Writing by Alden Gillespy across engineering, production, and their unified approach. Some posts analyze engineering decisions, some explore production craft, and some examine how both disciplines share the same working method.
The writing exists to explain the thinking behind the work on the rest of the site. Expect selected essays, process notes, and reflections rather than a high-volume publishing feed.
Essays covering engineering decisions, production craft, and the areas where both disciplines converge. Each clarifies the thinking behind the work shown on the case study pages.
Engineering
Nov 26, 2025
![Working with ChatGPT: Golden Rules for Generative AI Copilot Interaction [Part 3]](/media/blog/working-with-chatgpt-generative-ai-copilot-interaction-rules-part-3-cover.svg)
Today we dig into the schizophrenic nature of AI and how to tackle it with attention, attention, attention, language contracts, addressing errors immediately whenever they happen, and relating to your copilot.
Engineering
Nov 25, 2025
![Working with ChatGPT: Golden Rules for Generative AI Copilot Interaction [Part 2]](/media/blog/working-with-chatgpt-generative-ai-copilot-interaction-rules-part-2-cover.svg)
AI is a wonderful tool but can be a hidden menace if not understood well. The next two rules (3 and 4) in this series are about understanding AI's prompt structure and exercising control.
Engineering
Nov 24, 2025
![Working with ChatGPT: Golden Rules for Generative AI Copilot Interaction [Part 1]](/media/blog/working-with-chatgpt-generative-ai-copilot-interaction-rules-part-1-cover.svg)
In this series, I present what I believe are some golden rules for interaction with generative AI and copilot agents. Part 1 includes my first two rules, about authority and specificity.
Engineering
Nov 22, 2025
Consistency in variable types. Consistency in variable names. Consistency in methodology. Here is the React naming conventions guide I've developed over the years.
Production
Mar 21, 2020
Let me introduce you to my video media company, Shadowcat Pictures. Over the past two years, I have developed rich video content for distribution on YouTube. Today, I announce my project to you all.
Bridge
Nov 6, 2018
Amazon kills. Its sale-prediction technology is the queen, its logistics infrastructure the king. To their competitors, they are not merciful. But, strong as they are, this isn’t another death-by-Bezos.
Engineering
Apr 18, 2018
The more effort we put toward fixing a bug, three others appear. This week, as I was improving my site’s performance, Google’s Lighthouse became my new best friend.
Engineering
Apr 11, 2018
To provide a truly context-driven experience, we need a context-driven interface. React delivers that in spades. But what are the costs? And how do we make the case for it?
Engineering
Dec 26, 2017
Hate debugging your code? Then do yourself a favor: test your code before you write it. You won’t have to guess anymore, if you take the test-driven approach.
Bridge
Dec 13, 2017
Every time you open a piece of email, you may inadvertently, quietly, very accurately tell the sender a lot about you.
Bridge
Nov 29, 2017
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide whether warrantless seizure of a person’s cell network usage records violates the Constitution. What’s really at stake? Hasn’t the Constitution and court already addressed the issue?
Bridge
Nov 25, 2017
You know the reasons why net neutrality is a good thing — but do you know how in(significant) the FCC’s rules have been? Do you understand the real threat?
Engineering
Sep 26, 2017
Resurrected from the era of the Font Wars, the Variable Fonts spec now enjoys full support from Apple devices in Safari 11, and brings irresistible improvements over the predecessors.
A small queue of next pieces. These are not published yet, but they establish the editorial direction and show the shape of future writing.
Mar 18, 2026
Schema-driven platforms are often designed around the publishing moment, but the real operating pressure arrives later, during revision. Getting the revision model right from the start determines whether the system stays composable as requirements grow.
Mar 5, 2026
Designing coverage around multiple format deliverables creates a specific authorship problem: the temptation to shoot for maximum flexibility usually produces footage that reframes safely but says nothing with conviction. The right frame for multi-format work is story-first coverage, with reframing built in second.
If you want the applied work behind these notes, browse the case studies on either side. If you have a project or role in mind, the contact page is the right next step.