Mistakes are a part of design. Often mistakes are our biggest learning opportunities. Research will only take you so far, sometimes you have to be the first one to try that crazy idea.
Mistakes cost money, time, pride, and good feelings to name a few. Every mistake we make is an opportunity to learn. Sometimes the lesson is to be more careful, other times it is a paradigm shift.
Careful planning and well designed experiments can help us reduce the number of mistakes we make. As part of my job, when we finish a layout, we check the plot back against the schematic and part pin diagrams. I have caught many errors and flaws in the design during this process.
Excellent point. Thank you.