https://n.demir.io/articles/Writing on software, AI, and engineering leadership by Necati Demir.en-us https://n.demir.io/articles/why-juniors-need-more-guidance-now/https://n.demir.io/articles/why-juniors-need-more-guidance-now/Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 -0500AI coding tools can hide when junior developers need help. Senior engineers need to provide context early and help juniors develop judgment.https://n.demir.io/articles/running-a-model-locally-makes-your-team-the-vendor/https://n.demir.io/articles/running-a-model-locally-makes-your-team-the-vendor/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400Running a model locally shifts production work to your team. Evaluate capacity, reliability, security, and engineering time before replacing an external API.https://n.demir.io/articles/before-hiring-more-developers/https://n.demir.io/articles/before-hiring-more-developers/Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400Before hiring more engineers, trace where delivery stalls. Separate implementation capacity from unresolved decisions, dependencies, and leadership gaps.https://n.demir.io/articles/ai-system-deletion-path/https://n.demir.io/articles/ai-system-deletion-path/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400Deleting an uploaded file is only one step. Design and verify deletion across extracted text, search indexes, saved answers, logs, caches, and backups.https://n.demir.io/articles/branchone-system-one-decision-model/https://n.demir.io/articles/branchone-system-one-decision-model/Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400BranchOne is a System One decision model that scores supplied choices from text and optional image input, returning probabilities and a selected choice.https://n.demir.io/articles/before-building-an-mcp-integration-try-the-cli/https://n.demir.io/articles/before-building-an-mcp-integration-try-the-cli/Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400Before building an MCP integration, test whether an existing CLI meets the agent's needs. Weigh maintenance, permissions, reliability, and workflow fit.https://n.demir.io/articles/burning-more-tokens-does-not-make-your-team-more-productive/https://n.demir.io/articles/burning-more-tokens-does-not-make-your-team-more-productive/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400Token consumption measures AI activity, not developer productivity. Evaluate delivery, review effort, rework, reliability, and learning across the team.https://n.demir.io/articles/ai-cost-starts-with-architecture/https://n.demir.io/articles/ai-cost-starts-with-architecture/Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400Model selection, caching, context, batch processing, and bounded workflows shape AI costs. Measure the full cost of a successful resolution.https://n.demir.io/articles/ai-coding-interviews/https://n.demir.io/articles/ai-coding-interviews/Sun, 11 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400Coding interviews should evaluate how candidates collaborate with AI, verify generated code, debug failures, and take responsibility for the result.https://n.demir.io/articles/llm-training-vs-rag-evaluation/https://n.demir.io/articles/llm-training-vs-rag-evaluation/Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400How to evaluate language model training and RAG applications by checking task performance, retrieval, faithfulness, and the errors that matter to users.https://n.demir.io/articles/testing-and-fine-tuning-laya/https://n.demir.io/articles/testing-and-fine-tuning-laya/Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400Testing and fine-tuning Laya after the Jev announcement, with a complete reproduction script and an analysis of accuracy, macro F1, and hate-speech recall.https://n.demir.io/articles/we-carry-the-flag/https://n.demir.io/articles/we-carry-the-flag/Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400Remembering my father, his belief in education, and the flag we carry from one generation to the next.https://n.demir.io/articles/what-type-of-cto-does-your-startup-need/https://n.demir.io/articles/what-type-of-cto-does-your-startup-need/Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:20:07 -0400A CTO is not just a CTO. Early-stage startups need builders, growing startups need architects, and larger companies need executives. Hiring for the wrong stage can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars and push the company in the wrong direction.https://n.demir.io/articles/vibe-coding-trading-the-future/https://n.demir.io/articles/vibe-coding-trading-the-future/Wed, 27 May 2026 10:57:00 -0400Vibe coding is exciting, but professional software developers cannot blindly trust AI-generated code. Like GE under Jack Welch, optimizing for short-term output while ignoring quality may take decades to backfire -- but it will.https://n.demir.io/articles/ai-layoffs-over-hiring-not-ai/https://n.demir.io/articles/ai-layoffs-over-hiring-not-ai/Mon, 11 May 2026 13:52:38 -0400Every tech layoff headline blames