Articles on systems, infrastructure, and the craft of building software that lasts.

Articles on systems, infrastructure, and the craft of building software that lasts.

• Jul 19, 2025Operations

  The Restore Drill Nobody Schedules

• Jul 5, 2025Databases

  The N+1 Problem Is a Design Smell

• Jun 21, 2025Performance

  Mobile-First Isn't a Slogan in the Philippines

• Jun 7, 2025Design

  The Value of Boring UI

• May 24, 2025Compliance

  Audit Logs Are Non-Negotiable

• May 10, 2025Databases

  Why I Still Write SQL by Hand

• Apr 26, 2025Process

  The Real Cost of a Rebuild

• Apr 12, 2025Engineering

  Test the Paths That Hurt When They Break

• Mar 29, 2025Process

  Documentation Is a Deliverable, Not a Favor

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  Jul 19, 2025Operations3 min read

  The Restore Drill Nobody Schedules

  Backups are only real if you've restored one. The quarterly drill that turns a backup from a hope into a plan.

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  Jul 5, 2025Databases4 min read

  The N+1 Problem Is a Design Smell

  A query per row isn't a database problem, it's a design problem. Eager loading, joins, and the fix that scales.

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  Jun 21, 2025Performance4 min read

  Mobile-First Isn't a Slogan in the Philippines

  When most of your users are on mid-range Androids over mobile data, mobile-first stops being a methodology and becomes the job.

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  Jun 7, 2025Design3 min read

  The Value of Boring UI

  Government and clinic systems don't need to delight, they need to be learned once and used for years. Boring UI is a feature.

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  May 24, 2025Compliance4 min read

  Audit Logs Are Non-Negotiable

  When a record changes, someone should be able to answer who, when, and what. Systems without audit logs can't, and that's a liability.

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  May 10, 2025Databases3 min read

  Why I Still Write SQL by Hand

  Query builders are convenient until the query matters. For reports and critical paths, hand-written SQL is clearer and faster.

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  Apr 26, 2025Process4 min read

  The Real Cost of a Rebuild

  Clients ask for rebuilds when they mean 'fix the pain.' Most systems don't need a rewrite, they need a diagnosis.

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  Apr 12, 2025Engineering4 min read

  Test the Paths That Hurt When They Break

  Full coverage is a fantasy on small systems. Test the critical paths, the ones that cost money or records when they fail.

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  Mar 29, 2025Process3 min read

  Documentation Is a Deliverable, Not a Favor

  If the docs aren't in the contract, they won't exist. Treat documentation as a deliverable with a definition of done.

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