Michael Bleigh
@mbleigh.dev
Building the servers for serverless at Firebase. Web platform aficionado.
If you are creating a tool that in any way allows image input, the single most important UX polish you can add is supporting pasted images. Do it yesterday.
November 11, 2025 at 8:38 PM
If you are creating a tool that in any way allows image input, the single most important UX polish you can add is supporting pasted images. Do it yesterday.
Everyone hates on MCP because it adds a bunch of tokens to the context but like...that's not MCP's fault?
Agents need to think about progressive disclosure everywhere and there's no reason that can't include both MCP server and tool activation.
Agents need to think about progressive disclosure everywhere and there's no reason that can't include both MCP server and tool activation.
November 8, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Everyone hates on MCP because it adds a bunch of tokens to the context but like...that's not MCP's fault?
Agents need to think about progressive disclosure everywhere and there's no reason that can't include both MCP server and tool activation.
Agents need to think about progressive disclosure everywhere and there's no reason that can't include both MCP server and tool activation.
It's funny how differently people use coding agents. I have never had to compact my history - I tend to break work up into tasks that can easily be completed without hitting context limits and spawn new threads frequently.
But this seems to be an important feature to many!
But this seems to be an important feature to many!
November 8, 2025 at 9:04 PM
It's funny how differently people use coding agents. I have never had to compact my history - I tend to break work up into tasks that can easily be completed without hitting context limits and spawn new threads frequently.
But this seems to be an important feature to many!
But this seems to be an important feature to many!
Usually if I think of an "obvious" better way to do a software thing my priors are "well other people must have tried it and there's something I'm missing".
I'm learning to reset that prior for working with LLMs. Tons of obvious stuff just lying around but yet to be tried.
I'm learning to reset that prior for working with LLMs. Tons of obvious stuff just lying around but yet to be tried.
November 8, 2025 at 5:05 AM
Usually if I think of an "obvious" better way to do a software thing my priors are "well other people must have tried it and there's something I'm missing".
I'm learning to reset that prior for working with LLMs. Tons of obvious stuff just lying around but yet to be tried.
I'm learning to reset that prior for working with LLMs. Tons of obvious stuff just lying around but yet to be tried.
2 best kinds of corp chats:
- Chats with many people that become high-signal topic-based info sharing. Curated news better than any social feed.
- Chats with <= 5 people that become extremely tight knit and candid over a long time horizon. Where career-long friends are made.
- Chats with many people that become high-signal topic-based info sharing. Curated news better than any social feed.
- Chats with <= 5 people that become extremely tight knit and candid over a long time horizon. Where career-long friends are made.
November 4, 2025 at 12:27 AM
2 best kinds of corp chats:
- Chats with many people that become high-signal topic-based info sharing. Curated news better than any social feed.
- Chats with <= 5 people that become extremely tight knit and candid over a long time horizon. Where career-long friends are made.
- Chats with many people that become high-signal topic-based info sharing. Curated news better than any social feed.
- Chats with <= 5 people that become extremely tight knit and candid over a long time horizon. Where career-long friends are made.
2 best kinds of corp chats:
- Chats with many people that become high-signal topic-based info sharing. Curated news better than any social feed.
- Chats with <= 5 people that become extremely tight knit and candid over a long time horizon. Where career-long friends are made.
- Chats with many people that become high-signal topic-based info sharing. Curated news better than any social feed.
- Chats with <= 5 people that become extremely tight knit and candid over a long time horizon. Where career-long friends are made.
November 3, 2025 at 5:27 PM
2 best kinds of corp chats:
- Chats with many people that become high-signal topic-based info sharing. Curated news better than any social feed.
- Chats with <= 5 people that become extremely tight knit and candid over a long time horizon. Where career-long friends are made.
- Chats with many people that become high-signal topic-based info sharing. Curated news better than any social feed.
- Chats with <= 5 people that become extremely tight knit and candid over a long time horizon. Where career-long friends are made.
A funny fact of tech is that almost every VC-backed startup has more resources at its disposal than almost every equivalent team inside a big tech co.
There are exceptions for a few heavily concentrated bets, but in general the "David v. Goliath" dynamic isn't what you'd expect.
