the design can be produced as intended. SGW builds development strategies around both. We identify the risks that could cost the most time and money, then set milestones, prototypes, and analysis that address them in the right order. Challenging assumptions and an iterative approach come together to drive the right development plan and design decisions. For Spartan Radar, a radar startup with a preliminary hardware design that was not meeting its targets, we started with a comprehensive design review that identified critical flaws. We then took on the physical system architecture and developed multiple working prototypes through iterative strategies to meet an aggressive OEM sales cycle.