Momentum can be fake long before a project actually fails

One thing that's been uncomfortable during my first hardware product project is realizing how long a project can look alive before it's truly healthy underneath. Meetings are still happening and timelines are still being discussed. So founders, like me, keep planning forward because externally, momentum still exists.

But internally, compromises may already be stacking up: communication gaps, unresolved production issues, small design changes, unclear timelines, etc. Nothing looks catastrophic yet, which honestly makes it harder to react early.

I think that's why some projects suddenly "fall apart" publicly even though the warning signs existed months earlier behind the scenes. Curious how experienced founders distinguish real progress from "project inertia"