Overcoming Setbacks in PoC and MVP Development: Insights from Ragate's 2025 Survey

Understanding the Setbacks in PoC and MVP Development

In December 2025, Ragate Corporation conducted a survey involving 550 business professionals to investigate the issues surrounding Proof of Concept (PoC) and Minimum Viable Product (MVP) development. The findings revealed that approximately 50% of projects encounter setbacks, with the primary cause identified as misalignment of understanding during the requirements definition stage (52.1%). This article delves into the details and implications of these findings for organizations engaged in new business ventures and digital transformation.

Background of the Survey

As companies push for innovation through new business development and digital transformation (DX), PoC and MVP development have become essential processes. However, many organizations face significant challenges in this validation phase, leading to project delays and budget overruns. Recognizing the need for clarity, Ragate aimed to quantify the occurrence, causes, and challenges related to setbacks in PoC and MVP development. To this end, the survey targeted business professionals from companies with over 501 employees, specifically those belonging to information systems departments.

Key Findings of the Survey

The results of the survey shed light on the structural challenges faced in PoC and MVP development:

1. High Incidence of Setbacks: Nearly 50% of projects reported setbacks. Surprisingly, only 49.7% of respondents indicated that setbacks were rare, highlighting that the remaining half of the projects experienced some form of rollback. Notably, 25.2% stated that setbacks occur almost every time or in more than half of the cases, indicating severe efficiency issues in development.

2. Top Causes of Setbacks: The survey listed the primary causes of setbacks:
- Misalignment During Requirements Definition: 52.1%
- Lack of Communication Among Stakeholders: 45.6%
- Overlooking Technical Constraints: 41.4%
Additionally, 31.8% of respondents noted that static image prototypes failed to convey the actual user experience, indicating limitations in traditional prototyping methods like Figma and Adobe XD.

3. Ideal MVP Development Timeline: The most desired timeline for MVP development is within one month, with 28.0% favoring this period. When including those who prefer two weeks or less, the number rises to 56.2%, suggesting that speed in morphing ideas into tangible market-ready products is a major concern.

4. Interest in AI-driven Development: About half of the respondents expressed interest in AI-driven development and vibecoding, with 24.1% currently utilizing it and 25.3% considering its implementation. This technology is increasingly viewed as a promising solution for organizations struggling with setbacks.

Ragate’s Insights and Future Outlook

The findings indicate that setbacks in PoC and MVP development stem primarily from an inability to validate user experiences through static prototypes. Often, a shared understanding of what needs to be created between developers, stakeholders, and different departments is lacking, leading to discrepancies between expectations and actual output.

To address these challenges, it is essential to verify user experiences early on using functional screens rather than relying solely on traditional design mock-ups. Ragate plans to leverage vibecoding technology, which allows teams to implement functional screens directly, along with AI-driven development methods designed to streamline the processes.

Looking ahead, Ragate commits to publishing further reports and offering practical services aimed at enhancing PoC and MVP development efficiency for Japanese enterprises.

Services for Companies Struggling with Setbacks

Ragate Corporation offers a unique service combining AI-driven development with PoC and MVP support through vibecoding. By skipping static prototyping, we can implement functional screens in as little as three days, thereby addressing misinterpretations and accelerating the transformation from concept to working product.

For more details on our AI-driven development and vibecoding solutions, please refer to our service offerings. Additionally, we provide support for UI/UX prototyping that completely bypasses conventional design steps, ensuring flexible responses to mission-critical systems and refined creative projects.

Ragate remains dedicated to supporting organizations in navigating the complexities of innovative development, ensuring they can overcome setbacks efficiently and effectively.