Writing

Notes on building

Engineering, building with AI, and what it’s like to change careers in your thirties. Occasionally, something from a previous life.

Career

I never got a tech job by applying on LinkedIn

Every door I've walked through in tech opened through a person, not an application form. Here's the first one.

Engineering

Notes from three weeks building mobile with Expo

Coming from years of web, here's what surprised me about Expo, React Native and NativeWind, and where the honeymoon ends.

AI

I asked an AI the same question twice

Two weeks apart, same question, completely different answer. The model didn't change. One line in my instructions did.

Engineering

Your image optimizer uploads your files. Mine doesn't

Most online image tools quietly send your files to a server. WebAssembly means they don't have to anymore.

Engineering

Two weeks on Module Federation before a single feature

We spent two weeks wiring up Module Federation before writing any product code. It was the right call, and here's what actually ate the time.

AI & Process

Software doesn't start in the editor

Vibe coding feels great until you realize you built something fast that you never actually thought through. The fix isn't less AI. It's planning first.

Product

From "how do I build it" to "what problem does it solve"

The smallest shift that changed how I work: thinking about the user's problem before the implementation.

AI & Process

Context engineering and sub-agents beat vibe coding

Vibe coding falls apart the moment a project gets serious. Here's the workflow I landed on instead, and the repo I open-sourced from it.

From a previous life

Working out on an empty stomach: myths and facts

From a previous life as a sports scientist. Does training fasted actually burn more fat, or is it just gym folklore?

Career

Why I started coding at 34

Once your career feels settled, starting over sounds reckless. I did it anyway. These are the reasons that pushed me in.