Insights

Ideas, perspectives and updates from the people doing the work. From AI strategy to engineering practices to company news, this is how we think about solving hard problems.

Building the Factory

The Everything Factory

AI Is Everywhere Except in the Results

Designing Intelligence, Not Interfaces

Designing for a World Without Interfaces

Software dashboard displaying BuildsTrust Phase2 MakesItReal HasGrit with navigation menu and project filters

I'm a Designer. I Just Built an Entire Brand Guidelines Site Without Writing a Single Line of Code.

Woman pointing at code on dark screens with checkmark and plant nearby

Software Engineering is Dead. Long Live Software Engineering.

Developer typing code on laptop with programming interface displayed on screen

Less Chat, More Outcome — And the Security Nightmare That Comes With It

Bald man with beard wearing navy blazer and light blue shirt, smiling at camera

Phase2 Promotes Jeremy Waller to Vice President of Technology and Innovation

Phase2 text with blue wavy lines on dark blue background design

Phase2 Unveils Brand Refresh to Reflect Evolution as Software Engineering and AI Leader

Phase2 Included in Google Cloud Success Story for Oklahoma Employment Security Commission Digital Transformation

Man with long brown hair smiling, wearing navy blazer and white shirt

Phase2 Appoints Heath Rutz as Vice President of Business Development to Drive Enterprise Growth

JSON code snippet showing mcpServers configuration with sequential-thinking command and modelcontextprotocol arguments

Using the Sequential Thinking MCP Server to go from Generative to Agentic AI

Blue neon spiral flower icon on dark teal background

Executive Summary: Using the Sequential Thinking MCP Server to go from Generative to Agentic AI

Grantor I.E.O Thorne confidence score reasoning with AI model results

Rethinking UX for AI: Trust, Truth, and Uncertainty

Three professional men in business attire pose for portraits with a light purple background.

Phase2 Leaders Recognized on The Journal Record’s 2025 Power List for IT Innovation

Two professional contact cards with portraits, contact details, and skills sections on blue backgrounds.

Resume Sizzler: AI Labor That Parses, Matches, and Acts with Context

National Recognition for People-First Culture: Phase2 Earns Spot on Inc.’s 2025 Best Workplaces List

iPhone displaying business message conversation about water heater installation quote request and details.

AI that Works: Real Labor, Real Value, Right Now

Businessman with laptop surrounded by data analytics and network icons representing digital connectivity

How to Build Smarter AI That Remembers What Matters: Strengthening Organizational Memory with Zep

Two people wearing glasses collaborate at laptops in a bright office environment.

Cutting AI Costs Without Cutting Corners: How Context Caching Maximizes LLM ROI

Building Organizational Memory with Zep: A Developer's Guide

Businessman holding bar chart showing financial growth with upward trending arrow

Optimizing LLM Costs: A Comprehensive Analysis of Context Caching Strategies

Architecture diagram showing LLM Claude connection through MCP host clients to servers and Neo4j databases.

Custom Software

Explain It Like I’m Five: What the Heck Is an MCP Server?

iPhone displaying business messaging app conversation about iPhone inventory and reordering advice

Building a Conversational Agent with LangGraph, Twilio, Modal and FastAPI

AI workflow diagram showing Jira requirements flowing to code generation producing Figma mockups and design assets.

Hands-On with MCP-Enabled Coding Assistants: Progress and Pain Points

Woman holding padlock securing smartphone login screen with email and password fields

Custom Software

Scalable White Labeled Mobile Applications Deployments With Fastlane

Laptop displaying land title chain research project with historical documents and property information displayed

From Optical Character Recognition to Optical Context Reasoning

Two men collaborating at laptops during a tech training or development session.

Custom Software

Executive Summary: Building a Strong Data Governance Framework

Transformation & Strategy

Getting Started with Data Governance: A Practical Guide For Organizations

Flowchart showing start node connecting to Planner LLM, which branches to Writer LLM, Human for Planner, and Reviewer LLM components

Understanding LangGraph for LLM-Powered Workflows

Phase2 joins Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program

Group photo of Top Workplaces 2024 award winners on stage with podium and banner

Phase2 Named 2024 Top Workplace by The Oklahoman

Student reading with science, English, and math books, head filled with knowledge icons

Transformation & Strategy

Modernize Your Data Strategy: A Leader’s Guide to Data Mesh

Three smiling people standing together in modern tech office with turquoise overlay and decorative circles.

