tech radar · v1 · may 2026

What I'm betting on, and what I'm not.

Years ago I launched my first company's Tech Radar to give engineering teams a shared formulary for what to adopt, trial, assess, and hold. This is the personal version. Forty-seven blog posts and one year of writing, distilled into the bets I am willing to defend out loud.

click any blip on the radar or any item below for the argument behind it

ADOPT TRIAL ASSESS HOLD Engineering Practices AI Tools & Architecture Leadership Postures Industry Narratives
Adopt — committed Trial — using, convinced Assess — watching Hold — refuse, or warn against

quadrant 01

Engineering Practices

How software actually gets built, reviewed, and shipped in an agentic SDLC.

Adopt

Use today. Default in new work.

    Trial

    In production. Convinced of direction.

      Assess

      Watching. Not yet bet on.

        Hold

        Refuse, or warn against.

          quadrant 02

          AI Tools & Architecture

          The seam between local and frontier, the patterns that compound, the ones that do not.

          Adopt

          Use today. Default in new work.

            Trial

            In production. Convinced of direction.

              Assess

              Watching. Not yet bet on.

                Hold

                Refuse, or warn against.

                  quadrant 03

                  Leadership Postures

                  How engineering leaders should show up, what they should reward, and what they should refuse.

                  Adopt

                  Use today. Default in new work.

                    Trial

                    In production. Convinced of direction.

                      Assess

                      Watching. Not yet bet on.

                        Hold

                        Refuse, or warn against.

                          quadrant 04

                          Industry Narratives

                          The stories the industry tells itself. Some are true. Most are someone's quarterly earnings call dressed up in a hoodie.

                          Adopt

                          Use today. Default in new work.

                            Trial

                            In production. Convinced of direction.

                              Assess

                              Watching. Not yet bet on.

                                Hold

                                Refuse, or warn against.
                                  Built from forty-seven blog posts at vinny.dev and a year of arguing with myself in public. Open to better arguments — write to vin@vinny.dev.
                                  last reviewed · May 13, 2026 · back to vinny.dev