AI. But the real cause is the hiring binge of 2020-2022 fueled by cheap money. AI is just the convenient excuse companies use to avoid admitting a strategic mistake.https://n.demir.io/articles/build-for-replaceability-claude-government-ban-lesson/https://n.demir.io/articles/build-for-replaceability-claude-government-ban-lesson/Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:52:08 -0400When Claude was banned from government systems, some teams swapped providers in a day. Others faced months of refactoring. The difference? Building every integration for replaceability. Here's why this principle applies to every dependency you have.https://n.demir.io/articles/sam-altmans-worst-take-dont-learn-to-code/https://n.demir.io/articles/sam-altmans-worst-take-dont-learn-to-code/Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:19:56 -0500Sam Altman says don't learn to code. History says the opposite. Every time a new abstraction layer appears, the people who win are the ones who understand the layer below it. Here's why coding is your edge in the AI era.https://n.demir.io/articles/quantizing-llama-3-8b-to-w8a8-with-llmcompressor-and-serving-with-vllm/https://n.demir.io/articles/quantizing-llama-3-8b-to-w8a8-with-llmcompressor-and-serving-with-vllm/Thu, 29 Jan 2026 19:28:00 -0500Step-by-step tutorial for quantizing Meta's Llama 3 8B Instruct model to INT8 weights and activations (W8A8) using LLMCompressor, then serving it with vLLM for production inference with KV cache and continuous batching.https://n.demir.io/articles/three-types-of-developers-only-one-will-survive/https://n.demir.io/articles/three-types-of-developers-only-one-will-survive/Mon, 05 Jan 2026 09:09:08 -0500The gap between developers who integrate AI into their workflow and those who don't is about to become enormous. Here's why AI-Native developers are outperforming traditional developers by months, and which type will survive.https://n.demir.io/articles/your-companys-ai-strategy-is-embarrassing-and-everyone-knows-it/https://n.demir.io/articles/your-companys-ai-strategy-is-embarrassing-and-everyone-knows-it/Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:06:21 -0500Your company's AI strategy is all theater and no action. Here's why your engineers are laughing at you, and what you can do to actually ship something instead of endlessly identifying use cases.https://n.demir.io/articles/ai-vs-teen-driver-comparison-is-wrong/https://n.demir.io/articles/ai-vs-teen-driver-comparison-is-wrong/Wed, 03 Dec 2025 08:59:32 -0500Why comparing AI training to teen drivers is misleading - exploring the hidden assumptions about human learning, prior knowledge, and what we should really be asking about AI development.https://n.demir.io/articles/score-framework-responsible-ai-coding/https://n.demir.io/articles/score-framework-responsible-ai-coding/Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:42:33 -0500AI coding tools are great, but in a real company with real repos, you can't just paste code without understanding it. The SCORE framework keeps you in control when using tools like GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor and Codex.https://n.demir.io/articles/8-year-old-built-30-games-claude-code-then-this-happened/https://n.demir.io/articles/8-year-old-built-30-games-claude-code-then-this-happened/Thu, 06 Nov 2025 08:33:31 -0500How an 8-year-old discovered AI tools are sandboxes, not screwdrivers - building 30+ games with Claude Code, then surprising everyone by creating a school presentation. A story about gamification, exploratory learning, and the next generation approach to AI.https://n.demir.io/articles/metas-code-world-models-understanding-code-execution/https://n.demir.io/articles/metas-code-world-models-understanding-code-execution/Wed, 29 Oct 2025 09:04:59 -0400Explore Meta's groundbreaking Code World Models research that teaches AI to understand code semantics and execution behavior, not just syntax. Learn how this 32B parameter model simulates program execution and what it means for bug-free software development.https://n.demir.io/articles/starrocks-vector-search-production-ready-setup-in-6-steps/https://n.demir.io/articles/starrocks-vector-search-production-ready-setup-in-6-steps/Mon, 22 Sep 2025 09:29:47 -0400Complete guide to implementing vector search in StarRocks 3.5.5. Learn how to set up HNSW and IVFPQ indexes, load embeddings, and run efficient ANN queries in your existing OLAP cluster.https://n.demir.io/articles/youre-vibe-coding-wrong/https://n.demir.io/articles/youre-vibe-coding-wrong/Mon, 15 Sep 2025 21:57:06 -0400The framework for when to vibe code, when to engineer, and how to avoid the permanent prototype trap. Learn the systematic approach to graduate from exploration to production-ready software.https://n.demir.io/articles/how-two-ancient-greeks-created-modern-ai-without-knowing-it/https://n.demir.io/articles/how-two-ancient-greeks-created-modern-ai-without-knowing-it/Tue, 09 Sep 2025 08:46:53 -0400Every time you unlock your phone, you are witnessing the outcome of