Tag: technology

Beyond keys: The rise of semantic and prefix caching for LLMs

An exploration of how new caching techniques from Redis, OpenAI, and Claude are tackling the expensive problem of repetitive LLM calls.

Onboarding AI with READMEs and quality gates

A practical approach to structuring project documentation using READMEs for context and automated checks as 'Quality Gates' to improve AI-assisted development.

Simon Willison on the lethal trifecta and MCP security

A look at Simon Willison's latest talk on AI security, focusing on his 'lethal trifecta' concept and the risks of the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

A periodic table for system design

An exploration of Joy Arulraj's 'periodic table' of system design principles, with some reflections on its practical use.

A deeper look at AI's impact through the SPACE framework

A reflection on a study that uses the SPACE framework to measure the real-world impact of AI on developer productivity, satisfaction, and collaboration.

An oral history of how ChatGPT disrupted the field of NLP

A summary of a Quanta Magazine article that documents the shift in Natural Language Processing (NLP) following the rise of LLMs.

Leadership co-processing with LLMs

A look at how Large Language Models can be used as a thinking partner for leadership tasks, inspired by an article from James Stanier.

Experimenting with Kilo Code and the Model Context Protocol

A look at my first experiences with Kilo Code, an open-source alternative to Cursor, and the process of getting the Playwright MCP working.

Putting the developer at the centre of platform engineering

A look at how the practice of continuous discovery helps build platforms that developers actually want to use.

Women as technology

A reflection on the 'Women as Technology' exhibition, exploring the intersection of gender, stereotypes, and technological development.

A refreshing, back-to-basics approach to coding with AI

A look at antirez's argument for using LLMs as direct, human-controlled add-ons, avoiding agents and retaining full control over the development process.

What makes a principal engineer different from a senior?

A look at Amazon's Principal Engineer role, exploring the key differences in scope, autonomy, and how it compares to senior technical roles in other engineering cultures.

Include your tests in coverage reports

A short post on why, inspired by Ned Batchelder, you should include your test code in your coverage analysis.

The Pragmatic Engineer 2025 survey

A look at the key findings from The Pragmatic Engineer's 2025 developer tools survey, including some surprising trends in AI, IDEs, and project management tools.

Practical lessons from Meta on improving code

Exploring Meta's data-driven and cultural approach to code improvement and how we can apply these lessons to our own projects.

A deeper dive into systems engineering: from design to disposal

A summary of the core concepts from the second half of my systems engineering course, covering the journey from detailed design to system retirement and management.

Has self-service BI finally arrived with AI?

A look at how conversational AI and Model Context Protocol (MCP) could revolutionise business intelligence, with a dose of healthy scepticism.

The state of software engineering with LLMs in 2025

A look at how LLMs are changing software development, inspired by Gergely Orosz's recent article, and my own plans for adopting these new tools.

The human cost of technical debt

A reflection on how technical debt impacts not just our codebases, but also team morale and confidence.

From platform engineering to platform democracy

An exploration of the evolution from platform engineering to a more collaborative 'platform democracy', driven by developer needs and efficiency.

A practical LLM coding workflow and a reflection on teamwork

A summary of Harper's LLM codegen workflow and how structured rulebooks might solve the 'solo developer' problem he identifies.

How to use AI without damaging your thinking

Reflections on Ethan Mollick's article about using AI to enhance, not hinder, our thinking, with practical tips for learning and writing.

Europe's new summer energy challenge: the 'Hitzeflaute'

A look at how summer heatwaves and low wind create new challenges for Europe's power grid, and what we can do about it.

An overview of systems engineering core concepts

A practical summary of the foundational principles of systems engineering, synthesised from the first half of my Coursera course.

From notebooks to production systems

A comprehensive overview of moving data science projects from exploration in notebooks to robust, production-ready systems using open-source tools.

The last hurrah of human coding

A reflection on Alex MacCaw's concept of 'vibe coding' for senior engineers and how it aligns with the need for structured, architect-led AI collaboration.

What a coffee shop can teach you about system design

A summary of a great article by Raul Junco that uses a coffee shop to explain complex system design principles in a simple way.

Are you the best Chief Data Officer?

A quick and fun game to test your skills as a Chief Data Officer, balancing data quality, reputation, and profit.

