Keep the prototype question small.
A focused prototype tests one important assumption. It may establish that a document can be parsed, a workflow can be automated, or an interface makes sense to users. It does not establish production readiness.
Engineer for the exceptions.
Real systems face missing data, unavailable services, conflicting permissions, and surprising user behavior. Production work includes validation, retries, monitoring, safe failure, and a clear recovery path.
Agree on the release gate.
Before launch, define acceptance criteria with the people who own the workflow. Review evaluations, permissions, performance, deployment, and operational readiness together. A smaller release with a clear boundary often teaches more than a broad release with hidden uncertainty.