I think I finally understood why prototypes can get so expensive

Something clicked for me recently after going through my first prototype and reading through a lot of feedback/ practical solutions here. I realized the issue wasn't the prototype itself, it was how I evaluating it.

I was looking at something early stage and judging it like it was already close to a finished product. Paying attention to details that probably didn't matter yet, while not being clear on what that version was actually supposed to prove. And that's where things can get expensive.

If you expect a rough prototype to behave like a near-production sample, you either start fixing things too early or you end up going in circles trying to improve something that hasn't even been properly validated.

But now it is much simpler to do differently. Before moving to the next stage, I try to ask myself that what this version is supposed to answer. Just 2 or 3 simple questions. If can answer those, it did its job. No matter it is rough or pretty.

Still early for me, but this shift thinking already feels like it is saving me from chasing the wrong thing.

When realization is changed, expectation does. The "world" will be different. Thanks a lot for all your support here.