Using an LLM as a personal tutor for my systems engineering course

A detailed look at my workflow for using a custom-prompted LLM to create effective study materials for a university course.

Finding leverage in the middle: Thoughts on domain engineering

A look at Jack Danger's concept of Domain Engineering and why this often-neglected middle layer is crucial for long-term strategy and scalability.

Beyond the vibe: structuring AI-assisted development

Discover how to move from chaotic 'vibe coding' to a structured workflow by applying advanced techniques for steering AI collaboration tools like Claude, Cline, and Cursor.

Not BYOD, but BYOS: Learning by building

A fantastic collection of guides for learning technology by building it from scratch, and a reflection on why this method is so effective.

Security risks in LLM agents: Simon Willison’s insights

A summary of Simon Willison’s recent posts on security risks in LLM agents, including the lethal trifecta, design patterns, and real-world vulnerabilities.

Understanding MCP: A New Standard for AI Integration

Exploring Anthropic's Model Context Protocol and its potential to transform how AI interacts with software tools.

Agents: Programming with feedback-driven LLMs

How LLM agents become dramatically more capable when given tools to interact with their environment.

Why learning systems thinking is essential in tech

Diana Montalion discusses how systems thinking helps align stakeholders and improve technical outcomes through better modeling and collaboration.

Choosing the right data architecture

Exploring Data Warehouse, Data Lake, Data Lakehouse, and Data Mesh architectures from a data engineer's perspective.

Insights on building MLOps systems

Reflections on Mehmet Burak Sayıcı's experiences building MLOps systems over four years

Actionable strategy: implementing an ML platform in an energy business

A practical guide to applying Will Larson's strategy framework for selecting and deploying a machine learning platform, addressing common organisational challenges.

Building a PDF to markdown converter with vibe-coding

How I built PDF and Markdown conversion tools using Claude Sonnet 4 and prompt engineering best practices

Avoiding and reducing technical debt

Exploring Chelsea Troy's insights on managing maintenance load in software projects.

Decision-making pitfalls for leaders from Chelsea Troy

Chelsea Troy's insights on common decision-making traps in technical leadership.

Python Developer Tooling Handbook

Comprehensive guide to Python development tools and best practices

Building a modern resume: from manual tweaks to AI-powered automation

Discover how I transitioned from tedious manual resume updates to an efficient, AI-assisted workflow using Reactive-Resume and a custom JSON-to-Markdown converter.

Inspiring Persons: Chip Huyen – A Structured Approach to Technology and (Career) Growth

An overview of Chip Huyen's work in machine learning systems design and her perspective on personal development, with connections to strategic thinking.

Twelve-factor agents: Building reliable LLM applications

A structured approach to creating production-ready LLM applications inspired by the classic 12 Factor Apps methodology

Building and deploying LLMs: A course made by practitioners

A comprehensive open course on LLMs taught by industry veterans, covering everything from fine-tuning to deployment architectures

Emerging developer patterns for the AI era

Overview of nine patterns for software development with AI agents from a16z.

Notes on The Startup CTO's Handbook by Zach Goldberg

Reflections on Zach Goldberg's handbook, valuable for startup CTOs and anyone in tech leadership or engineering.

DevOps for Data Science

A review of Alex K Gold's book 'DevOps for Data Science', offering a framework and guidance for data scientists and IT admins.

A Recommended Read: Architecture Patterns with Python

An in-depth guide to architectural patterns in Python, focusing on practical examples, TDD, and DDD.

Simon Willison on Building with LLMs (PyCon 2025)

A link to Simon Willison's PyCon 2025 tutorial materials on building applications with llms

Making AI Work: Leadership, Lab, and Crowd

Ethan Mollick discusses the organizational changes and challenges companies face when integrating AI, focusing on leadership, experimentation, and learning.

Yevgeniy Brikman on DevOps from an engineer's perspective.

Yevgeniy Brikman's view on DevOps as a broad set of processes, not just a role, and its practical implications for engineers, based on his book.

Inspiring Persons: Simon Willison

Exploring how Simon Willison's work and approach to technology and society inspired me to build my own website and continue coding.

Jager McConnell on Proprietary Data in the Age of Generative AI

Crunchbase CEO Jager McConnell on the enduring value of proprietary data in the age of AI.

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