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.
All content reflects the personal opinions of its authors and does not represent any employer, client, or affiliated organization.
Articles
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The Bottlenecked CEO: You Don’t Need New Metrics to Quantify AI Value. You Need the Courage to Eliminate the Silos That Make Measurement Impossible.
Executive Deck ↗Listen ↗A CEO watches a startup take 10 percent of his market in 8 months. The problem is not metrics. It is the silos that make measuring…
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What Got You Here Won’t Keep You Here: A Letter to VPs of Engineering
Executive Deck ↗Listen ↗VPs of Engineering: your playbook is obsolete.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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Your AI Investment Is Failing. Here’s Why.
Executive Deck ↗Listen ↗Most enterprise AI investments are failing. Here's the real reason: you're measuring tools, not outcomes. Learn how to fix your approach.
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If You Want to Measure Macro Results, Answer These 3 Questions Before AI Touches Your SDLC
Executive Deck ↗Listen ↗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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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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Every Agile Artifact Was Built to Derisk Humans Writing Code
Executive Deck ↗Listen ↗Every agile artifact exists to derisk humans writing code. AI changes that equation. Here's what to keep and what to throw away.
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What Got You Here Won’t Keep You Here: A Letter to Engineering Directors
Executive Deck ↗Listen ↗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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How to Negotiate Your new AI Leadership Comp
Executive Deck ↗Listen ↗Negotiating an AI leadership role? Here's how to structure compensation that reflects your value in transforming engineering organizations.
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Your Questions About AI in the SDLC Reveal Exactly Where You Are in the Adoption Curve—And How to Bridge the Gap Before You Waste a Year
Executive Deck ↗Listen ↗Your questions about AI in the SDLC reveal your adoption maturity level. Diagnose where you are and learn how to accelerate your journey.
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Hello New CTO : Your Loan Engine Cost More than Giving Billionaires Free Cars
Executive Deck ↗Listen ↗New CTO reality check: Your legacy systems cost more than you think. A frank analysis of technical debt and the business case for AI modernization.
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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