People of the world! You don't have to build a prototype to prove that your idea has value. In fact, building a prototype is dangerous. Yes. I said it's dangerous! How many times have you thought about a new concept and the first thing you attempted to do was to build a prototype to show how it works? Once the idea starts to simmer in your brain, you reach for the soldering iron or a programming language compiler to build a model to demonstrate its value. While the idea has merit and potential for the company, there are a lot of issues that must be ironed out before it is ready for prime time. Over time, the idea may pan out and provide valuable insight to the company leadership. Even though, it looks great, more experimentation is necessary. You are so proud of yourself for having the knowledge and skill to make your idea a reality, but it comes at a cost. Just about the time you were showing your prototype to a small group of colleagues, your boss walks through the office and notices a gathering at your desk. Curiosity sets in and she strolls over to see what is happening. You proudly show her your prototype and she is thrilled by what she sees. You then get tasked to have the manufacturing department to crank out several thousand of your “product”. It is at that moment that panic sets in. There is no source code or documentation. It was just a harmless prototype, but it has now sprouted legs and has begun to walk and then run. It is out of your control, but you are the person tasked with delivering it as a full product that the company can sell on the open market. It's too bad that you promised your customer that you would work on a strategic project, but your life just took a turn for the worse.
