Sidecar Blog

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Illustration of multiple train tracks merging into a single line inside a sunlit concourse.

5 min read

Why Your Association Needs a Product Leader, Not a Technical CTO

When membership organizations decide to modernize their technology, the immediate instinct is to look for technical talent. The assumption is that building better digital experiences requires a Chief Technology Officer or a team of hardcore software...

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Illustration of a woodworker shaping a single strong beam while ignoring a pile of disjointed scrap wood.

5 min read

The End of the IT Committee: How to Ship AI Projects Like Tech Firms

The traditional association technology committee is designed to be a safety mechanism. It might bring together representatives from membership,...

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2 min read

Why the Time Is Now for digitalNow

I've had a lot of roles at digitalNow over the past decade. I've been an attendee, soaking up every session I could fit into a day. I've been an...

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A roll of duct tape sitting on top of architectural blueprints on a workbench.

4 min read

The Vibe Coding Trap: Why AI Apps Need Architecture, Not Duct Tape

Imagine discovering a leaking pipe in the garage. A quick fix is to grab a roll of duct tape and wrap the pipe tightly. The water stops. The floor...

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Episode 153 of the Sidecar Sync Podcast cover art featuring Amith Nagarajan, Mallory Mejias, and Han-Shen Yuan

37 min read

Why Vibe Coding Still Needs Engineers with Han-Shen Yuan | [Sidecar Sync Episode 153]

Summary: Vibe coding can patch almost anything, but a duct-tape fix only holds until the water pressure changes. Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias...

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An illustration of a greenhouse with a glass partition separating wild vines from neatly organized saplings, representing controlled environments.

5 min read

The Zero Percent Churn Problem: Guardrails for AI Agents

Imagine an association executive handing a massive problem over to a new technology. The organization is facing a retention crisis, so the executive...

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Illustration of a watchmaker placing a single gear into a mechanical watch

5 min read

Stop Automating Everything: The Case for Narrow AI Workflows

There is a strong temptation to hand the keys over to the machine. When organizations start experimenting with artificial intelligence, the vision...

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Brass drafting compasses and a pencil resting on a ground floor blueprint with a skyscraper shadow.

5 min read

The AI Slowdown Paradox: Why Associations Must Speed Up Now

Researchers resigning from major artificial intelligence labs. Open letters signed by thousands of industry insiders asking governments to build a...

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Episode 152 of the Sidecar Sync Podcast cover art featuring Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias

38 min read

Will AI End Us All? | [Sidecar Sync Episode 152]

Summary: The people building AI are starting to sound scared of what they're building. Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias take on the AI safety...

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