# Production AI Field Notes: Guides for Technical Owners > Field notes on getting AI into production: stuck Claude pilots, MCP servers, eval suites, agent orchestration and governance. Practical guides, no hype. Canonical URL: https://techtideai.io/blog Markdown URL: https://techtideai.io/blog.md Publisher: TechTide AI, Columbus, Ohio (https://techtideai.io) Author: Alex Cinovoj, Founder & CTO, TechTide AI · CTO & Co-Founder, CPG Playbook Type: Page Site index: https://techtideai.io/llms.txt Offer summary: https://techtideai.io/offers.md --- Field notes ## Implementation playbooks from the field. Production AI patterns we ship every week. Stuck pilots, MCP hardening, eval suites, agent orchestration, cost control. Written by Alex Cinovoj, Founder & CTO, TechTide AI · CTO & Co-Founder, CPG Playbook. No vendor pitches, no recycled blog posts. 71 of 71 field notes · 2026 archive [All topics](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=)[Agents](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=agents)[Coding agents](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=coding-agents)[Cost control](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=cost)[Delivery](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=delivery)[Evals](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=evals)[Governance](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=governance)[Human in the loop](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=human-in-the-loop)[MCP](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=mcp)[Model choice](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=models)[Observability](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=observability)[Orchestration](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=orchestration)[Retrieval](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=retrieval)[ROI](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=roi)[Security](https://techtideai.io/blog?topic=security) ## October 2026 SECURITY4 min · 2026-10-27 · October 2026 editorial collection ### [From read-only to write actions: release an AI agent's changes in stages](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-agent-write-actions-staged-release) Release AI agent write actions in stages: proposals, approved execution with receipts, narrow automatic actions, server-side limits and evidence to advance. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-agent-write-actions-staged-release) PLAYBOOK4 min · 2026-10-21 · October 2026 editorial collection ### [What a workflow automation handoff should include before you sign off](https://techtideai.io/blog/workflow-automation-handoff-package) What to require at the end of an automation project: inventory, owned credentials, written rules, health signals, a rehearsed runbook and test evidence. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/workflow-automation-handoff-package) GUIDE4 min · 2026-10-16 · October 2026 editorial collection ### [B2B returns triage: assemble the RMA case, keep the credit decision with staff](https://techtideai.io/blog/b2b-returns-rma-triage) A proposed RMA process: order matching, quoted return terms, safe evidence uploads, separated complaints and return decisions made by authorized staff. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/b2b-returns-rma-triage) GUIDE4 min · 2026-10-13 · October 2026 editorial collection ### [Building asset handover: check equipment data before the facility team accepts it](https://techtideai.io/blog/building-asset-handover-data-review) A proposed handover workflow using a COBie-style structure: data needs per asset type, schedule matching, sourced attributes and owner-recorded acceptance. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/building-asset-handover-data-review) GUIDE5 min · 2026-10-07 · October 2026 editorial collection ### [Commercial lease critical dates: track notice windows back to the clause](https://techtideai.io/blog/commercial-lease-critical-date-tracking) A proposed workflow for lease options and notice windows: dates stored as sourced computations, amendment checks, notice requirements and escalating reminders. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/commercial-lease-critical-date-tracking) SECURITY5 min · 2026-10-02 · October 2026 editorial collection ### [Evaluating an AI tool for a law firm: the confidentiality questions to answer before a pilot](https://techtideai.io/blog/law-firm-ai-tool-confidentiality-review) Confidentiality questions for a law firm AI pilot: training, retention, access, ethical walls, output checks, data rules and exit, grounded in ABA guidance. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/law-firm-ai-tool-confidentiality-review) ## September 2026 EXPLAINER4 min · 2026-09-29 · September 2026 editorial collection ### [Reviewing AI output after launch: reduce review only with evidence](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-output-review-sampling) How to move an AI workflow from full human review to sampling: written criteria, reviewer agreement, per-risk groups, staged reductions and reset triggers. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-output-review-sampling) GUIDE4 min · 2026-09-23 · September 2026 editorial collection ### [Commercial credit applications: assemble the file, keep the decision with the credit team](https://techtideai.io/blog/commercial-credit-application-review) A proposed business credit workflow: completeness checks, sourced financial figures, organized references, analyst-owned decisions and approved notices. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/commercial-credit-application-review) GUIDE4 min · 2026-09-18 · September 2026 editorial collection ### [Client meeting follow-up: draft action items from the transcript, confirm before sending](https://techtideai.io/blog/client-meeting-follow-up-drafting) A proposed professional services workflow: transcript-quoted action items, unclear owners left unclear, scope flags and nothing sent to a client unreviewed. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/client-meeting-follow-up-drafting) PLAYBOOK4 min · 2026-09-15 · September 2026 editorial collection ### [CRM data migration: reconcile counts, duplicates and ownership before cutover](https://techtideai.io/blog/crm-data-migration-reconciliation) A CRM migration plan built on reconciliation: scoped objects, field maps by meaning, source IDs, people-led duplicate merges, rehearsal loads and sample checks. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/crm-data-migration-reconciliation) GUIDE4 min · 2026-09-09 · September 2026 editorial collection ### [Tenant estoppel certificates: compare every response with the lease file](https://techtideai.io/blog/tenant-estoppel-certificate-review) A proposed estoppel workflow for sales and refinancings: a sourced lease baseline, field-by-field comparison of returned certificates and recorded decisions. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/tenant-estoppel-certificate-review) GUIDE5 min · 2026-09-03 · September 2026 editorial collection ### [Engagement letter drafting: fill confirmed facts, leave scope and fees to the lawyer](https://techtideai.io/blog/legal-engagement-letter-drafting) A proposed engagement letter workflow: approved templates, facts from confirmed intake, visible gaps, no generated fee terms and a recorded lawyer approval. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/legal-engagement-letter-drafting) ## August 2026 EXPLAINER5 min · 2026-08-28 · August 2026 editorial collection ### [Hiring a workflow automation consultant: questions that show how the work will be done](https://techtideai.io/blog/hiring-workflow-automation-consultant) Questions to ask before hiring a workflow or AI automation consultant: account ownership, scope, testing, failure handling, AI decisions, pricing and handoff. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/hiring-workflow-automation-consultant) GUIDE4 min · 2026-08-25 · August 2026 editorial collection ### [Submittal review preparation: check the package against the spec before the engineer opens it](https://techtideai.io/blog/engineering-submittal-review-preparation) A proposed submittal workflow: confirmed spec checklists, sourced completeness findings, original files intact and engineering judgment kept with reviewers. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/engineering-submittal-review-preparation) PLAYBOOK5 min · 2026-08-19 · August 2026 editorial collection ### [n8n integration in production: credentials, environments and webhook boundaries](https://techtideai.io/blog/n8n-integration-production-setup) Move an n8n integration from prototype to production: business-owned credentials, separate environments, authenticated webhooks, error workflows and owners. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/n8n-integration-production-setup) GUIDE5 min · 2026-08-14 · August 2026 editorial collection ### [Columbus energy benchmarking: prepare building utility data before you submit](https://techtideai.io/blog/columbus-energy-benchmarking-data) A proposed workflow for Columbus benchmarking: meter inventory, sourced bill data, consistency checks and a review package before Portfolio Manager submission. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/columbus-energy-benchmarking-data) GUIDE5 min · 2026-08-11 · August 2026 editorial collection ### [Court deadline calendaring with AI: extract the trigger, let docketing confirm the date](https://techtideai.io/blog/court-deadline-calendaring-review) A proposed docketing workflow: AI extracts trigger events and periods with source quotes, code computes dates, and a docketing reviewer confirms each entry. