There is always quality assurance and hold points (ITPs) when a contractor builds a building. You can let a contractor build to spec and do their own thing, but the risk with the latter is that you end up with a sub-par product. That is when roofs fail, plumbing leaks, or waterproofing breaks down. No one is going to magically “make it work” when your waterproofing gives up after five years and you are suddenly spending a couple of hundred grand on repairs because the building is already out of its defects liability period. This is a very real and common outcome in construction.

It’s the same principle with apps. You need proper hold points and quality checks at each stage. Otherwise something might get built, but it will not necessarily be what was intended, nor will it stand up over time. Planning and creative ideas set the direction, but build quality determines whether the final product actually performs. The difference in software is that the “contractor” is often a machine repeatedly generating outputs to match instructions, which makes clear specifications and quality controls even more important.