Dominik Tornow
@dominiktornow.bsky.social
Founder Resonate HQ | Distributed Async Await | Thinking in Distributed Systems | https://dtornow.substack.com
Pinned
From the terminal to the cloud, from prototype to production
Learn how agents scale beyond a single machine and master identity, coordination, and recovery
Build a recursive, distributed Deep Research Agent with @resonatehqio.bsky.social + OpenAI—in under 120 lines
Chapter 3 is live
Learn how agents scale beyond a single machine and master identity, coordination, and recovery
Build a recursive, distributed Deep Research Agent with @resonatehqio.bsky.social + OpenAI—in under 120 lines
Chapter 3 is live
Orchestration vs Choreography
Forget the clumsy analogies
Orchestration
The platform manages the continuation
Choreography
The application manages the continuation
Everything else is noise
Forget the clumsy analogies
Orchestration
The platform manages the continuation
Choreography
The application manages the continuation
Everything else is noise
November 12, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Orchestration vs Choreography
Forget the clumsy analogies
Orchestration
The platform manages the continuation
Choreography
The application manages the continuation
Everything else is noise
Forget the clumsy analogies
Orchestration
The platform manages the continuation
Choreography
The application manages the continuation
Everything else is noise
Reposted by Dominik Tornow
The Write Last, Read First Rule
How to guarantee strict serializability across database systems
A special guest post from @dominiktornow.bsky.social
tigerbeetle.com/blog/2025-11...
How to guarantee strict serializability across database systems
A special guest post from @dominiktornow.bsky.social
tigerbeetle.com/blog/2025-11...
November 6, 2025 at 12:01 PM
The Write Last, Read First Rule
How to guarantee strict serializability across database systems
A special guest post from @dominiktornow.bsky.social
tigerbeetle.com/blog/2025-11...
How to guarantee strict serializability across database systems
A special guest post from @dominiktornow.bsky.social
tigerbeetle.com/blog/2025-11...
Partial Failure & Partial Retry
RPCs create recovery boundaries: When an execution crashes, only the executions within its recovery boundaries restart
Executions in different recovery boundaries (across RPCs) continue running.
RPCs create recovery boundaries: When an execution crashes, only the executions within its recovery boundaries restart
Executions in different recovery boundaries (across RPCs) continue running.
November 5, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Partial Failure & Partial Retry
RPCs create recovery boundaries: When an execution crashes, only the executions within its recovery boundaries restart
Executions in different recovery boundaries (across RPCs) continue running.
RPCs create recovery boundaries: When an execution crashes, only the executions within its recovery boundaries restart
Executions in different recovery boundaries (across RPCs) continue running.
Partial Failure but Total Retry?!
If we follow the familiar model of chained HTTP calls then a failure in the chain forces a restart from the failure point
This works for short-lived, cheap executions, but collapses under long-lived, expensive ones
If we follow the familiar model of chained HTTP calls then a failure in the chain forces a restart from the failure point
This works for short-lived, cheap executions, but collapses under long-lived, expensive ones
November 5, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Partial Failure but Total Retry?!
If we follow the familiar model of chained HTTP calls then a failure in the chain forces a restart from the failure point
This works for short-lived, cheap executions, but collapses under long-lived, expensive ones
If we follow the familiar model of chained HTTP calls then a failure in the chain forces a restart from the failure point
This works for short-lived, cheap executions, but collapses under long-lived, expensive ones
From the terminal to the cloud, from prototype to production
Learn how agents scale beyond a single machine and master identity, coordination, and recovery
Build a recursive, distributed Deep Research Agent with @resonatehqio.bsky.social + OpenAI—in under 120 lines
Chapter 3 is live
Learn how agents scale beyond a single machine and master identity, coordination, and recovery
Build a recursive, distributed Deep Research Agent with @resonatehqio.bsky.social + OpenAI—in under 120 lines
Chapter 3 is live
November 3, 2025 at 9:10 AM
From the terminal to the cloud, from prototype to production
Learn how agents scale beyond a single machine and master identity, coordination, and recovery
Build a recursive, distributed Deep Research Agent with @resonatehqio.bsky.social + OpenAI—in under 120 lines
Chapter 3 is live
Learn how agents scale beyond a single machine and master identity, coordination, and recovery
Build a recursive, distributed Deep Research Agent with @resonatehqio.bsky.social + OpenAI—in under 120 lines
Chapter 3 is live
