paulthinks · v0.1 Currently Sydney, Australia May 2026
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Field Notes

Thinking, in public.

Observations, arguments, frameworks-in-progress. Not corporate, not polished, but rigorous.

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28 Apr 2026 · 6 min read

Why static-first architecture matters more than schema in a post-search world

Schema is not the answer. Why static-first architecture (Astro, edge) wins for llm retrieval, search crawlers, and agentic browsing in a post-search world.

architecturediscoveryagentic
10 Feb 2026 · 4 min read

The economics of AI are yet to be determined

AI feels cheap. It feels cheap because investor capital is subsidising it. Four structural forces are converging that reframe the trajectory as an open question with significant downside.

strategy
03 Feb 2026 · 9 min read

What the RBA told us about marketing strategy for 2026

When AI told a consumer 'you have a good deal, don't switch', it wasn't providing information. It was giving advice. The RBA's data reveals a fundamental shift.

discoverystrategy
29 Jan 2026 · 12 min read

AI discovery surface research: needs-driven economy insights

AI surfaces are not just answering questions; they're making recommendations, naming winners, providing decision-ready verdicts. Brands that don't appear are invisible at the point of decision.

discovery
19 Jan 2026 · 5 min read

ChatGPT advertising: what has changed and how to respond

ChatGPT is starting to test advertising in the U.S. This does not change current marketing in Australia, but it indicates where conversational AI is heading.

discoverystrategy
18 Dec 2025 · 3 min read

What the OAIC's privacy sweep signals for marketers

On the surface, the OAIC's first compliance sweep looks narrow. It is not. The regulator is shifting from reactive complaint handling to proactive market enforcement.

data
08 Dec 2025 · 4 min read

What 2025 taught us, and what 2026 demands

2025 was the year the old marketing playbook stopped working. 2026 won't be about incremental adaptation. It will be about reconstruction.

strategy
08 Dec 2025 · 3 min read

Why Australia's under-16 social media ban could backfire

The intent is sound. The mechanism is blunt. Once minors present as adults to evade the ban, the safety systems that protect them stop working.

datastrategy
01 Dec 2025 · 3 min read

Signal loss is accelerating, and waiting for legislation is the wrong play

Marketing effectiveness is being eroded by a structural decline in signal quality across the major platforms. The performance impact is happening before the regulatory impact.

measurementdata
21 Nov 2025 · 4 min read

Artificial testimonials and their impact on trust and compliance

AI-generated avatars as artificial customers in advertising erode trust and breach Australian Consumer Law. A note on what this means for marketers and platforms.

datastrategy
12 Nov 2025 · 7 min read

TOON: a new way to structure data for language models

Token Oriented Object Notation is a compact, human-readable format for feeding structured data into LLMs. It's not a JSON replacement, but for the right shapes, it earns its place.

architecture
07 Nov 2025 · 2 min read

What dropping CTRs tell us about the state of search

Click-through rates are falling, and everyone's trying to figure out what it means. The signal is not decline. It is redistribution.

discoverymeasurement
30 Oct 2025 · 3 min read

What AI whispering means in the context of agentic browsers

Hidden manipulation of AI agents through covert instructions. The user sees nothing unusual, but the agent reads an extra layer of meaning and acts on it.

agentic
26 Oct 2025 · 4 min read

Some learnings from MeasureCamp Sydney 2025

Analysts are no longer just interpreters of data. They're builders, product thinkers, and technologists. Four signals from a day at MeasureCamp.

measurement
25 Oct 2025 · 14 min read

Which API architecture powers the agentic web

GraphQL defines what is requested. gRPC defines how it is delivered. SOAP once defined the terms. None yet define why. That missing layer is what comes next.

architectureagentic
24 Oct 2025 · 2 min read

AIP vs MCP: context vs conduct

MCP is the internal wiring that makes the agent capable. AIP is the diplomatic code that makes the agent trustworthy. One enables thought. The other governs action.

agenticarchitecture
23 Oct 2025 · 2 min read

The 12 surfaces of discovery

Search isn't declining; it's fragmenting. Mapping the twelve discovery surfaces where intent now meets information.

discovery
23 Oct 2025 · 5 min read

Reasoning, human vs artificial: structured systems and intelligence

Reasoning is less a human privilege and more a universal function of structured systems. Humans reason through awareness and intent; machines reason through scale and structure.

agenticframeworks
18 Oct 2025 · 3 min read

The end of web crawling (probably)

Crawling is built on the assumption that information is public and predictable. The web isn't that anymore. APIs are replacing crawling as the dominant model for how data moves.

architecture
11 Oct 2025 · 7 min read

The agentic layer: how autonomous agents reshape the web by 2030

By 2030, the transactional layer of the web will be dominated by autonomous agents negotiating with brand APIs. Websites won't disappear, but they'll become backend infrastructure.

agenticarchitecture
11 Oct 2025 · 2 min read

Thinking in layers: UX, AX, and the agentic web

Three definitions for concepts emerging in the near future. UX is where meaning meets mechanism. AX is where machine trust is built. AIP is how they talk.

agentic
01 Oct 2025 · 2 min read

The three layers of the agentic web

How the emerging agentic internet separates use, intelligence, and control. UX is human trust. AX is machine trust. AIP is institutional trust.

agenticarchitecture
02 Aug 2025 · 3 min read

The Data Value Quadrant

A practical model for evaluating how data is used in marketing. Plot consumer value against data sensitivity. Decide what to proceed with, what to redesign, and what to retire.

frameworksdata
01 Aug 2025 · 3 min read

The CUV Framework

Consent, Utility, Value. A simple, repeatable method for evaluating whether a data use case is ethical, valuable, and legally defensible.

frameworksdata
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Paul Hewett · Growth Engineer · Sydney, Australia · © 2026
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