At the beginning of a UX research and design project a Stakeholder Interview should be conducted to find out the Business Goals, Existing Research including User Research, Competitors and Technological Limitations.
Interviews
Stakeholder Interview — UX Knowledge Base Sketches
Proof of concept in software development is a controversial topic. The person that came up with a software idea is usually convinced of its relevance. And stakeholders usually don't want to spend time on something that is not even going to be included in the final product.