A Promise doesn’t just represent eventual completion
A Promise also represents eventual invocation
We just tend to forget the latter
A Promise also represents eventual invocation
We just tend to forget the latter
November 2, 2025 at 3:28 PM
A Promise doesn’t just represent eventual completion
A Promise also represents eventual invocation
We just tend to forget the latter
A Promise also represents eventual invocation
We just tend to forget the latter
I'm experimenting with animations for the 3rd chapter of Systems Engineering for Agentic Applications
This shows the call graph of the recursive, distributed Research Agent unfolding over time, highlighting durable promises
I dig the result but they are a lot of work 🥲
This shows the call graph of the recursive, distributed Research Agent unfolding over time, highlighting durable promises
I dig the result but they are a lot of work 🥲
November 1, 2025 at 7:20 PM
I'm experimenting with animations for the 3rd chapter of Systems Engineering for Agentic Applications
This shows the call graph of the recursive, distributed Research Agent unfolding over time, highlighting durable promises
I dig the result but they are a lot of work 🥲
This shows the call graph of the recursive, distributed Research Agent unfolding over time, highlighting durable promises
I dig the result but they are a lot of work 🥲
Weekend Treat ... sorry ... Read 🎃
Formal models are magic. Not only as a verification tool but as a thinking tool, lifting the fog of uncertainty and assumption
Their magic lies in rigorous, ruthless, relentless clarity
Formal models are magic. Not only as a verification tool but as a thinking tool, lifting the fog of uncertainty and assumption
Their magic lies in rigorous, ruthless, relentless clarity
November 1, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Weekend Treat ... sorry ... Read 🎃
Formal models are magic. Not only as a verification tool but as a thinking tool, lifting the fog of uncertainty and assumption
Their magic lies in rigorous, ruthless, relentless clarity
Formal models are magic. Not only as a verification tool but as a thinking tool, lifting the fog of uncertainty and assumption
Their magic lies in rigorous, ruthless, relentless clarity
Two sentences explain I/O better than any CS course
If an expression yields an effect, it percolates through the program to the top, with the context stored as a continuation. An external authority handles the effect and passes the result back to the continuation.
If an expression yields an effect, it percolates through the program to the top, with the context stored as a continuation. An external authority handles the effect and passes the result back to the continuation.
October 30, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Two sentences explain I/O better than any CS course
If an expression yields an effect, it percolates through the program to the top, with the context stored as a continuation. An external authority handles the effect and passes the result back to the continuation.
If an expression yields an effect, it percolates through the program to the top, with the context stored as a continuation. An external authority handles the effect and passes the result back to the continuation.
Uncertainty, formalized: Possible Worlds
The fewer worlds an agent considers possible, the less his uncertainty, and the more he knows
In Reasoning about Knowledge
The fewer worlds an agent considers possible, the less his uncertainty, and the more he knows
In Reasoning about Knowledge
October 24, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Uncertainty, formalized: Possible Worlds
The fewer worlds an agent considers possible, the less his uncertainty, and the more he knows
In Reasoning about Knowledge
The fewer worlds an agent considers possible, the less his uncertainty, and the more he knows
In Reasoning about Knowledge
Trampolined Style
If you want to understand Event Loops, you need to read this paper from 1999:
A trampolined program is organized as a single loop in which computations are scheduled and allowed to proceed in discrete steps.
Grokking Event Loops = Grokking Continuations
If you want to understand Event Loops, you need to read this paper from 1999:
A trampolined program is organized as a single loop in which computations are scheduled and allowed to proceed in discrete steps.
Grokking Event Loops = Grokking Continuations
October 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Trampolined Style
If you want to understand Event Loops, you need to read this paper from 1999:
A trampolined program is organized as a single loop in which computations are scheduled and allowed to proceed in discrete steps.
Grokking Event Loops = Grokking Continuations
If you want to understand Event Loops, you need to read this paper from 1999:
A trampolined program is organized as a single loop in which computations are scheduled and allowed to proceed in discrete steps.
Grokking Event Loops = Grokking Continuations
Join me in 30 min. I'll be in the live chat
P99 CONF is next week! Which talks are on your "can't miss" list?