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/court-deadline-calendaring-review) GUIDE5 min · 2026-08-05 · August 2026 editorial collection ### [CRM integration: decide which system owns each field before you sync](https://techtideai.io/blog/crm-integration-field-ownership) Plan a CRM integration field by field: one owning system per value, sync direction, stable record IDs, deletion rules and visible sync failures. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/crm-integration-field-ownership) COMPARISON10 min · 2026-08-01 ### [Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot: which one belongs in your stack.](https://techtideai.io/blog/claude-code-vs-github-copilot) Copilot optimizes for keystrokes, Claude Code optimizes for tasks. Which to choose, where each fits, and how they differ on MCP tools, review, cost and governance. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/claude-code-vs-github-copilot) ## July 2026 EXPLAINER6 min · 2026-07-30 · July 2026 editorial collection ### [Measuring an AI workflow: cost per accepted outcome, including rework](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-workflow-operating-cost-measurement) How to measure an AI workflow by cost per accepted outcome, with rework, retries and operating effort included and compared with the previous process. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-workflow-operating-cost-measurement) GUIDE6 min · 2026-07-28 · July 2026 editorial collection ### [Engineering delivery packets: make every issued file traceable](https://techtideai.io/blog/engineering-delivery-evidence-packet) A proposed delivery-packet workflow that checks issued files against reviewed revisions, approvals and the transmittal so the package can be reconstructed. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/engineering-delivery-evidence-packet) GUIDE6 min · 2026-07-24 · July 2026 editorial collection ### [Consulting staffing assistance: propose assignments from current availability](https://techtideai.io/blog/consulting-staffing-assistance) A proposed staffing workflow that suggests feasible assignments from current availability with visible assumptions, leaving the decision to a delivery manager. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/consulting-staffing-assistance) FIELD NOTE9 min · 2026-07-22 ### [How to measure AI ROI without lying to your board.](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-roi-measurement) A proposed baseline-first measurement method: one workflow, consistent definitions, and operating costs reported alongside the measured benefit. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-roi-measurement) GUIDE6 min · 2026-07-17 · July 2026 editorial collection ### [Sales-to-operations handoff: keep approved commitments attached to the order](https://techtideai.io/blog/sales-order-handoff-automation) A proposed sales handoff workflow that gives delivery staff the accepted commitment, its source document and the person who approved any exception. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/sales-order-handoff-automation) FIELD NOTE8 min · 2026-07-15 ### [Vibe coding is fine. Shipping vibes is not.](https://techtideai.io/blog/vibe-coding-in-production) AI-generated prototypes are the cheapest product research available. The failure is promoting one to production without tests, types, auth, or an owner. The handoff checklist we use. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/vibe-coding-in-production) GUIDE6 min · 2026-07-10 · July 2026 editorial collection ### [Property portfolio reporting: show incomplete data before the totals](https://techtideai.io/blog/property-portfolio-report-reconciliation) A proposed portfolio reporting workflow that confirms which properties, periods and source files are present before totals or narrative are produced. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/property-portfolio-report-reconciliation) ANALYSIS10 min · 2026-07-08 ### [Gartner's 2025 agentic AI cancellation forecast: questions to review.](https://techtideai.io/blog/why-agentic-projects-get-cancelled) A forecast is not an individual diagnosis. Review ownership, costs, tests, expectations, and use-case fit against the project's evidence. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/why-agentic-projects-get-cancelled) GUIDE6 min · 2026-07-03 · July 2026 editorial collection ### [Internal legal knowledge search: design the access test before the search box](https://techtideai.io/blog/legal-knowledge-search-permissions) A proposed internal legal knowledge search that starts with access tests: partial access, lost access, team changes and cached answers. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/legal-knowledge-search-permissions) EXPLAINER9 min · 2026-07-01 ### [MCP vs A2A: two protocols, two different jobs.](https://techtideai.io/blog/mcp-vs-a2a) MCP is vertical, model to tools. A2A is horizontal, agent to agent. Choose based on whether you need tool access or coordination between independently operated agents. The decision rule, with failure modes. