Blog
Articles on product building, founding engineering, architecture, AI, and engineering leadership
Duplications, Formats, and Users: The Small Decisions That Define Architecture
The architectural decisions that shape your product aren't on the roadmap. They happen quietly - in PRs, team chats, and format choices.
Vibe-Coders vs. Perfectionists: The Two Founders AI Created
The rise of AI has created two distinct founder personas: those drowning in 'Vibe Code' and those paralyzed by distrust. Here is how to lead both.
AI in Production: Between Promise and Reality - Avoiding the Trap
Why AI systems break in production, how architecture decisions drive business outcomes, and why you need human expertise.
The Mazda 3 Trap: Why Your AI's 'Correct' Solution Isn't Right for Production
Don't let generic AI solutions create hidden technical debt. Learn why production-ready architecture requires a Bionic Expert in the room.
Managed Services: The Convenience That Costs More Than You Think
Why managed cloud services create hidden costs, vendor lock-in, and knowledge gaps - and what Reddit's live migration teaches us about building portable.
The Talent Tax: Why Your Back-to-Office Policy is a Gamble You Can’t Afford
When you mandate office presence, you spend your negotiation capital with the people who have the most of it - your senior engineers.
Engineering Leadership: When a Title Isn't Enough and Open Source Burns Out
Microsoft's 'quality czar' with no authority, code that leans on burning-out volunteers, and how AI reshapes open source ownership. Three leadership lessons.
Software Architecture: Beyond the Database Schema
Distributed monoliths posing as microservices, admin panels that cost hours, and when to leave the monolith. Architecture from the business, not the trend.
AI in Software Engineering: Staying the Pilot, Not Becoming the Passenger
AI boosts developer productivity 40%, but also creates dangerous dependency. How CTOs build teams that leverage AI without losing judgment.
AI Governance: When the Black Box Makes Decisions For You
From Amazon outages to a bot booking the wrong hotel: why AI explainability is a business problem, not just technical, and how to build accountability.
Cloud Infrastructure: Why the Cheapest Option Costs the Most
Managed services lock-in, databases treated as dump sites, and AWS taken down by its own AI tools. Three lessons on the real cost of convenience.