James L. Cowan Jr.

Product Engineer. Founder of Kleto.

A product engineering library. Essays, architecture notes, and narrated reads on the work behind Kleto and the tools that keep shipping fast.

Built with HTML, CSS, vanilla JavaScript, and HTMX. No React runtime. Static files at build time, HAL for fragment swaps that make navigation feel instant, and small Web Components instead of a heavy framework bundle. See how this site is built for the full stack.

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Web Components + HTMX: A Lean Architecture for Content Sites That Ship 6 min · architecture architecture web-components

Architecture

Web Components + HTMX: A Lean Architecture for Content Sites That Ship 6 min · architecture

Why I Skipped the CMS 6 min · architecture

Documentation That Scales: Constitution, Contracts, and Runbooks 3 min · architecture

Fixing Navigation and Analytics: When Your Data Lies About User Behavior 3 min · architecture

HAL: Build-Time Link Rewriting That Makes Navigation Feel Instant 3 min · architecture

The Static Site Playbook: Shipping a Content Product on a Near-Zero Budget 4 min · architecture

How This Site Works: Architecture for a One-Person Team 6 min · architecture

Less JavaScript, More Leverage: Why I Ship With a 35KB Budget 4 min · architecture

HTMX

Web Components + HTMX: A Lean Architecture for Content Sites That Ship 6 min · htmx

Fixing Navigation and Analytics: When Your Data Lies About User Behavior 3 min · htmx

HAL: Cutting 100-300KB of JavaScript by Moving Routing to Build Time 3 min · htmx

HAL: Build-Time Link Rewriting That Makes Navigation Feel Instant 3 min · htmx

Mobile-First Layout That Ships: How PrimaryLayout Solves Real UX Problems 4 min · htmx

Progressive Enhancement with HTMX: Ship Fast, Degrade Gracefully 3 min · htmx

Performance

Web Components + HTMX: A Lean Architecture for Content Sites That Ship 6 min · performance

HAL: Cutting 100-300KB of JavaScript by Moving Routing to Build Time 3 min · performance

HAL: Build-Time Link Rewriting That Makes Navigation Feel Instant 3 min · performance

The Static Site Playbook: Shipping a Content Product on a Near-Zero Budget 4 min · performance

How This Site Works: Architecture for a One-Person Team 6 min · performance

Less JavaScript, More Leverage: Why I Ship With a 35KB Budget 4 min · performance

Static Site Generation: The Business Case for Pre-Rendered HTML 5 min · performance

Tools

HAL: Cutting 100-300KB of JavaScript by Moving Routing to Build Time 3 min · jamstack

The Static Site Playbook: Shipping a Content Product on a Near-Zero Budget 4 min · jamstack

How This Site Works: Architecture for a One-Person Team 6 min · jamstack

Static Site Generation: The Business Case for Pre-Rendered HTML 5 min · jamstack

AI

Anthropic Trained Its Replacement 6 min · ai

Pydantic: The Open Source Layer Quietly Running the AI Economy 5 min · ai

Karpathy Was Wrong: OpenClaw Still Outruns Its 5 Real Alternatives 4 min · ai

OpenClaw 2026.2.23: The Agent Browser Upgrade 2 min · ai

OpenClaw: What It Is and How to Get the Most Out of It 3 min · ai

Writing

Anthropic Trained Its Replacement March 26, 2026 · 6 min read ai startups founders

Pydantic: The Open Source Layer Quietly Running the AI Economy March 2, 2026 · 5 min read ai open-source python

Karpathy Was Wrong: OpenClaw Still Outruns Its 5 Real Alternatives March 11, 2026 · 4 min read openclaw ai tools

OpenClaw 2026.2.23: The Agent Browser Upgrade February 23, 2026 · 2 min read openclaw ai automation

The YC S26 Deadline Just Closed. Here's What Separates the 1.5% From Everyone Else. February 11, 2026 · 10 min read startups yc founders

OpenClaw: What It Is and How to Get the Most Out of It February 6, 2026 · 3 min read ai automation ops