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/mcp-vs-a2a) ## June 2026 FIELD NOTE9 min · 2026-06-29 ### [A planning outline for a stuck Claude pilot.](https://techtideai.io/blog/how-to-fix-a-stuck-claude-pilot) An illustrative planning sequence: review the pilot, address its foundations, and decide whether the acceptance evidence supports release. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/how-to-fix-a-stuck-claude-pilot) GUIDE6 min · 2026-06-26 · June 2026 editorial collection ### [How to write acceptance criteria for an AI implementation pilot](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-implementation-pilot-acceptance) How to write AI pilot acceptance criteria before the demo: observable behavior, the evidence that checks it, and what happens when the workflow cannot finish. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-implementation-pilot-acceptance) FIELD NOTE9 min · 2026-06-24 ### [The AI technical debt nobody put on the roadmap.](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-technical-debt) Six months after the first AI feature ships, the debt shows up as prompt sprawl, untyped tools, no eval baseline, and nobody able to say what changed. How we pay it down. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-technical-debt) GUIDE6 min · 2026-06-22 · June 2026 editorial collection ### [Engineering field reports: organize observations without manufacturing conclusions](https://techtideai.io/blog/engineering-field-report-preparation) A proposed field-report workflow that turns photos, notes and forms into a reviewable draft, keeping who observed what and leaving conclusions to engineers. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/engineering-field-report-preparation) GUIDE6 min · 2026-06-19 · June 2026 editorial collection ### [Client renewal preparation: assemble evidence without inventing ROI](https://techtideai.io/blog/professional-services-renewal-preparation) A proposed renewal packet that separates delivered, accepted, client-reported and measured results from open issues, without a generated success story. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/professional-services-renewal-preparation) ANALYSIS10 min · 2026-06-17 ### [The harness matters more than the model now.](https://techtideai.io/blog/long-running-agent-harness) Model swaps stopped moving the needle. The gains now come from the harness around the model: durable state, checkpoints, retry policy, budget ceilings, and clean recovery. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/long-running-agent-harness) GUIDE6 min · 2026-06-13 · June 2026 editorial collection ### [Customer order changes: reconcile the promise before updating operations](https://techtideai.io/blog/customer-order-change-reconciliation) A proposed order-change workflow that establishes the current accepted order, checks the affected systems and collects approval before applying the change. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/customer-order-change-reconciliation) FIELD NOTE8 min · 2026-06-10 ### [When to hand an agent back to a human.](https://techtideai.io/blog/when-to-hand-an-agent-back-to-a-human) The agent does not need to be right every time. It needs to know when it is out of depth. Four escalation triggers, plus the handoff payload that makes a human fast. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/when-to-hand-an-agent-back-to-a-human) GUIDE6 min · 2026-06-06 · June 2026 editorial collection ### [Lease data extraction: retain the clause behind every proposed field](https://techtideai.io/blog/property-lease-data-extraction-review) A proposed lease abstraction workflow where every extracted field carries its source passage, document version and open interpretation questions. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/property-lease-data-extraction-review) PLAYBOOK9 min · 2026-06-03 ### [Pick a model with your own workload, not a leaderboard.](https://techtideai.io/blog/model-selection-without-benchmarks) Leaderboards measure someone else's problem. Build a 50-task set from your own traffic, score it blind, price it per task, then keep the swap cheap. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/model-selection-without-benchmarks) GUIDE6 min · 2026-06-01 · June 2026 editorial collection ### [Legal matter closeout: reconcile the checklist before changing access](https://techtideai.io/blog/legal-matter-closeout-workflow) A proposed matter-closeout workflow that reconciles the checklist across systems and reviews access before anything changes, under the firm's own rules. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/legal-matter-closeout-workflow) ## May 2026 GUIDE6 min · 2026-05-29 · May 2026 editorial collection ### [Connecting Claude to internal systems: scope a read-only MCP release](https://techtideai.io/blog/claude-mcp-read-only-first-release) How to scope a first Claude MCP integration around read-only questions: narrow tools, the user's own access, source links, freshness and an evaluation set. