Field Notes
from Production
Random thoughts, occasional insights, and lessons from breaking things where the stakes were real. 47 pieces; probably a few should have been tweets.
How to organize small teams working with AI agents
I expect AI-assisted teams to become smaller and organize around complete workflows. The model works only when the pod owns the outcome and runs what it builds.
Four calendar days, one person, one full redesign
A full site redesign in four calendar days, from design system to admin stack. The real question is what product teams should do with the time AI gives back.
A safe way to edit database content with AI coding tools
AI coding tools edit files. Your content lives in a database. This is the pull, diff, push workflow that connects the two without hand-writing SQL against production.
Klarna's AI customer service: reading cost and quality together
Klarna reported faster support and stable satisfaction, while its CEO later said its customer-service cost-cutting went too far. Product leaders need to read both.
The permission tax: how approvals slow product teams
It took a month to build and three to four months to get permission. Team growth can slow delivery when every decision needs another approval.
Multi-market apps: what central and local teams should own
How to run a multi-market app with one shared codebase, local deployments, clear decision rights, and room for real market differences.
Choosing what to build when AI makes prototyping cheaper
AI can make execution cheaper, but it also exposes weak decisions faster. The valuable skill is defining work clearly enough to test whether it matters.
The app consolidation playbook
Large app portfolios grow through local decisions, acquisitions, and separate teams. Consolidation works when one owner can remove duplication while keeping the local differences customers need.
Start AI adoption with the work slowing your team.
AI's immediate value is removing repetitive work from experienced people. Leaders should start with one workflow, not a headcount target.
Build the API layer before replacing the billing system.
Do not make digital delivery wait for a full OSS/BSS transformation. Put a stable API contract between new demand and the legacy systems already running.
How we used feature data to cut a telco app's scope
We analyzed engagement across an entire app feature set. Over 40% of the candidate scope generated less than 2% of measured engagement. I use that evidence to decide what deserves a place on the roadmap.
Telco apps: from self-service to sales and retention
I watched European telco apps move from self-service into sales and retention. These three phases explain what changed and where the programs became stuck.