AI can compress MVP timelines in 2026, but it compresses the wrong things if you only measure "lines generated." Demo speed is cheap. Authz, data boundaries, deploy, and an eval loop for any LLM feature are still where projects stall. A practical split: use AI tools to validate the workflow with friendly users, then bring a senior engineer or studio to put CI, staging, secrets, and ownership in place before strangers or payments touch it. That sequence is usually cheaper than rewriting a weekend prototype under diligence pressure. Ascendra Ventures uses AI inside fixed-price builds and still prices the outcome, not the hours.