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Pushing Software Engineering Limits With 'Napkin Math'
The Pragmatic Engineer·July 21, 2026
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Summary
Turbopuffer's cofounder Simon Eskildsen on longer founder/engineer tenure, using first-principles thinking to build durable software, and caution around raising VC money.
Why this signal
General engineering-culture signal rather than AI-specific, but the first-principles/durable-software framing is a reasonable counterweight to move-fast AI-accelerated development advice elsewhere in this cycle.
Original email
The Pragmatic Engineer · 7/21/2026
Pushing software engineering limits with 'napkin math'