Lessons from the Terminal

Twice-weekly field notes on infrastructure, AI, and systems.

What I built, what broke, and the evidence that changed the next decision.

Jun 2026 AI

What I Learned From Rebuilding Twice

Rebuilding a system sounds like repeating the build. It rarely is. The first version accumulated decisions in the order I encountered them. A rebuild asks me to reproduce the result after that order, and much of the reasoning behind it, has disappeared.

4 min read Read →
May 2026 Productivity

Small Systems Make Ownership Obvious

Small systems have nowhere to hide their assumptions. That can feel limiting when I’m building one, but it’s a gift when I have to operate it later.

3 min read Read →