Real Code, Real Coffee, No Nonsense

 First Sip

Dunkin’ Medium Roast — with Coffee Blossom Honey

Dunkin’ medium roast is familiar coffee.

It’s dependable.
It shows up the same way every morning.
It doesn’t ask for attention or applause.

That’s the point.

It’s a solid base — the kind you can build a day on.

Then comes the twist: coffee blossom honey.

Not syrupy.
Not flashy.
Just enough to round the edges and bring out something better in what was already working.

The coffee doesn’t change its identity.
It improves its experience.

That’s how I think about RPG, tools, and leadership.

Start with something reliable.
Respect it.
Understand it fully.

Then, and only then, make intentional improvements that strengthen the base instead of replacing it.

Most systems don’t need reinvention.
They need judgment.

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Why I’m Still Writing About RPG

IBM i is a reliable platform by design.

It doesn’t chase trends.
It doesn’t reinvent itself every release cycle.
It runs quietly and consistently in the background of real businesses.

Hospitals.
Payroll.
Manufacturing.
Finance.

This is not experimental code.
This is operational responsibility.

The problem isn’t the platform.
The problem is how people approach change on top of it.

Too often, the conversation splits into extremes:

• Never touch it. It’s always worked.
• Burn it down. Rewrite everything.

Both miss the point.

Longevity comes from respecting the base while making deliberate, thoughtful improvements over time.

That’s the space The RPG Blend lives in.

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What “Real Code” Actually Means

Real code starts with stability.

Clear logic.
Predictable behavior.
No surprises in production.

That’s the base.

The improvement comes from small, intentional choices:

• Breaking long programs into focused procedures
• Replacing fragile file loops with clearer SQL where it fits
• Turning assumptions into named constants
• Making error handling visible instead of silent

None of this is dramatic.

And that’s exactly why it works.

Real code doesn’t reject the past.
It builds on it carefully.

“Works” is not the bar.
“Safe, readable, and maintainable” is.

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Craft Over Cleverness

Good coffee doesn’t rely on tricks.

It relies on consistency, balance, and restraint.

The same applies to development.

You don’t modernize by piling on abstractions.
You modernize by knowing when to stop.

A well-placed refactor.
A clearer name.
A comment that explains intent instead of syntax.

These changes don’t announce themselves.
They quietly make everything else easier.

That’s craft.

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No Nonsense About AI

AI is not a foundation.

AI is an enhancement.

Tools like Copilot and IBM BOB work best when they’re layered onto a disciplined environment:

• Clear standards
• Code reviews that mean something
• Developers who understand the problem space

Without that base, AI doesn’t accelerate progress.
It accelerates inconsistency.

Used intentionally, AI can:

• Reduce friction
• Surface alternatives
• Speed up safe refactoring

Used carelessly, it creates confident, fragile code.

AI doesn’t replace judgment.
It demands more of it.

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Leadership on IBM i Is Incremental

Most IBM i leaders inherit systems, not blank slates.

They inherit decisions made under pressure.
Code written to meet deadlines that already passed.

Leadership here isn’t about sweeping change.

It’s about:

• Preserving what’s stable
• Improving what’s brittle
• Teaching why things exist before changing them

Modernization happens one decision at a time.

One program.
One review.
One developer learning to think more clearly.

That’s how trust stays intact while systems evolve.

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Why “No Nonsense” Matters

Noise creeps in when the foundation is ignored.

Buzzwords replace understanding.
Frameworks replace thinking.
Urgency replaces judgment.

No nonsense brings the focus back:

• What problem are we solving?
• What are we risking?
• What stays solid because of this change?

Clarity protects the base.
Restraint makes improvements last.

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Final Sip

Strong systems start with something dependable.
Great systems improve it with intention.

Real code respects what already works.
Real coffee values balance over flash.
No nonsense keeps progress honest.

That’s what The RPG Blend stands for.

Real Code. Real Coffee. No Nonsense.