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Hailed as “musical explorers” by Rolling Stone, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong first took flight roughly a decade ago at the University of Maryland. The pysch-funk trailblazers believe in the power of music to bring people together, celebrating the present and sharing it with the ones we love most.

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PingPong

pingpong

Seasoned software engineers long for the good old days when web development was simple. You just needed a few files and a server to get up and running. No complicated infrastructure, no endless amount of frameworks and libraries, no build tools. Just some ideas and some code hacked together to make an app come to life. Whether or not this romanticized past was actually as great as we think it was, developers today agree that software engineering has gotten complicated. There are too many choices with too much setup involved. In response to this sentiment, many products are providing off-the-shelf starter kits and zero config toolchains to try to abstract away the complexity of software development. One such startup is , a company which offers an online IDE where you can create applets that run as serverless TypeScript functions in the cloud. With Zipper, you don’t have to spend time worrying about your toolchain — you can just start writing code and deploy your app within minutes. Zipper Today, we’ll be looking at a ping pong ranking app I built — once in 2018 with jQuery, MongoDB, Node.js, and Express; and once in 2023 with Zipper. We’ll examine the development process for each and see just how easy it is to build a powerful app using Zipper. Backstory First, a little context: I love to play ping pong. Every office in which I’ve worked has had a ping pong table, and for many years ping pong was an integral part of my afternoon routine. It’s a great game to relax, blow off some steam, strengthen friendships with coworkers, and reset your brain for a half hour. Those who played ping pong every day began to get a feel for who was good and who wasn’t. People would talk. A handful of people were known as the best in the office, and it was always a challenge to take them on. Being both highly competitive and a software engineer, I wanted to build an app to track who was the best ping pong player in the office. This wouldn’t be for bracket-style tournaments, but just for recording the games that were played every day by anybody. With that, we’d have a record of all the games played, and we’d be able to see who was truly the best. This was 2018, and I had a background in the MEAN/MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, Angular, React, and Node.js) and experience with jQuery before that. After dedicating a week’s worth of lunch breaks and nights to this project, I had a working ping pong ranking app. I didn’t keep close track of my time spent working on the app, but I’d estimate it took about 10–20 hours to build. Here’s what that version of the app looked like. There was a login and signup page: The login page asked for your username and password to authenticate: Once authenticated, you could record your match by selecting your opponent and who won: You could view the leaderboard to see the current office rankings. I even included an algorithm like they use in chess: Elo rating Finally, you could click on any of the players to see their specific game history of wins and losses: That was the app I created back in 2018 with jQuery, MongoDB, Node.js, and Express. And, I hosted it on an AWS EC2 server. Now let’s look at my experience recreating this app in 2023 using only Zipper. About Zipper Zipper is an online tool for creating applets. It uses TypeScript and Deno, so JavaScript and TypeScript users will feel right at home. You can use Zipper to build web services, web UIs, scheduled jobs, and even Slack or GitHub integrations. Zipper even includes auth. In short, what I find most appealing about Zipper is how quickly you can take an idea from conception to execution. It’s perfect for side projects or internal-facing apps to quickly improve a business process. Demo app Here’s the ping pong ranking app I built with Zipper in just three hours. And that’s including time reading through the docs and getting up to speed with an unfamiliar platform! First, the app requires authentication. In this case, I’m requiring users to sign in to their Zipper account: Once authenticated, users can record a new ping pong match: They can view the leaderboard: And they can view the game history for any individual player: Not bad! The best part is that I didn’t have to create any of the UI components for this app. All the inputs and table outputs were handled automatically. And, the auth was created for me just by checking a box in the app settings! You can hosted publicly on Zipper. find the working app Ok, now let’s look at how I built this. Creating a new Zipper app First, I created my Zipper account by authenticating with GitHub. Then, on the main dashboard page, I clicked the Create Applet button to create my first applet. Next, I gave my applet a name, which became its URL. I also chose to make my code public and required users to sign in before they could run the applet. Then I chose to generate my app using AI, mostly because I was curious how it would turn out! This was the prompt I gave it: “I’d like to create a leaderboard ranking app for recording wins and losses in ping pong matches. Users should be able to log into the app. Then they should be able to record a match showing who the two players were and who won and who lost. “Users should be able to see the leaderboard for all the players, sorted with the best players displayed at the top and the worst players displayed at the bottom. “Users should also be able to view a single player to see all of their recorded matches and who they played and who won and who lost.” I might need to get better at prompt engineering, because the output didn’t include all the features or pages I wanted. The AI-generated code included two files: a generic “hello world” file, and a file for viewing the match history of an individual player. main.ts view-player.ts So, the app wasn’t perfect from the get-go, but it was enough to get started. Writing the ping pong app code I knew that Zipper would handle the authentication page for me, so that left three pages to write: A page to record a ping pong match A page to view the leaderboard A page to view an individual player’s game history Record a new ping pong match I started with the form to record a new ping pong match. Below is the full main.ts file. We’ll break it down line by line right after this. type Inputs = {
  playerOneID: string;
  playerTwoID: string;
  winnerID: string;
};