There are exceptions for a few heavily concentrated bets, but in general the "David v. Goliath" dynamic isn't what you'd expect.
November 2, 2025 at 4:33 PM
A funny fact of tech is that almost every VC-backed startup has more resources at its disposal than almost every equivalent team inside a big tech co.
There are exceptions for a few heavily concentrated bets, but in general the "David v. Goliath" dynamic isn't what you'd expect.
There are exceptions for a few heavily concentrated bets, but in general the "David v. Goliath" dynamic isn't what you'd expect.
The Wax and Wayne books of the Mistborn Saga are basically genre catnip for me.
It's a steampunk mashup of Batman, Sherlock Holmes, and Trigun and I'm enjoying them thoroughly while also feeling slightly embarrassed at being so thoroughly triangulated.
It's a steampunk mashup of Batman, Sherlock Holmes, and Trigun and I'm enjoying them thoroughly while also feeling slightly embarrassed at being so thoroughly triangulated.
November 2, 2025 at 12:04 AM
The Wax and Wayne books of the Mistborn Saga are basically genre catnip for me.
It's a steampunk mashup of Batman, Sherlock Holmes, and Trigun and I'm enjoying them thoroughly while also feeling slightly embarrassed at being so thoroughly triangulated.
It's a steampunk mashup of Batman, Sherlock Holmes, and Trigun and I'm enjoying them thoroughly while also feeling slightly embarrassed at being so thoroughly triangulated.
Bubbles are impacted both by difference between perceived and actual potential of a technology, and amount of uncertainty about winning applications thereof.
Dotcom was a bubble where the perceived and actual potential was extremely high, but it took time to figure things out.
Dotcom was a bubble where the perceived and actual potential was extremely high, but it took time to figure things out.
October 30, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Bubbles are impacted both by difference between perceived and actual potential of a technology, and amount of uncertainty about winning applications thereof.
Dotcom was a bubble where the perceived and actual potential was extremely high, but it took time to figure things out.
Dotcom was a bubble where the perceived and actual potential was extremely high, but it took time to figure things out.
It should be legally required that patients can have access to digital copies of all medical records including imaging within 24h of requesting same
Instead I'm overnighting a $6.50 check so they can burn a CD (I don't own a CD drive anymore so guess I'm buying one too).
Instead I'm overnighting a $6.50 check so they can burn a CD (I don't own a CD drive anymore so guess I'm buying one too).
October 28, 2025 at 11:55 PM
It should be legally required that patients can have access to digital copies of all medical records including imaging within 24h of requesting same
Instead I'm overnighting a $6.50 check so they can burn a CD (I don't own a CD drive anymore so guess I'm buying one too).
Instead I'm overnighting a $6.50 check so they can burn a CD (I don't own a CD drive anymore so guess I'm buying one too).
"In the future apps are going away and AI will just generate interfaces on the fly."
Have you seen the pitchforks that come out when popular apps make modest design changes?
Have you seen the pitchforks that come out when popular apps make modest design changes?
October 26, 2025 at 2:43 AM
"In the future apps are going away and AI will just generate interfaces on the fly."
Have you seen the pitchforks that come out when popular apps make modest design changes?
Have you seen the pitchforks that come out when popular apps make modest design changes?
Context Engineering is about managing the tension between
NOT ENOUGH context (agent can't do task) and
TOO MUCH context (agent gets off track).
We're building complex RAG systems and endless bespoke tools, but we're sleeping on a powerful solution: the humble hyperlink. 🔗
NOT ENOUGH context (agent can't do task) and
TOO MUCH context (agent gets off track).
We're building complex RAG systems and endless bespoke tools, but we're sleeping on a powerful solution: the humble hyperlink. 🔗
October 23, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Context Engineering is about managing the tension between
NOT ENOUGH context (agent can't do task) and
TOO MUCH context (agent gets off track).
We're building complex RAG systems and endless bespoke tools, but we're sleeping on a powerful solution: the humble hyperlink. 🔗
NOT ENOUGH context (agent can't do task) and
TOO MUCH context (agent gets off track).
