I write and teach about building software with AI.

Sam Keen

I'm Sam Keen. I write a weekly newsletter on what's actually working in AI-assisted development and teach hands-on workshops where developers build real systems. Author of Clean Architecture with Python; formerly a generative AI architect at AWS.

25+ years building software.

Formerly at
Amazon Web Serviceslululemon athleticaNike

Co-founder, Portland AI Engineers — 1,300+ members

Read the newsletterWorkshopsConnect

The newsletter

Every week, I dig into what's actually working in the new AI abstraction layer so you can make informed decisions without drowning in hype.

Monday AI Review

Signal filtering—what matters this week in AI for developers.

Deep Dives & Insights

Tech Explorations & Industry Analysis. Go deeper than the headlines.

What makes it different

Production-informed, not demo magic
Written by someone who shipped code for 25+ years (ex AWS | Lululemon | Nike)
No hype — grounded in hands-on research and experimentation

Subscribe on Substack

Subscribe free →

Upcoming workshops

Live, hands-on sessions on Maven. You won't just hear about AI tools — you'll use them in real time, building artifacts you take back to work.

$299 — Founding Price

Context Engineering for Claude Code

May 12, 2026 — 9:30 AM PT (3 hours)

Build the context layer that turns Claude Code from a suggestion engine into a development partner. CLAUDE.md, skills, hooks, and the maturity ladder — all hands-on.

Enroll on Maven
Browse all offerings on Maven

Previous workshops

Recordings and recaps from past sessions.

Recording · Free

Build the CLAUDE.md Your Project Needs

Recorded April 23, 2026 · Maven Lightning Lesson

A 30-minute lightning lesson on the framework for structuring the project context file that makes Claude Code actually understand your codebase.

Watch free on Maven
See all previous workshops
Sam Keen

Sam Keen

I've spent 25+ years building software at companies like Nike, Lululemon, AWS, and a handful of startups. I led the GenAI Innovation Lab at AWS, where I helped teams separate signal from noise in AI adoption.

Now I write and teach full-time about how developers build with AI. Not building AI — building with AI. My newsletter reaches developers every week, and my workshops on Maven give teams hands-on systems for working with tools like Claude Code.

I also co-founded Portland AI Engineers, a community of 1,300+ practitioners exploring practical AI together.

I occasionally take on select consulting engagements for engineering teams navigating AI adoption. Let's talk if that's of interest.