Field Notes

AI Engineering Notes: LLM, RAG & SaaS.

Practical notes on shipping AI SaaS, LLM/RAG features, workflow automation, backend architecture, and product UI/UX into production — with real tradeoffs, delivery patterns, and production lessons.

5 articles published3 delivery domains coveredWeekly cadence

Recent posts // the archive

5 posts
RAG implementation cost: TCO linking retrieval, permissions, ownership cover image
RAG implementation cost: TCO linking retrieval, permissions, ownership
A technical TCO model for RAG implementation cost that links retrieval quality, permissions, and operational ownership to dollarized outcomes and a fixed-scope first sprint.
Igor NepipenkoIgor Nepipenko7 min read
AI SaaS development company: agency vs boutique studio vs freelancer cover image
AI SaaS development company: agency vs boutique studio vs freelancer
A technical guide for CTOs comparing agency, boutique studio, and freelancer options when hiring an ai saas development company—focus on risk, cost drivers, and a measurable first‑
Igor NepipenkoIgor Nepipenko7 min read
Stripe billing implementation SaaS reconciliation framework cover image
Stripe billing implementation SaaS reconciliation framework
A practical 5-step framework for building a production-grade Stripe reconciliation pipeline for SaaS: ledger design, webhook hardening, mapping, exception flows, and monitoring.
Igor NepipenkoIgor Nepipenko7 min read
Stripe billing implementation SaaS webhooks checklist for SaaS cover image
Stripe billing implementation SaaS webhooks checklist for SaaS
A production-ready stripe billing implementation saas webhooks checklist with acceptance criteria, risk controls, and a sprint-scoped handoff to avoid revenue loss and operational
Igor NepipenkoIgor Nepipenko8 min read