Purpose Define and document a Proof of Life (PoL) probe —a lightweight, disposable validation artifact designed to surface harsh truths before expensive development. Use this when you need to eliminate a specific risk or test a narrow hypothesis without building production-quality software . PoL probes are reconnaissance missions, not MVPs—they're meant to be deleted, not scaled. This framework prevents prototype theater (expensive demos that impress stakeholders but teach nothing) and forces you to match validation method to actual learning goal. Key Concepts What is a PoL Probe? A Proof of…