Field Notes

Notes from the build.

What twenty years of shipping software actually teaches you — vibe-code rescues, unit economics, and the difference between "mostly works" and a business.

Sep 28, 2026

"Mostly Works" Is Not a Business

An AI cheerfully built my product in an afternoon. It mostly worked — and had no idea what it would cost to run. Here's what 20 years of engineering found under the hood, and why "you didn't fail at AI, you outgrew the platform" is the honest way to think about it.

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