Interface matters more than the model now

Two teams pulling from the same API endpoint will ship products that feel nothing alike. The model is a commodity input. The interface — how the user enters the task, sees the progress, recovers from a mistake — is where the product is.

Three interface decisions that beat model choice

1. How much does the user type? Every word you force them to write is a tax. The best AI products trade typing for picking.
2. Can they see it thinking? A bar that says "reading your code" beats a spinner. Streaming beats both.
3. What happens when it's wrong? Products that make failure cheap (easy to edit, easy to retry, easy to undo) always beat products that hide behind confidence.

What this means for investment

Stop A/B-testing models in your product before your interface is honest about what the model is doing. A sloppy interface hides which model is actually better for your users. Fix the interface first, then run the comparison.