Validate First, Prototype Later: Why Stakeholder Alignment Beats Perfect Design (feat. Low Tse Han)

In this inaugural episode of Intrigued to Innovate, host Dr Jovan Tan sits down with Low Tse Han, a Y2 iDP student in electrical engineering who ventured far outside his comfort zone in music to tackle a critical healthcare challenge: reducing unnecessary caesarean sections. What starts as a conversation about innovation quickly turns into a masterclass in resilience, validation, and the messy reality of problem-solving.

Tse Han shares the story of his MedTech innovation project—a machine learning-based clinical decision support system (CDSS) aimed at helping obstetricians make better decisions during labour. The journey was challenging, as halfway through, after months of research and development, his team's prototype received a lukewarm response from clinicians: it didn't align with their thought process. Rather than defend their work, Tse Han and his team did something extraordinary—they went back to the drawing board and eventually transformed a stalled project into a highly collaborative innovation.

This episode explores what it takes to truly understand a problem, highlights the importance of regular stakeholder engagement, and explains why sometimes the greatest learning occurs when things don't go as planned. From analysing complex medical literature to rebuilding prototypes under pressure, Tse Han learned firsthand that perfect prototypes matter little without stakeholder alignment. His journey provides valuable insights for anyone pursuing interdisciplinary innovation.

This episode uncovers:

· The challenge of unnecessary caesarean sections and labour dystocia

· Why early validation and stakeholder alignment are more critical than aiming for a perfect design

· How to turn negative feedback into resilience and growth

· How to approach problems you know nothing about

· How to understand your weaknesses to build stronger teams

Whether you're a student engineer, healthcare professional, or anyone passionate about problem-solving, learn why "Validate First, Prototype Later" is the motto for sustainable and impactful innovation.

Guest: Low Tse Han, Y2 Innovation & Design Programme (iDP) Student, National University of Singapore

Hosted by: Dr Jovan Tan

Produced by: Low Tse Han and Jovan Tan

Presented by: NUS Innovation & Design Programme (iDP) at the NUS Engineering Design and Innovation Centre (EDIC)

Don't miss the EDIC Project Showcase 2025 on 14 November 2025, 5PM at the NUS Engineering Auditorium Atrium, featuring over 40 cutting-edge student projects.