[RadioAndrea]

It's rapid prototyping. It might just happen that the prototype is good enough to sell, but once you have a basis, comparisons can begin. If the prototype doesn't have to act as the real product, just a skeleton, it's not so hard to change the "bones" if something isn't working properly.

If the prototype is quickly made, it could even count as part of that upfront design process.

[ProAm]

I like my people to do more than prototype for this kind of work. It's probably a semantics argument, but we prototype as part of design and intend for it to be trashed/rewritten, whereas what I was speaking to above is real development work that will be used, definitely not polished but 'works' enough to keep moving forward.

[charlesdm]

That often means "getting the bones" right, but occasionally cutting corners to get stuff done. If your focus is having a good product, which frankly it most of the time should be, then done is better than perfect.