The point I am trying to make is that if your system can survive in production under realistic workload for some period of time (i.e. the boat floats & makes it

The point I am trying to make is that if your system can survive in production under realistic workload for some period of time (i.e. the boat floats & makes it out of the harbor), then what is preventing you from taking that success and incrementally moving it further into a preferred direction?