Give the agent a proper brief
A repository, the brief, logs, live constraints and the relevant records give an agent something real to investigate.
TOOLS + WORKING METHOD
Context first.
Then direction.
Agents are useful for groundwork when they have the repository, a decent brief, logs and the right constraints. I set the boundary, question the output and decide what happens next. They are capable junior colleagues. I remain accountable for the work.
HOW THE WORK MOVES
Context in.
Result out.
Read the useful evidence
Look across the code, configuration and operational evidence. A quick answer built on a bad reading is still a bad answer.
Make the call
Set the boundary, test the assumptions and choose the next move. It might be a decision, a draft, a small change or a reason to stop.
Check the real thing
Review the diff, run the tests, inspect the rendered page or query the service. A neat response is not proof.
Hand it over properly
Leave the next person with what changed, why it changed and how to tell whether it is still behaving.
THE TOOL BENCH
Built from
the day job.
PRODUCT + DELIVERY
TypeScript, React, Next.js, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps and Jenkins.
PLATFORMS
AWS, Azure, OCI, Docker, Terraform / OpenTofu, NGINX, Linux, MySQL and YAML.
EDGE + OBSERVABILITY
Cloudflare, Fastly, DataDog, Grafana and New Relic.
AI IN THE LOOP
First-pass repository research, change plans, code and infrastructure drafts, review preparation, documentation and test coverage. Each needs a source, a boundary and a check.
A SHORT CASE STUDY
This site
was the test.
A personal site exposes every compromise. It has to work as a portfolio, an accessible interface, a print document and software that does not come apart at the first update.
CHAKRA UI V2 → V3 / NEXT.JS / EMOTION / PRINTThe brief
Make the portfolio feel like mine rather than a stock developer site. Keep the CV printable, make the shared chrome consistent and keep both light and dark modes.
The technical work
I moved the UI foundation from Chakra UI v2 to v3, updated the provider and component patterns, then tracked down an Emotion hydration mismatch in Next.js.
The working method
I used the repository, runtime output and rendered pages together. I kept changes small, ran lint, type checks and builds, then looked at the site in the browser and on paper.
The result
The site has a firmer point of view, a print CV that works and fewer shared building blocks. The design and engineering work were inseparable.
KEEPING THE HANDS ON THE WHEEL
The expert
stays in charge.
Useful to accelerate
Finding the relevant configuration, comparing environments, turning notes into a first draft, tracing a failing route and preparing a review checklist.
Expert judgement stays with me
I keep the access decisions, production scope, architectural trade-offs, user impact and the call on whether a technically tidy answer is right for the team.
The CV has the longer record. It covers full-stack delivery, platform rebuilds, cloud migrations, observability and the less glamorous work that keeps a service useful after launch. That experience makes the steering useful.
Read the CV