Deferring decisions early in development is often a rational choice. Data is incomplete. Uncertainty is high. Preserving optionality feels prudent. In many cases, it is.

The problem arises when deferral becomes the default.

Late-stage pressure rarely appears out of nowhere. It is usually the cumulative result of decisions that were postponed earlier—process choices that were left open, comparability strategies that were not fully defined, or supply considerations that were treated as future problems. In practice, these are rarely isolated gaps; they often sit at the…