The system behind the screens.
AI can create an impressive first demo while still failing as a product through inconsistent output, unclear value, unpredictable latency or unbounded model cost.
Design the product and architecture together.
I shaped the experience around a focused user outcome, then treated prompts, evaluation, usage metering and fallbacks as parts of the same product system. The model remained replaceable; the workflow became the asset.
What had to be true.
- Meter usage at the model boundary and translate it into understandable product units.
- Separate synchronous feedback from heavier asynchronous generation.
- Version prompts and evaluate changes against representative cases.