The hum of keyboards was constant, but conversation had turned sharp in the crowded basement office. Clara, eyes flicking between heated exchanges, scrolled through a maze of feedback no one else seemed willing to face. The team’s prototype gathered dust next to untouched pizza boxes as voices rose—“Marketing blitz,” said one; “Total overhaul,” countered another.

Only when the last debate dwindled did she point at a comment on her screen: “I couldn’t find the save button.” Chairs scraped forward. Clara stood up, hooked the laptop to the projector, and said quietly, “Let’s start where people get lost.”