export async function handler(inputs: Inputs) {
  const { playerOneID, playerTwoID, winnerID } = inputs;

  if (!playerOneID || !playerTwoID || !winnerID) {
    return "Error: Please fill out all input fields.";
  }

  if (playerOneID === playerTwoID) {
    return "Error: PlayerOne and PlayerTwo must have different IDs.";
  }

  if (winnerID !== playerOneID && winnerID !== playerTwoID) {
    return "Error: Winner ID must match either PlayerOne ID or PlayerTwo ID";
  }

  const matchID = Date.now().toString();
  const matchInfo = {
    matchID,
    winnerID,
    loserID: winnerID === playerOneID ? playerTwoID : playerOneID,
  };

  try {
    await Zipper.storage.set(matchID, matchInfo);
    return `Thanks for recording your match. Player ${winnerID} is the winner!`;
  } catch (e) {
    return `Error: Information was not written to the database. Please try again later.`;
  }
}

export const config: Zipper.HandlerConfig = {
  description: {
    title: "Record New Ping Pong Match",
    subtitle: "Enter who played and who won",
  },
}; Each file in Zipper exports a function that accepts as a parameter. Each of the inputs becomes a form in UI, with the input type being determined by its TypeScript type that you give it. handler inputs After doing some input validation to ensure that the form is correctly filled out, I stored the match info in . Each Zipper applet gets its own storage instance that any of the files in your applet can access. Because it’s a key-value storage, objects work nicely for values since they can be serialized and deserialized as JSON, all of which Zipper handles for you when reading from and writing to the database. Zipper’s key-value storage At the bottom of the file, I’ve added a to add some title and instruction text to the top of the page in the UI. HandlerConfig With that, the first page is done. Leaderboard Next up is the leaderboard page. I’ve reproduced the file below in full: leaderboard.ts type PlayerRecord = {
  playerID: string;
  losses: number;
  wins: number;
};

type PlayerRecords = {
  [key: string]: PlayerRecord;
};

type Match = {
  matchID: string;
  winnerID: string;
  loserID: string;
};

type Matches = {
  [key: string]: Match;
};

export async function handler() {
  const allMatches: Matches = await Zipper.storage.getAll();
  const matchesArray: Match[] = Object.values(allMatches);

  const players: PlayerRecords = {};

  matchesArray.forEach((match: Match) => {
    const { loserID, winnerID } = match;

    if (players[loserID]) {
      players[loserID].losses++;
    } else {
      players[loserID] = {
        playerID: loserID,
        losses: 0,
        wins: 0,
      };
    }

    if (players[winnerID]) {
      players[winnerID].wins++;
    } else {
      players[winnerID] = {
        playerID: winnerID,
        losses: 0,
        wins: 0,
      };
    }
  });

  return Object.values(players);
}

export const config: Zipper.HandlerConfig = {
  run: true,
  description: {
    title: "Leaderboard",
    subtitle: "See player rankings for all recorded matches",
  },
}; This file contains a lot more TypeScript types than the first file did. I wanted to make sure my data structures were nice and explicit here. After that, you see our familiar function, but this time without any inputs. That’s because the leaderboard page doesn’t need any inputs; it just displays the leaderboard. handler We get all of our recorded matches from the database, and then we manipulate the data to get it into an array format of our liking. Then, simply by returning the array, Zipper creates the table UI for us, even including search functionality and column sorting. No UI work needed! Finally, at the bottom of the file, you’ll see a description setup that’s similar to the one on our main page. You’ll also see the property, which tells Zipper to run the handler function right away without waiting for the user to click the Run button in the UI. run: true Player history Alright, two down, one to go. Let’s look at the code for the file, which I ended up renaming to : view-player.ts player-history.ts type Inputs = {
  playerID: string;
};

