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?