[IndySam]

There is no doubt that our on field performance has increased significantly since we started building a practice robot three years ago.

We benefit from all the things that have already been stated but there are also intangibles that building a practice/prototype brings.

It compresses your build time so you can actually build two robots. This forces you to make decisions quicker and be much more organized. It also makes you raise more money which in itself brings other benefits.

I have yet to find a downside to it.