WordPress, Shopify, or Next.js? How I Pick the Stack
WordPress, Shopify, or Next.js? How I pick the stack for content vs commerce vs custom product — choose for the job, not the trend.
How I Scope an AI Automation Project (Five Numbers in the Proposal)
How I scope an AI automation project with five numbers in the proposal: tokens, volume, default model, extras, and the 3× demo case — then a hard ceiling.
Documentation I Wish I’d Written on Day One of a Build
Project documentation I wish I’d written on day one: decisions, credentials map, and the why-this-model note future-you needs when the client pings at midnight.
Building a RAG Pipeline on a Budget
How I build a budget RAG pipeline for document QA: chunking, refuse-when-empty, embedding refresh, and a cost ceiling — lessons from VisaChamp-style work.
Liquid Performance Myths I Still Hear on Calls
Shopify Liquid performance myths I still hear on calls: loops, sections, and what actually moves LCP versus what just feels heavy in the theme code.
The Hidden Token Tax of Multi-Step Agents
Multi-step agents multiply input tokens on every tool loop. Cap steps, summarize history, and model the bill before you buy a research assistant by accident.
The Weekly Review That Keeps Side Projects Alive
A one-hour weekly review for side projects: metrics, one ship, one cut — how products like MetaGrid and BulkFix survive client-heavy weeks from Karachi.
Rate Limits, 429s, and Retries in Production
How I handle LLM rate limits, 429s, and retries in production: backoff, idempotency, and queues so a sale day does not melt the support bot.
Build vs Buy: Custom Shopify Feature or an App?
Shopify build vs buy for custom features: when an app’s recurring tax wins, when a small custom surface you own is cheaper and safer long term.
Evaluating AI Copy Before It Hits the Storefront
A practical rubric for evaluating AI product copy before it ships: claims, banned words, schema fields, and brand voice — without fake quality scores.