The author’s right about storytelling from day one, but then immediately throws cold water on the idea by saying it would have been a bad fit for this project.

This feels in error, as the big value of seeking feedback and results early and often on a project is that it forces you to confront whether you’re going to want or be able to tell stories in the space at all. It also gives you a chance to re-kindle waning interests, get feedback on your project by others, and avoid ratholing into something for about 5 years without having to engage with a public.

If a project can’t emotionally bear day one scrutiny, it’s unlikely to fare better five years later when you’ve got a lot of emotions about incompleteness and the feeling your work isn’t relevant anymore tied up in the project.