Prototypes

Imagine getting an architect to design your dream home. They take your input, then return with a beautiful scale model. You are amazed. So amazed, in fact, that you inform them that further services (like getting permits and assembling a team of contractors) won't be necessary as you'll just move in right then and there. 😬

With real-life objects, we have the good sense to tell a model or prototype from the real thing. The scale is wrong, details are missing, or it's clear that the material isn't as durable as the final product should be.

Not so with code. Take a web app. It's all just pixels on the screen anyway. Nobody can discern what horrors lurk beneath as long as the user interface is polished:

• Will it hold up to increased traffic?

• Can hackers practically walk in through the front door?

• If we want to add more features, will that take months due to piles of poor technical choices?

• It appears to work, but has it been tested for all edge cases?

Remember these points when someone shows off the app they vibe-coded in a weekend. Maybe it's the real deal. Maybe it's just a cardboard cutout.