AI

AI is a regular part of how I work. This page explains where it shows up and where it doesn't.

Writing and content

I write a weekly newsletter called Dev Notes. My process starts with bullet points, rough notes, or observations from the week. I use Claude to help shape those into a draft. The ideas, opinions, and voice are mine. The drafting is collaborative.

Same goes for blog posts. I start from something I actually think, then work through a draft with AI to sharpen it. I don't publish things I don't mean.

Coding and engineering

This is where I use AI the most. Claude Code is my primary tool for day-to-day development, across both my side projects and my day job as a Staff Software Engineer.

I've built a plugins marketplace for my team at work, including skills, hooks, agents, and more. It's a shared resource so engineers can pick up AI workflows without starting from scratch. I've also set up an observability dashboard using OpenTelemetry to track how we're actually using these tools over time, which helps separate where AI genuinely saves time from where it doesn't.

Beyond the tooling, I'm an active advocate for AI adoption on my team. That means contributing to internal resources, running training sessions, and pairing with engineers who are just getting started.

Podcast

Slightly Caffeinated is a real conversation between me and my co-host TJ. AI doesn't write our content, steer our opinions, or script our talking points.

That said, our recording platform, Riverside, uses AI extensively on the production side. Silence removal, filler word cleanup, auto-mute, and transcript-to-summary generation all run through AI. The conversation is ours. The editing tools lean heavily on it.

Side projects

I recently rebuilt this site from scratch. Claude Code did a lot of the execution work. I wrote about the whole process on the blog.

Other side projects I'm working on are AI-enabled by default. Claude Code is part of the build process from day one, not something I bolt on later.

Personal and home life

AI shows up at home too, though less than in my work. I use it to compare prices before buying something, put together meal plans for the week, and work through home projects. I've also used it to make coloring pages and songs for my kids, which has been a fun one. It was also a big help when I set up my NAS and Plex media server, both for the initial configuration and keeping things organized.

I don't use it for everything. But when it can save me time or make something more fun, I'll reach for it.

What AI doesn't do

Final editorial calls on my newsletter. My opinions (on the podcast, in writing, or anywhere else). Architecture decisions at work. Anything I'm publishing as a professional recommendation.

My take on it

AI tools are genuinely useful for moving faster and thinking more clearly. I also think the people who get the most out of them are the ones who stay in the driver's seat. I'm not trying to automate my perspective out of my work.

If you have questions about how I use these tools, reach out.