Getting the most out of a software engineering internship

Man speaking at podium with microphone near decorated Christmas tree and audience

Transformation & Strategy

Why Your Business Must Be A Software-First Company

Two workers operating machinery on factory assembly line under metal framework

How Will AI Impact Business?

Teacher with glasses explaining geometry on blackboard with globe and books nearby

A Brief History of AI and Why Your Business Should Care

Phase2 Ranks on Inc.’s Annual List of Best Workplaces for 2024

Legacy mainframe data transformed to modern web and mobile interfaces displaying alerts

System Modernization

Beyond Upgrades: The Importance of Modernizing Legacy Systems

Large group of people gathered on staircase with holiday decorations in elegant venue

Phase2 Employees Become Company Owners

Phase2 Promotes Two Company Veterans to Senior Posts

Middle-aged man with brown hair, glasses, and beard wearing checkered shirt and blazer

Phase2 Promotes Kempton to President

Group of eight people holding awards at 2023 Top Workplaces ceremony on stage

Oklahoman Honors Phase2 as 2023 Top Workplace

Two people reviewing documents at a wooden desk with pen nearby.

Phase2 Would Never Hire Me Today

Container list showing two items: testcontainers and amazing_tesla with unique identifiers

Custom Software

DynamoDB Integration Tests with TestContainers in Kotlin

Middle-aged man with gray beard wearing dark blazer and checkered shirt against purple background

As Seen in The Oklahoman: How Teams Can Succeed Without Always Sharing a Physical Workspace

Phase2 Receives Two Honors from Inc. Magazine

Phase2 Names Heath Clinton CEO

Developer woman in checkered shirt working with code displayed on screen and laptop

Custom Software

How to Stay Agile in an Integration-Driven Environment

Man speaking with microphone to audience in conference room with presentation screen

Leadership Lessons Part 1: Culture

Two people collaboratively assembling puzzle pieces toward a glowing lightbulb idea

Custom Software

Cornerstones of Every Software Project: Part 2 of 2

Cyan neon layered squares icon on dark blue background

Custom Software

Writing a Valuable Test Suite: Strategies and Pitfalls

Two workers maintaining large gears and machinery, symbolizing teamwork and industrial maintenance

Custom Software

Cornerstones of Every Software Project: Part 1 of 2

Three people gathered together looking at a smartphone, casual indoor setting

Custom Software

Requirement Driven Development: or Building the Right Thing

Venn diagram showing three overlapping circles labeled good, fast, and cheap with impossible combinations highlighted.

Solutions Consulting

Cheap, Fast, Good: Pick Two

Developer coding on laptop with flowchart and terminal windows displaying code

Custom Software

6 Tips for Managing Software Releases

Group of people smiling together at a festive gathering with twinkling lights

Custom Software

Evaluating Third-Party Libraries: Good, Bad & Tips for Effective Usage

Git commit timeline showing master branch with linked tasks and bug fixes

Custom Software

Releasing Code Effectively with Source Control Organization

Developer working on HTML and CSS code at laptop with multiple browser windows

Custom Software

Flaky Tests on Android with Espresso: Handling Network Calls in Android UI Testing

Man speaking with microphone to seated audience in conference room.

Company Culture as a Competitive Advantage

Two women working at computers with laptop devices in modern office setting

Custom Software

Guide to Successful Custom Software Development

Woman programmer coding at desk with multiple screens displaying HTML, CSS, PHP, and C++.

Custom Software

Creating Dynamic Proxies with Kotlin Coroutines

Woman with dark hair holding glowing lightbulb idea on computer screen

Solutions Consulting

Don't Make Your End User Have To Think

Red 3D geometric abstract shape with curved top and faceted surfaces on white background

Custom Software

Ruby Relevance: It's 2021 and Ruby Isn't Going Anywhere

Three-step process diagram: condition, action, result with numbered shapes and arrows

Custom Software

Using Automated Testing to Confidently Release Software | Phase 2

Gourmet burger topped with cherry tomato, served with golden fries and sauce

Custom Software

Cross-Platform Mobile Development: Flutter vs. Swift/Kotlin | Phase 2

Man using mobile app to rate customer service experience with emoji feedback options

Custom Software

Master iOS App Navigation with Tab & Navigation Bars | iOS Development Guide

Laptop and monitor displaying glacier landscape and code terminal in office setting.

