Making progress without a technical leader
Startups without a technical co-founder can still build great products, but only if they avoid the usual traps of overengineering, needless infrastructure, and late developer involvement.
Ideas and insights
88 posts
AI writes bad code, but what if that’s the good news?
Should engineers fear messy AI code or embrace it as a tool for fast product validation? This story reveals why your cleanest code might not be your most valuable contribution. Why founders will use AI generated code more and more for MVPs and prototyping and why engineers should embrace this.
Pricing strategies in the era of AI: why hourly billing no longer works
AI tools are changing how agencies work and how they should bill. Fewer hours, faster results, and ballooning token costs are reshaping agency economics. We dive into what comes next, and why value pricing might be the way forward.
Due diligence for AI startups: what actually matters
Founders and investors due diligence: how to dig beneath the “AI-powered” facade and verify that their systems won’t break in secret.
5 red flags for VCs when planning to invest in Seed or Series A companies
Discover the five most common technical-due-diligence red flags—from undersized or misaligned teams to “just-about-working” codebases—that VCs must spot before writing a cheque.
Why frontend rewrites are more common than refactors
Why do engineering teams keep rewriting frontends? Let’s explore the leadership bias and tech churn that makes refactors feel harder—yet ultimately more sustainable.
Three cursors walk into a codebase
A cautionary tale about interns, AI tools, and outsourcing delivering 80% of a project—leaving internal teams with the clean-up. Learn why shortcuts often come with hidden costs.
Another early-stage SaaS founders dilemma: buy a pre-built app or build one from scratch
Should SaaS founders buy or build their MVP? We compare pre-built apps vs custom development across cost, time, scalability, and code quality — so you can choose the right foundation for your product.
🌶️ Why Native PHP shouldn’t exist
Building desktop apps with NativePHP misuses Laravel’s core strengths, creating potential security risks and practical limitations.