How do I take an AI-built prototype to a production-ready product?

A prototype proves the idea can exist; production proves strangers can depend on it. Before real users touch it, do the hardening pass AI tools skip: turn on row-level security and auth rules (the Lovable-Supabase leaks exposed 170+ apps that didn't), get API keys out of the code, add real error handling, a basic CI pipeline, and a database that survives concurrent users. Budget for this as its own milestone, either a focused week of your own time following a checklist or a short engagement with an engineer who reviews before launch.

A quick orientation. The real value is below: resources worth your time, from people who've actually done it.