What is The Blaze Method?

The Blaze Method is a free, open-source framework for shipping AI-generated code reliably. Three components: Guide (context files for AI assistants), Gate (automated checks before deploy), Guard (production health monitoring). Created by John and Otto Rydell, January 2026. Licensed CC BY 4.0.

How do I get started with The Blaze Method?

Start by adding a CLAUDE.md file to your project that describes your architecture and patterns. Then set up pre-commit hooks for tests and type checking. Finally, add a /api/health endpoint for production monitoring. Read the full guidebook on GitHub for details.

Is The Blaze Method free?

Yes. The Blaze Method is released under Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0). Free to use, build on, and adapt. Just give credit to John and Otto Rydell.

Who created The Blaze Method?

John Rydell and his son Otto Rydell created The Blaze Method in January 2026. John is the founder of PhoneBurner (2008) and holds a BSE in Computer Science from UCLA. The methodology grew out of building real products with AI coding tools.

THE BLAZE METHOD

Name: The Blaze Method
Author: John Rydell

Build fast. Ship safe. Sleep well.

A simple framework for shipping AI-generated code.
Three steps: Guide, Gate, Guard.

Get Started Read the Guidebook

The Method

🧭

GUIDE — Helps you build

Give your AI assistant the context it needs. A CLAUDE.md file in your project describes your architecture, patterns, and rules. Instead of the AI guessing, it knows.

# CLAUDE.md

## Architecture
- Next.js 14 app router
- Supabase for auth and database
- All API routes in /app/api/

## Patterns
- Use server components by default
- Zod for all input validation
- Error boundaries on every page

🚪

GATE — Checks before you ship

Automated checks run on every commit. Tests, type checking, security scans, build validation. Same rules for everyone. If it passes, it ships.

$ git commit -m "Add user dashboard"

Running pre-commit checks...
✓ TypeScript compilation
✓ Jest tests (47 passed)
✓ ESLint (no warnings)
✓ Build succeeds

→ Pushed to CI pipeline
✓ All checks passed. Ready to deploy.

👁

GUARD — Watches production

Health checks, error tracking, and deployment monitoring run continuously. Problems get caught before users notice them.

GET /api/health  → 200 OK

✓ Database: connected (3ms)
✓ API: responding (12ms)
✓ Memory: 67% (healthy)
✓ Last deploy: 2h ago, stable

Vercel monitoring: active
Errors (24h): 0

Experienced engineers use it to bring structure to AI-assisted teams.

Newcomers use it as a safety net while learning to build with AI.

The framework scales from a solo project to a 180-endpoint production API.

In Practice

This grew out of real work, not theory. Here's how it runs across production systems every day.

CLAUDE.md files in every project

AI assistants get project context, architecture docs, and coding patterns automatically

Guide

Pre-commit hooks + CI pipelines

Jest tests, TypeScript checks, GitHub Actions, build validation on every push

Gate

Health endpoints + deploy monitoring

/api/health endpoints, Vercel monitoring, database logging, error tracking

Guard

Used in: PhoneBurner · NEXT Dialer · MeetingBurner · QuantBurner · CIXBot · FaxBurner

Get Started

Add a CLAUDE.md to your project

Describe your architecture, patterns, and rules. Your AI assistant reads this file automatically and follows your standards.

Set up your Gate

Add pre-commit hooks for tests and type checking. Configure CI to run on every push. Same rules for every contributor.

Add a health endpoint

A simple /api/health route that confirms your services are running. Connect deployment monitoring to catch issues early.

Read the Full Guidebook

Coming Soon: BLAZE Guide MCP Server — an MCP server for Claude Code that knows your team's patterns.

Star on GitHub to get notified

John and Otto Rydell, creators of The Blaze Method

John & Otto Rydell

How It Started

Christmas Eve 2025, Otto showed his dad what AI could do with code. John spent the next month building a complete product with these tools. The speed was real. The chaos was too.

The Blaze Method started as the answer to a simple question: what if you could move this fast and have it actually work?

January 25, 2026 — they wrote it down and gave it away.

John Rydell — BSE Computer Science, UCLA. Founder of PhoneBurner (2008), FaxBurner, MeetingBurner. Author of Little Gems for Business and Life.