As additive manufacturing scales from small-format prototyping to large-format production, the mindset around product development must evolve with it. In this talk, I explore how developing parts on smaller systems allows for rapid, low-cost iteration where failure often leads to insight. However, on large-scale platforms, builds are longer, more expensive, and more complex—demanding a front-loaded approach where simulation becomes a vital, I’ll examine how simulation of LPBF processes can shift from being a reactive quality check to a proactive design aid, and how using simulation—even with its inherent challenges and uncertainties—can lead to more efficient development of large AM components.