Field notes
Expert opinions. Independent views.
Real experiences from operators building with AI in the SDLC, including what worked, what failed, and what changed. We freely give our content. Our only requirement is that you attribute it to here.
By Norman and Nathan — practitioners who build production software with AI agents.
Articles
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Congratulations: You Just Reinvented Peter Gibbons from Office Space
Executive Deck ↗Listen ↗A 2025 parody exploring how enterprise AI adoption recreated Office Space. Your measurement systems train top performers to do just enough. That is not their failure.…
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The 2028 Problem You’re Creating in 2025
Executive Deck ↗Listen ↗Your 2025 AI decisions shape your 2028 reality. Learn why waiting for clarity is the riskiest strategy and how to build for capabilities that don't exist…
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Stop Asking for “Advanced” AI Training
Executive Deck ↗Listen ↗Advanced AI training is a status marker, not a learning objective. Discover what you actually need to know based on your role and current skill level.
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If Your Vendor Doesn’t Ask These Three Questions Before the Demo, Politely Ask for a Field CTO Who Will
Executive Deck ↗Listen ↗Before your next AI vendor demo, make sure they ask these 3 critical questions. If they don't, you're getting a performance, not a partnership.
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If You Want to Measure Macro Results, Answer These 3 Questions Before AI Touches Your SDLC
Executive Deck ↗Measure AI impact at the macro level by answering three critical questions before implementation: what you're solving, how you'll measure it, and who owns results.
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Dear Jim in Detroit — Don’t Punish Your Top AI Dev
Executive Deck ↗An open letter to engineering managers: why punishing your fastest AI adopters creates a lose-lose situation. Here's what to do instead.
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What Got You Here Won’t Keep You Here: A Letter to Technology Executives
Executive Deck ↗Technology executives: the skills that got you here won't keep you here. A frank letter about adapting your leadership for the AI-native era.
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What Got You Here Won’t Keep You Here: A Letter to VPs of Engineering
Executive Deck ↗VPs of Engineering: your playbook is obsolete. Here's how AI changes everything about how you lead, measure, and develop your organization.
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What Got You Here Won’t Keep You Here: A Letter to Engineering Directors
Executive Deck ↗Engineering directors have 18 months to prove they can transform teams for AI. The market in 2028 will have directors with proven transformation track records. Will…
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What Got You Here Won’t Keep You Here: A Letter to Mid and Late-Career Developers
Executive Deck ↗Mid and late-career developers: AI isn't here to replace you. But developers who use AI will replace those who don't. Here's how to adapt.
Essential or Ornamental
Three companies. Three choices. One satisfactory ending.
One does nothing. One maps the waste. One bets everything on twelve people in a warehouse.
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