Tomer Gal works with founder-led startups and writes honestly about work, ambition, love, family, and everything underneath.https://tomerwave.com/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/who-maintains-this-after-you-leave/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/who-maintains-this-after-you-leave/The real risk isn't the vendor shutting down. It's a product that stays technically supported while nobody maintains it, and what to check before you sign.Tue, 08 Sep 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/vendor-fault-or-ours/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/vendor-fault-or-ours/Four questions that tell you whose problem it is, the two numbers that decide what you do about it, and how to report any of it to a board you answer to.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/refactor-ui-with-ai-agent/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/refactor-ui-with-ai-agent/The UI refactor process broken into twelve small, gated steps, so an agent can't collapse it into generic redesign slop or break flows nobody documented.Sat, 29 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/what-does-this-actually-cost/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/what-does-this-actually-cost/The invoice is the smallest of five numbers. How to find the other four before you sign, and why funding in terms leaves a cliff nobody costed for.Tue, 25 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/what-should-you-not-automate/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/what-should-you-not-automate/Six tests for what stays with a person. When an approval is theatre, when nobody notices a bad run, and what automation moves rather than removes.Mon, 24 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/fractional-vp-rnd-first-30-days/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/fractional-vp-rnd-first-30-days/What the first month actually looks like, what deliberately does not happen in it, and how to run most of it yourself before hiring anybody.Tue, 18 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/ai-agents-vs-traditional-automation/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/ai-agents-vs-traditional-automation/You picked the workflow. Now someone wants to build it as an agent. How much of the control flow to hand over, and which actions it may take without a person.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/build-vs-buy-non-technical-leaders/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/build-vs-buy-non-technical-leaders/Someone has suggested building custom software. How to tell whether you actually need it, what the five year cost really looks like, and the cheaper options.Wed, 12 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/you-should-let-her-know/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/you-should-let-her-know/It took two minutes to write. It took four years to send.Mon, 10 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/processes-worth-automating-with-ai/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/processes-worth-automating-with-ai/Everyone is using AI and nobody can point at an hour they got back. What makes a workflow worth automating, and where AI is the wrong tool entirely.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/cto-becoming-a-bottleneck/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/cto-becoming-a-bottleneck/Four different things get called a CTO bottleneck, and they have different fixes. How to tell which one you have, and how to have the conversation.Tue, 04 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/when-technical-debt-is-a-problem/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/when-technical-debt-is-a-problem/Most technical debt costs you nothing. How to tell which of it is actually expensive, what it is costing you in, and how to rank it against shipping.Thu, 30 Jul 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/people-first-company-second/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/people-first-company-second/I asked what culture actually means. Almost nobody answered.Sun, 26 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/evaluate-software-development-proposal/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/evaluate-software-development-proposal/Three quotes for the same project, all different, and no way to compare them. What a proposal has to define, the questions to ask, and the warning signs.Thu, 23 Jul 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/rewrite-vs-refactor/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/rewrite-vs-refactor/Someone on your team wants to rewrite it. How to tell whether the system is really the problem, when incremental wins, and what a rewrite actually costs.Tue, 14 Jul 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/why-engineering-teams-get-slower/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/why-engineering-teams-get-slower/You doubled the team and shipped less. Eight causes that look identical from outside, how to tell which one you have, and roughly what each costs to fix.Thu, 09 Jul 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/when-to-hire-vp-rnd/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/when-to-hire-vp-rnd/The signals that a startup needs a VP R&D, the ones that only look like it, and the difference between a VP, an engineering manager and a CTO who is stretched.Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/the-nature-of-people/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/the-nature-of-people/I gave everything. No one asked what it cost.Wed, 20 May 2026 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/i-loved-you/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/i-loved-you/A letter to Mom and Dad.Sun, 10 May 2026 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/someone-else-built-it/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/someone-else-built-it/After two years of trying to build something of my own, I went back to looking for a job. The one I found was building exactly what I couldn't.Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/27/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/27/At 19, I told myself I'd join the 27 Club. But first, I had things to do. Today, I'm 27.Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/why-didnt-you-fight-for-it/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/why-didnt-you-fight-for-it/A VC I respected. A startup that felt made for me. A meeting I prepared for like my life depended on it. And the question I still can't answer.Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/building-in-the-dark/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/building-in-the-dark/After losing my co-founder, I did the only thing I knew — I built. A browser extension, a landing page, a LinkedIn presence. Everything except the one thing I was actually afraid of.Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/the-year-we-spent-convincing-ourselves/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/the-year-we-spent-convincing-ourselves/We had the passion, the ideas, and 500+ conversations. What we didn't have was a single person willing to say yes.Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/the-document-that-made-us-co-founders/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/the-document-that-made-us-co-founders/Before we had an idea, a product, or a plan — we had a Notion doc. A structured framework for radical honesty between two people deciding whether to build a company together.Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/the-day-i-stopped-looking-for-a-job/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2026/the-day-i-stopped-looking-for-a-job/I was bored, stagnant, and job hunting on autopilot. Then I visited a friend at the Google for Startups Campus and everything changed.Sat, 28 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2025/from-code-to-business-generics/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2025/from-code-to-business-generics/The interface that unified four integrations, and the startup that served every industry, are the same mistake. How to spot premature abstraction early.Sat, 15 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2024/balancing-work-hobbies-life/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2024/balancing-work-hobbies-life/The cold air bit my cheeks as I stood atop a rugged peak in Nepal, gazing out over a sea of mountains. It was here that a profound realization hit me: the only thing stopping me from living a fuller life was me.Sun, 24 Nov 2024 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2024/agile-leadership-emotional-intelligence/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2024/agile-leadership-emotional-intelligence/As the workplace evolves, so does the definition of effective leadership. Emotional intelligence, when paired with agile leadership principles, can enhance a leader's ability to navigate team dynamics.Mon, 02 Sep 2024 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2024/why-should-you-start-dancing/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2024/why-should-you-start-dancing/Growing up, I loved watching movies where people danced. It was always a dream of mine to dance myself. Here's how dancing transformed my life and why you should start too.Wed, 28 Aug 2024 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2024/mastering-employee-onboarding/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2024/mastering-employee-onboarding/Hiring took weeks. She starts Monday and nobody has picked her first task. What developer onboarding actually needs: the first 1:1, first tasks, a buddy.Fri, 19 Jul 2024 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/work-life-balance-avoiding-burnout/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/work-life-balance-avoiding-burnout/The tech industry is known for its long hours, fast-paced environment, and high expectations. Here are 10 strategies for promoting work-life balance and avoiding burnout.Mon, 19 Jun 2023 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/positive-work-culture-tech/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/positive-work-culture-tech/The tech industry is known for its fast-paced, competitive environment. Here are strategies for building a supportive work culture that reduces stress and improves employee well-being.Tue, 30 May 2023 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/mental-health-awareness-tech/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/mental-health-awareness-tech/The tech industry is a high-pressure environment that can take a toll on employees' mental health. Learn how companies and individuals can break the stigma and prioritize well-being.Sat, 27 May 2023 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/future-of-work-automation-ai/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/future-of-work-automation-ai/Written in 2023, with a note from 2026 on what it missed. The real question is which repeated task is worth handing over, and who maintains it a year later.Fri, 12 May 2023 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/leadership-people-skills-tech-startup/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/leadership-people-skills-tech-startup/Leading a team in a tech startup requires a unique blend of technical expertise and exceptional people skills. Explore five essential people skills that every tech startup leader should cultivate.Thu, 11 May 2023 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/upskilling-continuous-learning-tech/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/upskilling-continuous-learning-tech/In the rapidly evolving world of technology, staying ahead of the curve is essential. The key to maintaining relevance and unlocking new opportunities lies in upskilling and embracing a continuous learning culture.Sat, 06 May 2023 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/manage-remote-development-teams/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/manage-remote-development-teams/Remote does not break a team. It removes the accidental communication that was covering for unclear ownership. Six practices, and how to tell the difference.Sat, 11 Mar 2023 09:00:00 GMThttps://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/effective-mentoring-junior-developers/https://tomerwave.com/posts/2023/effective-mentoring-junior-developers/Ten things that make mentoring a junior developer work, and the point where more mentoring stops being the answer to a seniority gap you have not hired for.Thu, 09 Mar 2023 09:00:00 GMT