Elise, there is no product. There is a Product Concept. All of the rules change for early stage product concepts; it can't be tested, it's not proven, and it's expensive. Early stage concepts have a totally different approach than a Complete Product with 1,000 packaged and available to test.
If the intent is to license it is a totally different approach of marketing the concept to a license agreement. This impacts the development.
In truth, it doesn't matter how good the product is, it only matters how good your marketing is because that determines how well it sells. (Engineers never understand this and marketing studies it and the innovators are making it happen.) Chia Pet (over $200 million) and Billy Bob Teeth (over 22 million sold) could not be given away in the beginning. All early stage indications pointed to failure. It's the same with Cabbage Patch Kids, Trivial Pursuit, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Super Soaker - all labeled as failures from the biggest companies in the business and the list goes on.
Mychal, you are correct, marketing never ends and it makes you smarter about your product and your business. I couldn't say it better or simpler.