1) Prototyping is a team sport
From the end-user to the project team to the management team: there are many stakeholders who have a say in the product and service development process. Naturally, they have to be involved at every stage of prototyping, because in the end, the goal of prototyping is to validate hypotheses. As the prototype is tested for and by stakeholders—or in a first phase by the product team themselves!—important feedback can be quickly obtained and any misjudgments quickly uncovered. In the long run, this saves time, energy and money.
2) Curiosity is prototyping fuel
Even though collaboration between stakeholders and clients is essential for successful prototyping, it is not sufficient—if you stubbornly stick to your expectations, you’re in trouble. That’s because of the problem, and for that matter the solution, may not lie where you think it does at first. The prototyping process may involve sudden course corrections, and impartiality needs to be a huge part of the prototyping mindset. That’s where curiosity comes in. An enduring curiosity for new ideas and approaches to development helps innovators seek continuous feedback and constantly reassess their hypotheses and requirements. Without curiosity, they can quickly find themselves lost in familiar surroundings.