Writing
Thoughts on building software that lasts, AI that actually helps, and lessons from 30 years of production code.
2025
What Replacement Cost Actually Means (And Why 'Just Rewrite It' Is Dangerous)
Breaking down what a massive replacement estimate actually represents - and why 'just rewrite it' is almost always a multi-million dollar sentence.
The Architecture Decisions That Prevented a Ground-Up Rewrite
The seven key architecture decisions that kept Conductor running for 20 years without a ground-up rewrite.
2024
5 Red Flags Your 'Developer' Is Actually Building Technical Debt
Warning signs that your development is accumulating expensive technical debt - even if you can't read the code yourself.
From Idea Straight to Code: The Hidden Death March Non-Technical Founders Don't See
What happens when you skip requirements and design - the old-school discipline we threw out and why it still matters.
Why Non-Technical Founders Should Never Hire 'A Developer' First
The expensive mistake of hiring developers before architects - and the hiring framework non-technical founders actually need.