The Tools That Survived My Idea Folder
I keep a folder of tools and services I want to try. Most of them die. The ones that survive share one pattern.
The Cost of Thinking Machines Is Dropping Faster Than I Expected
I track AI API pricing because I am curious. The numbers this year stopped making sense.
Why Every City Needs an API
City data is locked in PDFs, portals, and annual reports. What if every city had a REST API? Here is what that would look like.
Why Most Side Projects Die on Day 14
There is a pattern. You start excited, you build for two weeks, and then the motivation evaporates. I think I know why.
The Chai Test for Software
If you cannot explain your software to a chai wallah, you do not understand it well enough yourself.
SQLite is Underrated
Most apps do not need Postgres. They need SQLite and a clear schema.
India Still Needs Its Own Craigslist
OLX tried. Quikr tried. Neither got it right. The opportunity is still wide open.
Search engines peaked in 2012
A shower thought about how Google used to just give you the answer.
Building in Public is a Privilege
Not everyone can share their work freely. Recognizing that changes how I think about the movement.
The 90-Day Rule
If you have not touched a project in 90 days, it is dead. Accept it.
The Database Is the Product
Most successful internet businesses are just well-curated databases with a good interface on top.
India Needs a YC (But Different)
Why a copy-paste of Y Combinator would not work in India, and what would.
Every Company Should Have a Public API
A shower thought that turned into a conviction.
Learn One Thing Per Quarter
Not one course. Not one tutorial. One real thing, used in a real project.
Learning Rust at 40
Picking up a new systems language two decades into a career. It is humbling, frustrating, and exactly what I needed.
The Unbundling of Email
Every feature of email is becoming its own startup.
Ruminating on Why I Still Use a Paper Notebook
Digital tools are better for everything except thinking.
The Economics of a Coffee Shop WiFi
Why do coffee shops offer free WiFi when their customers stay for hours and buy one coffee?
Git for Everything
What if we used version control for laws, recipes, and city planning?
Java Code of the Week: Return N Words from a String
A quick Java utility function for truncating text by word count.
How to Make NetBeans Use Hibernate 4 (and Not Hibernate 3.2.5)
A technical walkthrough of upgrading Hibernate in NetBeans, plus some thoughts on why we keep fighting the same version battles.
The Elevation Principle from Mike Stelzner's Book
Michael Stelzner's Launch taught me about giving value before asking for anything. Turns out every successful AI company read the same playbook.
Five Commandments for Cutting Email Bloat
Simple rules for writing shorter emails and expecting shorter replies. Your inbox will thank you.
Smart Innovation is Incremental Innovation
Why small steady improvements beat moonshots for most companies, and what machine learning teaches us about this.
Blekko: A Search Engine That Trusts You
Thoughts on Blekko's slashtag approach to search and why the idea of human-curated results deserves another shot.
New Year Arbitrage
Looking for value where others are not looking. A new year thought.
Conflicting Proverbs
Folk wisdom contradicts itself constantly. What does that tell us?
Jeff Bezos on Being Misunderstood
Notes after reading Bezos's tips on innovation. Day-one thinking and the willingness to be wrong for years.
Work versus Progress
Are you busy or are you actually moving forward? A short thought.
On Mastering Your Assignments
Thoughts after reading Cal Newport on deep focus and deliberate study.