Notes on technical judgment.
The mistakes early companies make are remarkably predictable. I write down the ones I keep watching founders walk into — and how to see them coming. No theory, just patterns from the room.
Welcome to the new writing setup
A short note on how this site is now published — and why I'd rather press 'Publish' than commit HTML.
HiringYour first senior engineer is a bet. Here's how to stop guessing.
The wrong first technical hire sets you back a year. The screen that actually predicts whether someone can lead — not just code.
Pricing the workWhy I don't bill by the hour
The second you're watching a clock, you stop calling me with the decisions that actually matter. The case against the timesheet.
FundraisingWhat investors actually ask about your architecture
The technical due-diligence questions that stall rounds — and the three-page document that answers all of them.
Knowing whenYou're not ready for a full-time CTO. Here's how to know.
Three signals you've outgrown fractional — and an honest test for whether technology has become the whole company.
VendorsThe agency invoice nobody reads
How to spot when you're paying for motion instead of progress — line by line, in the bill you've been rubber-stamping.
10 technical mistakes that kill seed-stage startups.
A one-page field guide, free. The predictable, expensive, irreversible ones — and the early signal for each. Plus the occasional note when I write something new.