Personal site and thought leadership platform for Ben Shoemaker - AI-assisted development practitioner, builder, and consultant.https://benshoemaker.us/https://benshoemaker.us/writing/product-builder-role/https://benshoemaker.us/writing/product-builder-role/AI coding tools are collapsing the PM/engineer divide. The hybrid role I've been predicting - and living - is now a job you can apply for.Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://benshoemaker.us/writing/in-defense-of-not-reading-the-code/https://benshoemaker.us/writing/in-defense-of-not-reading-the-code/Last week, I wrote an article whose purpose was to discuss where I saw AI-assisted coding going. That's not what generated 200 comments worth of passionate...Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://benshoemaker.us/writing/codex-app-launch/https://benshoemaker.us/writing/codex-app-launch/The Codex desktop app doesn't change everything - but it's part of a larger trend worth paying attention to. Where IDEs are headed and why specs matter more than code.Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://benshoemaker.us/writing/ai-toolkit/https://benshoemaker.us/writing/ai-toolkit/Introducing a lightweight, open-source toolkit that brings structure to AI-assisted coding through a Specify, Plan, Execute workflow.Tue, 27 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://benshoemaker.us/writing/ai-wrappers/https://benshoemaker.us/writing/ai-wrappers/Why the current AI wrapper market is stuck between value and UX, and how bring-your-own-key could become a competitive advantage.Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://benshoemaker.us/writing/ai-tinkerers-spotlight/https://benshoemaker.us/writing/ai-tinkerers-spotlight/Vibe Scaffold was featured in AI Tinkerers Community Spotlights for bridging the gap between rough ideas and executable architecture for AI coding agents.Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://benshoemaker.us/writing/vibe-scaffold-launch/https://benshoemaker.us/writing/vibe-scaffold-launch/How a tool for turning rough product ideas into structured AI coding specs went from weekend project to 2,300 users in two days.Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://benshoemaker.us/writing/fivetran-dbt-merger/https://benshoemaker.us/writing/fivetran-dbt-merger/Analysis of the Fivetran and dbt Labs merger and how to maintain negotiating leverage without killing velocity.Wed, 15 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://benshoemaker.us/writing/fun-day-in-ai/https://benshoemaker.us/writing/fun-day-in-ai/Quick thoughts on Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.5 announcement and Lovable's new Cloud and AI features.Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://benshoemaker.us/writing/proximity-to-data-cheat-code/https://benshoemaker.us/writing/proximity-to-data-cheat-code/Why organizations should keep data work embedded within product teams rather than centralizing it.Thu, 04 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT