One of the most common traps in product development is focusing too much on execution before confirming the problem is worth solving. Teams often spend weeks perfecting something that users don’t actually need. Building the “right thing” means validating ideas early—talking to users, testing hypotheses, and adjusting based on evidence. The goal of an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) isn’t to look polished—it’s to learn. Once you’ve validated your direction, you focus on building things right with better design, performance, and scalability. You can always refine how something is built, but if you’re solving the wrong problem, even perfect execution won’t save you. The smartest teams start with clarity, not code.