atharva
@atharvaraykar.com
i write at atharvaraykar.com
i work @nilenso.com
yes-anding the world.
i work @nilenso.com
yes-anding the world.
I wrote a post looking into multiple SWE/coding benchmarks. Many of them measure something narrower than what their names suggests.
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/09...
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/09...
September 29, 2025 at 7:17 AM
I wrote a post looking into multiple SWE/coding benchmarks. Many of them measure something narrower than what their names suggests.
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/09...
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/09...
Wrote about units of work being a useful lever for getting good results from AI-assisted coding.
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/09...
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/09...
September 19, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Wrote about units of work being a useful lever for getting good results from AI-assisted coding.
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/09...
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/09...
I've been poking Srihari, our most experienced engineer @nilenso.com to share his hard-earned knowledge for the benefit of others.
Even if you're not an engineering leader like me, this checklist gives a lot of insight into what makes a great engineering org.
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/09...
Even if you're not an engineering leader like me, this checklist gives a lot of insight into what makes a great engineering org.
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/09...
September 12, 2025 at 6:32 AM
I've been poking Srihari, our most experienced engineer @nilenso.com to share his hard-earned knowledge for the benefit of others.
Even if you're not an engineering leader like me, this checklist gives a lot of insight into what makes a great engineering org.
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/09...
Even if you're not an engineering leader like me, this checklist gives a lot of insight into what makes a great engineering org.
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/09...
grateful for my low-quality education where teachers could not correctly explain the basics of anything right
it pushed me to cultivate good epistemics and build truth-seeking habits early on
it also forced me to never trust authoritative figures, many are very incompetent
it pushed me to cultivate good epistemics and build truth-seeking habits early on
it also forced me to never trust authoritative figures, many are very incompetent
August 15, 2025 at 2:11 PM
grateful for my low-quality education where teachers could not correctly explain the basics of anything right
it pushed me to cultivate good epistemics and build truth-seeking habits early on
it also forced me to never trust authoritative figures, many are very incompetent
it pushed me to cultivate good epistemics and build truth-seeking habits early on
it also forced me to never trust authoritative figures, many are very incompetent
Why Does AI Feel So Different?
An enjoyable read from my colleague, Srihari.
We've been talking about why this disruption feels different from other recent technological disruptions and he captured a lot of that really well in this post.
Link: blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/08...
An enjoyable read from my colleague, Srihari.
We've been talking about why this disruption feels different from other recent technological disruptions and he captured a lot of that really well in this post.
Link: blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/08...
August 14, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Why Does AI Feel So Different?
An enjoyable read from my colleague, Srihari.
We've been talking about why this disruption feels different from other recent technological disruptions and he captured a lot of that really well in this post.
Link: blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/08...
An enjoyable read from my colleague, Srihari.
We've been talking about why this disruption feels different from other recent technological disruptions and he captured a lot of that really well in this post.
Link: blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/08...
Question for the "launch many parallel claude agents to go faster" crowd: Why isn't that the same problem as the Brooks's law all over again?
July 28, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Question for the "launch many parallel claude agents to go faster" crowd: Why isn't that the same problem as the Brooks's law all over again?
despite all the AI hype there's only been two kinds of tools with direct improvements to my life:
- chat (like chatgpt, claude ai)
- terminal coding agents (like claude code)
surprising how nothing better has stuck yet
- chat (like chatgpt, claude ai)
- terminal coding agents (like claude code)
surprising how nothing better has stuck yet
July 25, 2025 at 7:39 AM
despite all the AI hype there's only been two kinds of tools with direct improvements to my life:
- chat (like chatgpt, claude ai)
- terminal coding agents (like claude code)
surprising how nothing better has stuck yet
- chat (like chatgpt, claude ai)
- terminal coding agents (like claude code)
surprising how nothing better has stuck yet
Several people ask me about how I'm keeping up with all the AI things and finding signal in this noisy landscape. I wrote a guide explaining this.
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/06...
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/06...
July 4, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Several people ask me about how I'm keeping up with all the AI things and finding signal in this noisy landscape. I wrote a guide explaining this.
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/06...
blog.nilenso.com/blog/2025/06...
I was seeing @karpathy.bsky.social's Software 3.0 talk, as one should.
Surreal to see him recommend my writing to make a point on AI-assisted coding
"Is that me on TV??" moment
Surreal to see him recommend my writing to make a point on AI-assisted coding
"Is that me on TV??" moment
June 19, 2025 at 1:17 PM
I was seeing @karpathy.bsky.social's Software 3.0 talk, as one should.
