Efficient iteration

The derivative task of prototype development and effective feedback gathering is to create a loop of improvement.

One of the challenges for many startups, is that they get stuck in the solution they have created, and they fail at seeing what customers are telling. I made that mistake with the NanoCET. I was happy with the increased resolution and thought it was a very nifty idea and that everyone should love it.

But customers were telling me things I didn't know how to process. Instead of iterating on the feedback, I kept pushing forward, made the device look nice, not work differently.

A prototype has to be built to allow iteration. Be it a website, a microscope, or a consumer device.

That's the Importance of a Prototype, the capacity of iterating.

In some contexts, a minimum viable product may not allow for iterations (for example, if production runs require a large minimum order). And that is why it's important to have a tight loop in which effective feedback gathering is funneled back to the prototype design.