Scissors, Glue, and AI
Hunter's account of replacing a paper-based workflow with software, and what it taught him about useful technology.
From the field
Writing / Page 2
What to build, what to stop, and how to tell if the work is paying off.
These essays connect product decisions to revenue, customer value, and the cost of getting priorities wrong. Start with the three pieces below, or browse the latest writing.
Feedback Loops upon Loops upon Loops
How feedback loops shape product development and the way teams learn from the results of their work.
Cowboys, Frontiersmen, Settlers, Townspeople, Cityfolk
How the people and working habits a company needs change from its first build through product-market fit and growth.
The Fractional CPTO
Customer interviews, roadmaps, pricing, team design, and code review: Hunter Harris explains how product and technology responsibilities connect.
AI & The Red Queen
Why faster building changes the competitive landscape, and how a software company can stay able to adapt.
A Very Brief History of AI
Hunter's short account of the shift from language models and prompting to agents, context, and development harnesses.
AgentEx and Cognitive Load
An exploration of agent experience and cognitive load in AI-assisted software development.
Why Does AI Scale With Engineering Skill?
How engineering skill affects the use of AI development tools, and why the person directing the work still matters.
Local Maxima
How optimizing for an individual or a team can get in the way of better results for customers and the business.
Agentic Tasks: a Few Samples
Hunter's approach to agentic development workflows and the decisions involved in putting AI agents to work.