Follow me to learn how you can leverage AI to boost your productivity and accelerate your career. Scaled products to 8 Million+ users and built the world's biggest AI newsletter with 1 Million+ readers.

Zain Kahn

This guy from Cambridge plays with Claude Code like he owns it.

He talks about his workflow in 2026 and here's what's new: 

1. Video-Based Specification (Spec Phase)

> Screen Recording: 

Instead of writing a spec from scratch, find an existing product that is similar to your idea. Record your screen while using it and talking through your specific feature ideas and changes.

> Generate PRD: 

Upload this video to Gemini 1.5 Pro (referred to as Gemini 3 Pro/Free Pro in the video context) and ask it to generate a Product Requirement Document (PRD).

> Refine Spec: 

Use the "Ask User Question" tool in Claude Code. Prompt it to interview you about the generated spec to fill in missing details (e.g., "How should the emoji picker be positioned?").

> Package Discovery: 

Feed the refined spec into ChatGPT with "Heavy Thinking" (likely OpenAI's o1/o3 models) to search for and recommend specific, well-maintained GitHub packages (e.g., for a WYSIWYG editor) to avoid building complex components from scratch.

2. The Orchestrator Role

> Design Feedback Loops: 

Your primary job is not to write code but to design loops where the agent can build, fail, and learn.

> Monitor & Update: 

Watch the agent’s reasoning. If it makes a mistake, don't just fix the code—update the claude. md (project instructions file) to prevent that specific mistake from happening again.

> High-Level Decisions: 

Make the architectural decisions the agent can't, such as choosing the database or specific tools.

3. Model Choice & Tools

> Model Selection: 

Use Opus 4.5 for building large-scale features and GPT-5.2 for architecture and debugging (specific future models mentioned in his 2026 context).

> Voice Dictation: 

Use HyperWhisper to dictate prompts significantly faster than typing.

4. Execution & "Parallel Vibe Coding"

> Parallel Agents: 

For small, well-defined tasks (like extracting hard-coded strings for translations), spin up multiple sub-agents to work on different parts of the project simultaneously.

> Avoid Conflicts: 

Do not use parallel agents for large features within the same project to avoid complex merge conflicts ("meshing issues").

> Sub-agents for Multi-Project Fixes: 

If a bug exists in a template used by multiple projects, spin up one sub-agent per project to fix them all in parallel.

5. Review & Maintenance

> Planning Mode: 

Use Claude Code’s "Planning Mode" to prevent Architectural Drift, ensuring the agent sticks to the original design vision over time.

> Shape of Diffs: 

Inspect the "shape" of the code changes (diffs) to ensure they are manageable and align with expectations before accepting them.

> Forking for Learning: 

If the agent does something surprising or complex, fork the session. In the forked session, ask "Why did you do that?" or request diagrams to understand the code without polluting the context of the main working session.

Get more tutorials here: https://lnkd.in/e64Jvdrt

Follow me to learn how you can leverage AI to boost your productivity and accelerate your career. Scaled products to 10 Million+ users.

Traditional computer science degrees can't keep up with this pace.

Here are the 15 engineering blogs that actually teach real-world scale:

1 → THE CODE
Scale at global level.
Teaches you how to code with AI and AI Agents
https://lnkd.in/e64Jvdrt

2 → Airbnb Tech Blog
Product engineering done right.
User focused systems.
https://airbnb.tech/blog/

3 → Meta Engineering
Billions of users infrastructure.
Performance at extreme scale.
https://engineering.fb.com

4 → AWS Architecture
Cloud design patterns revealed.
Production ready blueprints.
https://lnkd.in/gqjh88PS

5 → Netflix TechBlog
Streaming at massive scale.
Chaos engineering explained.
https://lnkd.in/gNE8Cs6Z

6 → Discord Engineering
Real time systems mastery.
Handling millions of connections.
https://lnkd.in/gea6kSwt

7 → Google Research
Cutting edge tech breakthroughs.
Tomorrow's solutions today.
https://lnkd.in/gjzDu8wp

8 → NVIDIA Developer
GPU powered computing insights.
AI infrastructure secrets.
https://lnkd.in/dt_BW7qF

9 → Slack Engineering
Collaboration platform internals.
Distributed systems at scale.
https://slack.engineering

