Prototypes

"I've basically given up on software prototypes. If the prototype can do everything the product can do, it might as well be the product, and if it can't, it's not much use. Luckily, there's a much better idea: paper prototypes, which neatly solve this problem and the iceberg problem in one fell swoop. Even luckier, Carolyn Snyder has just written a great new book, Paper Prototyping, on the subject. This is an essential reference for anyone designing user interfaces, and it's well written to boot."
[Joel on Software]

This reminds me of a company that called us about a year or so ago. They wanted to develop this prototype application that could basically do everything their final app was going to be able to do (which was quite a lot), but they wanted us to create the entire prototype for under $5000. Yah, right. Just because it is a prototype doesn't mean you get some special "we will work for food" discount.