Notes on building.
Guides on mobile apps, web platforms and AI products. Cost breakdowns, stack comparisons and how we ship.
React 19 Features Every Startup CTO Should Know in 2026
React 19 is the biggest release in a decade. Here's an opinionated CTO take on what actually matters for startups, what to adopt now, and what to wait on.
Technology · Mar 4, 2026 · 13 min read
LiveKit vs Agora vs Daily: Real-Time Video APIs Compared in 2026
An opinionated 2026 breakdown of LiveKit, Agora, and Daily.co across pricing, architecture, AI agent support, and SDK quality so you can pick the right real-time video backbone.
Technology · Mar 3, 2026 · 13 min read
Mux vs Cloudflare Stream vs AWS IVS: Video Infrastructure in 2026
A hands-on breakdown of Mux, Cloudflare Stream, and AWS IVS across ingest, encoding, egress, DRM, and real cost examples so you can pick the right platform in 2026.
Technology · Mar 3, 2026 · 13 min read
Stripe vs Paddle vs Lemon Squeezy: SaaS Billing Platforms 2026
Picking the wrong billing platform will cost you months of engineering time and thousands in unnecessary fees. Here is a direct comparison of Stripe, Paddle, and Lemon Squeezy so you can choose the right one before you write a single line of payment code.
Technology · Mar 2, 2026 · 14 min read
Resend vs SendGrid vs Postmark: Email APIs for Startups 2026
Transactional email is infrastructure every SaaS product needs. Resend is the modern challenger, SendGrid is the incumbent, and Postmark is the deliverability purist. Here is how to choose.
Technology · Mar 2, 2026 · 13 min read
Upstash vs Redis Cloud vs Valkey: In-Memory Data Stores 2026
The Redis license change fractured the ecosystem. Now you have three strong options for in-memory data stores, each with very different trade-offs for cost, control, and edge compatibility.
Technology · Mar 2, 2026 · 13 min read
Backend-Driven UI: The Pattern Changing Mobile App Development
Netflix, Airbnb, and Lyft all use backend-driven UI to ship changes without app store updates. Here is how the pattern works and when it makes sense for your app.
Technology · Mar 1, 2026 · 13 min read
AI Agent SDKs Compared: Claude, OpenAI, and LangGraph in 2026
Every CTO building agentic features needs to pick a framework. Here is an honest comparison of the three leading AI agent SDKs and when to use each one.
Technology · Mar 1, 2026 · 15 min read
Capacitor vs React Native vs Flutter: Hybrid Apps in 2026
Your web team wants to ship a mobile app without rewriting everything. Here is how Capacitor, React Native, and Flutter stack up in 2026, with honest tradeoffs from a team that builds with all three.
Technology · Mar 1, 2026 · 14 min read
The 2026 Startup Tech Stack: Best-in-Class Tools by Category
Stop Googling 'best tech stack for startups.' Here is an opinionated, battle-tested stack for every layer of your product, organized by what you can actually afford at each funding stage.
Technology · Mar 1, 2026 · 15 min read
LaunchDarkly vs Statsig vs Unleash: Feature Flags for Startups
Statsig offers free feature flags with built-in experimentation. LaunchDarkly is the enterprise standard. Unleash is open source. Here is how to choose for your startup.
Technology · Feb 28, 2026 · 14 min read
WebAssembly for Web Apps: When and Why to Use Wasm in 2026
Figma proved that WebAssembly can deliver near-native performance in the browser. But Wasm is not a JavaScript replacement. Here is when it actually makes sense for your app.
Technology · Feb 28, 2026 · 14 min read