Kirk Stapff
A personal systems notebook

Complex systems.
Clear thinking.

I build matching engines, energy-based models, and tools for software agents. This is where I share what I’m building—and what I’m learning along the way.

Explore the work ↗Read the notes ↓
EXPERIMENT 001BRANCHING AGENTS
Two possible agent execution pathsA task branches into investigating before planning, or prototyping before testing. Both paths lead to review. Choose a path using the buttons below. ONE TASK, MULTIPLE WAYS THROUGH. task investigateplan prototypetest reviewUNDERSTAND FIRSTLEARN BY BUILDING
CHOOSE A PATH

Gather context, then make a plan. A little more understanding before the first change.

Small, explorable systems.↑ Try switching the path

Areas of work

01 — 04 / SYSTEMS & EXPLORATIONS
01 / MARKET SYSTEMS

Custom options matching engines

Matching under constraints, where market structure meets systems engineering.

markets · matching · constraints
02 / MACHINE LEARNING

Energy-based models

Learning and inference through the lens of energy landscapes.

energy · optimization · inference
03 / AGENT INFRASTRUCTURE

Software engineering agent harnesses

The tools, context, and execution loops around software-building agents.

tooling · execution · feedback
04 / HUMAN–AGENT INTERACTION

Branching prompting interfaces

Ways to explore alternatives without losing the thread of an idea.

interfaces · branching · context

From the notebook

POSSIBLE WRITING TOPICS
01
What belongs in an agent harness?
Essay idea / Agent systems
02
An intuition for energy-based models
Interactive explainer idea / Machine learning
03
Conversations don’t have to be linear
Design note idea / Interfaces