10 → Cloudflare Blog
Internet infrastructure deep dives.
Security and performance wins.
https://lnkd.in/gqa-HE6h

11 → Figma Tech Blog
Collaborative design systems.
Browser performance magic.
https://lnkd.in/g2KF_eX9

12 → Shopify Engineering
E-commerce at scale.
Black Friday traffic handled.
https://lnkd.in/g7DVzRAc

13 → Stripe Engineering
Payment systems that work.
Financial infrastructure explained.
https://lnkd.in/gfMr-jEr

14 → Microsoft Engineering
Enterprise scale solutions.
Developer tools insights.
https://lnkd.in/g3Mi8XES

15 → GitHub Engineering
Code collaboration at scale.
Developer platform secrets.
https://lnkd.in/gPHaD6AC

16 → Bonus
System design deep dives.
https://lnkd.in/g-tP7eEc

Save this for later.
Repost ♻️ for aspiring engineers.

Follow me for more AI playbooks and engineering resources.

Claude Code is only as good as your orchestration workflow.

I spent 6 months testing it so you don't have to. 

[ P.S. You can get my Ultimate Claude Code guide for engineers here at no cost: https://lnkd.in/e64Jvdrt ]

So Boris Cherny (the creator of Claude Code at Anthropic) recently shared the internal best practices his team actually uses daily. 

Someone brilliantly distilled those threads into a structured CLAUDE .md file you can drop straight into any project root.

It acts as a system prompt. Turns Claude into a far more autonomous, rigorous engineering partner.

Here's what it does:

→ 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Mandates "Plan Node Default" for any task over 3 steps. Uses subagents liberally to keep the main context window clean.

→ 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗽: This is the real magic. After ANY correction, it updates a tasks/lessons .md file. You're building a compounding system where the mistake rate drops over time because it actively learns from your feedback.

→ 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲: Can't mark a task complete without proving it works. Diffs behavior. Runs tests. Checks logs. The bar? "Would a staff engineer approve this?"

→ 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴: Zero hand-holding. Point it at failing CI tests or error logs... it just goes to work. No constant context switching from you.

→ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Forces a "Plan First" approach written to a todo .md with checkable items before any implementation starts.

And perhaps the most important part?

It forces the AI to prioritize simplicity, find root causes instead of temporary fixes, and minimize the blast radius of every change. Senior developer standards. Not shortcuts.

If you're spending hours a day in the terminal with AI, setting up a strong .md instruction file like this isn't optional anymore. It's the difference between AI that drifts and AI that compounds.

It takes time to set up. But if you do, you're ahead of almost everyone else.

Lemon is the most powerful tool I've used since ChatGPT.

You literally say things with your voice and it does it for you instantly.

Pure magic.

Austin Belcak

I Teach People How To Land Amazing Jobs Without Applying Online // Ready To Land A Great Role In Less Time (With A $44K+ Raise)? Head To 👉 CultivatedCulture.com/Coaching

CultivatedCulture.com/Coaching // I teach people how to land jobs they love in today's market without traditional experience and without applying online.

In 2013, I graduated from college with a biology degree, terrible grades, and a job in healthcare that paid me next to nothing.

Two years later, I scored interviews at Google, Microsoft, & Twitter and I accepted an offer from Microsoft with a $70,000 raise

All without “traditional” experience and without applying online.

Today, I teach people (just like you!) how to use the same system to land their dream job without applying online.

That system has helped thousands of job seekers land offers at places like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Twitter, Uber, Spotify, Deloitte, Accenture, Sequoia Capital, Tesla, SpaceX, ESPN, The NFL, & more.

The people we work with don't just land offers at great companies. They also get:

💰 Average Raise: $44,000+ 
🧭 Average Time To Offer: 3.5 Months
⭐ Satisfaction Rating: 9.52/10
🤝 End-To-End Job Search Support
✅ 3X+ ROI Guarantee

Ready to land your dream job? 

Head to 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.𝗰𝗼𝗺/𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 and book a *FREE* 30 minute Career Clarity Call.