type Match = {
  matchID: string;
  winnerID: string;
  loserID: string;
};

type Matches = {
  [key: string]: Match;
};

type FormattedMatch = {
  matchID: string;
  opponent: string;
  result: "Won" | "Lost";
};

export async function handler({ playerID }: Inputs) {
  const allMatches: Matches = await Zipper.storage.getAll();
  const matchesArray: Match[] = Object.values(allMatches);

  const playerMatches = matchesArray.filter((match: Match) => {
    return playerID === match.winnerID || playerID === match.loserID;
  });

  const formattedPlayerMatches = playerMatches.map((match: Match) => {
    const formattedMatch: FormattedMatch = {
      matchID: match.matchID,
      opponent: playerID === match.winnerID ? match.loserID : match.winnerID,
      result: playerID === match.winnerID ? "Won" : "Lost",
    };

    return formattedMatch;
  });

  return formattedPlayerMatches;
}

export const config: Zipper.HandlerConfig = {
  description: {
    title: "Player History",
    subtitle: "See match history for the selected player",
  },
}; The code for this page looks a lot like the code for the leaderboard page. We include some types for our data structures at the top. Next we have our function which accepts an input for the player ID that we want to view. handler From there, we fetch all the recorded matches and filter them for only matches in which this player participated. After that, we manipulate the data to get it into an acceptable format to display, and we return that to the UI to get another nice auto-generated table. Ping pong ranking app - Player history page Conclusion That’s it! With just three handler functions, we’ve created a working app for tracking our ping pong game history. This app does have some shortcomings that we could improve, but we’ll leave that as an exercise for the reader. For example, it would be nice to have a dropdown of users to choose from when recording a new match, rather than entering each player’s ID as text. Maybe we could store each player’s ID in the database and then display those in the UI as a . dropdown input type Or, maybe we’d like to turn this into a to allow users to record their matches directly in Slack. That’s an option too! Slack integration While my ping pong app isn’t perfect, I hope the takeaway here is how easy it is to get up and running with a product like Zipper. You don’t have to spend time agonizing over your app’s infrastructure when you have a simple idea that you just want to see working in production. Just get out there, start building, and deploy!

How to Build a Ping Pong Ranking App using Zipper and TypeScript Functions

If you are training to be a hard table tennis professional player, you have to invest in a ping pong robot. This can help to build your form and skill and are simply great for any level of players. These robots can be simple or sophisticated but their primary aim is to make you perfect your game. With these, you can improve your style of the game and also build your consistency. As for the price factor, do not consider purchasing an expensive one if you are just a casual player. Most of the machines are designed with pre-programmed practice drills that help you recover your weaknesses. Without any further delay, let’s get into the best robots you can find in the market. JT-A Robot This robot is specially engineered for the beginners, the intermediate players, and those who want to refine their game. Installed with auto ball feeding, it is a two motor head robot that has a ball frequency of 30 to 100 balls per minute. JT-A-Robot can carry 200 balls per session and it can work with 42 types of spin. This can also do a combination of spins and can land randomly. As per the remote control, it has a remote control which is wired and an A/C supply. This is a wonderful robot but due to poor marketing, it has lesser visibility than the other robots in the market. This robot can promise 3 years of the warranty period. Oukei TW-2700-S9 This robot is priced on the higher end side and it displays features in the same way. It has independent dual heads and offers the best training experience. Designed for the intermediate or the advanced trainers, this has a ball frequency of 30-100 balls per minute. With the ability to have 99 custom drills, this can get the best out of you with a ball speed between5-50 meter/ second. There is random ball placement and it has wired remote control. This robot can throw the ball randomly at 18 locations with different spins every time. It completely justified its price as the outer parts are also well built. It is an intelligent pre-programmed robot and if you are an experienced player, you should have it. Butterfly Amicus Professional This can be called as the best overall robot in the table tennis practice gear. If you are wondering what you can do with this robot, here are the features of this hotshot: This robot is packed into a compact machine that can be easy to move around and transport. This isn't like the other robots but it has 3 various launch wheels that can help to produce whichever kind of spin in a single drill. It can do actions like the backspin, the sidespin, etc. or This robot can be programmed to perform some of the best exercises you can come up with and there are few in built programmed drills already in this robot that you can start training right away with. It can carry a memory of 99 exercises that can be enough even for a lot of advanced players and every exercise drill can have up to 8 steps which are a lot of exercise for the player. If at all you want a better robot performance, you can turn on the RND mode which shoots the balls from your drill and within an area of 20 cm area. After you feel that you have mastered this drill, you can turn on this mode again so that you can practice once more. This robot also has a ball recycling system where you can continue to train without having to pick the ball again and again because this robot will refill itself. There can be a lot of cost-effective robots out in the market but this one here really outshines itself. iPong V300 If you want to start with an inexpensive option, you have the least expensive ones like the iPong V300. They are very practical and they are quite handy now that they have a wireless remote. When they are out of the box, this robot is in three pieces but they fit together quite perfectly. Transportation is quick and can fit anywhere. The wireless remote can do much more than that, it can allow you to tame the ball speed or the spin type. This robot can also shoot the balls alternatively so that it can force you to move and make it realistic and worthwhile. This robot is inexpensive which comes under $200. It has the capacity of the 100 balls and the maximum speed of 90 balls. The best thing about this robot is that it can help you improve your aim and are effective at what they do. If you are a beginner, then you should own this robot as they help you to improve your strokes and then repeat continuously. It is a challenge to find a robot this cheap and highly effective for your game. Newgy Robo-Pong 1040 If you want to own a robot, then you should own a portable one. It is a simple, easy robot that can be deployed. All you have to do is to is unbox the robot, plug it in, and start using it. This is also equipped with a 15-minute intense training session module and you can calibrate the control box from which it controls the speed, the oscillations, and other such options. You can improve your footwork and perfect those tricky shots which can get you out. Though it doesn’t have a lot of features, it is still worth its money and is a steal. Conclusion Thus, these are some of the best ping pong robots you can have in the table tennis game. It doesn’t matter if you are just a novice or an advanced table tennis player, it will help you perfect your technique. Prices of each robot may vary but they all help in developing your game. Find the perfect one from one of the above robots that might be of some help.

