Starting from scratch
How hard could it be? A story about running your own AI models. Episode 1.
The last couple of weeks have been hard at work, we had some layoffs, which really sucks, the company’s future isn’t too bright and leadership is trying to come up with ideas about how to fix things. After I had breakfast with the colleagues this morning, I went back to my desk and received an email from the VP of engineering. I was being assigned to a new project together with the support lead, and a meeting was scheduled at noon that day.
The things that wouldn't exist
On September 4th I shipped version 1.0.0 of “Rudra Drum Learning” to the Apple and Google stores. It’s an important milestone for me, the first commercial product of my new company, Aeris Nova. I’ve worked as a contractor for many years, but this year I ended up building my own product. It wasn’t a premeditated decision, it just kinda happened.
The craftsman is dead, long live the craftsman
Someone I respect recently posted on X that “software craftsmanship is over, the industrial age of programming is here.” At first I was horrified, I wanted to push back, but I think they might have a point.
If you look up “craftsman” in the dictionary, there are two definitions. The first is a person who practices a trade or handicraft. The second is a person who is skilled in a craft.
The 10x Hustle
A few days ago, I saw an important figure in the AI space posting on X about how they’re working 16 hours a day and “living the life”. The comments were full of supporters and people cheering on this, like it’s something to aspire to.
There’s always been hustle culture, but now combined with AI, it seems to be supercharged. People are becoming way more productive, yet they’re working more than ever. You can now code from your phone, work from the shower, work from the gym, work while having dinner, stay connected 24/7 and never let go.
The Trust Crisis: Control, Presence, And Productivity Metrics
In the last article, we discussed RTO mandates, which are often criticized for prioritizing managerial oversight over operational necessity. Return-to-office policies are just one expression of a broader instinct: the need to control what can’t be directly seen. Rigid attendance rules may offer a sense of order, but they come with significant trade-offs. In this piece, we’ll look deeper at what being “here” really means, how control measures shape behavior, engagement, and performance, and why trust, not control, is the true driver of results.