Backend Engineer · Indie Builder · Digital Gardener
Welcome to my digital garden. Documenting backend system design, indie micro-SaaS explorations, SEO playbooks, and curated book takeaways from Nanjing.
“The slow craft of code and thought, cultivating clarity in the digital wilderness.”
I came across a post warning people not to treat the Shengcai Youshu and Gefei communities as a cure-all. It struck a chord: I joined both, once thought of them as the answer, and now I know what each one is really for.
Over 45 days I took 5 personal training sessions and filled in the rest with park walks, Keep cycling, and short Fitness+ classes. Comparing two body composition reports: weight down 1 kg, body fat down 0.4 points, skeletal muscle up 0.4 points. Not a big change, but the right direction.
On the last day of the National Day holiday, a packed bookstore with no signal sent us to Jinwu Park to watch the sunset instead. Watching a young family nearby, I realized I want a child, and I started thinking seriously about what comes after 40.
I had planned to spend this year only on game guide sites and tool sites, and I had been thinking about moving from development into SEO. A few conversations at an offline meetup pointed me toward subscription SaaS tools instead, and made me realize SEM is the skill worth learning.
A cinema visit got me thinking about Arabic website localization. Switching from the TV to an iPad reminded me how much I enjoy a big screen. Together, they brought my NAS wishlist back to life.
Sunlogin file transfers disconnected, then Google Drive restricted sharing of an archive. Wormhole finally got the files across. A small lesson from a remote system upgrade.
M. Scott Peck
'Life is difficult.' Facing problems through the four disciplines: delaying gratification, taking responsibility, dedication to reality, and balancing.
Brent Schlender & Rick Tetzeli
The evolution of a reckless upstart into a visionary leader. Reflections on craftsmanship, product iteration, marketing, and managing one's flaws.