THE OPEN NOTEBOOKESSAYS / NOTES / IDEAS

Thinking
out loud.

ON BUILDING THINGS THAT MATTER

Essays, notes & things I’m figuring out. Software engineering, frontend craft, product, and the occasional detour into Web3.

THE READING LIST10 ENTRIES / NEWEST FIRST
LATEST ESSAY
June 18, 20269 MIN READ

Vibecoding is a validation tool. It is not a foundation.

For the founder who shipped an MVP in a weekend and is quietly dealing with the fallout — a mental model for when to vibe and when to build.

VibecodingEngineeringFounders
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FIELD NOTES / 02
June 10, 20268 MIN READ

I spent a year buying tools. What I needed was architecture.

A confession about the year I collected every AI tool that promised leverage — and the week that finally showed me the bill came due in attention, not dollars.

Founder OSAI ToolsSystems
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FIELD NOTES / 03
May 22, 20267 MIN READ

The AI you were sold was built for people who only think in one language.

An op-ed for the operators running real businesses in two languages, and the friction no product page will admit out loud.

BilingualAIMarket Analysis
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FIELD NOTES / 04
April 30, 20267 MIN READ

You didn't build a business. You built a job you can't quit.

Hustle became a brand, and the brand is keeping you broke and tired. A hard conversation about whether anything you built can run without you in the room.

FoundersHustle CultureSystems
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FIELD NOTES / 05
March 18, 20268 MIN READ

The bill that did not make sense: what a breach actually feels like

Not the technical breakdown — the human one. The charge that made no sense, the 72 hours after, and the three changes I would beg every founder to make this week.

SecurityFoundersInfrastructure
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FIELD NOTES / 06
November 28, 20236 MIN READ

How to secure decentralized identifiers using public-private key cryptography

Using public-private key cryptography to secure decentralized identifiers (DIDs) — so individuals keep control of their digital identity without a central authority.

Web5CryptographyIdentity
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FIELD NOTES / 07
August 21, 202311 MIN READ

Build a voice product review system using Twilio Voice and Ngrok

Create a voice-enabled product rating system for e-commerce using Twilio Voice and Ngrok to handle incoming calls and process customer feedback.

TwilioVoiceE-commerce
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FIELD NOTES / 08
May 27, 20234 MIN READ

Creating a robust authentication system: harnessing the power of JWT and session authentication

Combining JWT and session authentication into one adaptable framework — leveraging the strengths of both to secure modern applications.

AuthenticationJWTSecurity
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FIELD NOTES / 09
April 10, 20234 MIN READ

Uploading and managing images with Node.js, Multer, and Cloudinary

A comprehensive guide to simplifying image uploading and management in Node.js applications with Multer and Cloudinary.

Node.jsMulterCloudinary
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FIELD NOTES / 10
April 10, 20234 MIN READ

The beginner's guide to APIs

An introduction to APIs — what they are, how they connect frontend and backend systems, and why they are central to modern software.

APIsBeginnersBackend
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