Definition
An Infiltrator pretotype places an artefact of your idea inside an existing store, marketplace, channel, or customer flow to see whether people would buy or choose it there.
Sometimes the thing you need to test is channel fit. Would people buy this if it sat beside the alternatives they already understand? Would they pick it from the shelf? Would they click it in the marketplace? Would they choose it in the real environment where decisions happen? The Infiltrator Method borrows existing traffic instead of trying to create new traffic first.
When to use it
Use Infiltrator when the idea depends on retail, marketplace placement, app-store discovery, partner channels, shelf appeal, merchandising, or buyer comparison.
What to measure
- Does the artefact attract attention in the real channel?
- Do people pick it up, click it, scan it, ask about it, or try to buy it?
- How does it perform beside existing alternatives?
- Which channel assumptions were wrong?
- What questions do buyers ask before acting?
Worked example
- Upwell Labs placing product artefacts inside IKEA to test buyer interest.
- A product card placed inside an existing e-commerce category.
- A service tile placed inside a partner portal.
Common mistake
The mistake is to test the idea in a clean environment where nothing competes with it. The point is to see whether it survives the real channel.
Watch the training
Watch: Module 3: Pretotyping Methods Deep Dive
Try it
Put a believable artefact where the customer already makes the decision, then watch what they do. Test an idea free.