Discover How to Take Your Startup from Prototype to Production at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
AI has dramatically lowered the barrier to building impressive prototypes. Getting those prototypes into production is a different story.
Every founder hopes their breakthrough becomes a product customers can rely on. Yet the path from prototype to production rarely follows a straight line. Manufacturing challenges emerge. Infrastructure has to support growth. Autonomous systems have to perform outside controlled environments. The problems change quickly once technology leaves the lab.
From Prototype to Production: Can It Scale in Reality?
That's the focus of "From Prototype to Production: Can It Scale in Reality?", taking place on the Real World AI Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026.
[Image: TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 speakers Boris Sofman, Adrian Macneil, and John Mackey]
Why This Session Matters in 2026
As AI tools mature and prototyping becomes nearly instantaneous, the industry's bottleneck has shifted decisively from ideation to execution. In 2026, investors and customers alike are evaluating startups not on the elegance of their demos, but on whether those demos can survive contact with real-world constraints—supply chains, regulatory compliance, unit economics, and the unpredictable environments where autonomous systems must operate.
This session brings together founders and operators who have navigated that transition firsthand. Panelists include:
- John Mackey — a veteran of scaling physical and software products from early concept through mass deployment
- Boris Sofman — an expert in autonomous systems and robotics, with deep experience deploying AI beyond controlled lab conditions
- Adrian Macneil — a builder focused on the infrastructure and engineering challenges that emerge when prototypes meet production traffic
What You'll Learn
Attendees can expect candid discussion of the hard questions every scaling startup faces:
- Manufacturing and hardware realities: How to move from small-batch prototypes to reliable, cost-effective production
- Infrastructure at scale: What changes when your system must support thousands or millions of users
- Autonomous systems in the wild: Why performance degrades outside controlled environments—and how to prepare for it
- The organizational shift: How teams, processes, and priorities must evolve as a company transitions from experimentation to operations
Join Us at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 brings together the founders, investors, and technologists shaping the next wave of AI-driven companies. The Real World AI Stage is dedicated to the practical, unglamorous, and essential work of turning breakthroughs into businesses.
Don't miss "From Prototype to Production: Can It Scale in Reality?" — because in 2026, the winners won't be the teams with the best demos. They'll be the ones who can actually ship.
[Register for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 and view the full agenda]
via TechCrunch AI