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/claude-mcp-read-only-first-release) PLAYBOOK8 min · 2026-05-27 ### [AI governance for companies without a governance department.](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-governance-for-mid-market) Enterprise AI governance frameworks are unusable at 200 people. Here is the one-page version we install: data boundaries, approved models, logs, review gates, named owner. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-governance-for-mid-market) GUIDE6 min · 2026-05-23 · May 2026 editorial collection ### [Engineering review comments: cluster duplicates without closing decisions](https://techtideai.io/blog/engineering-review-comment-triage) A proposed review-comment workflow that suggests duplicate groups while keeping every original comment, its revision and an authorized closure decision. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/engineering-review-comment-triage) EXPLAINER9 min · 2026-05-20 ### [RAG is not dead. Bad retrieval is.](https://techtideai.io/blog/rag-is-not-dead) Every long-context release restarts the RAG obituary. Retrieval still wins on cost, freshness, permissions, and citation. The five fixes that rescue a weak pipeline. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/rag-is-not-dead) GUIDE6 min · 2026-05-18 · May 2026 editorial collection ### [Client status reports from project evidence, with missing facts left visible](https://techtideai.io/blog/consulting-delivery-status-reports) A proposed client reporting workflow that drafts status reports from bounded project evidence and leaves missing facts visible for the delivery lead. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/consulting-delivery-status-reports) GUIDE6 min · 2026-05-15 · May 2026 editorial collection ### [Accounts payable automation: resolve exceptions before payment](https://techtideai.io/blog/accounts-payable-exception-routing) A proposed accounts payable workflow that matches invoices against purchasing records and routes exceptions to people before any payment is authorized. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/accounts-payable-exception-routing) SECURITY9 min · 2026-05-13 ### [Prompt injection is an access-control problem.](https://techtideai.io/blog/prompt-injection-defense) Filtering instructions out of untrusted text is a losing game. The defenses that hold are boring: least-privilege tools, typed arguments, allowlists, and approval on writes. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/prompt-injection-defense) GUIDE6 min · 2026-05-09 · May 2026 editorial collection ### [Property vendor document tracking: separate receipt from approval](https://techtideai.io/blog/property-vendor-document-tracking) A proposed vendor document workflow with separate requested, received, under review, accepted, rejected and superseded states, so receipt is never approval. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/property-vendor-document-tracking) ANALYSIS10 min · 2026-05-06 ### [The only three orchestration patterns that survive contact with production.](https://techtideai.io/blog/agent-orchestration-patterns-that-survive) Swarms demo well and page you at 2am. Three orchestration patterns survive real traffic, and the choice is decided by failure isolation, not elegance. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/agent-orchestration-patterns-that-survive) GUIDE6 min · 2026-05-02 · May 2026 editorial collection ### [Legal billing narratives: prepare a review queue without inventing work](https://techtideai.io/blog/legal-billing-narrative-review) A proposed review queue for legal billing narratives that flags missing context and asks precise questions, without inventing work or changing time. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/legal-billing-narrative-review) ## April 2026 GUIDE6 min · 2026-04-30 · April 2026 editorial collection ### [An n8n recovery runbook your operations team can actually use](https://techtideai.io/blog/n8n-workflow-recovery-runbook) How to write n8n recovery steps operators can follow: alerts that point to a decision, failure classes, deliberate retries, preserved evidence and rehearsal. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/n8n-workflow-recovery-runbook) GUIDE6 min · 2026-04-27 · April 2026 editorial collection ### [Engineering document transmittals: reconcile versions before distribution](https://techtideai.io/blog/engineering-transmittal-reconciliation) A proposed transmittal workflow that reconciles documents, revisions, approvals and recipients into a reviewable packet before distribution. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/engineering-transmittal-reconciliation) PLAYBOOK9 min · 2026-04-22 ### [If you cannot replay it, you cannot ship it.](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-agent-observability) Debugging an agent from a chat transcript is guesswork. Log the full run as a trace, keep cost and latency on the same timeline, and alert on tool-level failures. