Why most GenAI pilots crumble after launch
Most GenAI pilots don't fail because the models are bad — they fail because the surrounding system wasn't built for production. In 2026 an "LLM call" is rarely a single model invocation. Real systems are compound: embedders, retrievers, vector stores, re-rankers, validators, tool calls, and multiple LLMs wired together. Without a focused LLMOps strategy, that complexity explodes into latency spikes, runaway token bills, and safety gaps once real traffic arrives.
This article outlines an actionable LLMOps playbook for compound AI systems that keeps them fast, safe, and affordable.
The five high-leverage controls every compound system needs
1) Model gateway (route, don’t brute-force)
