Returning to the Low-Code CTO: Lessons from the AI Fast Lane

How a whirlwind of AI insights and hands-on experiments is reshaping how we build, debug, and deliver value.

AI Focus Groups?

I use AI focus groups in my daily meditation! It's now part of my process. It's how I start my day on a bounce and not stuck in the grind of execution. How in the hell did AI get so far into the world that it's part of meditation?

Typeform: What happened?

Forms used to feel like progress. Typeform was sleek, Google Forms was simple, and building your own meant control. But today, AI agents are rewriting the rules. They gather data with context, tone, and flow—no rigid input fields required. Going back to old-school forms feels like switching from Spotify to a cassette tape. The tools didn’t just age—they missed the AI shift.

Post Vibe Coding

It seems like a long time ago that I decided to try a No-Code February. Going cold turkey on code has some interesting side effects. The math of applying AI coding tools to advising and consulting has forced some changes in how I approach all code projects: Launch By Lunch AI Accelerators, Vibe Coding Office Hours, and tech stack audits. And a renewed focus on the scoring site of the low-code cookbook.

Chessboard Chaos!

The last two months have been stressful for many founders working out of Venture Lane. EdTech startups have taken the brunt of the funding changes for Universities. It's not over yet, but there is a silver lining!

Low Code Hack #1

A good low-coder is a cheap low-coder. Cheap means fast. It means you get to revenue and outcomes faster. It means you don't spend time and money on complexity. No matter how easy Google and Microsoft make getting started, it's still complex.

Friday Newsletter

Ok this week, I got off the Ai horse for a bit. I am a bit Ai saddle sore, if thats a thing. Turns out there is a limited, that even I can tired of. This week I did some reading, explored the Magma AI Agent Platform and built out a Beehiiv Identity solution. Happy Friday everyone!

Beehiiv as my login?

A key part of startups’ technology stack is how they approach public vs private features. Usernames and passwords are the logical starting point. Other ways require a little imagination but lower the impacts on roadmap and tech spend.

AI Coding Patterns & Rules of Engagement

Scrambled codebases, competing NPM packages, duplication code and a high token burn are all part of the learning curve. I remain very focused on driving my code utility rate as high as possible.This is a rolling set of learning...

Glossary of Terms

Low code is built on the work of 20+ years of code, SAS, and patterns. To talk about low code as a solution, as a stack, as a solution, we need some shared terms.

Turn-key Deployment Options

Deployment is a late-stage development process that should be included from inceptions of a project.

Databases For Rapid Solutions

Which database to start with is a key decision, as it impacts the technology you can select, the pattern of storage and the frameworks that work the best.

How to understand Identity Management?

Usernames and Passwords are easy, but come with a roadmap cost later on as a project matures.

Schema Powered APIs

Using database schemas to scaffold API endpoints provides scalable endpoints and boilerplate-free codebases.

Low Friction Hosting Processes

Don't over-thinking your hosting. No need to jump to EC2 or CloudFront.

Github as a CDN?

Github is great for hosting code, git repositories, but it has other superpowers that often get overlooked.

Slack as your v0.1 Product?

Most people look past the value of Slack in building solutions. Don't.

We need to refactor again!

This is the battle cry of many developers when faced with technology changes, recurring bugs, or scaling issues.