Surreal to see him recommend my writing to make a point on AI-assisted coding
"Is that me on TV??" moment
Surreal to see him recommend my writing to make a point on AI-assisted coding
"Is that me on TV??" moment
Reposted by atharva
I loved it! simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/10/...
AI-assisted coding for teams that can’t get away with vibes
This excellent piece by Atharva Raykar offers a bunch of astute observations on AI-assisted development that I haven't seen written down elsewhere. Building with AI is fast. The gains in …
simonwillison.net
June 11, 2025 at 1:36 PM
I loved it! simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/10/...
Quality, and the cutlets of enthusiasm
atharvaraykar.com/quality-and-...
atharvaraykar.com/quality-and-...
Quality, and the cutlets of enthusiasm
Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance was on my reading wishlist for a while. From the title, I assumed the book would be something like a tasteful self-help book, a quirky blend of kōanic mystici...
atharvaraykar.com
June 1, 2025 at 5:20 AM
Quality, and the cutlets of enthusiasm
atharvaraykar.com/quality-and-...
atharvaraykar.com/quality-and-...
I have revamped my website of essays.
it's now more searchable, supports commenting and also doubles as a newsletter. now back to writing again.
it's now more searchable, supports commenting and also doubles as a newsletter. now back to writing again.
atharva's internet place
tldraw is canvas software that runs on your browser (like MS Paint, excalidraw etc). This project caught my attention when I saw demos of fun AI experiments with the canvas interface*. Even the plain…
buff.ly
January 26, 2025 at 4:22 PM
I have revamped my website of essays.
it's now more searchable, supports commenting and also doubles as a newsletter. now back to writing again.
it's now more searchable, supports commenting and also doubles as a newsletter. now back to writing again.
is "cracked" the new codeninja/rockstar?
January 19, 2025 at 6:09 AM
is "cracked" the new codeninja/rockstar?
Buddhist Teacher Geshe Langri Tangpa (circa 1100 AD)
🤝
XXXTentacion (2018)
🤝
XXXTentacion (2018)
January 18, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Buddhist Teacher Geshe Langri Tangpa (circa 1100 AD)
🤝
XXXTentacion (2018)
🤝
XXXTentacion (2018)
Reposted by atharva
General consensus in the replies and quotes of this seems to be that the entire concept of "AI skills" is a joke - how hard is typing text into a chatbot, really?
I will continue to argue that it's genuinely difficult, and that the challenge in using these tools is widely underestimated
I will continue to argue that it's genuinely difficult, and that the challenge in using these tools is widely underestimated
No, they're not caught between anything. Stop it. The fact that AI may be used or useful in future jobs does not create a single dilemma at all for college students in how to actually complete their coursework. This is all nonsense & excuses for not doing the reading & learning how to think & write.
College students caught between professors' AI bans and employers' growing demand for AI skills
Research shows 75% of workers now use artificial intelligence on the job, yet many universities still classify its use as cheating.
www.phillyvoice.com
December 26, 2024 at 5:15 PM
General consensus in the replies and quotes of this seems to be that the entire concept of "AI skills" is a joke - how hard is typing text into a chatbot, really?
I will continue to argue that it's genuinely difficult, and that the challenge in using these tools is widely underestimated
I will continue to argue that it's genuinely difficult, and that the challenge in using these tools is widely underestimated
the reason i write and encourage other people to write is because writing is the most scalable form of persuasion and negotiation
it's one of the best coordination mechanisms that humans have
it's one of the best coordination mechanisms that humans have
January 4, 2025 at 4:36 PM
the reason i write and encourage other people to write is because writing is the most scalable form of persuasion and negotiation
it's one of the best coordination mechanisms that humans have
it's one of the best coordination mechanisms that humans have
my current pet conspiracy theory is that a lot of your favourite artists are heavily using AI generated sequences in their music, but no one has noticed it yet
January 4, 2025 at 1:41 PM
my current pet conspiracy theory is that a lot of your favourite artists are heavily using AI generated sequences in their music, but no one has noticed it yet
TIL about the Modi (मोडी / 𑘦𑘻𑘚𑘲) script, used for Marathi up until the 1940s.
In 2025, it looks like AI generated Devanagari.
In 2025, it looks like AI generated Devanagari.
January 4, 2025 at 1:41 PM
TIL about the Modi (मोडी / 𑘦𑘻𑘚𑘲) script, used for Marathi up until the 1940s.
