Field notes.
Real opinions about what AI is getting right and wrong for operators in 2026, written by us, in our own voice, not a content calendar. Plus the occasional teardown of something Izzy built and what it taught us.
Articles
Production-Grade Semantic Routing: A CTO’s Guide to AI Gateways
Cut LLM costs 40–60% with semantic routing. A technical guide to multi-tier AI gateways, cascading logic, and policy-as-code governance for production.
Top Problems With "Vibes-Based" Prompt Engineering & How to Fix Them
Is your AI strategy stuck in Prompt Dependency Hell? Discover the top 4 risks of vibes-based prompt engineering, from cost spikes to bugs, and how to switch to a reliable code-first approach.
The 4 Hidden Risks of Enterprise RAG (And How to Fix Them)
Is your enterprise RAG system secure? Discover the four critical vulnerabilities—from RAG poisoning to EU AI Act compliance gaps—and how to engineer solutions.
The 5 Silent Problems Causing Your LLM Agents to Fail (And How to Fix Them)
Is your AI breaking for no reason? Discover the "Tuesday Failure Pattern" and the 5 silent failures caused by model drift from format decay to safety overreach, and how to stop them.
Fine-Tuning vs. RAG: The Strategic Guide to AI Cost Control & ROI
Is fine-tuning a financial trap? We break down the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), compliance risks, and ROI of Fine-Tuning vs. RAG to help CTOs control AI infrastructure costs.
The 4 Hidden RAG Infrastructure Costs Bleeding Your AI Budget
Is your AI bill spiking unexpectedly? Discover the 4 hidden drivers of RAG infrastructure waste from the "RAM Trap" to "Model Amnesia" and learn how to regain control of your unit economics.
9 Hidden Engineering Failures Behind Your AI Cost Spikes
Is your LLM bill spiraling? Discover the 9 architectural anti-patterns causing AI cost spikes and the specific engineering fixes to stop the waste.
5 Hidden Reasons Your AI Costs Are Spiraling (And How To Fix Them)
Is your LLM bill triple what you forecasted? Discover the 5 hidden drivers of AI margin erosion—from the "context tax" to zombie agents—and how to regain control.
The Political Cost of AI Technical Debt: Why Your Team is at War
Is decentralized prompt management killing your velocity? Learn why prompt sprawl is a hidden tax on your AI budget and how a Shared Registry restores order.
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