Get ahead with AI that actually works.
AI is changing everything, but most of what you hear is noise. If you feel like you are falling behind, you are not alone. New AI products appear every day, and it is hard to know what is real and what is hype.
I have spent years as a founder and CTO, testing the latest AI tools and techniques, and learning what actually works. I use AI every day to speed up my work, and I can help you do the same.
Hi, I’m Chris.
- I co-founded Cherrypick, a VC-backed AI startup in food retail.
- I bootstrapped a software agency to $1M ARR as CEO, hiring a team of 12. The company became internationally known for great software practices.
- I scaled Gower Street, a film data analytics company, as CTO from a handful of people to over 50 staff.
- I have shipped two LLM-based AI systems to production, complete with evals.
“Fantastic at building self-sufficient teams and giving them what they need.” – Tadas T
“If you’re looking for someone to help build a great team, or you need someone experienced to help develop a sound tech strategy, I would thoroughly recommend Chris.” – Roisi P
“Chris has clearly learned a lot about the world of being a delivery-focused CTO” – Ian O
Recent articles
Building AI Cheatsheet Generator Live: Lessons from a Four-Hour Stream
I built an entire AI-powered app live, in front of an audience, in just four hours. Did I finish it? Not quite. Did I learn a huge amount? Absolutely. Here is what happened, what I learned, and why I will do it again.
The challenge was simple: could I build and launch a working AI cheatsheet generator, live on stream, using AI first coding and Kaijo1 as my main tool?
Answer: almost! By the end of the session, the app could create editable AI cheatsheets, but it was not yet deployed. A few minutes of post-stream fixes later, it was live for everyone to try. (Next time, I will check deployment on every commit!)
Try the app here: aicheatsheetgenerator.com
AI: The New Dawn of Software Craft
AI is not the death knell for the software crafting movement. With the right architectural constraints, it might just be the catalyst for its rebirth.
The idea that AI could enable a new era of software quality and pride in craft is not as far-fetched as it sounds. I have seen the debate shift from fear of replacement to excitement about new possibilities. The industry is at a crossroads, and the choices we make now will define the next generation of software.
But there is a real danger: most AI coding assistants today do not embody the best practices of our craft. They generate code at speed, but almost never write tests unless explicitly told to. This is not a minor oversight. It is a fundamental flaw that risks undermining the very quality and maintainability we seek. If we do not demand better, we risk letting AI amplify our worst habits rather than our best.
This is the moment to ask whether AI will force us to rediscover what software crafting1 truly means in the AI age.
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I use the term “software craft” to refer to the software craftsmanship movement that emerged from the Agile Manifesto and was formalised in the Software Craftsmanship Manifesto of 2009. The movement emphasises well-crafted software, steady value delivery, professional community, and productive partnerships. I prefer the terms “crafting” and “craft” to avoid gender assumptions. ↩
Hiring Startup Engineers: a field manual
Hiring engineers is the most important part of building your startup. It requires significant attention and a systematic approach. A good process combined with clear evaluation criteria will set you up for success.
This field manual covers the essential aspects of hiring your first few crucial engineering roles.
Read moreSee the Archive for more articles. You can also find me on BlueSky, X and LinkedIn. Subscribe with RSS to keep up with the latest.