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Thoughts & Insights

Tales from the trenches of backend engineering, system design, and building at scale.

handoff: Give the Next AI Agent the Context It Actually Needs
Sep 5, 2026#ai#programming#productivity#llm#prompt-engineering

handoff: Give the Next AI Agent the Context It Actually Needs

A detailed guide to creating compact AI-agent handoffs that preserve the live thread, point to durable artifacts, and prevent costly rediscovery.

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Caveman Ultra Mode: Make Your Coding Agent Say Less, Not Think Less
Aug 29, 2026#ai#programming#productivity#llm#prompt-engineering

Caveman Ultra Mode: Make Your Coding Agent Say Less, Not Think Less

How Caveman Ultra Mode compresses coding-agent replies, where it helps most, and how to preserve evidence and judgment when working tersely.

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Superpowers for Coding Agents: Turn Vague Requests Into Tested Changes
Aug 22, 2026#ai#programming#productivity#llm#prompt-engineering

Superpowers for Coding Agents: Turn Vague Requests Into Tested Changes

An in-depth overview of Superpowers: a structured coding-agent methodology for design approval, planning, TDD, subagent work, and review.

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Use grill-me to Pressure-Test an AI Implementation Plan Before Code
Aug 15, 2026#ai#productivity#architecture#llm#prompt-engineering

Use grill-me to Pressure-Test an AI Implementation Plan Before Code

A detailed guide to using grill-me to challenge architecture and product decisions before an AI coding agent starts implementation.

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Four AI Agent Skills That Make Coding Workflows Sharper
Aug 8, 2026#ai#programming#productivity#llm#prompt-engineering

Four AI Agent Skills That Make Coding Workflows Sharper

A practical 10-minute guide to using Caveman, Superpowers, grill-me, and handoff at the right stages of an AI-assisted engineering workflow.

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The Golden Rule of Payout Systems: Why "Pending" is Never a Failure
Aug 1, 2026#payments#fintech#distributed-systems#system-design

The Golden Rule of Payout Systems: Why "Pending" is Never a Failure

Why Pending is the safest state in payment systems. Transaction uncertainty as failure causes duplicate payments. Conservative state machines beat.

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