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Why the SaaSpocalypse is over blown
Predictions state AI will replace SaaS platforms with custom software. This resembles the open source movement. Building custom tools creates costs for security, maintenance, and integration. Established providers offer compliance and scalability. Focus on your core business. Use AI to enhance your tools instead of replacing them. Always stay practical.
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Reclaiming Focus: The Lost Art of Downtime
Modern software builds traded the forced tea time of Borland Turbo C for complex YAML pipelines and noisy distributed failures. To avoid burnout and logic errors, you must reclaim your time to think. Build a fake commute, step away from the screen, and go make a proper cup of tea.
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The Silent Decay to Legacy
Software does not age, but the world around it does. Digital systems become legacy when knowledge is lost and environments shift. To avoid the “stagnant” phase, engineering teams must dedicate 30% of their effort to maintenance. Investing in health today is the only way to prevent a museum tomorrow.
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The Hidden “If” in Everything
Our lives are governed by the humble “if” statement. From stubborn car updates to the inner workings of AI, these two letters dictate our reality. Software logic often lacks empathy. We must surface these buried rules and ensure product managers, not developers, define the conditions that govern our daily lives.
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The Realities of Software Releases: More Than Just a Button
Releasing software is more than a button click. It is a high stakes moment where code meets the friction of the real world. From the landing gear moment of scale to the clean floor data paradox, here is why going live is complex and why we never release on Fridays.
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Think like a CTO – Japanese Edition
Think Like a CTO has been translated and published into another language, Japanese.
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How AI Agents Will Change Ecommerce
The rise of the machine customer marks the end of the browser era. To win, platforms must move beyond UI and provide deterministic, AI ready APIs. Making your site agent friendly is no longer optional; it is your new competitive advantage.
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The Flaws in AI Customer Support Systems
My recent Logitech support experience highlights why context is king. A solid AI speech agent was ruined by a human handover that started from scratch. AI should be a connected workflow, not an isolated silo. If your latest improvement makes the service slower, you have failed the integration test.
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Rock me Amadeus (& Elvis)
Watching the new Amadeus series led me down a rabbit hole where I found a striking parallel between Mozart and Elvis. Both icons died broke, but their widows, Constanze and Priscilla, became the first accidental CEOs. They professionalized the legacies, cleared massive debts, and pioneered celebrity tourism to save the brands.
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2025 in review
With the 1st of January now rolling us into 2026, it’s time for my annual review of the year that has just closed. Another beautiful sunny day here in Virginia, warm and blue skies as I sit down and reflect on some of the stats and journals I have maintained this year.
the leg-end that is, Alan Williamson.
For over 20 years, I’ve shared my thoughts whenever the muse strikes. It’s unpredictable, honest, unedited, and occasionally witty. I’m living the best years of my life, working harder than ever, and enjoying every second.
Alan Williamson 