The kind of work no one claps for
Some weeks you ship flashy features. Other weeks, you dig into the guts of the product so future-you isn't cleaning up tech debt at 2am.
This week was the gut digging type.
It's not always visible, but it's the kind of work that earns compound interest. Especially when you're trying to turn a one-person idea into a product people use and trust.
Here's what I've been working on, thinking about, and bookmarking this week.
This Caught My Eye
A minimalist e-ink dashboard designed for focus
Most displays and dashboards are designed to pull you in. This display by TRMNL does the opposite. You set it up once and then forget about it. No notifications. No tabs. Just enough friction to keep you intentional.
The battery lasts months, you can host your own server, and everything runs through a plugin system that's open-source and developer-friendly.
If you're building a business and juggling five tools, this might be the calm surface you didn't know you needed.
This Week I Built
Trading speed for stability (and finally using MCP)
I switched Jasin over to Supabase MCP for managing database changes. And honestly, I should've done it sooner. Schema updates are now version-controlled, predictable, and easier to roll back if needed.
On the product side, I rolled out:
- Credit limits for free users (5 credits across the board)
- Stronger UI state handling
- Better avatar rendering, modal styling, gradient extraction for product cards
- New analytics dashboard for Pro users to track views/clicks
None of this is loud work, but it makes the app way more durable. And it clears the path for bigger features without duct-taping every edge case.
If you're interested in playing around with it when I launch the beta, I'd love to have you sign up!
Tools I'm Trying
A new markup language for UI components—built to be readable by both humans and AI. Still early, but I like the thinking behind it.
Teardowns of real app tech stacks and daily tools. Helpful for spotting patterns across successful builds.
Creative Corner
Found this YouTube channel late one night and ended up watching five videos. She's a freelance designer in L.A. documenting her process, projects, and creative struggles in a way that's more honest than most. Worth a sub.
I know people have mixed feelings about Adobe these days. But this rebrand is sharp. Mother Design nailed the color work, layout balance, and restraint. Great reference if you're thinking about brand systems.
Style + Signal
Picked up this banger from Wes Bos' shop. It's "a hat for the 90s kids raised on unrestricted internet access." Say less.
Closing Thought
Sometimes, the best progress often looks like nothing. But you feel it when things work more smoothly, or when you realize you didn't have to hack around something this time.
I'll take that kind of progress any week.
