Field Research & Guides

The No-Bullshit Guide to AI in Software Development

What AI can actually do in software development, what the research shows it cannot, and the organizational prerequisites most vendors never mention. A data-driven reality check on the "coding is solved" narrative.

What's Inside

• – Why "coding is solved" is true for some people and misleading for most
• – The three areas where AI delivers documented, measurable ROI today
• – The five organizational prerequisites your vendors will never mention
• – A four-tier readiness model to assess where your organization actually stands

Does AI Actually Save Money on Software Development?

The truth about AI-assisted software development costs. Written for the people who sign the checks.

The verdict, up front: AI makes your smallest problem cheaper. It makes your biggest problem more expensive.

What's Inside

• – The lifecycle curve: Euphoria, Plateau, Decline, The Wall
• – Token economics and why autonomous agents have no cost ceiling
• – What Uber and Shopify actually did, and what made it work
• – Six independent research sources, cited and explained

The No Bullshit Guide to AI

A practical, executive-grade guide to generative, predictive, and agentic AI: what it is, what it is not, where it fits, and how to think about real risk and real value.

What's Inside

• – Clear definitions: generative vs predictive vs agentic
• – Where RAG actually fits (and when it does not)
• – Practical risk framing: data, security, governance, and liability

How I Used AI to Build a Real Sales and Marketing Plan

A fractional CIO’s detailed account of using AI to solve a real B2B manufacturing problem, from useless output to an actionable deliverable.

What's Inside

• – The "Sibling Conversation" prompting tactic
• – 5 rounds of CEO-level rejection
• – Technical validation and board review framework