Field note 01 · published
ReadWhat an API key can actually tell you
A practical map of authentication, balances, quotas, response headers, free tiers and the capacity numbers providers do not publish.
Field notes · the infrastructure behind the market
How the AI market works
Model prices are the visible tape. These notes explain the machinery underneath: keys, quotas, billing, gateways, routing and the capacity that stays off the dashboard.
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Field note 02 · published
ReadWhy a 429 is not one thing
Separating request limits, token limits, spend caps, acceleration limits and overloaded providers.
Field note 03 · published
ReadThe same model is not the same route
How gateways, first-party APIs, BYOK and fallback providers change the thing you are buying.
Editorial rule
A provider-reported limit is a fact about an account or endpoint. A successful request is an observation. Neither one is a promise about tomorrow's capacity.