Richard Anaya shares insights from his experience as an AI Software Architect, documenting the emerging shift toward research and development becoming central to technology organizations. He argues that generative AI's complexity requires substantial discovery work before confident implementation.

The Goal

Organizations investing in R&D must prioritize getting viable prototypes onto product roadmaps quickly. "You must be someone who cares about money to increase the likelihood that you are allocating your time on viable prototypes and not mad science."

Success requires demonstrating clear financial impact to decision-makers. Without this alignment, research efforts lack organizational support and remain hidden behind feature flags, never reaching customers.

What You'll Be Doing

The role fundamentally differs from traditional product development. Engineers must become educators, helping colleagues understand technological possibilities. "People cannot evaluate the financial impact of your prototype if they do not understand it."

Cross-functional relationships become critical. Feedback from product, sales, marketing, and customer success teams helps identify non-viable prototypes quickly, allowing focus on promising opportunities. Engineers must also judge emerging technologies through a business lens, understanding how innovations like vector databases fit within company strategy.

Common Mistakes

Overproduction: Avoid over-engineering prototypes. Build just enough to convey opportunity without preventing exploration of alternatives.

Exaggeration: Describe capabilities accurately. Calling AI a "thinking machine" creates unrealistic expectations; "pattern identifier" better reflects reality and enables productive conversations.

Isolation: Demonstrate work frequently. Regular sharing builds trust and keeps stakeholders informed throughout development.

Final Imperative

Document actual impact after productization. R&D must justify its costs against successful projects, failed experiments, and productization expenses—a significant investment requiring accountability to investors.