Self-taught engineer, recovering history major. Tech, woodworking, home automation.https://jduncan.io/en-ushttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-07-01-what-im-reading-and-listening-to/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-07-01-what-im-reading-and-listening-to/My rules for pleasure reading: sci-fi over biographies, long series over anything, and the podcasts and books I keep coming back to.Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTbookspodcastssci-fireadinghttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-07-01-how-you-do-something-matters/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-07-01-how-you-do-something-matters/A horror show about a town with no rules cracked open something I've been chewing on: what belongs in an AI harness, and what should be left to the agent.Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTai-toolsagentic-developmentdeveloper-workflowsoftware-engineeringhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-29-coding-was-never-about-syntax/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-29-coding-was-never-about-syntax/Everyone's asking if you should still learn to code. It's the wrong question. The job was never typing syntax. It was solving problems, and that hasn't changed.Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTai-toolssoftware-engineeringcraftsmanshipcareersdeveloper-workflowhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-26-call-it-noticing/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-26-call-it-noticing/A habit I've had for years and never had a word for: finding the one thing worth learning from almost everyone I work with.Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTcareerlearninggrowthworkhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-23-security-inside-the-sdlc/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-23-security-inside-the-sdlc/AI security agents like CodeMender and Claude Mythos are backstops. The real work is the in-flow layer of gates in front of them, and vendors are shipping it.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTai-securitysdlcclaude-codedevsecopsshift-lefthttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-14-ergonomics-cheap-tokens/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-14-ergonomics-cheap-tokens/Alibaba's Qwen is dominating OpenRouter token charts. But moving a bootstrapped startup from Gemini to Qwen revealed the hidden price of open models: developer time.Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTllm-pricingopenrouterqwendeveloper-ergonomicscloud-computinghttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-02-a-nerd-in-paris-3/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-02-a-nerd-in-paris-3/Day 3 in Paris - A visit to Musée du quai Branly for African fashion, Louvre highlights with a great guide, and taking it easy on a sore knee.Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTtravelparishttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-02-antigravity-context-switching/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-02-antigravity-context-switching/The average developer loses 20% of cognitive capacity per context switch. See how Antigravity's asynchronous tools and subagents cure the focus tax.Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTgoogle-antigravitydeveloper-toolscontext-switchingdeveloper-workflowai-agentshttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-02-from-tickets-to-specs-agentic-development/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-02-from-tickets-to-specs-agentic-development/Traditional PM-developer handoffs are a game of telephone. Spec-driven development with AI agents turns requirements into a compilable bridge.Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTcareerproduct-managementspec-driven-developmentai-agentsteam-collaborationhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-01-oss-ai-pr-bans/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-06-01-oss-ai-pr-bans/Large open-source projects are shutting the door on raw AI-generated contributions. It's not out of fear. It's about survival, quality, and accountability.Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTopen-sourceailinuxprogrammingopen-source-aihttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-05-31-gke-basics-local-llms/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-05-31-gke-basics-local-llms/Before you can carve fine details with an LLM, you need a sturdy workbench. Here is how to stand up GKE Autopilot to run and test local models.Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTkubernetesgkegcloudllmollamagoogle-cloudhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-04-20-a-nerd-in-paris-2/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-04-20-a-nerd-in-paris-2/Day 2 in Paris - Fast trains and a complete lack of churrosMon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTtravelparishttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-04-20-a-nerd-in-paris/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-04-20-a-nerd-in-paris/My family just spent 12 days having our first visit to Paris. This is my attempt to remember what we did.Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTtravelparishttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-04-12-end-of-coding-hype/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-04-12-end-of-coding-hype/Eric Schmidt says programming is ending. A programmer from 1945 would say it ended forty years ago. Both are right, and both are wrong.Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTaiagentic-developmenthypedeveloper-toolshttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-04-02-paper-tigers-and-pickup-trucks/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-04-02-paper-tigers-and-pickup-trucks/Does winning the AI tools race today actually matter? History says probably not.Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTaideveloper-toolsstrategyclaude-codegemini-clihttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-04-01-context-driven-development/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-04-01-context-driven-development/AI coding assistants are powerful, but they're blind to your intent. Context-driven development fixes that.Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTaideveloper-toolsragdocumentationclaude-codehttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-03-22-introducing-root-structured-ai-development/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-03-22-introducing-root-structured-ai-development/Root is a development workflow framework for AI-assisted coding. Here's why I built it and what it does.Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTai-developmentrootdeveloper-toolsopen-sourceclaude-codegemini-clihttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-02-18-fundamentals-series-1/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-02-18-fundamentals-series-1/I'm a HUGE BELIEVER in people being able to leverage tools better when they understand how they work. Black boxes don't breed confidence in users. So let's do that with Agentic Development Systems.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTaivibe-codingsoftware-developmentagentic-developmenthttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-02-15-dont-get-fooled-by-line-count/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-02-15-dont-get-fooled-by-line-count/I can't remember the last time I went a day without seeing an article about '[Google has 25% of code generated by AI](https://blog.google/technology/ai/google-gemini-next-generation-model-february-2024/)' or '[GitHub Copilot is writing 46% of code](https://github.blog/2023-06-27-the-economic-impact-of-the-ai-powered-developer-lifecycle-and-lessons-from-github-copilot/)' or '[Amazon Q has saved 4,500 developer-years](https://aws.amazon.com/q/developer/)'. The knowledge isn't in the line count. It's in how they got there.Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTaivibe-codingleadershipsoftware-developmentagentic-developmenthttps://jduncan.io/blog/2026-01-24-the-vibe-coding-executive-delusion/https://jduncan.io/blog/2026-01-24-the-vibe-coding-executive-delusion/AI tools are genuinely transforming software development. But the flood of executives claiming to ship 10,000 lines of code while running companies reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what we're building.Sat, 24 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMTaivibe-codingleadershipsoftware-developmentagentic-developmenthttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-12-31-2025-reflections-agentic-ai/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-12-31-2025-reflections-agentic-ai/Reflections on a year of building with Agentic AI. The good, the bad, the lazy, and why I can't go back.Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMTaiagentsgeminiyear-in-reviewhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-12-26-ai-coding-audience-shift/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-12-26-ai-coding-audience-shift/Generative AI isn't an evolution of software development; it's a revolution. To leverage it, we must stop optimizing codebases for human eyes and start building them for Agentic verification.Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMTaisoftware-developmentagentic-aidevopshttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-12-06-era-of-personal-software/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-12-06-era-of-personal-software/How I used Gemini CLI to turn a hacky weekend script into a full-featured family photo app in less time than it takes to watch a movie.Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMTgemini-clipersonal-softwarepythonautomationfamily-techhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-12-01-kw-cafeteria-closing/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-12-01-kw-cafeteria-closing/K&W Cafeteria closes after 88 years. A reflection on green jello, baked spaghetti, and the incredible success of a business that lasts nearly a century.Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMTbusinessnostalgianorth-carolinaentrepreneurshiphttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-12-01-lessons-learned-genai-limits/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-12-01-lessons-learned-genai-limits/Experience doesn't immunize you from confusion. A look at how GenAI can amplify your ignorance just as fast as it amplifies your productivity.Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMTaikuberneteslearningcareer-growthhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-27-context-coherence-vs-model-superiority/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-27-context-coherence-vs-model-superiority/Why upgrading to the latest frontier model won't fix your productivity if your context window is a chaotic mess.Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTaillmdeveloper-productivitymcpcontext-windowhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-27-thankful-hope-agentic-future/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-27-thankful-hope-agentic-future/Reflecting on security, family, and the privilege of working in Agentic AI during this pivotal moment of social change and technological breakthroughs.Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTthanksgivingpersonalaiagentshopehttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-26-email-bankruptcy/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-26-email-bankruptcy/I had 60k+ unread emails. I'm not an Inbox Zero advocate, but I needed a reset. Here is the 'Email Bankruptcy' story, the filter trick that broke Gmail, and the AI agent I built to keep it clean.Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTproductivitygmailautomationaicareerhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-24-the-forever-race/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-24-the-forever-race/Every time a new model drops, we look for a champion. History suggests we should be looking for the victims instead.Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTaihistorybusinessstrategyhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-23-ai-writing-process-revelation/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-23-ai-writing-process-revelation/Why my AI writing strategy shifted from style mimicry to knowledge extraction, and how agentic workflows are the future of idea sharing.Sun, 23 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTaiwritingprocessagentic-workflowhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-23-gemini-cli-tips-tricks/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-23-gemini-cli-tips-tricks/Deep dive into configuring the Gemini CLI, customizing those loading messages, and why open source contributions are the best holiday escape.Sun, 23 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTgeminicliopen-sourceproductivityhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-21-generative-ai-patterns-2026/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-21-generative-ai-patterns-2026/From IDE plugins to fully agentic environments, exploring the four dominant patterns for interacting with Generative AI in 2026.Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTaiproductivityfuture-of-workcodinghttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-20-google-antigravity-gemini-3-first-impressions/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-20-google-antigravity-gemini-3-first-impressions/Real-world Gemini 3 Pro vs Claude Sonnet 4.5 comparison. Antigravity IDE review, benchmark performance, and capacity limits explained.Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTgoogle-antigravitygemini-3ai-coding-toolsdeveloper-toolsclaude-sonnetgemini-clihttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-13-gemini-cli-custom-system-prompts/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-13-gemini-cli-custom-system-prompts/Customize Gemini CLI behavior with custom system prompts using a simple environment variable. Tutorial + ready-made agents from Pirate to Shakespeare.Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTgeminicli-toolsaideveloper-toolshttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-11-toon-vs-json-agent-optimized-data/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-11-toon-vs-json-agent-optimized-data/TOON cuts LLM token costs 50% vs JSON. Why AI agents need token-optimized formats like TOON & markdown. Deep dive for developers building with AI.Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTai-agentsllm-optimizationtoken-efficiencydata-formatstoonhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-10-universal-ai-extension-standard/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-10-universal-ai-extension-standard/Claude Skills and Gemini Extensions solve the same problem with incompatible formats. Here's why standardization would eliminate unnecessary cognitive load.Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTai-toolsdeveloper-toolsinteroperabilityclaude-codegemini-clihttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-09-paper-billionaires-startup-valuations/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-09-paper-billionaires-startup-valuations/Most tech 'billionaires' are paper rich from inflated startup valuations. Here's why your equity options might be worth nothing - and how to know the difference.Sun, 09 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTstartupsequityvaluationstech-industryentrepreneurshiphttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-09-agent-benchmark-kit/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-09-agent-benchmark-kit/AI agent testing framework that auto-generates benchmarks from 5 questions. LLM-as-judge evaluation, performance tracking, production examples. Open source, MIT licensed.Sun, 09 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTAITestingOpen SourceQuality AssuranceLLMhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-08-google-file-search-rag-simplification/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-08-google-file-search-rag-simplification/I replaced a complex RAG pipeline (GCS, Vertex AI, 7 database tables) with Google's File Search API. Same cost, 90% less code. Here's how.Sat, 08 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTraggemini-apigoogle-cloudaiarchitecturehttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-07-mcp-context-bloat/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-07-mcp-context-bloat/Running too many MCP servers creates the same problems we learned to avoid with dependencies. Here's what we're doing about it.Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTmcpai-agentsclaude-codecontext-managementdeveloper-toolshttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-06-shift-left-ci-cd-obsolete/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-06-shift-left-ci-cd-obsolete/I'm shifting 90% of validation left to local pre-commit hooks. Here's why shift left CI/CD is questioning centralized pipelines for small teams with AI agents.Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTci-cddevopsai-codingdeveloper-workflowshift-lefthttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-04-comprehension-debt/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-04-comprehension-debt/We're creating mountains of documentation for AI-generated features. But no amount of markdown will replace actually understanding how bits move through a system.Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTai-codingtechnical-debtcode-comprehensionsoftware-engineeringhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-03-agentkit-vs-adk/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-03-agentkit-vs-adk/OpenAI AgentKit vs Google ADK comparison: architecture, security, model flexibility, and real production experience. Which AI agent framework works for your use case?Sun, 02 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTAIagentsframeworksOpenAIGoogledeveloper-toolshttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-01-cursor-parallel-agents/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-01-cursor-parallel-agents/Cursor 2.0 runs 8 AI agents in parallel for better results. But does the 25-35% token cost increase justify the speed? Analysis of parallel vs sequential agents.Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTaiagentscursorclaude-codeefficiencyarchitecturehttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-01-spec-driven-development/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-11-01-spec-driven-development/How our 43-agent system implements spec-driven development. CLAUDE.md files, agent prompts, and workflow specs create predictable AI agent orchestration.Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTaiagentsspecificationsarchitecturemethodologyhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-31-ai-agent-hype-vs-value/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-31-ai-agent-hype-vs-value/The AI agent ecosystem is massive and fragmented. Here's how to separate tools that solve real problems from expensive distractions.Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTai-agentsproduct-developmententrepreneurshipbusiness-strategyhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-31-ai-coding-safety-vs-speed/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-31-ai-coding-safety-vs-speed/Comparing two approaches to AI coding: paranoid infrastructure engineer versus move-fast entrepreneur. Both are right.Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTai-agentssoftware-developmenttestingsecurityhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-30-code-security-agents/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-30-code-security-agents/Google's CodeMender represents a fundamental shift in how we think about code security. Not just finding vulnerabilities, but autonomously fixing them. And it fits perfectly with our agent-first development approach.Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTaiagentssecuritycode-qualityautomationagentic-aihttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-30-agentic-ai-design-patterns/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-30-agentic-ai-design-patterns/Analyzing formal agentic AI design patterns against our three-team agent system reveals we've been implementing these patterns implicitly across marketing, engineering, and business domains.Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTaiagentsautomationdesign-patternsarchitecturehttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-29-boring-middle-ai-agents-shell-scripts/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-29-boring-middle-ai-agents-shell-scripts/Kelsey Hightower's right: AI agents and shell scripts both have their place. Here's why the future isn't either/or—it's the boring middle.Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTautomationdevopsai-agentsshell-scriptsunix-philosophyhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-29-office-hours/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-29-office-hours/Why I'm making myself available for scheduled conversations and what I hope to learn from them.Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTcareermentorshiplearningcommunityhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-28-amazon-layoffs-ai-excuse/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-28-amazon-layoffs-ai-excuse/Amazon just announced its largest layoffs in history while posting record profits. The narrative says AI automation is replacing jobs. The numbers tell a different story about profit maximization.Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTaiautomationtech-industrycorporate-culturelayoffshttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-26-feedback-loops-ai-agents/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-26-feedback-loops-ai-agents/Learn how to build feedback loops for AI agent teams. Covers validation, monitoring, error handling, and CI/CD patterns for autonomous agents.Sun, 26 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTai-agentsfeedback-loopsdevopsmonitoringorchestrationllmhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-26-why-claude-code/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-26-why-claude-code/An honest look at choosing AI coding tools based on pricing models, use cases, and validation workflows - not just employer loyalty.Sun, 26 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTai-toolsgemini-cliclaude-codedeveloper-toolsgoogle-cloudhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-25-when-ai-agents-break-things/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-25-when-ai-agents-break-things/After an AI agent spent hours helping me build a feature, then broke it completely the next day, I'm analyzing my context files and agent configs to prevent this from happening again.Sat, 25 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTai-toolsdebugginggitdeveloper-workflowlessons-learnedhttps://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-24-architect-agent-orchestration/https://jduncan.io/blog/2025-10-24-architect-agent-orchestration/The AI replacement narrative gets it backwards. Junior developers get faster with Copilot. Senior architects are learning to orchestrate fleets of specialized autonomous agents.Fri, 24 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTai-agentssoftware-architectureagent-orchestrationagentic-aideveloper-workflowautonomous-agentshttps://jduncan.io/blog/gemini-cli-extensions-week-one/https://jduncan.io/blog/gemini-cli-extensions-week-one/Analysis of the Gemini CLI extension marketplace launch: what 106 extensions and 34,000+ downloads in week one reveal about developer priorities and ecosystem growth patterns.Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTgemini-clideveloper-toolsai-toolingmcpextension-marketplacedeveloper-experiencehttps://jduncan.io/blog/hello-im-jamie/https://jduncan.io/blog/hello-im-jamie/An introduction to this blog, my background in tech, and what I am building now with BrandCast and FamilyCast.Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTaboutintroductionbrandcastfamilycasthttps://jduncan.io/blog/craftsmans-paradox/https://jduncan.io/blog/craftsmans-paradox/What woodworking taught me about AI coding agents and the future of software development. The Industrial Revolution didn't kill craftsmanship, and AI won't either.Mon, 20 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTaisoftware-developmentcraftsmanshipwoodworkingcoding-agentshttps://jduncan.io/blog/dissecting-docker-container-image/https://jduncan.io/blog/dissecting-docker-container-image/A technical deep dive into the internal structure of Docker container images, exploring how layers, metadata, and tarballs work together to create portable application packages.Thu, 16 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMTdockercontainersdevopsinfrastructure