[jlees]

It is far too easy to say "I know I know something" and mistake that for being able to do it when the time is right. This piece is the rocky piece, the point where it's easy to be carried away with enthusiasm for something you haven't built yet, add features on to a prototype no users have ever used, or simply not hear the truths we want to hear because they bruise our egos, our decisions, and our pride.

If you can't get in touch with your customers to get feedback at the earliest stage, how are you going to get them to use your product? And if you don't want to talk to customers because you're ashamed of the prototype or you want to show them something 'perfect', you'll never talk to them at all.