Too Polished to Question

Imagine a team reluctant to show customers an early version of its product. There are gaps, awkward edges and unanswered questions. Showing it now could invite more requests, more discussion and, worst of all, feedback.

Better to wait until it’s finished. Then customers can appreciate the idea properly, ideally by agreeing with it. The hesitation is understandable. Unfinished work feels vulnerable. We’ve invested thought and effort, and a customer might dismiss something that hasn’t yet had a fair chance to develop. Add colleagues worried about sales, reputation or promises already made, and the pressure to keep it hidden grows.

However, waiting has a cost. While we polish the solution, we can become more attached to assumptions we haven’t tested. By the time customers see it, changing direction is harder. The wrong idea now has a beautiful interface and a target launch date.

Rough work can generate useful feedback when we frame the conversation carefully. A sketch, a storyboard on Miro or a simple prototype may be enough. Working software isn’t always necessary.

The preparation matters. Frame and explain what the customer is looking at, what remains undecided and what you’re trying to learn. Make the question specific: can they understand this step? Does this fit how they work? Have we understood the problem that matters to them?

How well do we really understand what they’re trying to accomplish? Show that you take that need seriously and are committed to addressing it. That shared purpose can hold the conversation together while the proposed solution changes. I think it also gives customers permission to question the idea. I mean, an obviously unfinished prototype will likely make any criticism easier. There’s less sense that they’re insulting six months of work and a person who has already ordered the branded mugs.

Showing work early still takes courage. Many of us learnt to hide our workings until we had an answer worth marking. Culture thing maybe?! Product development asks us to make some of that uncertainty visible and use it to learn.

Things I’d listen out for:

• “We can’t possibly show this to customers so early.”
• “Customers won’t be interested in seeing it unfinished.”

Perhaps they won’t be interested in every detail, but they might be interested in whether we’re on the right track in solving their problem. I’d much rather discover what I’ve misunderstood while there’s still time to change it.