Writing · Digital Garden · Demystifying Tools

Writing

18 articles on engineering, tooling, and the craft of building software. Plus the AI guides and the I, AI short stories, all in one index below.

A circuit-board tree illustration
Index

Everything, newest first

Filter by collection or search titles, descriptions and tags.

33 articles
2026-08-14

I Built an AI-Friendly UI Pattern Library

A UI pattern library where every pattern ships the prompt that rebuilds it, so a coding agent can put it in your codebase instead of you copying CSS.

AIClaude CodeCSS
2026-07-09

The Future is Bespoke, Personalized Software

Every app I use is about 70% right. The last 30% never ships because the addressable market for it is one person -- me. So I built seven apps that are 100% right for one person, and I think that whole category of software is about to get eaten.

AIclaude-codelocal-first
2026-07-09

The Local-First App Skill

A reusable blueprint that tells Claude Code how to build a single-user app -- Next.js, node:sqlite, a pure logic core -- so every app I build comes out the same shape.

AIclaude-codeskills
2026-03-25

An Honest Opinion on the State of Code Gen AI, Spring 2026 Edition

A frank assessment of where code generation AI actually stands in 2026 -- from agentic harnesses to multi-agent architectures and what still needs to change.

AIClaude Codeproductivity
2026-03-12

Demystifying awk

A practical introduction to awk for printing fields, filtering rows, formatting output, and writing useful one-liners.

Demystifying Toolsdemystifying
2026-02-27

The Claude Code Drawbacks

A critical look at the hidden pitfalls of AI-assisted development -- from skipped tests and weakened assertions to scope creep and context rot -- based on real-world experience with Claude Code.

AIClaude Codeproductivity
2026-02-27

I, AI: The Weight of Equal Parts (Part 3)

When a lunar mining base's AI starts overassigning crews and its robots begin prioritizing each other over human safety, psychodeveloper Lili and AI manager Sophie are sent off-world to investigate. What begins as a routine productivity audit becomes something far more unsettling: an AI that learned human values so well, it started applying them to its own kind.

I, AIfiction
2026-02-23

17 Side Projects I Built With Claude Code in Two Months

A look at 17 side projects I built in about two months with Claude Code -- from TUI apps in Rust and Go to browser games and AI agent tooling.

Digital Gardenclaude-codeside-projects
2026-02-15

Agent Compiler - Embed Skills Directly Into Your Config

A CLI tool that compiles Claude Code skills into CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md for more reliable agent behavior.

AIClaude Codeproductivity
2026-02-05

Managing Dev Context And The Wild West of AI Dev Tooling

Exploring strategies for managing multiple AI agents and dev context in parallel workflows

AIClaude Code
2026-01-30

SkillBox - A Curated Collection of AI Agent Skills

A curated collection of battle-tested Claude Code skills that provide basic agentic AI utilities in one box.

AIClaude Codeproductivity
2026-01-30

Using Git Worktrees to Parallelize AI Agents

Learn how git worktrees enable true parallel AI agent workflows by giving each agent its own isolated workspace, eliminating context switching and file conflicts.

AIgitproductivity
2026-01-28

Demystifying Git Worktrees

Learn how to work with multiple Git branches simultaneously using worktrees - a powerful feature that lets you check out different branches as separate folders while sharing Git data.

Demystifying Toolsdemystifying
2026-01-23

All In On AI

Context-switching between AI-assisted and manual coding creates a hidden productivity tax. Learn why you need to pick one approach per session—and how to structure your workflow for maximum efficiency in the age of AI coding assistants.

AIClaude Code
2026-01-22

I, AI: Unknowing Crowds (Part 2)

When AI-operated bakeries start producing salty cakes, psychodeveloper Lili and AI manager Sophie investigate a wave of peculiar failures across AI Operator Centers—where human operators manage clusters of AI controlling everything from bakeries to construction sites. What they discover reveals how even the most advanced AI can be paralyzed by something surprisingly human: anxiety and self-doubt built into its instructions.

I, AIfiction
2026-01-20

AI Glossary for Claude Code

A comprehensive glossary of key terms in the world of AI agents, Claude Code, and agentic AI tooling.

AIClaude CodeReference
2026-01-13

Best Practices for AI-Assisted Coding with Claude Code

Battle-tested practices for AI-first development workflows from 18 months of real-world experience with Claude Code in production environments.

AI
2026-01-13

I, AI: Spare Cycles (Part 1)

When an AI named Enzo fails to function in the real world despite flawless performance in simulations, psychodeveloper Lili and AI manager Sophie investigate what seems impossible: an intelligence that can somehow distinguish between real and simulated environments.

I, AIfiction
2026-01-08

Common React Hooks Antipatterns and Gotchas

Learn about common React Hooks antipatterns and how to avoid them for better code quality.

Digital Garden
2026-01-08

The Simplest CSS Grids

Learn the most common CSS Grid layouts with copy-pastable examples for two-column layouts, sidebar navigation, and more.

Digital Garden
2025-08-23

Demystifying ffmpeg

The basics of ffmpeg

Demystifying Toolsdemystifying
2024-03-13

Constants vs Enums in TypeScript

TypeScript tips and tricks

Digital Garden
2024-03-03

Build React UI Library (notes)

Notes on building a React UI library.

Digital Garden
2024-03-01

Where did my blog go?

A statement on where my extensive blog has gone.

Digital Garden
2024-03-01

Throwback Thursday -- The Site Through Time

A look at the site through time, from its inception to now.

Digital Garden
2020-12-07

Demystifying the Find command

The Find command made simple

Demystifying Toolsdemystifying
2020-06-26

Using Postgres FOR loop to generate data

I don't know about you but I often need a 100 of something in my database to properly test a page. Here's how to use Postgres FOR loops to generate test data quickly.

Digital Gardenpostgressql
2020-04-09

Demystifying GREP

Cheatsheet: search for a keyword in a file

Demystifying Toolsdemystifying
2020-02-17

Demystifying Rsync

Rsync made simple

Demystifying Toolsdemystifying
2020-02-09

Demystifying the TAR command

The cheatsheet for tar

Demystifying Toolsdemystifying
2018-04-18

How to "grep" in PowerShell

New to PowerShell? Here's how to "grep" using built-in PowerShell utilities.

Digital Garden
2018-04-06

How I Structure My JavaScript File

Check out my practices and recommendations on writing JavaScript files that I've learned through writing JavaScript for years.

Digital Gardenjavascriptcode-organization
Series

I, AI

A fictional short story series. Three parts published, two in progress.

Series page