field notes

Writing on the new way in.

How AI-native hiring actually works — the roles worth chasing, the salaries, the new interview format, and how to land it.

forward-deployed-engineer

What Is a Forward-Deployed Engineer? The Role, the Pay, the Path

Forward-deployed engineers (FDEs) are the hottest, highest-paid AI-native role of 2026. Here is what they actually do, who hires them, what they earn, and how to break in.

Jun 19, 2026·4 min
interviews

Can You Use AI in Coding Interviews in 2026? The Real Rules

Google, Canva, and Meta now allow or expect AI tools in technical interviews — but the rules differ by round. Here is exactly when you can use Copilot or Cursor, when you cannot, and how to win the work-with-the-AI round.

Jun 19, 2026·3 min
job-search

Read a Job Description Like a Rubric: Reverse-Engineer What the Role Wants

A job description is the answer key to the interview. Here is how to read an AI-native JD like a rubric — decode what the role really screens for, measure your gaps, and prepare for exactly what you will be tested on.

Jun 19, 2026·3 min
context-engineer

Prompt Engineer vs Context Engineer: What's Real in 2026

Prompt engineering job postings fell 79% from their peak. Here is what replaced it — context engineering — what the new role does, and where to point your career instead.

Jun 19, 2026·4 min
ai-product-manager

The AI Product Manager Playbook: How to Break In (2026)

AI product manager roles nearly quadrupled since 2022. Here are the four AI PM archetypes, the skills that matter, what the job pays, and how to break in from a standard PM or adjacent role.

Jun 19, 2026·4 min
ai-engineer

How to Become an AI Engineer in 2026 (Without a CS Degree)

A realistic, step-by-step roadmap to becoming an AI engineer in 2026 — the skills, the order to learn them, the portfolio that gets interviews, and the timeline, with no CS degree required.

Jun 19, 2026·3 min
referrals

How to Get a Referral at an AI Startup (When Job Boards Are a Black Hole)

Referred candidates are roughly 7x more likely to get an offer, and top AI labs hire mostly through warm intros. Here is how to earn referrals at AI startups and frontier labs without an existing network.

Jun 19, 2026·3 min
resume

How to Beat AI Resume Screening (ATS) in 2026 — What Actually Works

Keyword stuffing is now penalized, not rewarded. Here is how AI resume screening actually works in 2026 and the tactics that get you past a semantic ATS — backed by current data, not 2021 myths.

Jun 19, 2026·3 min
ai-native-jobs

The AI-Native Jobs Guide: 12 Roles That Barely Existed 3 Years Ago

A field guide to the AI-native roles companies are hiring for in 2026 — what each job actually does, who hires for it, what it pays, and how to break in.

Jun 19, 2026·4 min
interviews

The AI-Native Interview: How Hiring Changed (and How to Win It)

The LeetCode era is over. AI screeners, work-with-the-AI rounds, and AI-resistant take-homes have rewritten the hiring pipeline. Here is how the AI-native interview actually works in 2026 — and how to win it.

Jun 19, 2026·4 min
ai-engineer

AI Engineer Salary in 2026: What Labs and Startups Actually Pay

AI engineer pay ranges from a ~$100K market median to $943K+ at frontier labs. Here is the real salary ladder by level, why equity dominates the top, and what drives the gap.

Jun 19, 2026·4 min
interviews

AI Engineer Interview Questions (2026): RAG, Agents & System Design

Real AI engineer interview questions from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Apple — covering RAG, agents, LLM system design, and AI PM cases — plus what strong answers actually demonstrate.

Jun 19, 2026·3 min