That's not a great analogy. Using cheaper components to cut costs requires more engineering effort; this is a form of optimization. For a prototype, you might just use more expensive components if it's convenient, since the per-unit cost doesn't matter much.
When writing software, there's no direct analogy because usually the components we build our programs out of have hardly any per-unit cost. We don't save any money by using a crappy third-party library over a high-quality one. Using a library with lots of unnecessary features may be cheaper both for prototyping and for the final product.
When writing software, there's no direct analogy because usually the components we build our programs out of have hardly any per-unit cost. We don't save any money by using a crappy third-party library over a high-quality one. Using a library with lots of unnecessary features may be cheaper both for prototyping and for the final product.