From the studio

Fieldnotes

Field notes on AI-native products, design systems, web engineering, SaaS economics and modern infrastructure. New articles every week, sources included.

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a close up of a network with wires connected to it

Infrastructure and SEO · May 21, 2026

Supabase Supavisor: when the pooler saves you and when it adds 80ms

Supavisor collapses thousands of serverless connections into a small Postgres pool, but it breaks prepared statements and adds 30 to 80ms. When to use it.

Team collaborating around a whiteboard in a modern office.

Web Design and Engineering · May 20, 2026

Next.js development agency vs in-house: when each one wins in 2026

A US senior Next.js hire costs $195,000 fully loaded and takes six weeks to find. Agency rates run $60 to $250 per hour. Here is how each one wins.

drawings of smartphone application screenshots

Product Design · May 19, 2026

Design system as a service: 6 agency models compared in 2026

Design system as a service is an ongoing engagement: an agency builds, governs, and evolves your system instead of handing it off. Six models compared.

Workflow diagram, product brief, and user goals are shown.

AI and Automation · May 18, 2026

Claude integration partner: what to look for before you sign

A Claude integration partner ships production AI on Anthropic's stack. Here are the 8 checks, the 6 to 14 week timeline, and when you should not hire one.

four men looking to the paper on table

Product Design · May 17, 2026

How to choose a B2B SaaS design agency in 2026

Most agency hires fail before the contract is signed. A 9-step process to pick a B2B SaaS design agency that ships strategy, not just screens.

blue and white visa card on silver laptop computer

Business and Scale · May 16, 2026

Stripe integration partner vs DIY: when each one wins in 2026

Basic Stripe subscription billing runs 2 to 5 days. Connect marketplaces run 6 to 10 weeks. Where DIY breaks down and a verified partner pays off.

Workflow diagram, product brief, and user goals are shown.

Business and Scale · May 15, 2026

MVP development agency in 2026: how to pick one that ships

MVP agencies cost $4k to $80k and miss timelines by 30 to 40 per cent. The four-question test that separates partners who cut scope from agencies who burn runway.

man and woman sitting at table

Product Design · May 14, 2026

Best SaaS design agencies in 2026: how to actually compare them

Best SaaS design agencies in 2026 span six archetypes priced from $3k to $500k+. The right one depends on your stage, not on a ranked list. Here is the comparison.

What an AI-native studio actually means in 2026

Business and Scale · May 13, 2026

What an AI-native studio actually means in 2026

An AI-native studio runs core delivery on AI agents, not on AI bolted onto hourly work. Remove the agents and shipping stops. Here is how to tell.

Next.js Server Actions security: 13 advisories and 2026 fixes

Web Design and Engineering · May 12, 2026

Next.js Server Actions security: 13 advisories and 2026 fixes

Next.js shipped 13 security advisories in 2026: middleware bypass, cache poisoning, and SSRF. What changed and how to ship Server Actions safely now.

Dark mode is not a toggle: context-aware theming in 2026

Product Design · May 11, 2026

Dark mode is not a toggle: context-aware theming in 2026

Dark mode adoption hit 82% on mobile in 2025, but a header toggle still ignores ambient light, time of day, and task. Here is the fix.

Multi-agent system design patterns that survive production

AI and Automation · May 10, 2026

Multi-agent system design patterns that survive production

Multi-agent systems cost 15 times more than chat. 40% of pilots fail in 6 months. Five design patterns decide if your AI agent team ships or stalls.

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2026