From AI prototype to production product
The path from demo to product is rarely about swapping one model for another. It is about making behavior understandable, testable, observable, and useful when inputs are messy.
Make the experience explicit
Production UX needs loading, uncertainty, citations, corrections, empty states, and recovery paths. Users should know what the system did and what they can do next.
Build evaluation into the workflow
Create a small representative dataset and review it whenever prompts, retrieval, tools, or models change. Track quality alongside latency and cost.
Plan for ownership
Document data flows, permissions, failure modes, and operating costs. A durable AI feature is one a product team can safely maintain after launch.