These calls are 30 minute, one-on-one sessions with our team where you'll learn:

1. The exact reason why your current job search strategy isn't working

2. Why traditional hiring processes are broken (and what you can do instead)

3. How to overcome the biggest challenge that's preventing you from achieving your job search goals

4. How to pick and choose where you land job interviews (seriously!)

5. Exactly what you need to do to land your dream job and salary

Don't just take my word for it though. Here's what a few of our clients have to say about working with us:

“I recently left a job with nothing else lined up. My visa was tied to that job so I had 60 days to get hired and land visa sponsorship. Austin helped me land a Program Manager role at a leading tech company, a 30% raise, AND H1-B sponsorship.” - Jasleen

"I was unemployed and close to losing my house. Working with Cultivated Culture helped me land multiple interviews and two offers for senior-level roles in less than 70 days." - Karina

"I spent years struggling to take the transition from vendor to full time employee. Austin helped me land a job in Product Marketing at a Fortune 30 tech company with a $40,000+ raise." - Amyr

Learn more and book your free Career Clarity Call here 👉 CultivatedCulture.com/Coaching

Founder

I teach people how to use unconventional strategies to land jobs they love in today's market (without connections, without traditional "experience," and without applying online).

My strategies have been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Inc., Fast Company, and more. My students have landed interviews and offers at Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, Uber, Deloitte, Accenture, ESPN and more. 

Ready to take your career to the next level? Check out my step-by-step breakdown of the process that has helped hundreds of people like you land amazing jobs at the world's best companies (it's totally free): https://cultivatedculture.com/dreamjob/

Want to chat? Shoot me an email at austin@cultivatedculture.com

Cultivated Culture is a carbon negative business. Our contributions help remove 60+ tons of CO2Es from the atmosphere and plant over 2,000 new trees every year 🌲

You spend 20 minutes uploading your resume, then re-typing everything in.

Many employers only spend a few seconds reading it.

You spend 50+ minutes answering the employer's questions in an interview.

They give you 5 minutes at the very end to ask yours.

You’re asked to share your specific salary expectations. 

But many employers say “that’s confidential” when you ask for their budget. 

You spend weeks going on 4-6 interviews so the company can decide if you're a fit.

Then they give you 24-48 hours to accept their offer.

This isn't a "hiring process."

It's a power trip.

I Teach People How To Land Amazing Jobs Without Applying Online // Ready To Land A Great Role 50% Faster (With A $44K+ Raise)? Head To 👉 CultivatedCulture.com/Coaching

9 to 5s get a lot of hate.

I think we should celebrate them more.

Now I get it:

Corporations offer less loyalty and more layoffs.

Influencers tell you “it’s never been easier to start your own thing.”

That’s true.

It’s also never been easier to take clear pictures of galaxies that are billions of years old.

“Easier” doesn’t always mean easy.

Now don’t get me wrong:

Let’s keep holding companies accountable for morally and ethically questionable choices. 

But let’s also celebrate the *people* using that 9-5 to build for themselves and their families.

That Mom whose 9-5 carries healthcare for her family?

Let’s lift her up.

That Dad whose 9-5 will pay for college and let his family retire comfortably?

Let’s tell him to keep going.

That new grad whose 9-5 lets them learn the ins and outs of the workforce?

That’s huge for our future.

There are plenty of things that are extremely wrong with the current system.

We all need to keep being vocal about fixing it.

I certainly will.

But as I do?

I'm going to celebrate the people busting their butts and using that system to build a life for themselves and their family.

I think you should too.

- AB ✌

undefined undefined

A month into 2026, our team has spoken to hundreds of job seekers.

One common theme?

*Finally* landing interviews, only to get rejected without the offer.

Here are 7 psychology principles we teach them that help turn 5x more interviews into offers:

1. Serial Position Effect

What It Is: People tend to remember the first and last items in a series best.

How To Leverage It: The start of your interview (small talk, intros) and the end (Q&A, closing comments) are your most memorable moments.

Prepare intentional openers and closers that communicate warmth, confidence, and alignment with the role.

2. Confirmation Bias

What It Is: Once someone forms an impression, they look for evidence to support it and tend to ignore conflicting information.

How To Leverage It: Lead with your best story, strength, or trait as early as possible.

If your interviewer thinks “This person is sharp and proactive,” they’ll interpret the rest of the interview through that lens.

3. Reciprocity

What It Is: People are wired to return favors or kind gestures, big and small.

