Hi everyone,

I’m excited to share my latest essay, Compound Engineering, published today (January 18, 2026). In it I explore how the most durable engineering breakthroughs come not from single seismic changes but from designing systems where ordinary efforts compound over time. I share lessons from my career about treating the engineering process itself as something worth engineering, and how working with agents to make responsibilities explicit can turn small corrections into guardrails.

You can read the full essay here: https://markagate.com/compound-engineering

Alongside the essay, I’m also opening up a new way to connect: you can now chat with my personal assistant. Have questions about compound engineering, want to discuss the ideas in the essay, or just curious about what I’m working on? Feel free to start a conversation with the assistant.

Thanks for reading and being part of the community. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Best,
Mark