The MCP-as-OS framing is where I landed too. Spent about three months building mine before I realized I was building infrastructure, not productivity.

The flip was treating MCP servers less like plugins and more like specialized team members. Image generation goes to one server. Memory and search to another. Browser automation is its own thing. When each MCP has a clear scope, the system gets more reliable - because failures are isolated.

Prompt integration matters way more than most tutorials show. The difference between an MCP that is available and one you actually use is whether it shows up in the system prompt with clear trigger conditions.

Five examples is the right amount for a first look. Image generation first is the fastest aha moment.