The Hidden Cost of “Almost Done” Software
The Illusion of Progress In software projects, progress often looks deceptively good on paper. Features are “90% complete.” Systems “mostly work.” Releases are shipped with the understanding that a few things will be cleaned up later. This state of being almost done feels efficient. It creates momentum, satisfies deadlines, and gives the impression that teams […]
Why Great Engineering Is Still About People
The Question Everyone Is Asking Artificial intelligence is now embedded in nearly every part of modern engineering. It can generate code, analyze massive datasets, optimize designs, and surface insights faster than ever before. With tools becoming more capable by the day, a reasonable question follows: If AI can do so much, where do people still […]
What Engineering Teaches Us About the Holiday Season
A Familiar Kind of Chaos The holiday season has a way of reminding us that even the best-laid plans rarely unfold exactly as expected. Calendars fill up, travel schedules tighten, weather becomes unpredictable, and expectations run high. It’s a busy, sometimes chaotic time of year but also a familiar one for engineers. In many ways, […]
Designing Software for Long-Term Maintainability: What Decisions Matter Most 3–5 Years Down the Road
Maintainability Is a Business Issue Most software doesn’t fail because it can’t be built. It fails because it can’t be maintained. Three to five years after a system goes live, the original assumptions may have changed. Business priorities evolve, teams turn over, and new requirements emerge that were never part of the initial roadmap. At […]
When No One Owns the Code: The Challenge of Taking Over Client Projects
The Orphaned Project Problem Taking over an existing software project is challenging under any circumstances, but the difficulty increases dramatically when a client has no internal owner for the codebase. With no documentation, minimal historical context, and no single person who understands the architecture, consultants are often stepping into a system that lacks direction and […]
From Device to Cloud: Why Data Security Matters More Than Ever in AI-Driven Systems
Artificial intelligence has made data the lifeblood of modern systems. Devices across every sector including industrial equipment, medical devices, sensors, and wearables now generate massive volumes of data every day. However, once that data starts moving from the device to the cloud, it enters a stage of significantly heightened vulnerability. As organizations shift toward cloud-based […]
How Strong Software Architecture Prevents MVPs From Failing
When teams are pressed for time to get an Minimum Viable Product (MVP) out the door they may unintentionally rush the process and put themselves at a disadvantage. The intention is good, move fast, validate assumptions, and learn early, but somewhere between strategy, design, and execution, the meaning of “minimal” gets distorted. Too often, MVPs […]
Balancing AI Innovation and IP Protection: Why Local LLMs Are Becoming Essential for Software Teams
Artificial intelligence is changing the way software is built. Tools like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and other cloud-based large language models (LLMs) have quickly become part of the daily workflow for developers across the world. They help generate code, unblock problems, create documentation, and surface new design ideas in seconds. But as powerful as these tools […]
From Pixels to Patterns: Why Image Analysis Is Moving Beyond Math
For decades, image analysis was a world of precise equations and predictable results. Engineers wrote rules that defined how computers saw the world. If the pixel is brighter than x, it’s an edge; if it’s darker than y, it’s a background. It was clean, logical, and deterministic. But what happens when the real world doesn’t […]
Where Innovation Meets Collaboration: Inside Robotics & AI Discovery Day 2025
On November 5, 2025, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh was buzzing with the energy of innovation. The Pittsburgh Robotics Network’s Robotics & AI Discovery Day 2025 brought together the brightest minds in robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing, showcasing how collaboration is fueling the next generation of technological breakthroughs. As a proud […]