I think this is true:

• "The one who iterates the fastest wins."

• "Iteration isn't a cost—it's a lever."

• "Rigorous, iterative design is key to breaking into new markets."

However…

Anyone practicing rapid experimentation, whether in business development, service design, or product innovation, knows the real challenge is deciding the right scope of a prototype.

Here is my Iteration & Prototyping Checklist that guides me in these moments:

1. What's the key question we're trying to answer?

• Is our question focused on human desirability, technical feasibility, or business viability?

• What assumption are we exploring through this prototype?

• How will answering this question help us move forward confidently?

2. What's the simplest prototype we can build right now?

• How can we make our thinking tangible quickly (e.g., sketches, mock-ups, role-playing)?

• What's the fastest way to provoke a conversation or reaction?

• Can we learn something meaningful without building something complex?

3. How can we design this prototype to evolve?

• If this prototype works, what's the next incremental step?

• Can we layer in more complexity or fidelity easily?

• Are we leaving room for iteration and co-creation with users or stakeholders?

4. How do we plan to learn from the prototype?

• Have we clearly defined what success or failure looks like?

• What's our plan to gather user feedback and insights?

• How quickly can we move from insight to the next iteration?

5. Are we maintaining creative confidence?

• Are we afraid to put out something imperfect-if so, why?

• Can we embrace this test as a valuable step rather than worry about its immediate outcome?

• Are we clear that the purpose of prototyping is learning, not perfection?

Final Check: Will this prototype help us move forward?

• If the prototype works, do we know exactly what to do next?

• If it's ambiguous, have we planned for how we'll iterate again quickly?