Rapid Prototyping vs Engineering

The Prototype Fallacy

We are in an era of accelerated development. Tools such as Large Language Models and AI-assisted IDEs enable the rapid generation of functional prototypes. This “flow-based” development is highly effective for initial validation and immediate visual feedback.

However, a fundamental gap exists between a functional prototype and a production-grade system.

It Works… Until It Doesn’t

AI doesn’t care about:

• Race conditions in your database.
• N+1 query problems slowing down your API.
• Security vulnerabilities like SQL injection or exposed env vars.
• Maintainability for the next developer (or future you).

Bridging the Gap

The role of the modern software engineer is shifting. We are no longer just typists; we are editors and architects.

// The "Vibe" Approach
const getUser = (id) => db.query(`SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ${id}`); // 😱

// The Engineer Approach
const getUser = (id: string) => {
  const safeId = z.string().uuid().parse(id);
  return db.user.findUnique({ where: { id: safeId } });
};

In this blog, I’ll be exploring how we can take the incredible speed of AI and marry it with the discipline of traditional engineering.