4.1.3. Iterative, Not Sequential

💡 First Principle: The activities are explicitly non-sequential and non-linear — used iteratively — because demand, technology, and understanding all keep changing, so freezing a product after "build" guarantees it drifts out of alignment with need.

This is the headline concept of Phase 4. The eight activities can occur in parallel, repeat, and be revisited in any order the situation demands. A product can be in operate and support while parts of it loop back through design and build for the next improvement. There is no mandatory one-way march from discover to support.

⚠️ Exam Trap: This is the most likely Phase 4 exam point. Any option stating or implying the activities are "sequential," "linear," "completed in order," or "done once" is wrong. The correct framing is iterative and concurrent.

Reflection Question: Give a concrete example where a product is simultaneously being operated and redesigned, and explain why that's normal rather than a problem.