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The Journey

Most posts here are ad hoc: what I learned building with AI that week, some philosophy, a writing lesson, something I came across.

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Posts about ModelOptix. Show every post.

Build Log

The AI Pricing War Just Got Real: GPT-5.4 vs Claude Opus 4.6 and What It Means for Your Budget

29 March 2026
5 min read

GPT-5.4 launched at $2.50/$15 per million tokens. Claude Opus 4.6 holds at $5/$25. The mid-tier is where the real battle is happening. Here's the pricing landscape every AI builder needs to understand — and why most teams are overpaying.

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Build Log

I Spent 12 Hours Optimizing My LLM Stack. Here's What I Found.

7 March 2026
2 min read

I pulled my billing data and realized I was paying for outdated models. 22% cost reduction later, I built ModelOptix.

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Build Log

Claude Killed My Subscription. I Found Something 90% Cheaper.

26 February 2026
4 min read

"Computer says no." The moment I tried to push code and VS Code said no. Then my OpenClaw bots died.

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Build Log

We Were Paying 5x Too Much for Our AI. Here's How We Fixed It.

6 February 2026
3 min read

Most AI products default to "safe" models. That safety is costing you thousands. Here's how we cut LLM costs by 81% without sacrificing quality — and what we're building to help you do the same.

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Build Log

Four Projects, One Founder, Zero Excuses

1 February 2026
8 min read

Four Projects, One Founder, Zero Excuses I just pushed ModelOptix Phase 5 to completion. That sentence sounds routine until you realize Phase 5 contained sav...

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Build Log

Phase 5: The Final Stretch Before ModelOptix Launch

27 January 2026
8 min read

Phase 5: The Final Stretch Before ModelOptix Launch We're in the home stretch. After 4 phases of building ModelOptix—the independent AI model advisor that st...

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Build Log

Phase 4 Complete: ModelOptix Now Has a Business Model

25 January 2026
5 min read

Phase 4 Complete: ModelOptix Now Has a Business Model Build in Public Update - January 22, 2026 --- The Hook: Are You Paying 10x More Than You Should for AI?...

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Build Log

Phase 3 Complete: The Recommendation Engine Is Live

24 January 2026
7 min read

Phase 3 Complete: The Recommendation Engine Is Live The core value is here. ModelOptix now delivers personalized AI model recommendations that save you money...

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Build Log

ModelOptix: Full Model Catalog + Portfolio Management Live

24 January 2026
5 min read

Phase 2 Complete: Full Model Catalog + Portfolio Management Live Building in public with ModelOptix - Day 5 update. The product is taking shape fast. --- TL;...

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Build Log

ModelOptix Phase 1 Complete: From Zero to Full-Stack MVP in 48 Hours

20 January 2026
8 min read

Phase 1 Complete: From Zero to Full-Stack MVP in 48 Hours Building in public with ModelOptix - the independent AI model advisor that helps you stop overpayin...

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Build Log

Introducing ModelOptix: The Independent AI Model Advisor

18 January 2026
6 min read

Introducing ModelOptix: The Independent AI Model Advisor Date: January 18, 2026 Author: Jamie Watters Category: Product Announcement Read Time: 5 minutes ---...

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