We're building complex RAG systems and endless bespoke tools, but we're sleeping on a powerful solution: the humble hyperlink. 🔗
No service is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of production,
A part of the web.
Each service's outage diminishes me,
For I am involved in prodkind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the pager beeps,
It beeps for thee.
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of production,
A part of the web.
Each service's outage diminishes me,
For I am involved in prodkind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the pager beeps,
It beeps for thee.
October 20, 2025 at 11:06 PM
No service is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of production,
A part of the web.
Each service's outage diminishes me,
For I am involved in prodkind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the pager beeps,
It beeps for thee.
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of production,
A part of the web.
Each service's outage diminishes me,
For I am involved in prodkind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the pager beeps,
It beeps for thee.
I think "politically orthogonal" movies are interesting...ones with an inherently political premise but that are not *about* politics.
Civil War is about journalism.
Eddington is about social disconnection.
One Battle After Another is about parenthood.
Hard to pull off!
Civil War is about journalism.
Eddington is about social disconnection.
One Battle After Another is about parenthood.
Hard to pull off!
October 12, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I think "politically orthogonal" movies are interesting...ones with an inherently political premise but that are not *about* politics.
Civil War is about journalism.
Eddington is about social disconnection.
One Battle After Another is about parenthood.
Hard to pull off!
Civil War is about journalism.
Eddington is about social disconnection.
One Battle After Another is about parenthood.
Hard to pull off!
Interactive coding agents work well for me, but trying to reliably build coding agent scripts is much less reliable.
I think I don't even notice how often I'm Fonzie-ing the interactive agent - stopping it when it gets in a loop, abandoning an unsuccessful thread, etc.
I think I don't even notice how often I'm Fonzie-ing the interactive agent - stopping it when it gets in a loop, abandoning an unsuccessful thread, etc.
October 11, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Interactive coding agents work well for me, but trying to reliably build coding agent scripts is much less reliable.
I think I don't even notice how often I'm Fonzie-ing the interactive agent - stopping it when it gets in a loop, abandoning an unsuccessful thread, etc.
I think I don't even notice how often I'm Fonzie-ing the interactive agent - stopping it when it gets in a loop, abandoning an unsuccessful thread, etc.
If you own a product it is critical that you inoculate yourself against vanity metrics, stuff like "total users signed up" that can only ever go up.
You want your product to succeed and the desperation to see positive signals is hard to overcome. But overcome it you must.
You want your product to succeed and the desperation to see positive signals is hard to overcome. But overcome it you must.
October 6, 2025 at 3:57 PM
If you own a product it is critical that you inoculate yourself against vanity metrics, stuff like "total users signed up" that can only ever go up.
You want your product to succeed and the desperation to see positive signals is hard to overcome. But overcome it you must.
You want your product to succeed and the desperation to see positive signals is hard to overcome. But overcome it you must.
I find myself at a loss about AI video apps. Why would I want an entire app dedicated to lower effort content?
I'm not angry it exists, I'm just confused why anyone would consume it. If the content is good enough to watch shouldn't it be able to compete on existing platforms?
I'm not angry it exists, I'm just confused why anyone would consume it. If the content is good enough to watch shouldn't it be able to compete on existing platforms?
October 6, 2025 at 12:06 AM
I find myself at a loss about AI video apps. Why would I want an entire app dedicated to lower effort content?
I'm not angry it exists, I'm just confused why anyone would consume it. If the content is good enough to watch shouldn't it be able to compete on existing platforms?
I'm not angry it exists, I'm just confused why anyone would consume it. If the content is good enough to watch shouldn't it be able to compete on existing platforms?
Does *any* coding agent today have the ability to access MCP resources autonomously (via a built-in tool instead of by e.g. @-mentioning it)?
There is such a huge opportunity for the first coding agent that successfully cracks intelligent context loading via resources.
There is such a huge opportunity for the first coding agent that successfully cracks intelligent context loading via resources.
October 2, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Does *any* coding agent today have the ability to access MCP resources autonomously (via a built-in tool instead of by e.g. @-mentioning it)?
There is such a huge opportunity for the first coding agent that successfully cracks intelligent context loading via resources.
There is such a huge opportunity for the first coding agent that successfully cracks intelligent context loading via resources.
