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Nino Chavez

Chicago

Skip the API: Building a Local ChatGPT Bridge for VS Code

Skip the API: Building a Local ChatGPT Bridge for VS Code

Can you skip the API and wire ChatGPT directly into VS Code? Turns out, yes — with a little browser magic. This post breaks down how I thought about building a local-first bridge that replaces Kilo and avoids token costs, all powered by curiosity and a builder’s mindset.

From Copilot to Enforcer: The AI Maturity Spectrum for Developers

From Copilot to Enforcer: The AI Maturity Spectrum for Developers

Or: What happens when AI stops just helping you code — and starts holding your system accountable

Tool-and-Die Thinking for the AI Age

Tool-and-Die Thinking for the AI Age

How AI coding tools helped me beat the overhead wall — and build faster than I think.

Just-in-Time Software

Just-in-Time Software

Just like cloud killed the server rack, AI is killing fixed tools. I built a full E2E test system from scratch—faster, cheaper, tailored—using nothing but schema, rules, and AI prompts. Why buy tools when you can generate them just-in-time?

Who Reviewed the Reviewer?

Who Reviewed the Reviewer?

This post is about that realization. About what happens when AI becomes the default reviewer, and starts learning from its own reflections. We’re not just debugging code anymore. We’re debugging the system that teaches itself how to review.

Tokens Are Dev Hours. Waste Is a Feature, Not a Bug.

With AI development, waste isn’t hidden in team velocity or burndown charts — it’s itemized on your invoice. That’s not a flaw. It’s a feature.

The AI Engineer Has Joined the Team. Now What?

The AI Engineer Has Joined the Team. Now What?

AI isn’t just accelerating software development — it’s reorganizing it. This post unpacks what changes when you start designing teams, tools, and processes around a human–AI hybrid model. Planning shifts. Costs shift. Roles shift. The real question is: are we ready to shift with it?