2026 Thoughts
✦ May
Systems That Surprised You
The most useful audits of long-lived software are the ones where you were wrong about what would last.
Not wrong
Albert Sema
2026 Thoughts
✦ May
Decisions That Aged Badly
The decisions I most regret were not careless.
They were defensible at the time. Reviewed. Discussed. Approved. Made by capable
2026 Thoughts
✦ April
Stewardship Begins Where Ownership Ends
Most systems are built as if the original builder will always be around to explain them.
That assumption fails early.
2026 Thoughts
✦ April
What You Refuse to Do Is Architecture
Most architecture conversations focus on what a system can do. The harder, more useful conversation is about what it won&
2026 Thoughts
✦ April
AI in Long-Lived Systems
Every AI integration is a bet that you can monitor something you do not fully control.
The conversation about AI
2026 Thoughts
✦ April
Tooling and Accidental Complexity
No one decides to make a system heavy. It happens one reasonable choice at a time.
A team adds a
2026 Thoughts
✦ April
Abstractions That Age Poorly
Good abstractions compress complexity. Bad abstractions relocate it.
The best ones disappear. You stop noticing them. The worst ones announce
2026 Thoughts
✦ March
Refactoring as a Signal
The code that needs refactoring most often is rarely the worst code. It is the code sitting on top of
2026 Thoughts
✦ March
Defaults Nobody Revisits
Best practices are borrowed conclusions. They compress someone else's context into a rule you can follow without thinking.
2026 Thoughts
✦ March
The Carrying Cost of Flexibility
Flexibility is one of the most intuitive design goals in software. Make it configurable. Make it extensible. Build the abstraction
2026 Thoughts
✦ March
Time As A Design Constraint
Most systems are designed against requirements. Features, deadlines, throughput targets. These are real inputs, but they share an omission: they
2026 Thoughts
✦ February
When Code Is No Longer Scarce
For most of software history, change was expensive.
Humans wrote the code.Humans hesitated.Humans coordinated.
That friction wasn’t
2025 Thoughts
✦ October
In Memory of Dr. Norbert Sema September 12, 1997 - September 12, 2025
For years after the crash, "What would Dad do?" became my North Star. Sometimes this drove me to
2025 Thoughts
✦ March
A Warrior for His People
Through mountains high and skies so wide,
He stood where many bled and cried.
Not for riches, not for fame,
2025 Thoughts
✦ February
Embracing Authenticity: Stop Lying to Yourself and Others.
In today's world, it's easy to fall into the trap of living inauthentically. We often make
2024 Thoughts
✦ May
15 Powerful Visuals About Psychology & Life
As someone who is deeply passionate about human psychology, I understand how challenging it can be to grasp its complexities.
2024 Thoughts
✦ May
Crafting Your Anti-Vision and Vision for Success
In the journey of self-discovery and personal growth, it's often said that knowing what you want is key
2024 Thoughts
✦ April
Embracing Life's Dots: Lessons from Steve Jobs' Stanford Speech
In the vast landscape of commencement speeches, one stands out as a timeless beacon of inspiration—Steve Jobs' address
2024 Thoughts
✦ April
Breaking Free from Decision Paralysis: A Guide to Overcoming Indecision
In a world brimming with choices, from the seemingly trivial—like picking a healthy breakfast—to the life-changing decisions regarding
2024 Thoughts
✦ March
Taking a Step Back
Ever feel like you're drowning in the details of daily life, unable to see beyond the chaos? In
2024 Thoughts
✦ March
Mastering the Art of Focus: Understanding the Frame, Rules, and Mechanics of Goal Pursuit
In the fast-paced world we live in, where distractions abound and priorities constantly compete for our attention, mastering the art
2024 Thoughts
✦ February
How to Get Rich (without getting lucky)
I have revisiting podcasts that I've listened to in the past. Here is a summary of one by
2023 Thoughts
✦ March
Perception vs. Perspective: Navigating the Landscape of Reality and Interpretation.
Have you ever considered that your reality might not be as real as you think?
Every day, we navigate the