Why I Skipped the CMS February 5, 2026 · 6 min read architecture content tools

Documentation That Scales: Constitution, Contracts, and Runbooks February 26, 2026 · 3 min read documentation architecture automation

Fixing Navigation and Analytics: When Your Data Lies About User Behavior February 5, 2026 · 3 min read htmx analytics ux

HAL: Cutting 100-300KB of JavaScript by Moving Routing to Build Time February 5, 2026 · 3 min read performance jamstack htmx

Architecture

Why I Skipped the CMS February 5, 2026 · 6 min read architecture content

Documentation That Scales: Constitution, Contracts, and Runbooks February 26, 2026 · 3 min read documentation architecture

Fixing Navigation and Analytics: When Your Data Lies About User Behavior February 5, 2026 · 3 min read htmx analytics

HAL: Build-Time Link Rewriting That Makes Navigation Feel Instant February 5, 2026 · 3 min read htmx performance

Web Components + HTMX: A Lean Architecture for Content Sites That Ship February 5, 2026 · 6 min read architecture web-components

The Static Site Playbook: Shipping a Content Product on a Near-Zero Budget February 5, 2026 · 4 min read jamstack architecture

How This Site Works: Architecture for a One-Person Team February 5, 2026 · 6 min read web development architecture

Less JavaScript, More Leverage: Why I Ship With a 35KB Budget February 5, 2026 · 4 min read web development performance

HTMX

Fixing Navigation and Analytics: When Your Data Lies About User Behavior February 5, 2026 · 3 min read htmx analytics

HAL: Cutting 100-300KB of JavaScript by Moving Routing to Build Time February 5, 2026 · 3 min read performance jamstack

HAL: Build-Time Link Rewriting That Makes Navigation Feel Instant February 5, 2026 · 3 min read htmx performance

Web Components + HTMX: A Lean Architecture for Content Sites That Ship February 5, 2026 · 6 min read architecture web-components

Mobile-First Layout That Ships: How PrimaryLayout Solves Real UX Problems February 5, 2026 · 4 min read ux css

Progressive Enhancement with HTMX: Ship Fast, Degrade Gracefully February 5, 2026 · 3 min read web development htmx

Performance

HAL: Cutting 100-300KB of JavaScript by Moving Routing to Build Time February 5, 2026 · 3 min read performance jamstack

HAL: Build-Time Link Rewriting That Makes Navigation Feel Instant February 5, 2026 · 3 min read htmx performance

Web Components + HTMX: A Lean Architecture for Content Sites That Ship February 5, 2026 · 6 min read architecture web-components

The Static Site Playbook: Shipping a Content Product on a Near-Zero Budget February 5, 2026 · 4 min read jamstack architecture

How This Site Works: Architecture for a One-Person Team February 5, 2026 · 6 min read web development architecture

Less JavaScript, More Leverage: Why I Ship With a 35KB Budget February 5, 2026 · 4 min read web development performance

Static Site Generation: The Business Case for Pre-Rendered HTML February 5, 2026 · 5 min read web development JAMstack

Tools

HAL: Cutting 100-300KB of JavaScript by Moving Routing to Build Time February 5, 2026 · 3 min read performance jamstack

The Static Site Playbook: Shipping a Content Product on a Near-Zero Budget February 5, 2026 · 4 min read jamstack architecture

How This Site Works: Architecture for a One-Person Team February 5, 2026 · 6 min read web development architecture

Static Site Generation: The Business Case for Pre-Rendered HTML February 5, 2026 · 5 min read web development JAMstack

AI

Anthropic Trained Its Replacement March 26, 2026 · 6 min read ai startups

Pydantic: The Open Source Layer Quietly Running the AI Economy March 2, 2026 · 5 min read ai open-source

Karpathy Was Wrong: OpenClaw Still Outruns Its 5 Real Alternatives March 11, 2026 · 4 min read openclaw ai

OpenClaw 2026.2.23: The Agent Browser Upgrade February 23, 2026 · 2 min read openclaw ai

OpenClaw: What It Is and How to Get the Most Out of It February 6, 2026 · 3 min read ai automation