Custom Software

Easily Upload Files with Active Storage in Rails 5.2 | Phase 2

JavaScript code showing villains object with Darth Vader, Emperor, and Boba Fett properties

Custom Software

Easy JSON Parsing: 5 Steps to Generate Data Models with Xcode Playgrounds and Codable

Group of business professionals posing together at table sponsors event

Living Up to the Name: Pioneer Library System Wins Innovator of the Year

Woman pointing at code on dark screens with checkmark and plant nearby

Software Engineering is Dead. Long Live Software Engineering.

Phase2 Included in Google Cloud Success Story for Oklahoma Employment Security Commission Digital Transformation

Blue neon spiral flower icon on dark teal background

Executive Summary: Using the Sequential Thinking MCP Server to go from Generative to Agentic AI

Businessman with laptop surrounded by data analytics and network icons representing digital connectivity

How to Build Smarter AI That Remembers What Matters: Strengthening Organizational Memory with Zep

Two people wearing glasses collaborate at laptops in a bright office environment.

Cutting AI Costs Without Cutting Corners: How Context Caching Maximizes LLM ROI

Building Organizational Memory with Zep: A Developer's Guide

Businessman holding bar chart showing financial growth with upward trending arrow

Optimizing LLM Costs: A Comprehensive Analysis of Context Caching Strategies

AI workflow diagram showing Jira requirements flowing to code generation producing Figma mockups and design assets.

Hands-On with MCP-Enabled Coding Assistants: Progress and Pain Points

Woman holding padlock securing smartphone login screen with email and password fields

Scalable White Labeled Mobile Applications Deployments With Fastlane

Two men collaborating at laptops during a tech training or development session.

Executive Summary: Building a Strong Data Governance Framework

Getting Started with Data Governance: A Practical Guide For Organizations

Flowchart showing start node connecting to Planner LLM, which branches to Writer LLM, Human for Planner, and Reviewer LLM components

Understanding LangGraph for LLM-Powered Workflows

Student reading with science, English, and math books, head filled with knowledge icons

Modernize Your Data Strategy: A Leader’s Guide to Data Mesh

Three smiling people standing together in modern tech office with turquoise overlay and decorative circles.

Getting the most out of a software engineering internship

Man speaking at podium with microphone near decorated Christmas tree and audience

Why Your Business Must Be A Software-First Company

Two workers operating machinery on factory assembly line under metal framework

How Will AI Impact Business?

Teacher with glasses explaining geometry on blackboard with globe and books nearby

A Brief History of AI and Why Your Business Should Care

Container list showing two items: testcontainers and amazing_tesla with unique identifiers

DynamoDB Integration Tests with TestContainers in Kotlin

Developer woman in checkered shirt working with code displayed on screen and laptop

How to Stay Agile in an Integration-Driven Environment

Two people collaboratively assembling puzzle pieces toward a glowing lightbulb idea

Cornerstones of Every Software Project: Part 2 of 2

Cyan neon layered squares icon on dark blue background

Writing a Valuable Test Suite: Strategies and Pitfalls

Two workers maintaining large gears and machinery, symbolizing teamwork and industrial maintenance

Cornerstones of Every Software Project: Part 1 of 2

Three people gathered together looking at a smartphone, casual indoor setting

Requirement Driven Development: or Building the Right Thing

Venn diagram showing three overlapping circles labeled good, fast, and cheap with impossible combinations highlighted.

Cheap, Fast, Good: Pick Two

Developer coding on laptop with flowchart and terminal windows displaying code

6 Tips for Managing Software Releases

Group of people smiling together at a festive gathering with twinkling lights

Evaluating Third-Party Libraries: Good, Bad & Tips for Effective Usage

Git commit timeline showing master branch with linked tasks and bug fixes

Releasing Code Effectively with Source Control Organization

Developer working on HTML and CSS code at laptop with multiple browser windows

Flaky Tests on Android with Espresso: Handling Network Calls in Android UI Testing

Two women working at computers with laptop devices in modern office setting

Guide to Successful Custom Software Development

Woman programmer coding at desk with multiple screens displaying HTML, CSS, PHP, and C++.

Creating Dynamic Proxies with Kotlin Coroutines

Woman with dark hair holding glowing lightbulb idea on computer screen

Don't Make Your End User Have To Think

Red 3D geometric abstract shape with curved top and faceted surfaces on white background

Ruby Relevance: It's 2021 and Ruby Isn't Going Anywhere

Three-step process diagram: condition, action, result with numbered shapes and arrows

Using Automated Testing to Confidently Release Software | Phase 2

Gourmet burger topped with cherry tomato, served with golden fries and sauce

Cross-Platform Mobile Development: Flutter vs. Swift/Kotlin | Phase 2

Laptop and monitor displaying glacier landscape and code terminal in office setting.

