Don't Trust the Model. Build the Checkpoint.
A pattern for reliable agent workflows: move the truth into executable checks, scripts, and oracles the model has to pass through.
The Redbeard — Writing
Thoughts on software engineering, product development, and building things right.
Latest posts
The Missing Memory Type
Every agent framework implements retrospective memory. None of them implement prospective memory. Cognitive science has known about this gap for 35 years.
Five CLIs Walk Into a Context Window
I ran Sonnet 4.6 through five different coding CLIs, three times each, and traced every API call. Same model, wildly different context profiles.
Projection Memory, or why your agent feels like a glorified cronjob
Agent memory only looks backward. I added a forward-looking type and benchmarked it against cron scheduling. Projection scored 4.80. Smart cron scored 2.59.
I accidentally benchmarked three free LLMs against Sonnet
I pointed GLM-5, Kimi K2.5, MiniMax M2.5, and Sonnet 4.6 at the same task. The differences showed up in planning, not raw capability.
I Intercepted 3,177 API Calls Across 4 AI Coding Tools. Here's What's Actually Filling Your Context Window.
Claude used 23K tokens to fix a one-line bug. Gemini used 350K. I built a tool to find out why.
Are We Becoming QA for the Machine?
Coding agents write the code, pick the next feature, and fix the bugs. You run the tests and say 'looks good.' Is that still engineering?
Full stack is too full and not full enough
"Full stack" sets expectations nobody can meet. The real gap isn't technical range, it's everything around the code.
Integration tests on GitLab CI with Docker
Using docker:dind plus docker compose in GitLab CI makes full integration tests feel local and repeatable.
Ambition should be about what you want to do, not what you want to be
Ambition gets healthier when you focus on the work you want to do, not the title you want to carry.
Empathy is the most undervalued skill in software engineering
The hard part of building software has never been the building, but understanding why, for whom, and what happens if you get it wrong.
Building trust after a failed project
When a client has been burned by a previous team, no amount of technical skill will save you. You need rhythm.
Agile is no excuse to start without a plan
Agile is fun. Failing early is great. But failing all the time isn't.
Efficient development with Docker and docker-compose
Let's set up a development environment for a Python and Java service in Docker, featuring code watching, Gitlab CI, and other good stuff.
Process-driven REST API design
REST is a heavily oversimplified and massively misunderstood (but very widely used) concept for designing APIs. Here's a better approach.
How programmers get disqualified from doing everything else
Being able to program is one of the few skills that can make you be seen as less than what you are.
Going on a Date with Java
A satirical commentary on Java's date/time libraries.
The importance of simulation and visualization in IoT systems development
Improving the efficiency of IoT systems development through better tooling.
The case for Semantic Programming
The journey to improve software development by orders of magnitude.
Continuous Scrum - A more efficient way to work agile
Scrum is great, but it has some disadvantages. Let's discuss a potentially even better way of doing Scrum!
Lessons learned using SCRUM
My experiences after a few years of applying SCRUM for a software development process.
On the immaturity of Software Engineering
We're still developing!
Stop tech-driven problem-solving
Don't let new and shiny tech lure you into finding a problem for it. First identify the problem, then find the tech to solve it.
Management for introverts: Influencing people with positivity and intellect
How I've found a positive approach to management.
Soft skills for Software Engineers
Speaking up, disagreeing with intellect instead of emotions, and don't be an ass.
IoT isn't about smart things. It's about smart interactions.
Smart things are stupid. Smart systems are smart.
LoRa: The latest revolution in IoT wireless technologies - A primer
What is LoRa, and how can you use it?
Simple continuous deployment with docker compose, docker machine and Gitlab CI
Let's be lazy and deploy simple docker-based architectures directly through docker compose, using only free tooling.