[mattcameron]

What does “ready” actually mean when building software with AI?

A common pattern in AI-assisted development is declaring something ready because it looks complete. But readiness is not a polish milestone. It is a responsibility call.

AI-assisted coding and vibeCoding can generate drafts quickly. The real decision comes when someone has to decide whether it is safe to release.

In practice, “ready” often means something simpler:

A first-time user can complete the core path when it matters most.

AI can help explore risks, generate tests and model failure states. But a human still decides when the system is reliable enough to trust in production.

This working note is part of a sequence on launch decisions when building software with AI.