I promised that newsletters would be very occasional, and this year so it has proved. As such, this will be my first, last, and only newsletter of 2025.

The lack of correspondence notwithstanding, this year proved relatively prolific in terms of written output. My five most read articles, in order, were:

1. The AI coding trap

2. Context engineering

3. Will AI replace software?

4. Modular software design

5. LLMs are scrappy innovators (from 2024)

I invite you to check out any you might have missed.

To round out the year, I just published an article considering the long term impact of AI-powered automation on the software industry:

• The rise of industrial software

As we look forward to 2026, there are no signs of the impact of AI slowing down. If my writing can contribute any small part to a growing collective understanding of our changing industry, then I’ll continue to feel that I’m doing something worthwhile.

Thanks for reading.

Chris.