The tools behind the writing and the prototypes. A /uses page, kept honest.
Claude for reasoning, drafting, and most of the prototype logic. Python and FastAPI when something needs a backend; as little JavaScript as the job allows when it needs a face.
Astro for sites like this one. Next.js and Postgres when a prototype outgrows static. Cloudflare and Vercel for hosting.
Drafts live in plain Markdown in a git repository, which is also how they reach this site. No CMS. The essays are the same files whether I'm editing or publishing.
VS Code for everything, Fraunces on screen because good type makes me want to keep going.
Cheap enough to throw away, small enough to ship. Most prototypes start at less than the cost of a dinner; the ones that earn it get more.
Static by default. No analytics, no tracking. The fewer moving parts, the longer a thing lasts.