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Alex Duggleby

@alexduggleby.com
244 followers 725 following 205 posts

Founder and Maker or whatever we're called nowadays 🇦🇹. What am I up to? ✍️ alexduggleby.com/now 🤘 github.com/aduggleby 🏕️ My tribes: Green Tea Enthusiasts, Bootstrapped Entrepreneurs, .NET/React/Azure/Microsoft 365 developers and Lego

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Reposted by Alex Duggleby
Jason Cohen @asmartbear.com · 10/08/2026
After more than a year of labor, my book 𝘏𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴 has launched! It's all my best ideas -- and best writing -- on how to grow your company with your existing budget and team. And yes, I read the audiobook myself. :-) (1/5)
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 04/08/2026
Also an interesting experiment in doing everything on device. All the image analysis done by Apple’s AI or built in APIs, nothing sent anywhere. I pushed it quite far to get the features I wanted and was pleasantly surprised what Apple offers nowadays. apps.apple.com/at/app/snapp...
apps.apple.com
SnapperMapper: Photo Trip Maps App - App Store
Download SnapperMapper: Photo Trip Maps by Alex Duggleby on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips and more games like SnapperMapper:…
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 04/08/2026
Yay my little travel app got approved - I had issues remembering where I went when I was journaling about the day. Turns out my camera roll knew quite well so built an app around it with my agents. Pirate explorer themed obviously…
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Reposted by Alex Duggleby
Jason Cohen @asmartbear.com · 27/07/2026
New Podcast! Since I’ll be doing more episodes of Smart Bear Live, like the one just done with the great @dmytrokrasun.com, I’ve created a podcast as well as the YouTube channel. It should be everywhere: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.. Weee!
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 10/07/2026
Pushed back a bit and got this response: “PaymentWorks is run by and through JP Morgan Bank” (nope, they just have a partnership) “and X is confident in choosing this platform for payment.” 🤦‍♂️ confidence in a bank that had the greatest data breach in 2014 caused by missing 2FA… makes sense.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 10/07/2026
How can PaymentWorks who handles where a ton of money flows only accept SMS as a MFA? Even banks have realized that’s not secure enough. Clients choose us because we are the secure version of what they want for their customer data so why doesn‘t procurement care about security as much?
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 28/06/2026
I‘m on a nice cycle streak everyday through the heatwave so far. The secret is leaving at 6:30 and which saves me from the worst heat although I get in today at 11 where it’s already 36 C/97 F. But today is peak day. Been able to watch these grow amazingly fast - feels like two weeks to this size.
Sunflower field
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 19/05/2026
Bought a wireless scanner Brother DS-940DW so I can use it with the phone to quickly scan something. Turns out the scanner can only be charged via computer USB port. Charging brick isn’t enough. Needs that data line to charge. Would love to chat with the engineer that signed off on that decision.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 15/05/2026
I think I remember them putting the shutdown button above the Escape key on a Compaq/HP keyboard once. I definitely powered it down multiple times before I had the lightbulb moment to maybe use a different keyboard for that one…
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 15/05/2026
Biggest annoyances have indeed been on Mac so far - POS1 & END behave weird, and don't get me started on backspace for delete!? (And yes I had to replace ALT + Q - which is @ on QWERTZ but closes the current window on macOS with the invert screen color shortcut 😆)
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 15/05/2026
I switch between Linux, Mac and Windows daily multiple times for work and spend way to much time trying to remember to use the right CTRL, SUPER or ALT key for Copy/Paste (among other shortcuts). Any folks doing that with some tips on how to harmonize this or do you just power through?
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 15/05/2026
Can we make @aaronfrancis.com an offer he can't resist to release a linux version of Solo soon(er)? Just saying ...
The best image I could get out of ChatGPT for a pyramid of Coke Zero that might entice Aaron D Francis.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 12/05/2026
Yes exactly this - I've even refunded the most egregious requests for multiple months of multiple subscriptions they forgot to cancel (to be fair my teeth were grinding but I did it). Only after 180 days or something where the network doesn't allow it, then my hands are tied.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 12/05/2026
I will ask them to call the bank to reverse the chargeback, which often doesn't do anything, but usually gets accounting involved and they make a note not to chargeback my company. End result is I unlock them and usually no more chargebacks. ( 2 exceptions in almost a decade AFAICR.)
