Why “We’ll Figure It Out Later” Is the Most Expensive Phrase in Tech

Remember Quibi, the mobile streaming platform that launched in 2020 with $1.75 billion in funding?

It had everything: A-list backers, star-studded content, cutting-edge tech. And yet, just nine months later, it shut down.

That’s why “We’ll figure it out later” is the most expensive phrase in tech. 

The issue wasn’t execution, it was direction. The team never truly validated whether users wanted what they were building. They skipped the most important step: understanding the problem before solving it.

That’s why we’ll never shut up about The Concept Phase and why it’s a phase we ask our pre-build clients to work through with us. 

Don’t Build Before You Understand

Momentum is intoxicating, especially in early-stage startups. You’ve got an idea, some funding, maybe a team—and someone tells you, “Sure, we can build that.” It’s tempting to start coding right away.

But skipping discovery is where most products go sideways.

When teams don’t pause to validate goals, market fit, and success criteria, they end up building the wrong thing really efficiently. Maybe it looks great, but it doesn’t convert. 

Maybe it’s technically impressive but solves the wrong problem. That’s why we always recommend that founders resist that urge to build first and instead invest in structured discovery. 

So, What Is a Concept Phase?

The Concept Phase is a 2–8 week window designed to answer key questions before development begins. This is the phase where you’re creating alignment across business, design, and engineering.

We recommend using this time to focus on four core questions:

• What problem are we actually solving?
  

• Who are we solving it for?
  

• What does success look like—in measurable terms?
  

• How should this system evolve over time?

The Bigger Idea

We wrote a whole article about this here, but what’s most important to know is that the Concept Phase isn’t about adding another step to the process or overcomplicating things. It’s what builds confidence.

Anyone can start fast. But the teams that pause to validate, prototype, and align are the ones that scale sustainably.

So whether you’re working with an agency, hiring your first in-house developer, or planning your next big product launch, the Concept Phase should be non-negotiable.

It’s the best way to avoid wasted effort, keep costs predictable, and build something that truly fits your users and your business.

Because in the end, the goal isn’t to build fast—it’s to build something that lasts.