one of history's most enduring intellectual battles: Plato versus Aristotle. This ancient philosophical divide actively shapes how we build software, train AI models, and design modern technology.https://n.demir.io/articles/i-found-the-ai-cheat-code-that-will-make-you-a-10x-developer/https://n.demir.io/articles/i-found-the-ai-cheat-code-that-will-make-you-a-10x-developer/Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:34:43 -0400The key to maximizing AI development tools: treat them like team members you lead, not just code generators. Learn the mindset shift from implementer to orchestrator that multiplies your AI productivity.https://n.demir.io/articles/why-90-percent-of-engineers-cant-debug-theyre-looking-in-the-wrong-place/https://n.demir.io/articles/why-90-percent-of-engineers-cant-debug-theyre-looking-in-the-wrong-place/Thu, 28 Aug 2025 10:06:31 -0400The systematic approach to debugging complex systems by mapping end-to-end flows before diving into code. Learn how to ramp up quickly in unfamiliar environments by zooming out before zooming in.https://n.demir.io/articles/gpt5-fast-vs-thinking-vs-pro-how-they-actually-work/https://n.demir.io/articles/gpt5-fast-vs-thinking-vs-pro-how-they-actually-work/Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:45:09 -0400A quick guide to understanding the differences between GPT-5 Fast, GPT-5 Thinking, and GPT-5 Pro models.https://n.demir.io/articles/the-agi-definition-war-breaking-contracts-changing-laws/https://n.demir.io/articles/the-agi-definition-war-breaking-contracts-changing-laws/Thu, 21 Aug 2025 09:44:01 -0400How competing definitions of Artificial General Intelligence are reshaping laws, breaking billion-dollar contracts, and determining who controls the future of AI. A critical analysis of economic, cognitive, and skeptical perspectives on AGI.https://n.demir.io/articles/dont-be-a-tool-engineer/https://n.demir.io/articles/dont-be-a-tool-engineer/Mon, 18 Aug 2025 09:02:23 -0400Why defining yourself by your tools instead of your problem-solving ability limits your career growth. A perspective on engineering identity, the keyword economy, and how to think like a real engineer.https://n.demir.io/articles/why-your-200k-engineers-are-actually-useless-and-its-your-fault/https://n.demir.io/articles/why-your-200k-engineers-are-actually-useless-and-its-your-fault/Thu, 14 Aug 2025 09:06:01 -0400Stop treating expensive talent like expensive tools. A critical look at the communication pattern that wastes millions in engineering talent and how to fix it.https://n.demir.io/articles/why-you-shouldnt-use-microservices-unless-you-should/https://n.demir.io/articles/why-you-shouldnt-use-microservices-unless-you-should/Mon, 11 Aug 2025 08:51:20 -0400Microservices aren't just a technical decision, they're a team management strategy. Here's when they make sense and when they don't.https://n.demir.io/articles/the-decision-chain-mindset-why-leaders-blame-the-wrong-people/https://n.demir.io/articles/the-decision-chain-mindset-why-leaders-blame-the-wrong-people/Thu, 07 Aug 2025 09:09:37 -0400Understanding how strategic decisions create cascading effects and why leaders must take responsibility for the entire decision chain rather than blaming execution-level failures.https://n.demir.io/articles/the-leadership-lesson-i-learned-from-a-coffee-shop/https://n.demir.io/articles/the-leadership-lesson-i-learned-from-a-coffee-shop/Mon, 04 Aug 2025 08:17:18 -0400A powerful leadership lesson discovered through observing an exceptional coffee shop managerhttps://n.demir.io/articles/introduction-to-starrocks-database-experience-and-docker-setup/https://n.demir.io/articles/introduction-to-starrocks-database-experience-and-docker-setup/Wed, 30 Jul 2025 07:38:11 -0400Deep dive into StarRocks OLAP database with real-world performance benchmarks, Docker setup guide, and production deployment insights for high-speed analytical workloads.https://n.demir.io/articles/understanding-simd-performance-developers-introduction/https://n.demir.io/articles/understanding-simd-performance-developers-introduction/Wed, 16 Jul 2025 20:25:00 -0400Complete guide to SIMD performance optimization with AVX2, including real benchmarks comparing scalar vs vectorized code with GCC compiler analysis and practical implementation examples.https://n.demir.io/articles/building-an-end-to-end-chat-bot-with-onnx-runtime-and-rust/https://n.demir.io/articles/building-an-end-to-end-chat-bot-with-onnx-runtime-and-rust/Sun, 06 Jul 2025 12:08:32 -0400Step‑by‑step tutorial: export a HuggingFace Transformer model to ONNX, load it in Rust, and stream chat replies token‑by‑token.https://n.demir.io/articles/envelope-encryption-the-security-pattern-every-cloud-developer-should-know/https://n.demir.io/articles/envelope-encryption-the-security-pattern-every-cloud-developer-should-know/Wed, 04 Jun 2025 22:05:28 -0400Complete guide to envelope encryption with Google Cloud KMS. Learn the security pattern that reduces costs by 10,000x with production-ready Python implementation and best practices.