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-agent-observability) GUIDE6 min · 2026-04-17 · April 2026 editorial collection ### [Consulting scope changes: turn client requests into approval decisions](https://techtideai.io/blog/consulting-scope-change-workflow) A proposed scope-change workflow that compares client requests with the current agreed scope and prepares the decision for the delivery owner to approve. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/consulting-scope-change-workflow) GUIDE6 min · 2026-04-14 · April 2026 editorial collection ### [Supplier quote comparison: build a reviewable purchasing worksheet](https://techtideai.io/blog/supplier-quote-comparison-workflow) A proposed purchasing worksheet that keeps quote differences, source locations and clarification questions visible instead of ranking incomplete quotes. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/supplier-quote-comparison-workflow) FIELD NOTE8 min · 2026-04-08 ### [Autonomy is a dial, not a switch.](https://techtideai.io/blog/human-in-the-loop-by-design) Teams argue about whether the agent should be autonomous. Wrong unit. Set autonomy per action, using reversibility and blast radius, and earn each step up with evidence. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/human-in-the-loop-by-design) GUIDE6 min · 2026-04-06 · April 2026 editorial collection ### [Commercial property maintenance automation: route requests without losing urgency](https://techtideai.io/blog/commercial-property-maintenance-routing) A proposed maintenance routing workflow that keeps the tenant's original words, applies the property's escalation rules and shows uncertain cases to a person. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/commercial-property-maintenance-routing) GUIDE6 min · 2026-04-02 · April 2026 editorial collection ### [Legal document request tracking: keep missing files visible](https://techtideai.io/blog/legal-document-request-tracking) A proposed legal document request workflow: one record per requested item, original files kept, missing items visible, and counsel deciding sufficiency. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/legal-document-request-tracking) ## March 2026 PLAYBOOK9 min · 2026-03-25 ### [Treat tokens like cloud spend, or the invoice will teach you.](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-cost-control-playbook) Nobody plans an AI budget overrun. They just never set a ceiling. Per-task budgets, tiered routing, context hygiene, caching, and one dashboard with a named owner. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-cost-control-playbook) EXPLAINER6 min · 2026-03-18 · March 2026 editorial collection ### [Who approves the AI's work? A practical operating guide](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-approval-queue-operating-guide) Design a usable review queue with named approvers, exact action previews, expiry, escalation, and execution receipts. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/ai-approval-queue-operating-guide) ANALYSIS9 min · 2026-03-11 ### [You probably do not need the framework.](https://techtideai.io/blog/the-agent-stack-most-teams-overbuild) Fourteen nodes in a state graph to answer refund questions. Size the stack to the problem: one loop, typed tools, a log, and only then a framework. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/the-agent-stack-most-teams-overbuild) EXPLAINER6 min · 2026-03-04 · March 2026 editorial collection ### [Protecting client data before connecting an AI workflow](https://techtideai.io/blog/protect-client-data-ai-workflows) A practical data-flow review for client-service teams adopting AI: access, retrieval, logging, retention, and deletion. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/protect-client-data-ai-workflows) ## February 2026 SECURITY10 min · 2026-02-25 ### [The MCP server security checklist I run before handoff.](https://techtideai.io/blog/mcp-server-security-checklist) Every MCP server ships two products at once: the tools and the attack surface. Fourteen checks on auth, scoping, tenancy, argument validation, and audit trails. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/mcp-server-security-checklist) GUIDE6 min · 2026-02-18 · February 2026 editorial collection ### [Engineering change request automation: prepare the impact review before approval](https://techtideai.io/blog/engineering-change-request-automation) A proposed workflow for collecting change evidence, checking baselines, routing impact reviews, and preserving engineering approval boundaries. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/engineering-change-request-automation) PLAYBOOK10 min · 2026-02-11 ### [Build an agent eval suite in five days.](https://techtideai.io/blog/build-an-agent-eval-suite) No eval suite means every change is a vibe. Five days: harvest real tasks, write assertions, set the pass bar, wire CI, then gate deploys on it. