Writings of a Tech Leader, Husband, and Dad

I’m Jonathan, the CTO of Loyal, with over two decades of experience in software development for startups. This space is where I share my experiences, insights, and opinions—both popular and unconventional.

My ramblings will be on mobile and web applications, startup launches, favorite books, user acquisition, user experience, (maybe parenting) and most importantly, driving revenue.

How I Built a Claude Code Skill for Client Product Planning

April 09, 2026

I built a Claude Code skill that runs Jesse James Garrett's UX framework as a structured pipeline — so AI stops skipping the planning steps that actually matter.

OpenClaw, NanoClaw, and the Problem Nobody's Solving

March 17, 2026

The personal AI agent space exploded in early 2026. OpenClaw got 310K GitHub stars. NanoClaw answered with 15 files and real security. But both require a terminal, Docker, and API keys — leaving 97% of people locked out. Here's why that matters and what comes next.

How We Chose Infrastructure for 80+ News Apps (And What It Actually Costs)

March 04, 2026

We rebuilt a legacy Java app in Rails and evaluated five hosting options. Landed on Linode at $358/month — an 81% reduction from our old $1,925/month stack.

DHH Killed 359 System Tests — and Rails Followed

February 27, 2026

37signals deleted every system test from HEY in late 2024 and not a single bug slipped through. This decision has reshaped Rails testing orthodoxy. Rails 8.1 no longer generates system tests by default. Here's what replaced them and how to transition from RSpec to Minitest.

Implementing Apple Sign In with Devise in Rails 8

February 21, 2026

A step-by-step guide to adding Sign in with Apple to a Rails 8 app using Devise and OmniAuth, including a native mobile JWT flow for Hotwire Native iOS apps.