Engineering Notes

Engineering Notes

Thoughts and Ideas on AI by Muthukrishnan
20 Oct 2025

Building Rational Agents with Human-Like Reasoning Using BDI Architecture

Master the BDI architecture pattern that models rational agent behavior through beliefs, desires, and intentions—a bridge between philosophy and practical AI systems.
20 Oct 2025

Engineer the Handoffs Where Most Productivity Dies

Most engineering managers optimize for individual productivity. They focus on hiring great people, improving code quali...
19 Oct 2025

Bellman Equations and Value Functions for Optimal Decision-Making

## Concept Introduction A **value function** V(s) assigns a numerical score to each state s, representing the expected...
19 Oct 2025

Invest in Compounding Leverage

The difference between good engineering managers and exceptional ones isn't how much they do—it's how much compounds ov...
18 Oct 2025

Build Conviction Through Small Bets

The best engineering managers don't make big decisions through perfect analysis—they build conviction through strategic...
18 Oct 2025

Vector Embeddings and Semantic Search as the Foundation of Agent Memory

Master the mathematical and practical foundations of vector embeddings—the technology that enables AI agents to remember, search, and reason over vast knowledge bases.
17 Oct 2025

Collaborative Problem-Solving in Multi-Agent Systems with the Blackboard Architecture

Explore how the blackboard pattern enables multiple specialized agents to work together on complex problems through shared knowledge spaces and opportunistic reasoning.
17 Oct 2025

Scale Culture Through Defaults, Not Rules

Most engineering managers try to scale culture through policies, rules, and guidelines. They write extensive playbooks,...
16 Oct 2025

Goal-Oriented Action Planning for Dynamic Problem Solving in Adaptive Agents

Discover how Goal-Oriented Action Planning (GOAP) enables AI agents to dynamically create flexible plans that adapt to changing conditions, from game NPCs to modern autonomous systems.
16 Oct 2025

Manage Your Attention Budget as Your Scarcest Resource

You can always hire more engineers. You can negotiate for a bigger budget. You can even extend deadlines. But you cann...