when protection is interpreted/implemented as isolation from real feedback on one side or "users want faster horses" on the other

I don’t see the tension. Early feedback may give negative results if you rush and show people unfinished product. However this is hard to achieve in a corporation, since you often pushed to move faster. As a creator you should have a couple of years alone with your creation.

that sounds counter to the scientific method, if you can disprove an hypothesis quickly, why would you waste a couple of years if you can avoid it?

If you can do that, sure. But if you will try to disprove it with a quirky prototype you might disprove just this prototype and not the hypothesis itself. I mean it depends when to show something to people.

there's the tension I mention 🙂

🤝