Every technology hype cycle promises transformation, delivers complexity, and leaves teams dealing with the mess. AI follows the same script.

AI has the potential to accelerate code output, but at the risk of skill atrophy, tech debt accumulation, unmaintainable codebases, and a talent pipeline crisis as organizations replace junior roles with AI tools.

After 25+ years leading engineering teams—from agencies to Fortune 500 companies to platform teams—I’ve learned to spot these patterns early. More importantly, I’ve learned where and where not to apply AI to amplify what makes teams effective.

I’m Alex Robinson. I focus on Developer Experience: how work actually gets done, not productivity theater.

What This Newsletter Provides

Evidence-based frameworks, not vendor promises. Every recommendation comes from research, industry data, or actual implementation experience. When I don’t know something, I say so.

Developer Experience as the evaluation lens. AI tools get judged on whether they improve how engineers work. That means looking at flow state, cognitive load, learning opportunities, and long-term sustainability—not just code output.

Pragmatic implementation patterns. I focus on what works in real engineering organizations, with honest discussion of trade-offs, failure modes, and when to skip adoption entirely.

Systems thinking about consequences. AI adoption creates cascading effects: skill atrophy, coordination overhead, maintenance burden, and talent retention challenges. We look at the whole system, not immediate metrics.

What You’ll Get

Insights on:

AI adoption patterns that work (and which ones create more problems than they solve). You’ll see research-backed analysis, not vendor marketing.

Developer Experience frameworks for evaluating tools and practices. These help you ask the right questions before committing resources.

Strategic guidance for engineering leaders balancing executive pressure and team health. Decisions that amplify capability, not just show progress.

Long-term thinking about talent, capability, and organizational sustainability. We think past next quarter.

Who This Is For

Staff+ engineers making architectural and tooling decisions. Engineering managers building teams while showing progress. Directors and VPs setting strategy under executive pressure. Platform and DevEx leaders responsible for developer productivity.

If you’re looking for AI cheerleading or growth hacking tactics, this isn’t the place. If you want honest analysis about what works—and what doesn’t—you’re in the right spot.

Publishing Schedule

New articles every other week. No sponsored content, no affiliate links. Just substantive analysis and frameworks.

Connect

Bluesky: @invokedev.bsky.social
Email: hello@invoke.dev

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