Business, Technology and Better Judgement
Essays, field notes and practical guides on how businesses and technology work, where assumptions break down, and how to make better decisions.
I’m James Burchill, founder of Driftinel, systems architect, CTO and bestselling author. I write from experience building companies, leading engineering teams, developing software and turning complex problems into working solutions.
Start with Your Interest
- Building with AI -- From a working prototype to systems with clear boundaries and human control.
- Architecture and Operations -- Decisions that make software easier to maintain, recover, and trust.
- Business and Product -- Useful products, sustainable operations, and choices that respect customers.
- Writing and Judgement -- Making ideas clearer, inspecting evidence, and recognizing patterns.
For the deeper systems theme, explore Governing Intelligent Systems.
Selected Starting Points
- By Inches -- A personal introduction to the way small exceptions change a system’s direction.
- AI Can Generate Software. Reality Still Gets A Vote. -- Why easier building makes practical review more valuable.
- Why We Don’t Build Custom Operating Systems -- An engineering choice explained through its consequences for customers.
Recent Writing
This is an evolving collection of essays and field notes, published when there is something useful to add. Dates below are original publication dates; substantive revisions are noted in the articles.
-
Send Your AI Assistant to My MCP Service -- November 2, 2026
A working example of asking an AI assistant to use my public MCP service, with plain-language prompts and the curl command behind tool discovery. -
Give Your MCP Service a Predictable Address -- November 1, 2026
A practical naming convention for business MCP services: use mcp.yourdomain.tld and publish clear connection instructions. -
Your Next Customer Might Send an AI Agent -- November 1, 2026
Preparing your business for AI-assisted customers starts with reliable answers, clear permissions, and one useful interaction.
Browse all writing, or explore Books & Resources for a free illustrated book, learning materials and practical tools.
The Deeper Framework
The Vault is the broader collection of my writing. Because Drift Happens explores drift and governance; Governing Intelligent Systems is its technical reading guide within the Vault. Driftinel is my independent software project, a managed service in development to help businesses spot missed commitments and emerging problems.