[skydhash]

> I can do an experiment, show it to coworkers and get feedback in a morning, for something that would have taken me almost a week in the past.

That argument always rings hollow to me. What systems were you prototyping that took that long? I don't need to build a complete MVP to present a design. Or understand an API.

In the visual art industry, there are thumbnails and storyboards that are the first iteration of any project. They are quick to produce, and can serve as the basis for brainstorming. No one wants a finished picture, because it restrain your thinking. Too much details and you start bike-shedding.

Only when you've solved higher concerns and have a concrete direction that you start to invest physical efforts. But that does require someone to have the capacity to discern higher concerns from crude sketches. If you don't and rely on "I'll know it when I see it", then you sure need finished products to clarify your thinking.