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 12/05/2026
How a customer reacts to "Your account was locked due to a chargeback" greatly influences what hoops I make them run through. If they apologize/explain, I unlock, ask them to create a new sub. Just costs me the chargeback fee. If they don't, teaching them a lesson is priceless.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 11/05/2026
Personally I don't buy from anywhere that doesn't have prices published unless I'm forced too. So I have clear pricing for all of my products - with an optional call if you fall outside the norm. Seems like most experienced founders say it's a mistake - for me, it's a deliberate choice.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 11/05/2026
A future where your agents are negotiating with a suppliers agents all without human interaction sounds like nightmare until you try getting prices for corporate insurance policies (for a 1 person company mind you) and realize nothing can be done online and you're going to waste hours on the phone.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 03/05/2026
Today morning started with: rise and shine, ready for a full day of demo video recording. Today evening ended with: damn you Safari and your little quirks that I have to make exceptions for. So tomorrow: Groundhog Day again! (Well actually cycling first… but then recording!)
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 03/05/2026
I get angry refund requests because the license key they purchased for a competitor with the same product name as me (just an extra letter at the front) doesn’t work with my product. Polite reply and on to the next ticket. Although I could offer them a free transfer of their license to mine … 🤷‍♂️
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 22/04/2026
It created a way more detailed PR than I ever would, with the code lines, the core dump info I had etc and if I got one for my O/S projects I would use it to ask my own LLM if the issue is valid, but it's a weird conflict in my head. Maybe it's because in the end it only took 5min of my time ...
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 22/04/2026
Previously I forked, let the LLM patch it and build the binary from scratch. But because of maintainer feedback didn't ever create a PR. So is submitting the issue the better approach? I went over it (and made sure the guidelines are followed as best I can) but in the end it feels not 100% right.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 22/04/2026
I'm torn on submitting an LLM created GH issue against an O/S project. On the one and I understand they're getting swamped by automated issues, but at the same time the issue is real enough that I got hit 3 times yesterday alone so it deserves whatever info I can provide event if it's from an LLM 🤷‍♂️
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 21/04/2026
Poor Hippos! I mean Puzzles, sure I get it, they attack, but what's a Hippo ever done... In more serious news: buy the book, mine is on it's way. Deciding what to build in the age where features are just a prompt away needs a good framework.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 21/04/2026
Kimi K2.6 looks promising but unless I'm mistaken quick research says ~20T/s needs either 4 top of the line Mac Studios with Exo or even PC with 4x 4090. If that's what it takes, ok but looking for some ppl's experience. (It's off the books until mem prices drop again, but at least it's a target.)
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 21/04/2026
I've been challenged by the SO to provide a local LLM (ultimately with a Cowork like harness) for use on our private docs etc and was wondering what hardware/model combos are actually using at the moment? Will a top Mac Studio do or no way around 4090 for smth slower but close to frontier perf?
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 31/03/2026
OMG - a Tiki Bar flashback! I still have their merch cups in the office from wayback. 2005 seems so long ago. And of course been enjoying Diggnation since they came back (in a only slightly more adult way 😉).
An original tiki cup from TikiBarTV by Doug Horne, Tiki Farm, 2005.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 23/03/2026
Waiting for the print edition but ebook is available already. In the AI age deciding WHAT to build is even more important than ever.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 21/03/2026
The „agentic engineering“ founders finding out they were hacked don’t realize they are the lucky ones. It’s the ones being exploited in secret and continuing to do so for long time that are the ones I’d worry about. In an age where data is worth so much, finding a leak = gold.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 17/03/2026
London, missed ya.
London at sunset
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 09/03/2026
Also I’m fascinated how they explain this to a normal consumer - I mean I happen to know there’s a difference but the average person off the street? Also 5% is steep. I don’t think it’s that high anywhere - must be compounding through the POS provider.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 09/03/2026
Today in Hamburg: Kebap shop wanted 5% extra charge because I was using a business credit card (N26) to pay. Different card was fine. I mean I don’t like the surcharges for international/business cards either but it’s the first time I’ve seen it passed on to the customer.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 07/03/2026
Yes please, or depending on the guest even 2h!
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 28/02/2026
Zero Human Businesses… isn’t that just arbitrage while the masses catch up to using AI? Maybe you can make some money in the meantime but won’t every AI builder start trying to build one of those and quickly saturate the market? Won’t personally bet on that one but it’s wild what’s being created!
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 28/02/2026
The good thing is, Maspalomas (or my personal fav Meloneras) is just a quick drive south and they seem to always have sun if the north doesn't.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 27/02/2026
Almost a decade into a SaaS 99% of the "bugs" reported are documentation issues, user errors etc... But it's the 1% actual bugs that always leave me asking myself: how on earth has no one encountered that case in all this time!? Especially when it doesn't feel like an edge case.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 24/02/2026
But there are still things I do out of habit from 6 months ago that thankfully aren't as necessary any more - but habits die hard, even if they were learnt so quickly in relative terms.