In 2025, it looks like AI generated Devanagari.
In 2025, it looks like AI generated Devanagari.
Reposted by atharva
One of our engineers wrote a thoughtful article about how public health challenges can be framed using "Systems Thinking" @atharvaraykar.com www.simple.org/blog/a-syste...
A ‘systems thinking’ approach to saving lives from heart attacks and strokes
A technologists’ skill set of crafting scalable solutions works well on notoriously hard problems like public health. The way to make it approachable is to adopt ‘systems thinking’.
www.simple.org
January 2, 2025 at 2:36 PM
One of our engineers wrote a thoughtful article about how public health challenges can be framed using "Systems Thinking" @atharvaraykar.com www.simple.org/blog/a-syste...
The most meaningful work I've ever done has been with the wonderful tech team who work on the simple.org app.
I wrote on the Simple blog about how ideas from systems dynamics can be used to make sense of hard problems like preventing deaths from heart disease.
www.simple.org/blog/a-syste...
I wrote on the Simple blog about how ideas from systems dynamics can be used to make sense of hard problems like preventing deaths from heart disease.
www.simple.org/blog/a-syste...
A ‘systems thinking’ approach to saving lives from heart attacks and strokes
A technologists’ skill set of crafting scalable solutions works well on notoriously hard problems like public health. The way to make it approachable is to adopt ‘systems thinking’.
www.simple.org
January 2, 2025 at 4:15 PM
The most meaningful work I've ever done has been with the wonderful tech team who work on the simple.org app.
I wrote on the Simple blog about how ideas from systems dynamics can be used to make sense of hard problems like preventing deaths from heart disease.
www.simple.org/blog/a-syste...
I wrote on the Simple blog about how ideas from systems dynamics can be used to make sense of hard problems like preventing deaths from heart disease.
www.simple.org/blog/a-syste...
i quickly concocted a writer's block unblocker
(with @tldraw.com computer)
it takes an oblique strategy (from the brian eno et al card deck) and uses it to provide unhinged critique of the essay you are working on to help you break out of a rut
link to program: computer.tldraw.com/t/4KoB33nFEr...
(with @tldraw.com computer)
it takes an oblique strategy (from the brian eno et al card deck) and uses it to provide unhinged critique of the essay you are working on to help you break out of a rut
link to program: computer.tldraw.com/t/4KoB33nFEr...
December 29, 2024 at 5:23 PM
i quickly concocted a writer's block unblocker
(with @tldraw.com computer)
it takes an oblique strategy (from the brian eno et al card deck) and uses it to provide unhinged critique of the essay you are working on to help you break out of a rut
link to program: computer.tldraw.com/t/4KoB33nFEr...
(with @tldraw.com computer)
it takes an oblique strategy (from the brian eno et al card deck) and uses it to provide unhinged critique of the essay you are working on to help you break out of a rut
link to program: computer.tldraw.com/t/4KoB33nFEr...
i picked up india after gandhi by ramachandra guha recently and it is a 10/10 book so far
it has renewed my fascination with india
context is that which is scarce. this book will catch you all up with some context
it has renewed my fascination with india
context is that which is scarce. this book will catch you all up with some context
December 28, 2024 at 12:01 PM
i picked up india after gandhi by ramachandra guha recently and it is a 10/10 book so far
it has renewed my fascination with india
context is that which is scarce. this book will catch you all up with some context
it has renewed my fascination with india
context is that which is scarce. this book will catch you all up with some context
December 28, 2024 at 11:44 AM
wrote a short note on why i approach everything with optimism
tldr;
- optimism is the ultimate form of ownership
- cynicism is the rejection of ownership
- hard to be curious when you're always cynical
tldr;
- optimism is the ultimate form of ownership
- cynicism is the rejection of ownership
- hard to be curious when you're always cynical
I discovered that I'm radically optimistic.
I'm still struggling to convey what that means. Or if that's even the right phrase for it. it may just be these every cloud has a silver...
buff.ly
December 28, 2024 at 9:02 AM
wrote a short note on why i approach everything with optimism
tldr;
- optimism is the ultimate form of ownership
- cynicism is the rejection of ownership
- hard to be curious when you're always cynical
tldr;
- optimism is the ultimate form of ownership
- cynicism is the rejection of ownership
- hard to be curious when you're always cynical
'tapestry' is another linguistic casualty of LLMs
December 28, 2024 at 6:12 AM
'tapestry' is another linguistic casualty of LLMs