I’m sure this is naive on some level, but I’d say you don’t have to lie to people. Sounds perfectly sensible, and not naive at all. I'd much rather come into

I’m sure this is naive on some level, but I’d say you don’t have to lie to people. Sounds perfectly sensible, and not naive at all. I'd much rather come into a situation where they were both already aware of, and entirely honest about the current shit-show status of the project -- than a situation where everyone thinks what they're doing is great and bleeding edge but when you actually take a good look at their assets, as it were... not only are they manifestly and visibly unwashed -- but no one seems to notice the stink.