Are you the author of an open source library and wish you had a better way to get coding agents to use it properly?
DM me, would like to hear more. Working on something in this space.
DM me, would like to hear more. Working on something in this space.
October 2, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Are you the author of an open source library and wish you had a better way to get coding agents to use it properly?
DM me, would like to hear more. Working on something in this space.
DM me, would like to hear more. Working on something in this space.
Following AI right now is like playing competitive video games.
When a new patch (model, tool, etc) drops, the balance shifts and new metas evolve (patterns of using various things together).
And if you take a break for a few months you come back to a totally different game.
When a new patch (model, tool, etc) drops, the balance shifts and new metas evolve (patterns of using various things together).
And if you take a break for a few months you come back to a totally different game.
September 26, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Following AI right now is like playing competitive video games.
When a new patch (model, tool, etc) drops, the balance shifts and new metas evolve (patterns of using various things together).
And if you take a break for a few months you come back to a totally different game.
When a new patch (model, tool, etc) drops, the balance shifts and new metas evolve (patterns of using various things together).
And if you take a break for a few months you come back to a totally different game.
Feature request for browsers: keep track of what's under the mouse and when clicking if a layout shift changed target in last 500ms cancel the click event.
Bug report for websites everywhere: Stop making interfaces where stuff loads in a way that causes these layout shifts.
Bug report for websites everywhere: Stop making interfaces where stuff loads in a way that causes these layout shifts.
September 26, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Feature request for browsers: keep track of what's under the mouse and when clicking if a layout shift changed target in last 500ms cancel the click event.
Bug report for websites everywhere: Stop making interfaces where stuff loads in a way that causes these layout shifts.
Bug report for websites everywhere: Stop making interfaces where stuff loads in a way that causes these layout shifts.
I would be in favor of regulations that forced media platforms with kids' content have to have a mode where parents can strictly curate the entire library of available content.
There's good educational stuff on Netflix/Disney+/HBO/YouTube for my daughter, but also total garbage.
There's good educational stuff on Netflix/Disney+/HBO/YouTube for my daughter, but also total garbage.
September 25, 2025 at 10:54 PM
I would be in favor of regulations that forced media platforms with kids' content have to have a mode where parents can strictly curate the entire library of available content.
There's good educational stuff on Netflix/Disney+/HBO/YouTube for my daughter, but also total garbage.
There's good educational stuff on Netflix/Disney+/HBO/YouTube for my daughter, but also total garbage.
One of my least favorite tropes is "kill the henchmen, spare the boss" where a hero battles through waves of enemies, fights a boss wins without killing and then a big deal is made of "sparing" the boss.
What about the 37 people you murdered on the way in?
What about the 37 people you murdered on the way in?
September 24, 2025 at 7:34 PM
One of my least favorite tropes is "kill the henchmen, spare the boss" where a hero battles through waves of enemies, fights a boss wins without killing and then a big deal is made of "sparing" the boss.
What about the 37 people you murdered on the way in?
What about the 37 people you murdered on the way in?
"Not Invented Here" (NIH) unfortunately applies not only between companies ("we won't use X because we will do a better job building it ourselves") but also within large companies ("we are the team who is supposed to own X so we won't use team Y's thing for it").
September 20, 2025 at 5:22 PM
"Not Invented Here" (NIH) unfortunately applies not only between companies ("we won't use X because we will do a better job building it ourselves") but also within large companies ("we are the team who is supposed to own X so we won't use team Y's thing for it").
Hooks (e.g. Claude Code's hooks) are the critical primitive missing from the MCP spec. If an MCP server could hook into the agent lifecycle, a whole universe of possibilities opens up.
At some point if I have time (so ~never 🙃) I intend to write up a formal proposal for it.
At some point if I have time (so ~never 🙃) I intend to write up a formal proposal for it.
September 18, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Hooks (e.g. Claude Code's hooks) are the critical primitive missing from the MCP spec. If an MCP server could hook into the agent lifecycle, a whole universe of possibilities opens up.
At some point if I have time (so ~never 🙃) I intend to write up a formal proposal for it.
At some point if I have time (so ~never 🙃) I intend to write up a formal proposal for it.