The Five Levels: from Spicy Autocomplete to the Software Factory

"I’ve now seen dozens of companies struggling to put AI to work writing code, and each one has moved through five clear tiers of automation. That felt familiar."

The Forwardable Email

"A way to help others actually make that connection they said they would." I've used this for a decade, and it's probably useful for you, too.

Funding Open Source for Digital Sovereignty

"Open Source alone won't deliver digital sovereignty. Europe must fix procurement and fund those who actually build it."

Who owns your data?

A Supreme Court case about a bank robbery could redefine your digital rights.

Remembering Beyond Vietnam on MLK Day

A good friend introduced me to Martin Luther King Jr's Beyond Vietnam speech some time ago. It was not well-received by the mainstream press at the time (more about that in a moment) but I think it's prescient and, unfortunately, timely. At the Riverside Church in

Notable links: January 16, 2026

An occupation in Minnesota and finding your way to work that doesn't harm

Remarks on the Federal Government’s Ongoing Presence in Minnesota

“It is a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government." So record it.

The Curiosity Tour

"A way to approach a job hunt that uncovers extraordinary, unlisted opportunities" - using a distilled framework that makes something that might look daunting feel easy.

‘ELITE’: The Palantir App ICE Uses to Find Neighborhoods to Raid

"Internal ICE material and testimony from an official obtained by 404 Media provides the clearest link yet between the technological infrastructure Palantir is building for ICE and the agency’s activities on the ground."

The Zurich protocol

They came for the newsroom. It was ready.

Bari Weiss Is The Symptom

"The truth is that prestige journalism is lousy with Bari Weisses, up and down the line. Ask any journalist trying to cover the genocide in Gaza or the social death of gender nonconformists."

How to know if that job will crush your soul

"But these questions are framed in this way to encourage us all to aspire towards roles that enable us to do our best work, to have the biggest impact, and to live according to our values."