DaxMac Journal

Field Notes

Short observations from developer onboarding research. Unlike full audits, Field Notes explore recurring documentation patterns and the mental models they create across API-first platforms.

When Documentation Defines Concepts but Not Their Relationship

Developers build mental models from onboarding documentation. Defining concepts individually without explaining how they interact leaves critical architectural decisions to inference.

Read Field Note →

When Initial Validation Is Mistaken for Long-Term Reliability

Successful validation demonstrates that something works today. It should not automatically become a developer's mental model for long-term reliability.

Read Field Note →

Creating a Resource Is Not the Same as Managing Its Lifecycle

Onboarding often teaches developers how to create resources but not how those resources should be managed throughout long-running workflows.

Read Field Note →

AI Increased Engineering Velocity. It Didn't Fix Developer Onboarding.

AI has accelerated software delivery, but it hasn't solved developer onboarding. Engineering velocity and production success are two different metrics.

Read Field Note →