How To Leverage It: Share a helpful insight about the company, compliment about the interview process, or the interviewer’s background / experience.

It creates goodwill and builds rapport that you can build on throughout the interview.

4. Self-Disclosure Effect

What It Is: People tend to like and trust others who share a bit of personal (but appropriate) information.

How To Leverage It: Share a short, personal detail during the interview.

For example, a story about why you care about this field or what inspired your career shift.

It humanizes you and builds connection.

5. Mirroring

What It Is: We subconsciously mirror the body language and tone of those we like, and feel closer to those who mirror us.

How To Leverage It: Subtly match your interviewer’s tone, pace, and energy.

This fosters connection and makes you feel like “one of us” to the interviewer, a key part of being seen as a cultural fit.

6. Liking Principle

What It Is: We’re more likely to say yes to people we like. And we tend to like people who are similar to us, genuine, and warm.

How To Leverage It: Don’t just aim to impress with your experience and background. Aim to connect with your interviewer.

Smile. Show curiosity. Find common ground.

People hire people they like and want to work with.

7. Cognitive Fluency

What It Is: People prefer things that are easy to understand and remember. When something feels fluent, it feels more true and trustworthy.

How To Leverage It: Use simple language and avoid jargon.

Structure your answers using simple frameworks like STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

🧭 Our client Cole was getting interviews but couldn't close the deal.

We taught him these 7 principles and he landed offers from both Google and Walmart.

👉 Book a free 30-min Clarity Call to see how this system applies to your interview prep: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

7 Psychology Principles To 5x Your Interview-To-Offer Rate

10 Hard Career Truths I Wish I Knew At 18:

1. You’re Responsible For The Skills You Need

If the subjects you cover in your job / in school aren't exciting to you, find ways to get involved in things that are.

Take courses, read books on topics you love, find online communities, etc.

Don’t be limited by a curriculum.

Go explore — that’s how you figure out what you want to do!

2. Get In The Habit Of Having A Side Project

Take something that genuinely interests you and find ways to apply it to the real world.

Start an Instagram page for your photography.

Create jewelry and sell it on Etsy.

These look AMAZING on resumes and can generate income!

3. Reach Out To Everyone And Aim Big

CEOs, entrepreneurs, alumni, etc.

Who inspires you?

Make a list and email one person on it every single day.

If they don't reply or say "no?" You're in the same place you are right now.

If they do? The sky is the limit.

4. Know That Failure Is A Part Of The Process

Social media glorifies highlights.

But no successful person nailed it on the first try.

They all failed many, many times before.

The earlier you start testing, failing, & learning?

The faster you’ll accelerate your career.

5. Only Take Advice From People Who Have Already Done It

Parents, friends, and teachers have your best interests at heart.

But they typically won't understand your goals.

If you want to win?

Find people who have already achieved the specific goals you have for yourself.

📺  Ready for my final 5 hard truths that will transform your career? 

Watch the full video on YouTube here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eEuN9_TW

I hate the question “where do you want to be in 5 years?”

I don’t have a 5 year plan.

Or a 10 year vision.

Instead, I have a clear idea of exactly where I want to be and what I accomplish for the next 12 months.

A One Year Plan.

Why?

10 years ago I was a biology major with plans to be a doctor.

7 years ago I was working a job in healthcare that I absolutely hated.

5 years ago, I was stuck in startup life in a job that didn’t pay me what I was worth.

Then I landed my job at Microsoft (with a $70k raise to boot!).

6 months later, I started a website teaching people to accelerate their careers.

5 years later a pandemic upended the world and completely changed the way we live and work.

We are living, breathing, evolving individuals.

Our personalities change, our goals change, and our world changes.

It’s impossible to predict what’s 3, 5, and 10 years down the road.

Instead, focus on what’s in front of you.

Where do you want to be in 12 months?

Aim big.

Then come up with a highly actionable plan to get there.

Don’t focus on goals, focus on systems.

Drill down to the daily actions, because what you do every day is the single biggest indicator of your ability to make your vision of success a reality.

How do you plan for the future?

taplio

The Battle

Zain Kahn

Austin Belcak

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreZain Kahn's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreAustin Belcak's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Zain Kahn

Austin Belcak

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Zain Kahn's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreAustin Belcak's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreZain Kahn's LinkedIn Performance