Easily Upload Files with Active Storage in Rails 5.2 | Phase 2

JavaScript code showing villains object with Darth Vader, Emperor, and Boba Fett properties

Easy JSON Parsing: 5 Steps to Generate Data Models with Xcode Playgrounds and Codable

Building the Factory

AI Is Everywhere Except in the Results

Designing for a World Without Interfaces

Software dashboard displaying BuildsTrust Phase2 MakesItReal HasGrit with navigation menu and project filters

I'm a Designer. I Just Built an Entire Brand Guidelines Site Without Writing a Single Line of Code.

Woman pointing at code on dark screens with checkmark and plant nearby

Software Engineering is Dead. Long Live Software Engineering.

Developer typing code on laptop with programming interface displayed on screen

Less Chat, More Outcome — And the Security Nightmare That Comes With It

JSON code snippet showing mcpServers configuration with sequential-thinking command and modelcontextprotocol arguments

Using the Sequential Thinking MCP Server to go from Generative to Agentic AI

Blue neon spiral flower icon on dark teal background

Executive Summary: Using the Sequential Thinking MCP Server to go from Generative to Agentic AI

iPhone displaying business message conversation about water heater installation quote request and details.

AI that Works: Real Labor, Real Value, Right Now

Businessman with laptop surrounded by data analytics and network icons representing digital connectivity

How to Build Smarter AI That Remembers What Matters: Strengthening Organizational Memory with Zep

Two people wearing glasses collaborate at laptops in a bright office environment.

Cutting AI Costs Without Cutting Corners: How Context Caching Maximizes LLM ROI

Building Organizational Memory with Zep: A Developer's Guide

Businessman holding bar chart showing financial growth with upward trending arrow

Optimizing LLM Costs: A Comprehensive Analysis of Context Caching Strategies

Architecture diagram showing LLM Claude connection through MCP host clients to servers and Neo4j databases.

Explain It Like I’m Five: What the Heck Is an MCP Server?

iPhone displaying business messaging app conversation about iPhone inventory and reordering advice

Building a Conversational Agent with LangGraph, Twilio, Modal and FastAPI

AI workflow diagram showing Jira requirements flowing to code generation producing Figma mockups and design assets.

Hands-On with MCP-Enabled Coding Assistants: Progress and Pain Points

Laptop displaying land title chain research project with historical documents and property information displayed

From Optical Character Recognition to Optical Context Reasoning

Flowchart showing start node connecting to Planner LLM, which branches to Writer LLM, Human for Planner, and Reviewer LLM components

Understanding LangGraph for LLM-Powered Workflows

Teacher with glasses explaining geometry on blackboard with globe and books nearby

A Brief History of AI and Why Your Business Should Care

iPhone displaying business message conversation about water heater installation quote request and details.

AI that Works: Real Labor, Real Value, Right Now

Laptop displaying land title chain research project with historical documents and property information displayed

From Optical Character Recognition to Optical Context Reasoning

Two people collaboratively assembling puzzle pieces toward a glowing lightbulb idea

Cornerstones of Every Software Project: Part 2 of 2

Two workers maintaining large gears and machinery, symbolizing teamwork and industrial maintenance

Cornerstones of Every Software Project: Part 1 of 2

Venn diagram showing three overlapping circles labeled good, fast, and cheap with impossible combinations highlighted.

Cheap, Fast, Good: Pick Two

Developer coding on laptop with flowchart and terminal windows displaying code

6 Tips for Managing Software Releases

Group of people smiling together at a festive gathering with twinkling lights

Evaluating Third-Party Libraries: Good, Bad & Tips for Effective Usage

Woman with dark hair holding glowing lightbulb idea on computer screen

Don't Make Your End User Have To Think

Two professional contact cards with portraits, contact details, and skills sections on blue backgrounds.

Resume Sizzler: AI Labor That Parses, Matches, and Acts with Context

Businessman with laptop surrounded by data analytics and network icons representing digital connectivity

How to Build Smarter AI That Remembers What Matters: Strengthening Organizational Memory with Zep

Two people wearing glasses collaborate at laptops in a bright office environment.

