Thoughts & Perspectives
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OpenAI Codex Review (2026): Honest Take From a Fractional CTO
Six months with OpenAI Codex. Honest review covering pricing, models, autonomy, code quality, and the kind of work it's actually best at — from a fractional CTO who ships in it daily.
Claude Code Review (2026): Is Anthropic's CLI Worth It?
Six months with Claude Code. Honest review covering pricing, models, focus discipline, code quality, and the kind of work it's actually best at — from a fractional CTO who ships in it daily.
The 7 Best AI Coding Agents in 2026 (Ranked + Compared)
Seven AI coding agents are worth using in 2026 — Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, Bolt, Lovable, and Replit Agent. Here's how each one stacks up on pricing, autonomy, and fit.
Cursor vs Codex (2026): IDE Agent vs Terminal Agent
Cursor is an AI-first IDE. OpenAI Codex is a terminal-native autonomous agent. They're often compared, but they target different workflows. Here's when each one wins.
Claude Code vs Codex (2026): Which Terminal AI Agent Wins?
Claude Code and OpenAI Codex are both terminal-native autonomous coding agents. Here's the honest comparison after shipping production work in each — pricing, focus discipline, model lineup, and when to use which.
Windsurf vs Claude Code: Which AI Coding Agent Wins in 2026?
Windsurf is an agent IDE. Claude Code is a terminal agent. I shipped real features with both. Here's what each one is actually good at and which to pick.
Bolt vs Lovable: Which Should Non-Developers Use in 2026?
Bolt and Lovable both promise to turn prompts into apps. I built the same MVP in each and reviewed the code as a fractional CTO. Here's which one is actually safe to ship.
Cursor vs Windsurf: Which AI IDE Should You Use in 2026?
I shipped two production features this month — one in Cursor, one in Windsurf. Here's the honest comparison: pricing, agent mode, code quality, and when each one actually wins.
Vibe Code Rescue Case Study: From Broken AI MVP to Production in 6 Weeks
A YC-backed B2B SaaS shipped its MVP with AI-generated code. The UI looked complete. There was no real auth, no payments, no onboarding, no data integrity. Here's how we got it production-ready in 6 weeks — and what every vibe-coded MVP actually needs to survive real customers.
Lovable vs Cursor (2026): Vibe Coding App Builder vs IDE
Lovable and Cursor aren't really competitors — they're different categories of AI coding tools. Lovable builds your app from a prompt. Cursor helps you build it yourself. Here's when each wins.
Replit vs Cursor (2026): Which AI Coding Tool Wins?
Replit is browser-first and collaborative. Cursor is a desktop IDE with deep AI integration. Plus the 6 best Replit alternatives in 2026 — when to use which.
Claude Code vs Cursor: Which AI Coding Tool Wins in 2026?
Claude Code and Cursor are the two most important AI coding tools in 2026. They're not competing — they solve different problems. Here's when to use each (and why most serious developers run both).
Vibe Coding with Claude: How I Build Real Apps with Claude Code
Claude Code is the best vibe coding tool for complex backend work. Here's how I use it daily as a fractional CTO — real workflows, real projects, and when to use it vs. Cursor.
Vibe Coding Examples: 10 Real Projects — What Worked and What Didn't
10 real vibe-coded projects reviewed by a fractional CTO. What tools they used, what worked, what broke in production, and what it cost to fix.
Vibe Coding with Cursor: Agent Mode, Rules & Workflows (2026)
Cursor is the best vibe coding tool for developers. Here's how to actually use it — agent mode, rules files, model selection, and the workflows that make you 3-5x faster.
Is Vibe Coding Bad? 7 Failures from Rescuing Vibe-Coded Apps
Vibe coding isn't bad. But it isn't magic either. After shipping 50+ products and rescuing a growing number of vibe-coded apps, here's my honest take on when it works, when it breaks, and what nobody tells you.
What Is Vibe Coding? Definition, Tools & Reality Check (2026)
Vibe coding means building software by describing what you want in plain English and letting AI write the code. Here's what that actually looks like in practice, where it works, and where it falls apart.
Best Vibe Coding Tools 2026: 8 Ranked (Cursor, Claude, Bolt)
I tested 8 vibe coding tools by building real apps with each one. Here's what actually produces shippable code and what falls apart the moment you try to deploy.
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