A convincing demo takes a weekend. A reliable AI feature that lifts a real metric takes evaluation, guardrails, retrieval that stays fresh, and a feedback loop. The demo is the easy 20%.
We treat AI features like any other production system: measured, observable, and reversible. If it can't be evaluated, it doesn't ship.
Done right, applied AI is one of the highest-leverage things a team can build. Done for the demo, it's a liability with a nice screenshot.