Field Note
Shift Down, Not Left
Shift left moved the work earlier and dumped it on developers. Shift down moves the complexity into the platform, so they never have to carry it at all.
Topic
Developer tools
Small sharp instruments for better engineering flow.
Field Note
Loop Engineering Needs a Platform
Loop engineering pays off when a platform's contracts, tests, and policy checks decide whether an agent's loop is actually done.
Field Note
The Rise of the Agent-Native Developer Platform
For thirty years we built developer platforms for developers. The next ones are built for the agents developers delegate to.
Field Note
Internal Platforms need product managers, not priests
A platform team that rules by doctrine gets compliance. A platform team that runs like a product gets adoption. Only one of those is worth anything.
Field Note
Tiny teams, heavy systems
AI will make some teams smaller. It will not make the work lighter.