An previous good friend of mine at my hackerspace launched me to the idea of Prototype Zero: The Model that Even Your Personal Candy Mom Isn’t Allowed to See. The thought is that while you’re constructing one thing actually new, and even simply new to you, your first take will virtually at all times be ugly, and nothing will work the best way it is going to by the point you make your second one. Nevertheless it’s additionally essential to the train that you simply see it right through to the top should you can.
I’m reminded of this after seeing a wonderful video by [Japhy Riddle] the place he discusses his Prototype Zero of the Tape-Pace Keyboard. About midway by means of the video he says that he would have performed it completely in a different way if he knew then what he is aware of now: the hallmark of Prototype Zero. But he finishes it up, warts and all, paperwork it, and performs round with all of its potentialities. (Documenting it publicly isn’t a part of the Prototype Zero technique.)
I don’t suppose that [Japhy] goes to make a Prototype 1.0 out of this challenge, however I might be fallacious; he appears to be content material with having scratched the variable-speed tape itch. But when he did need to, he’s realized the entire gotchas on the engineering aspect, and discovered precisely what such an instrument is able to. And this loops again to the significance of getting Prototype Zero completed. You’ll have realized the entire methods obligatory to construct the factor even earlier than you’ve put the final screw in, but it surely’s while you even have the factor in your fingers to discover that you simply get the concepts for refinement that you just can’t suppose up when it’s nonetheless only a idea.
Don’t be afraid to make your prototype fast and soiled, as a result of if it finally ends up too soiled, you may simply name it Prototype Zero. However don’t be tempted by the siren’s tune of the 80% completed prototype both. Exploring placing Prototype Zero into use is its actual objective.
