// resources

Field notes from building real software, weekly.

Essays, case-study deep-dives, and founder playbooks from Reco and the Tronix team. The same docs we send clients before a roadmap call — public, free, and updated whenever we learn something worth writing down.

Generated workflow visual showing AI nodes, human checkpoints, and branching approval paths.
// AI engineeringFeb 2025

Stop calling it 'AI in the loop' — start designing the loop

Most teams bolt an LLM onto a workflow and call it AI. The teams that win design the human checkpoints as carefully as the model calls. Here's the pattern we use on every build.

8 min readRead
Generated founder playbook visual showing a prototype flow and investor demo timeline.
// Founder playbookFeb 2025

The 4-week investor demo: what to build, what to fake, what to cut

You have 4 weeks before the next pitch. Build the demo flow real, fake the admin, and cut everything that doesn't move the deck. A field guide.

6 min readRead
Generated integration architecture visual showing CRM automation connected to a custom backend.
// AutomationJan 2025

GHL + custom backend: when to extend vs. when to escape

GoHighLevel is a fast on-ramp for service businesses. We map the exact moment a custom backend stops being optional — and how to bridge the two without a rebuild.

9 min readRead
Generated modernization visual showing a legacy monolith being migrated into cleaner services.
// Case studyJan 2025

Refactoring a legacy PHP monolith with zero downtime

A 12-year-old codebase, 40k active users, and a 90-day window. The phased plan, the rollback rig we built, and the one Friday afternoon we almost rolled back.

10 min readRead
Generated delivery visual showing sprint demos, feedback loops, and progress evidence cards.
// Field noteDec 2024

Why we ship Friday demos — even when they're not ready

A small ritual that compounds. Why a 20-minute Friday demo is the cheapest insurance against scope drift, mis-aligned expectations, and 11th-hour surprises.

4 min readRead
Generated AI evaluation visual showing test cases, score rings, and model comparison lanes.
// AI engineeringDec 2024

Evals for the rest of us: a minimum-viable eval rig in 2 hours

You don't need a research team to know if your agent is getting worse. A pragmatic eval setup any founder can run from day one.

7 min readRead
Generated scoping visual showing MVP priorities, budget guardrails, and feature boundaries.
// Founder playbookNov 2024

How we scope a fixed-price MVP without bleeding out

Fixed-price gets a bad rap because most agencies scope it wrong. The three guardrails we put in every SOW so neither side gets burned.

5 min readRead
Generated automation visual showing a home-services CRM stack with booking, dispatch, and invoicing flows.
// AutomationNov 2024

The home-services CRM stack we recommend in 2025

After 30+ implementations across HVAC, cleaning, and contracting — here's the lean stack that beats the all-in-one suite for businesses doing $1–10M.

6 min readRead
// downloads & subscriptions

Take something with you.

The guides, worksheets, and the newsletter we send clients before kickoff. Always free.

// Free guide

The Founder's MVP Scoping Worksheet

The exact 12-question doc we use to scope a fixed-price MVP. Fill it out before any roadmap call and we hit the ground running.

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// Free guide

Legacy Rescue Risk Checklist

A 26-point audit you can run yourself on any aging codebase — what to fix this quarter, this year, and what to leave alone.

Download PDF
// Newsletter

Field Notes from a 4-engineer agency

One short essay every other Friday on AI engineering, founder operations, and what we shipped this week. No fluff, no sales.

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