A prototype proves possibility.
A strong prototype answers one question quickly: can this new behavior create value? It should be thin, direct, and willing to ignore complexity that would slow the learning down.
That constraint is useful until the demo begins standing in for the product. A single polished run does not reveal how the system behaves with missing context, conflicting instructions, duplicate records, or a person who changes their mind halfway through.
The happy path sells the idea. The handoffs decide whether it survives.
Operation is a different discipline.
Production work needs ownership, retries, observability, permissions, and a defined recovery path. It needs a person who knows what to do when the model is technically correct and operationally wrong.
The work is less cinematic than the demo. It is also where the real product appears: in the naming, the handoffs, the exception states, and the quiet confidence that a mistake can be contained.
Test the edges before the applause.
Keep the demo, but use it as the beginning of the test plan. Ask what happens when data is late, a tool is unavailable, confidence is low, or two people act at once. Run the workflow with the person who will own it after launch.
A product is ready when the operator understands the edges and the system makes the safe path easier than the risky one. That is a different finish line from a room full of impressed people.