Cutting AI Costs Without Cutting Corners: How Context Caching Maximizes LLM ROI

Building Organizational Memory with Zep: A Developer's Guide

Businessman holding bar chart showing financial growth with upward trending arrow

Optimizing LLM Costs: A Comprehensive Analysis of Context Caching Strategies

iPhone displaying business messaging app conversation about iPhone inventory and reordering advice

Building a Conversational Agent with LangGraph, Twilio, Modal and FastAPI

Woman holding padlock securing smartphone login screen with email and password fields

Scalable White Labeled Mobile Applications Deployments With Fastlane

Developer typing code on laptop with programming interface displayed on screen

Less Chat, More Outcome — And the Security Nightmare That Comes With It

Bald man with beard wearing navy blazer and light blue shirt, smiling at camera

Phase2 Promotes Jeremy Waller to Vice President of Technology and Innovation

Phase2 text with blue wavy lines on dark blue background design

Phase2 Unveils Brand Refresh to Reflect Evolution as Software Engineering and AI Leader

Phase2 Included in Google Cloud Success Story for Oklahoma Employment Security Commission Digital Transformation

Man with long brown hair smiling, wearing navy blazer and white shirt

Phase2 Appoints Heath Rutz as Vice President of Business Development to Drive Enterprise Growth

Three professional men in business attire pose for portraits with a light purple background.

Phase2 Leaders Recognized on The Journal Record’s 2025 Power List for IT Innovation

National Recognition for People-First Culture: Phase2 Earns Spot on Inc.’s 2025 Best Workplaces List

Phase2 joins Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program

Group photo of Top Workplaces 2024 award winners on stage with podium and banner

Phase2 Named 2024 Top Workplace by The Oklahoman

Three smiling people standing together in modern tech office with turquoise overlay and decorative circles.

Getting the most out of a software engineering internship

Man speaking at podium with microphone near decorated Christmas tree and audience

Why Your Business Must Be A Software-First Company

Two workers operating machinery on factory assembly line under metal framework

How Will AI Impact Business?

Teacher with glasses explaining geometry on blackboard with globe and books nearby

A Brief History of AI and Why Your Business Should Care

Phase2 Ranks on Inc.’s Annual List of Best Workplaces for 2024

Large group of people gathered on staircase with holiday decorations in elegant venue

Phase2 Employees Become Company Owners

Phase2 Promotes Two Company Veterans to Senior Posts

Middle-aged man with brown hair, glasses, and beard wearing checkered shirt and blazer

Phase2 Promotes Kempton to President

Group of eight people holding awards at 2023 Top Workplaces ceremony on stage

Oklahoman Honors Phase2 as 2023 Top Workplace

Two people reviewing documents at a wooden desk with pen nearby.

Phase2 Would Never Hire Me Today

Middle-aged man with gray beard wearing dark blazer and checkered shirt against purple background

As Seen in The Oklahoman: How Teams Can Succeed Without Always Sharing a Physical Workspace

Phase2 Receives Two Honors from Inc. Magazine

Phase2 Names Heath Clinton CEO

Man speaking with microphone to seated audience in conference room.

Company Culture as a Competitive Advantage

Group of business professionals posing together at table sponsors event

Living Up to the Name: Pioneer Library System Wins Innovator of the Year

Phase2 Included in Google Cloud Success Story for Oklahoma Employment Security Commission Digital Transformation

Legacy mainframe data transformed to modern web and mobile interfaces displaying alerts

Beyond Upgrades: The Importance of Modernizing Legacy Systems

Laptop displaying land title chain research project with historical documents and property information displayed

From Optical Character Recognition to Optical Context Reasoning

Two men collaborating at laptops during a tech training or development session.

Executive Summary: Building a Strong Data Governance Framework

Getting Started with Data Governance: A Practical Guide For Organizations

Student reading with science, English, and math books, head filled with knowledge icons

Modernize Your Data Strategy: A Leader’s Guide to Data Mesh

Legacy mainframe data transformed to modern web and mobile interfaces displaying alerts

Beyond Upgrades: The Importance of Modernizing Legacy Systems

Designing Intelligence, Not Interfaces

Designing for a World Without Interfaces

Software dashboard displaying BuildsTrust Phase2 MakesItReal HasGrit with navigation menu and project filters

I'm a Designer. I Just Built an Entire Brand Guidelines Site Without Writing a Single Line of Code.

Grantor I.E.O Thorne confidence score reasoning with AI model results

Rethinking UX for AI: Trust, Truth, and Uncertainty

Man using mobile app to rate customer service experience with emoji feedback options

Master iOS App Navigation with Tab & Navigation Bars | iOS Development Guide