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/build-an-agent-eval-suite) GUIDE6 min · 2026-02-04 · February 2026 editorial collection ### [Client onboarding automation for professional services: from signed scope to ready delivery](https://techtideai.io/blog/professional-services-client-onboarding-automation) A proposed onboarding workflow connecting approved scope, client inputs, access requests, and delivery readiness without inventing commitments. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/professional-services-client-onboarding-automation) ## January 2026 EXPLAINER10 min · 2026-01-28 ### [Context engineering is the job now.](https://techtideai.io/blog/context-engineering-for-production-agents) The prompt is the smallest part. Production quality comes from context assembly: retrieval scope, ordering, compaction, tool results, and a hard token budget. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/context-engineering-for-production-agents) GUIDE6 min · 2026-01-22 · January 2026 editorial collection ### [Construction RFI automation: turn field questions into reviewable requests](https://techtideai.io/blog/construction-rfi-intake-automation) A proposed RFI intake workflow that preserves drawing references, routes questions, and keeps contractual decisions with authorized reviewers. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/construction-rfi-intake-automation) GUIDE6 min · 2026-01-16 · January 2026 editorial collection ### [Real estate document automation: build a transaction checklist people can trust](https://techtideai.io/blog/real-estate-document-coordination) A proposed workflow for transaction document intake, version tracking, missing-item review, and controlled reminders. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/real-estate-document-coordination) ANALYSIS10 min · 2026-01-14 ### [Every AI failure stat measures a different thing. Here is the scoreboard.](https://techtideai.io/blog/why-ai-pilots-never-ship) MIT says 95%, Gartner says 40%, vendor decks say 88%. They measure different things. What each stat counts, and the five gaps that separate shipped from shelved. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/why-ai-pilots-never-ship) GUIDE6 min · 2026-01-07 · January 2026 editorial collection ### [Law firm intake automation: prepare the file, keep the decision with counsel](https://techtideai.io/blog/law-firm-intake-automation) A proposed legal intake workflow with source-linked facts, conflict-review routing, confidential data boundaries, and human approval. [Read field note →](https://techtideai.io/blog/law-firm-intake-automation) ## More from Alex on buying and engineering Buying guides on alexcinovoj.com and engineering notes on alexcinovoj.dev, published alongside these field notes. Companion reading - Buying guide · alexcinovoj.com ### [What drives the cost of an AI implementation?](https://alexcinovoj.com/blog/what-ai-workflow-automation-costs) How to read an implementation quote: process clarity, data preparation, integrations, review and recovery, and operating ownership. A proposed evaluation method, not a price list. Published October 29, 2026 · January 2026 collection - Buying guide · alexcinovoj.com ### [Buy software or commission an AI integration?](https://alexcinovoj.com/blog/build-vs-buy-ai-agents) A decision guide for choosing between software you already own, an extension and a custom integration, with exit paths and a bounded trial before expanding. The examples are hypothetical. Published October 29, 2026 · February 2026 collection - Buying guide · alexcinovoj.com ### [How to choose an AI implementation partner](https://alexcinovoj.com/blog/what-ai-automation-agency-actually-delivers) A procurement method that asks every supplier the same questions about scope, working evidence, acceptance criteria, security boundaries and handoff. It does not rank agencies. Published October 29, 2026 · February 2026 collection - Engineering note · alexcinovoj.dev ### [Inside ClawKeeper: testing permission boundaries before an agent acts](https://alexcinovoj.dev/notes/clawkeeper-permission-boundaries) A walkthrough of ClawKeeper's deterministic agent policy, tenant checks and payment approval gate, based on seven synthetic policy tests run at one inspected revision, with its known trust boundaries. Published October 29, 2026 · January–March 2026 collection - Engineering note · alexcinovoj.dev ### [Inside CipherClaw: how recorded agent traces become an investigation map](https://alexcinovoj.dev/notes/cipherclaw-trace-investigation-map) A source-code reading of CipherClaw's trace graph, root-cause heuristics and breakpoints at one inspected revision, with its implementation limits. The review did not run the test suite. Published October 29, 2026 · January–March 2026 collection ## Have a stalled build that needs to work? 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