diff --git a/dev-to/launch-post.md b/dev-to/launch-post.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d328f33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev-to/launch-post.md
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+---
+title: "Production-Ready MCP Servers in 60 Seconds (Auth, Rate Limits, Audit Logs Included)"
+published: false
+description: A TypeScript scaffold for production MCP servers that ships with pluggable auth, per-tool rate limiting, structured audit logs, and OpenTelemetry — so you can build the actual tools and not reinvent the boring parts.
+tags: ai, llm, typescript, node
+cover_image: <COVER_IMAGE_URL>
+canonical_url: https://github.com/hailbytes/mcp-server-template
+published_at: 2026-05-22 13:00 +0000
+---
+
+<!--
+COVER IMAGE PROMPT (1000x420, 2.4:1 banner):
+
+Flat vector illustration, isometric perspective. A stacked server block being assembled out
+of stylized layers (like clean architectural strata). Floating around the stack: a small key
+icon (auth), a circular gauge (rate limit), a scroll / log lines (audit), and an eye / radar
+ring (observability). A small geometric robot silhouette in the lower-left foreground.
+Dark navy (#0a1628) background, electric cyan (#00d4ff) primary, amber (#ffb347) for the
+orbiting icons, soft white highlights on layer edges. Banner composition, asymmetric depth,
+generous negative space on the right. No text in the image.
+
+Suggested generators: Midjourney v6+ with `--ar 1000:420 --style raw`, DALL-E 3, or Flux.
+After generation, host on Cloudinary or GitHub raw and replace <COVER_IMAGE_URL> above.
+-->
+
+Every MCP server tutorial I've read shows you how to register a single tool that echoes a string. Then they wave at "production concerns" and end the post.
+
+Production concerns *are* the post.
+
+[`@hailbytes/mcp-server-template`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@hailbytes/mcp-server-template) is the opinionated TypeScript scaffold I use when I need to ship an MCP server that an enterprise will actually run. It comes with:
+
+- **Auth** — pluggable middleware for API keys, OAuth, and JWT
+- **Rate limiting** — per-client and per-tool, so one runaway agent can't take the whole server down
+- **Audit logging** — structured logs for every tool call and session event
+- **OpenTelemetry** — traces and metrics, so you can actually debug what your model did
+- **Multi-transport** — SSE, stdio, and HTTP, picked at scaffold time
+
+## Scaffold a new server
+
+```bash
+npx @hailbytes/create-mcp-server my-server --transport=sse
+```
+
+You get a directory you can `cd` into and `npm run dev` immediately.
+
+## Or embed it programmatically
+
+```ts
+import { createMcpServer, defineTools } from "@hailbytes/mcp-server-template";
+
+const tools = defineTools([
+  {
+    name: "echo",
+    description: "Echoes the input back.",
+    inputSchema: { type: "object", properties: { message: { type: "string" } } },
+    handler: async ({ message }) => ({ content: [{ type: "text", text: message }] }),
+  },
+]);
+
+const server = await createMcpServer({
+  name: "my-server",
+  version: "1.0.0",
+  transport: "sse",
+  tools,
+  auth: { type: "api-key", header: "X-Api-Key" },
+  rateLimit: { requestsPerMinute: 60 },
+  audit: { destination: "stdout" },
+});
+
+await server.start();
+```
+
+That's the entire "production MCP server" diff vs. the tutorial echo example.
+
+Pair it with [`@hailbytes/mcp-security-scanner`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@hailbytes/mcp-security-scanner) and you'll have a server that comes up secure by default and stays that way as you add tools.
+
+```bash
+npx @hailbytes/create-mcp-server my-server
+```
+
+Source: [github.com/hailbytes/mcp-server-template](https://github.com/hailbytes/mcp-server-template) — MIT licensed.