In agile practices, what is a common practice to validate assumptions before implementation?

Prototyping is a common practice in agile methodologies used to validate assumptions before implementation. This process involves creating a preliminary version of a product or feature to visualize and test concepts that stakeholders might have about the final output. By developing a prototype, teams can gather feedback early in the development cycle, allowing for adjustments based on user interactions and preferences.

This practice is particularly valuable in agile environments where iterative development and responsiveness to change are critical. Prototyping helps to confirm whether the assumptions made during planning and requirements gathering are aligned with user needs and expectations. It supports a user-centric approach by involving stakeholders in the review and refinement process of the design.

Other practices mentioned, such as benchmarking, daily stand-ups, and user testing, serve different purposes in agile. Benchmarking typically involves comparing performance metrics against industry standards rather than directly validating assumptions. Daily stand-ups are primarily focused on team communication and progress tracking, while user testing generally occurs after development to assess user experience and product usability, rather than validating assumptions beforehand.