Most of my tech stack just became a geopolitical risk
Most of my tech stack just became a geopolitical risk. I saw the US tariffs against countries that defend Denmark's sovereignty. My anxiety surged. Reality...
Nicolas Cava
Fractional CTO
How a founder lost $300K and 18 months:
Nicolas Cava
Edited onEdited on Nov 21, 2025
Reading timeReading time: 1 minute
How a founder lost $300K and 18 months:
Just on a rebuild that should not have happened.
The founder had a working SaaS product. 50 paying customers. $8K MRR. Built on PHP and MySQL.
A "senior developer" convinced him the stack was outdated. That they had to rebuild in Go and MongoDB to scale properly.
18 months later:
→ $300K spent on development → Zero new features shipped → Lost 30 customers due to stagnation → MRR dropped to $3K → Original developer quit mid-project
Hard fact: The PHP app could have scaled to 10K users without breaking a sweat. They needed optimization. Not a full rebuild.
Most rebuilds are ego projects. Not business decisions.
Ask yourself what problem you are actually solving.
Recent Notes
I run a US$400K operation on Apple Notes
I run a US$400K operation on Apple Notes. I follow one rule: Constantly and ruthlessly simplify how to do business. Subtract first. Add only what screams for...
Nicolas Cava
Fractional CTO
I used to think AI would democratize execution
I used to think AI would democratize execution. It just exposed who can't decide. You can't prompt your way past indecision. You can't automate mindset. You...
Nicolas Cava
Fractional CTO
Shipping fast requires one skill founders hate
Shipping fast requires one skill founders hate. Saying no. I just forced a founder to cut 70% of their scope. We go live next week. I constantly see it. I know...
Nicolas Cava
Fractional CTO
Most founders prove they can't make hard calls
Most founders prove they can't make hard calls. I just got off a strategy call with a founder. 52 features planned for 2026. Let me tell you: You spend $10K on...
Nicolas Cava
Fractional CTO
I spent 15 years building teams
I spent 15 years building teams. Now I'm running the opposite in 2026. Pure AI agent-driven ops. Solo execution. Maximum margin. No noise. No waste. 100%...
Nicolas Cava
Fractional CTO
5 years of Node.js experience is worth 6 months now
5 years of Node.js experience is worth 6 months now. AI broke the barrier to syntax. Pre-AI era: → Stack switch: months → Primary skill: syntax and library...
Nicolas Cava
Fractional CTO
Your friends are terrible hires
Your friends are terrible hires. Not because they lack skill. Because you'll never treat them like employees. I did it years ago. Almost destroyed friendships...
Nicolas Cava
Fractional CTO
I lied to 3 clients this week
I lied to 3 clients this week. Told them I was excited about our calls. The truth? I stared at the screen for 20 minutes. I have zero inspiration for this...
Nicolas Cava
Fractional CTO
