Often times there is a tendency to think that we have the solution and to go all out with our idea without testing it with people first.
To place smaller and lower-risk bets upfront, you may want to bring a design partner into your investment who will have the explicit role of developing tangible markers/prototypes of progress through quick cycles of experimentation. This can create pragmatic and purposeful design parameters that reduce the risk of investment failure over the longer-term. It can also serve to de-risk the potential that a solution will not receive the uptake necessary because it fails to meet the bar of what people actually need, want, and are able to access. The iterative design process supports efforts to get to a viable and appropriate solution that meets the core needs of the target audience.
