At the same time, sometimes, the best argument for a big new idea is _code_ showing that it works in reality. Obviously, if you're going to do a major refactor

At the same time, sometimes, the best argument for a big new idea is _code_ showing that it works in reality. Obviously, if you're going to do a major refactor on your own, you're risking that work being thrown away. So, it's certainly a risk.