A feature can exist in source, remain absent from the running product, and still be unproven in repeated use. AI system maturity is a profile, not a ladder.
Author Archives: Alex Solomon
The Architect’s Trance
The architect’s trance begins when coherent AI output and continued momentum turn active direction into passive continuation. A governed workflow has to interrupt that state structurally.
When Ratchet Development Becomes Overengineering
Not every failure deserves a global rule. Ratchet Development works when controls reduce future risk and context without becoming larger than the lessons that earned them.
The Ratchet Loop: How AI Mistakes Become Durable Controls
Fixing an AI coding mistake addresses one incident. The Ratchet Loop goes further by diagnosing why it survived and turning the lesson into a durable control that future work inherits.
Claude Code Builds. Codex Reviews. I Retain Authority.
I use Claude Code to build and OpenAI Codex to review, but I keep a hard wall between implementation and independent critique. Neither model gets to decide what the software means. I do. That separation is a core part of Ratchet Development.
Autonomy Is Not Authority: The Human Role in Agentic Software Development
Agentic software development works best when AI agents have meaningful implementation autonomy, deterministic systems verify their work, and humans retain authority over meaning, architecture, and risk.
The Ratchet Principle: How AI Mistakes Become Better Software
Fixing an AI-generated defect repairs the present. Ratchet Development encodes the lesson as a durable control that improves the environment inherited by future work.
Beyond Vibe Coding: How Ratchet Development Turns AI Fallibility Into Governance
Ratchet Development is a governed approach to agentic software development in which every meaningful failure becomes a durable control that future work inherits.
How to Automate HubSpot Sequence Enrollment Without Sales or Service Hub Enterprise
Automating HubSpot sequences without Sales or Service Hub Enterprise might seem impossible, but with a little creativity and the right tools, it can be done. In this post, I break down how I used HubSpot workflows, custom properties, and Zapier to streamline sequence enrollment for a client’s webinars—saving them hours each month and driving better engagement with their leads.
4 Simple Steps to Turn HubSpot Multi-Checkbox Properties into Revenue-Generating Marketing Data
HubSpot’s multi-checkbox properties are great for tracking data like event attendance or service interest, but they fall short when you need numerical insights. Learn how I transformed checkbox chaos into actionable marketing data in just 4 simple steps—driving $76,095 in ticket sales with a single campaign.