October 22, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Join me in 30 min. I'll be in the live chat
Building a recursive, distributed Deep Research Agent, scaling to hundreds of agents across dozens of nodes
Chapter 3 covers:
➡️ Agent Identity
➡️ Coordination
➡️ Recovery
When agents leave the terminal, you need to become a distributed systems engineer
Chapter 3 covers:
➡️ Agent Identity
➡️ Coordination
➡️ Recovery
When agents leave the terminal, you need to become a distributed systems engineer
October 22, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Building a recursive, distributed Deep Research Agent, scaling to hundreds of agents across dozens of nodes
Chapter 3 covers:
➡️ Agent Identity
➡️ Coordination
➡️ Recovery
When agents leave the terminal, you need to become a distributed systems engineer
Chapter 3 covers:
➡️ Agent Identity
➡️ Coordination
➡️ Recovery
When agents leave the terminal, you need to become a distributed systems engineer
Roll up your newspapers, we’re squashing Heisenbugs with Deterministic Simulation Testing 🗞️
Join my talk tomorrow 11/22, 11:20 AM PDT
I'll be in the live chat for Q&A
Sign up below ⬇️
Join my talk tomorrow 11/22, 11:20 AM PDT
I'll be in the live chat for Q&A
Sign up below ⬇️
P99 CONF is next week! Which talks are on your "can't miss" list?
October 21, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Roll up your newspapers, we’re squashing Heisenbugs with Deterministic Simulation Testing 🗞️
Join my talk tomorrow 11/22, 11:20 AM PDT
I'll be in the live chat for Q&A
Sign up below ⬇️
Join my talk tomorrow 11/22, 11:20 AM PDT
I'll be in the live chat for Q&A
Sign up below ⬇️
T-2d
Did the dreaded Heisenbug infect your system?! Then don't miss my talk on Deterministic Simulation Testing
See you next week
See you next week
P99 CONF is next week! Which talks are on your "can't miss" list?
October 20, 2025 at 8:00 PM
T-2d
Run your app for minutes, hours, days, weeks, or month
On FaaS like AWS Lambda or GCP Functions
Serverless @resonatehqio.bsky.social
On FaaS like AWS Lambda or GCP Functions
Serverless @resonatehqio.bsky.social
October 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Run your app for minutes, hours, days, weeks, or month
On FaaS like AWS Lambda or GCP Functions
Serverless @resonatehqio.bsky.social
On FaaS like AWS Lambda or GCP Functions
Serverless @resonatehqio.bsky.social
Introducing Serverless @resonatehqio.bsky.social
Build distributed, durable applications with Resonate's dead simple programming model, Distributed Asynchronous Await
Now on serverless
Build distributed, durable applications with Resonate's dead simple programming model, Distributed Asynchronous Await
Now on serverless
October 20, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Introducing Serverless @resonatehqio.bsky.social
Build distributed, durable applications with Resonate's dead simple programming model, Distributed Asynchronous Await
Now on serverless
Build distributed, durable applications with Resonate's dead simple programming model, Distributed Asynchronous Await
Now on serverless
Did the dreaded Heisenbug infect your system?! Then don't miss my talk on Deterministic Simulation Testing
See you next week
See you next week
P99 CONF is next week! Which talks are on your "can't miss" list?
October 14, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Did the dreaded Heisenbug infect your system?! Then don't miss my talk on Deterministic Simulation Testing
See you next week
See you next week
Reposted by Dominik Tornow
The 1st Table Mountain Database Management Seminar
Oct 9, 2025
An overnight hike — DBMS philosopher walk and talks, card games, South African braai under starry skies — with TigerBeetle, professors Philippe Bonnet and @peterabcz.bsky.social, and @dominiktornow.bsky.social
#TMDBMS
Oct 9, 2025
An overnight hike — DBMS philosopher walk and talks, card games, South African braai under starry skies — with TigerBeetle, professors Philippe Bonnet and @peterabcz.bsky.social, and @dominiktornow.bsky.social
#TMDBMS
October 11, 2025 at 2:08 PM
The 1st Table Mountain Database Management Seminar
Oct 9, 2025
An overnight hike — DBMS philosopher walk and talks, card games, South African braai under starry skies — with TigerBeetle, professors Philippe Bonnet and @peterabcz.bsky.social, and @dominiktornow.bsky.social
#TMDBMS
Oct 9, 2025
An overnight hike — DBMS philosopher walk and talks, card games, South African braai under starry skies — with TigerBeetle, professors Philippe Bonnet and @peterabcz.bsky.social, and @dominiktornow.bsky.social
#TMDBMS
From brainstorming transactional applications with the @tigerbeetle.com team to drafting blog posts with Table Mountain as backdrop
Cape Town is a whole vibe
Cape Town is a whole vibe
October 8, 2025 at 8:05 AM
From brainstorming transactional applications with the @tigerbeetle.com team to drafting blog posts with Table Mountain as backdrop
Cape Town is a whole vibe
Cape Town is a whole vibe
In the next chapter of Systems Engineering for Agentic Applications:
When agents leave the terminal, agentic applications become distributed applications.
