A simulation is a set of assumptions that are convenient to believe. It is also the cheapest place to be wrong. So every build here starts in a simulator — and none of them ends there.
The first pass happens on paper and in SPICE. For a power stage that means the topology, the switching frequency, the inductor value, and the expected duty cycle. For a digital design it means the pin map, the bus assignments, and the timing budget. This stage is fast and almost free, and it eliminates the mistakes that would otherwise cost a board spin.
The second pass happens in the schematic. Every part gets a real manufacturer part number, a package, a derating check, and a supplier with stock. A design that works only with parts nobody can buy is not a design. This is also where the schematic is reviewed as a drawing by someone trying to find the error, not as a description of intent.
The third pass is the bench, and this is the one that actually decides whether a build ships. Real converters warm up, real transients ring, and real grounds are not equipotential. Measurements go into the log with the conditions they were taken under: input voltage, load, ambient temperature, instrument.
Only then does a build get published. The rule is simple: if it has not been measured on the bench, it does not appear as a result. Expected numbers are labelled as expected.