Engineering
Software craft: architecture, technical debt, AI-assisted work, and the principles that outlast a trend.
- AI-Assisted Product Engineering: Orchestrating Claude Code Across the Software Development Lifecycle
Most LLM coding tools live inside a single editor session. Real product engineering doesn't. An architecture that orchestrates Claude Code across the full…
- I'm Bullish on AI-Assisted Coding. That's Exactly Why I Take the Risks Seriously.
The loudest AI enthusiasts are also the most allergic to discussing tradeoffs. That's the real risk. Honest enthusiasm is what keeps promising technologies…
- You Cannot Mandate Your Way to AI Adoption
Mandating AI tool usage, monitoring individual adoption, or ignoring it entirely. Three responses. All wrong. The AI adoption problem is a people problem,…
- The Gap Between Estimated and Delivered
The gap between estimate and delivery isn't an estimation problem. It's an organizational one.
- The Engineering Manager Role Is Mutating
Same title, different job. The EM role is mutating faster than the job descriptions can keep up.
- I Built a Game That Teaches Git by Making You Type Real Commands
Most git tutorials show you diagrams. Gitvana drops you in a terminal inside a pixel-art monastery and makes you earn your enlightenment one commit at a time.
- How I Built a Real-Time Geopolitical Event Pipeline with Embeddings and LLMs
A deep technical walkthrough of a 7-stage pipeline that ingests 100+ RSS feeds, clusters articles with vector embeddings, synthesises structured events…
- Building Global Crisis Monitor: A Real-Time Geopolitical Intelligence Dashboard
I built a system that ingests 80+ news feeds, clusters them with embeddings, synthesises events with AI, and surfaces a live map and briefings-plus…
- I built the tool my public-speaking anxiety needed
A zero-friction teleprompter for talks and Zoom: no signup, no backend, with a compact mode that keeps you looking at the camera instead of the script.
- How I Built My Perfect Family Budget App in Just 3 Days
Frustrated by budget apps that couldn't tell me where my money went, I built my own with Next.js and automation—and got real visibility in days.
- The Paradox of AI-Acceleration: Why We Are Typing Faster but Shipping Slower
AI lets us generate more code—but cycle times aren't dropping. Why velocity without tests, review, and observability just adds mass and risk.
- Don't ask AI to build the house. Ask it to build the scaffolding.
The real value of AI in development isn't production code—it's support code: tooling, tests, and scaffolding that gets you to the hard part faster.
- Build for Today or Don't Build at All
Future-proof architecture often hides fear of shipping. Why building for today beats hedging with abstraction—and how to ship without the vanity.
- When the hard part was the point
Solving a problem in seconds with AI left me feeling robbed—of the struggle, the flow, and the identity built around enduring the friction.
- Betting on Engineering, Not Trends
The AI hype will fade but the tech won't. How to prepare your engineering practices and codebase for what comes next—without buying the noise.
- Not All Technical Debt Needs to Be Repaid
Treating every tech debt as urgent leads to paralysis. Use the interest-rate test to pay down what hurts and leave the rest documented.
- The Most Valuable Code Is the Code You Never Write
YAGNI in practice: the best code is often the code you don't write. How to resist future-proofing and ship simple, adaptable solutions.
- Why Your Team's Docs Are a Strategic Asset (Not an Afterthought)
Good documentation is kindness to your future self and your team. Why treating docs as a high-leverage asset pays off in autonomy and stability.
- Focusing on the 'Why', Not Just the 'How'
Avoid cargo-cult Agile by keeping teams focused on the spirit of agility—adaptability, value, and improvement—instead of rigidly executing the how.
- How Product Engineers drive SaaS growth
Product engineers bridge the gap between building and user value. How they drive SaaS growth through empathy, outcomes, and full-stack ownership.
- Building a Product-Minded Engineering Culture
How to foster product-minded engineers: outcomes over output, user contact, and alignment between engineering and product.
- From IC to Engineering Manager: First 90 Days
Your first 90 days as an engineering manager: what to do, what to avoid, and how to set yourself and your team up for success.
- How to Hire and Retain Senior Engineers
Practical advice on hiring senior engineers and keeping them: what to look for, how to sell the role, and what actually drives retention.
- Using AI in the Software Development Lifecycle (Without Slowing Shipping)
Where AI helps in the SDLC—and where it doesn’t. How to adopt AI coding tools and automation without slowing down delivery.
- Remote and Hybrid Engineering Teams: What Actually Works
Practical practices for remote and hybrid engineering teams: async communication, rituals, and clarity that keep teams aligned and shipping.
- How to Give and Receive Technical Feedback (Code Review and Beyond)
Technical feedback in code reviews and design discussions builds quality and trust when done well. A practical guide to giving and receiving it.
- Engineering Metrics That Actually Improve Outcomes (Beyond Velocity and Story Points)
Velocity and story points often mislead. Here are engineering metrics that tie to delivery, quality, and team health—and how to use them.
- What Is a Staff Engineer (or Principal Engineer) and How Do You Get There?
Staff and Principal Engineers shape technical direction and org impact, not just code. Here’s what the role is and how to grow into it.
- Technical Debt: When to Pay It Down vs When to Live With It
Not all technical debt should be repaid. A practical framework for when to refactor, when to document and contain, and when to leave it alone.
- How to Run Effective Engineering 1:1s (Agenda, Frequency, Outcomes)
A practical guide to engineering 1:1s: how often to run them, what to put on the agenda, and how to turn conversations into clear outcomes and trust.
- How to Say No (and Yes) as an Engineering Leader
Saying no is part of the job. How to say no clearly and respectfully, when to say yes, and how to offer alternatives that protect your team.
- Running Effective Sprint Planning (Without the Theater)
Sprint planning that actually aligns the team: how long it should take, what to prepare, and how to avoid ceremony without substance.
- When to Hire Your First Engineering Manager
Signals that it's time to hire your first engineering manager, what to look for, and how to make the transition without losing velocity.
- Building Trust Between Product and Engineering
How to build trust between product and engineering: shared goals, clear boundaries, and habits that reduce us-vs-them and improve delivery.
- Career Conversations: How to Talk About Growth With Your Manager
How to have effective career conversations with your manager: what to ask for, how to prepare, and how to turn them into actionable next steps.
- Handling Conflict in Engineering Teams
Conflict in engineering teams is normal. How to address it early, facilitate constructive disagreement, and when to escalate.
- Delegation for Engineering Managers: What to Let Go First
Practical delegation for engineering managers: what to delegate first, how to hand off without micromanaging, and when to step back in.
- Onboarding New Engineers: First 30 Days That Stick
A practical plan for the first 30 days of engineering onboarding: setup, context, first contributions, and how to measure success.
- Writing Better RFCs and Design Docs
RFCs and design docs that get read and get feedback: structure, audience, and how to make decisions instead of endless discussion.
- How to Run Effective Retrospectives (and Get Real Change)
Retrospectives that actually lead to change: structure, facilitation tips, and how to turn discussion into experiments the team will run.