We'll cover
➡️ Coordination
➡️ Recovery
➡️ Progress
And why you should never hang your agent off a TCP connection 🔪
When agents leave the terminal, agentic applications become distributed applications.
We'll cover
➡️ Coordination
➡️ Recovery
➡️ Progress
And why you should never hang your agent off a TCP connection 🔪
October 7, 2025 at 9:45 AM
In the next chapter of Systems Engineering for Agentic Applications:
When agents leave the terminal, agentic applications become distributed applications.
We'll cover
➡️ Coordination
➡️ Recovery
➡️ Progress
And why you should never hang your agent off a TCP connection 🔪
When agents leave the terminal, agentic applications become distributed applications.
We'll cover
➡️ Coordination
➡️ Recovery
➡️ Progress
And why you should never hang your agent off a TCP connection 🔪
Distributed Async Await
✅ Simulation tested
❌ Formally verified
Interested in some live coding ... wait, no ... specifying a distributed protocol?!
Who’s up for a webinar to formalize @resonatehqio.bsky.social protocol stack. From scratch. In quint.
Let me see hands
✅ Simulation tested
❌ Formally verified
Interested in some live coding ... wait, no ... specifying a distributed protocol?!
Who’s up for a webinar to formalize @resonatehqio.bsky.social protocol stack. From scratch. In quint.
Let me see hands
October 2, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Distributed Async Await
✅ Simulation tested
❌ Formally verified
Interested in some live coding ... wait, no ... specifying a distributed protocol?!
Who’s up for a webinar to formalize @resonatehqio.bsky.social protocol stack. From scratch. In quint.
Let me see hands
✅ Simulation tested
❌ Formally verified
Interested in some live coding ... wait, no ... specifying a distributed protocol?!
Who’s up for a webinar to formalize @resonatehqio.bsky.social protocol stack. From scratch. In quint.
Let me see hands
Chapter 2 gets a more formal treatment of Agents, environments, autonomy, alignment, etc
Helpful or heavy?!
Helpful or heavy?!
The second chapter of Systems Engineering for Agentic Applications just dropped
This chapter covers
➡️ Agents & Environments
➡️ Goals & Plans
➡️ Context Engineering
+ We build an agent to organize our desktop
Bonus: Is MCP just calling functions by name?!
bsky.app/profile/domi...
This chapter covers
➡️ Agents & Environments
➡️ Goals & Plans
➡️ Context Engineering
+ We build an agent to organize our desktop
Bonus: Is MCP just calling functions by name?!
bsky.app/profile/domi...
October 1, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Chapter 2 gets a more formal treatment of Agents, environments, autonomy, alignment, etc
Helpful or heavy?!
Helpful or heavy?!
MCP: real innovation or literally just a function call?!
Where do you stand in the protocol debate?
Where do you stand in the protocol debate?
The second chapter of Systems Engineering for Agentic Applications just dropped
This chapter covers
➡️ Agents & Environments
➡️ Goals & Plans
➡️ Context Engineering
+ We build an agent to organize our desktop
Bonus: Is MCP just calling functions by name?!
bsky.app/profile/domi...
This chapter covers
➡️ Agents & Environments
➡️ Goals & Plans
➡️ Context Engineering
+ We build an agent to organize our desktop
Bonus: Is MCP just calling functions by name?!
bsky.app/profile/domi...
October 1, 2025 at 2:05 PM
MCP: real innovation or literally just a function call?!
Where do you stand in the protocol debate?
Where do you stand in the protocol debate?
The second chapter of Systems Engineering for Agentic Applications just dropped
This chapter covers
➡️ Agents & Environments
➡️ Goals & Plans
➡️ Context Engineering
+ We build an agent to organize our desktop
Bonus: Is MCP just calling functions by name?!
bsky.app/profile/domi...
This chapter covers
➡️ Agents & Environments
➡️ Goals & Plans
➡️ Context Engineering
+ We build an agent to organize our desktop
Bonus: Is MCP just calling functions by name?!
bsky.app/profile/domi...
October 1, 2025 at 8:10 AM
The second chapter of Systems Engineering for Agentic Applications just dropped
This chapter covers
➡️ Agents & Environments
➡️ Goals & Plans
➡️ Context Engineering
+ We build an agent to organize our desktop
Bonus: Is MCP just calling functions by name?!
bsky.app/profile/domi...
This chapter covers
➡️ Agents & Environments
➡️ Goals & Plans
➡️ Context Engineering
+ We build an agent to organize our desktop
Bonus: Is MCP just calling functions by name?!
bsky.app/profile/domi...