Queuing up the same "keep going" prompt 3 times so that it will not stop.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 24/02/2026
The 2 big unlocks for me that made these kind of big refactors/updates work were first getting it to build a e2e suite (and multiple prompts to extend coverage until i was happy) but also asking it to compare before/after screenshots. It still makes mistakes, but finds and fixes them too.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 24/02/2026
My new end of day routine is to ask Codex to suggest improvements to the test suite, refactoring for maintainability/reusability and reviewing/simplifying code comments. With the test suite I haven't had a refactoring go wrong (so far) and the code comments are also vital (past decisions/fixes).
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 19/02/2026
OMG leandomainsearch.com is gone - I mean it's still there, but @automattic.com seem to have removed the whole word + prefix/suffix functionality or am I just to dumb to find/see it? Does anyone have an alternative?
leandomainsearch.com
Lean Domain Search
Search for and register available domain names in seconds.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 13/02/2026
I've added a special "Copy LLM prompt" to my error messages (when I run in dev mode) which not only has a basic "replicate this in e2e then fix it" prompt but also appends a bunch of technical data, breadcrumbs for my last 10 steps etc. Quite a productivity boost...
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 13/02/2026
Interesting - so it's either 2% for the conversion or 1% for settling to a secondary currency account. Either way not EU friendly at all, but thankfully that's an opportunity for others like Paddle, Polar & Co.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 13/02/2026
But I have to admit switching it on with a single JSON property and being able to run both in parallel is an gold start developer implementation. Kudos. stripe.com/en-at/manage...
stripe.com
Your Merchant of Record Provider | Stripe Managed Payments
Sell globally in 195 countries without additional setup. Stripe's merchant of record solution handles payments, tax, fraud, disputes and support for you.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 13/02/2026
I guess I can settle in USD using Wise/Revolut (does Stripe support two settlement currencies though?) and bring it down to 6.75% but I remember everyone going bonkers about Paddle's 5%, so I am wondering if I'm just plain wrong here somewhere. (and isn't subscription billing on top?)
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 13/02/2026
Stripe's Managed Payments just went public 🥳, but am I doing the calculation right that as a EU company (with EUR account) charging a customer in USD is going to cost me 8.75% + 25c? 3.25% for the international card + 2% currency conv. to EUR + 3.5% for managed payments Where's my mistake?
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 12/02/2026
The business accounts here in Austria cost a monthly fee which grows by number of transactions, so I feel that's enough to handle the clearing effort. I feel once you get rid of points, rewards, charge back handling, risk premiums you don't need to charge that money per transaction.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 12/02/2026
The AI will get you "just" the tech. Acquiring will get you market share, marketing channels, reputation, trust and a ton of experience in that industry. The low churn probably stands for a lot iterations and mistakes you don't have to go through yourself.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 12/02/2026
In Germany and Austria we even had a system a while back called EC Card which worked just fine with a card. But it was first replaced by Maestro (a MC system) and then the general MC network. The will to have an alternative is there, question is if they can make it as seamless.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 12/02/2026
But that’s just a question of implementation. If they can make Payback work at millions of POS I’m sure they can make a system built on top of SEPA work too. And maybe it’s EU only with a fallback to Visa for international. After all AmEx doesn’t work over here most of the time either.
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 11/02/2026
Yay for any European alternative, but I don't understand is why we don't build on what's already there. SEPA Instant is free AFAIK and supported across Europe (and chargebacks are left to the courts not a card processor). But let's see: europeanbusinessmagazine.com/business/eur...
europeanbusinessmagazine.com
Europe's $24 Trillion Breakup With Visa and Mastercard
A 130-million-user payment system backed by 16 major banks just launched to challenge Visa/mastercard
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Alex Duggleby @alexduggleby.com · 07/02/2026
I’m spending about as much time getting in Claude Code fixing Openclaw as I am using it. Running it on a VPS is definitely less out-of-the-box awesome than a Mac mini. Using oxylabs proxy definitely unblocked a lot of things. See my fork if you’re interested: github.com/aduggleby/op...
github.com
GitHub - aduggleby/openclaw: Your own personal AI assistant. Any OS. Any Platform. The lobster way. 🦞
Your own personal AI assistant. Any OS. Any Platform. The lobster way. 🦞 - GitHub - aduggleby/openclaw: Your own personal AI assistant. Any OS. Any Platform. The lobster way. 🦞
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