Programming insights to Storytelling, it's all here.
There was a time when building a website felt straightforward. You'd write some HTML, add PHP for dynamic content, sprinkle in jQuery for interactions, upload it to your server, and you were done. No package managers, no build processes, no debates about hydration strategies. Today, creating even a simple webpage often involves configuring multiple tools, managing dependencies, and navigating complex development workflows. How we got here? What did we lose along the way?
As a company grows, so do its processes. At first, it’s all about building fast and solving problems. But once you hit a certain size, things like SOC 2, GDPR, and compliance become part of everyday operations. These changes are well-intentioned. They’re meant to protect the company and its customers, but they often overreach. And when they do, they don’t just add structure. They reduce efficiency.
When I heard Klarna's claims of automating 90% of their customer service, I laughed. Then they followed by announcing a layoff, it wasn’t funny anymore. Having worked in customer service, I agree, you can automate it. But you'll be disillusioned when you can't get past 40% of requests. 50% on some occasions.
In an old interview, Seth Godin brings up the point that no one person can build a computer mouse. It takes the organized efforts of thousands of experts to bring us the computer mouse. Between getting the metal, creating the plastic, designing the circuit boards, the chips, the software that runs it, the firmware, OS drivers. And then to ship it to a customer, you have the entire infrastructure of logistics and transportation to bring it to your house or a store.
In 2018, by popular request, I started writing a book. This blog having reached peak popularity at the time, I rushed to write everything about myself that I could remember: my life, my work experiences, the weird encounters I had in the United States. It's a compelling story that ends with... well, me getting fired.
Every minute spent in a meeting is time not spent working on the requirements of the meeting. These minutes add up quickly.
I had to share this strange memory from my childhood. Back in the 90s, I was sitting bored, flipping through TV channels like we used to do before streaming. I quickly scrolled past Arte (the German-French cultural channel), but something caught my eye. My fingers were too fast. I had already reached M6 when I decided to go back to Arte.
I keep seeing posts like this: “I’m coding in three IDEs at once now! LLMs generate code so fast, I’m basically a demon programmer!”
Around 2014, I was idly browsing YouTube when I noticed something new in the resolution menu: 4K. TV makers like Sony, LG, and Samsung were already pushing 4K sets hard, but I always thought, “What’s the point when there’s no real 4K content yet?” Now, with YouTube finally offering it, I had my excuse to cave in to all that advertising.
Describe what you want and AI generates the entire codebase. That’s vibe coding. Imagine you have an LLM that can build a car for you. All you have to say is “Build a car for me, here are the specs.” And it gets started right away. Before you know it, a two ton machine drops in front of you and bounces as the suspension recoils. You open the door, press on the ignition button and nothing happens. Unless you understand how cars work internally, which you don't, your option will be limited to “Rebuild the car, but with a working power button”.
