Notes from the build floor
Long-form posts on AI-driven product work, web platforms, and the boring-but-critical modernisation most teams skip. Written by the people doing the work.
Strategy
SMB Consulting Models: Day-Rate vs Retainer vs Fractional
Day-rate, monthly retainer, fractional CTO, project-based. Real 2026 rate bands for SMB consulting, the hidden costs of cheap consulting, and which model fits which…
Vadim Leviev
Cybersecurity
Biometric Authentication for SMBs in 2026
Biometric auth for small companies in 2026: passkeys vs faceprint vs MFA, where face-auth fails on cheap sensors, GDPR Article 9 traps, and a…
Vadim Leviev
AI Coding Assistants in Production: 2026 Field Notes
AI coding assistants in production: what merges, what bounces, the review-bandwidth tax on senior engineers, and the four-step gate that keeps quality up without…
Vadim Leviev
Web Engineering
The Power of Non-AI Programming: Embrace Vanilla Coding and Manual Solutions
AI coding tools are fast, but they come with real tradeoffs. Learn when manual coding gives you better control, security, and long-term reliability.
Vadim Leviev
Tech Vendor Due Diligence: A 12-Point Checklist (2026)
A grounded 12-point due-diligence checklist for hiring a tech vendor in 2026. Where review platforms help, where they do not, and the seven reference-call…
Vadim Leviev
Web Engineering
Custom WordPress Plugin Development: A Build-vs-Buy Framework
A grounded build-vs-buy framework for custom WordPress plugins. Five signals that say build, five that say buy, the TCO math both sides skip, and…
Vadim Leviev
Long-form posts, written by the people doing the work.
Not an SEO playground or a stream of short notes. Every article is a long-form, edited piece. We publish on a deliberate cadence and rewrite our drafts before they go out.