Top 5 Ping Pong Robots: 2022 Edition

Sales Pitch Shake-Up: Part Two—The Pitch Hack So Obvious, You’ll Kick Yourself

As I hit the big 4-0 and prepare to dive back into the freelance world, I can't help but chuckle at my younger self. Oh, the enthusiasm! The naivety! The sheer audacity to think I could do it all! But as they say, with age comes wisdom - or in my case, a hilarious collection of "what not to do" stories. So, grab a coffee (or something stronger), and let me tell you the top five mistakes this old freelancer won't be repeating that are shaping my triumphant comeback tour. Shared with 7 TED talks that will inspire you to be a better freelancer. Freelancing Fails That Made Me Smarter The 'Yes Man' Syndrome: When Enthusiasm Outpaces Expertise Picture this: a bright-eyed freelancer (yours truly) bouncing around like a caffeinated squirrel, shouting "Yes, I can!" to every request that came my way. Build a dashboard? Sure! Write a Python script? Absolutely! Audit your analytics. Why not! Spoiler alert: It didn't always end well. There was that time I confidently agreed to create a "simple" python-based pipeline with APIs for a client, only to find myself three days later, surrounded by cheap Lidl coffee caps, questioning my life choices and Googling (No chatbots to be used back then) "How to explain to the client that their request is hard." Lesson learned: Define your niche, know your strengths, and don't be afraid to say "no" to projects outside your wheelhouse. Your sanity (and your clients) will thank you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtPRrn5nwAo&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true Client Roulette: The Perils of Not Knowing Your Audience Ever walked into a room thinking you're the guest of honor, only to realize you've crashed the wrong party? That's how I felt during a workshop I once conducted for a team that didn't want to be there. The enthusiasm level was somewhere between the "DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) line" and "watching paint dry." As I fumbled through my carefully prepared presentation, I could almost hear the collective eye-rolls. It was like trying to sell ice to Eskimos - if the Eskimos were penguins, and I was offering them sunscreen. Lesson learned: Know your audience inside and out. Understanding your ideal client profile isn't just good business - it's the difference between being a welcome guest and an awkward party crasher. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smajeIVjCSc&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true The Middleman Muddle: When Good Intentions Lead to Bad Outcomes In my quest to be the ultimate problem-solver, I once found myself playing a tech matchmaker. A client needed a specific tool implemented, and I knew just the person for the job! Or so I thought. What followed was a comedy of errors that would make Shakespeare proud. Delayed timelines, miscommunication, and I found myself stuck in the middle of a tech tug-of-war, feeling like a bewildered spectator at a particularly intense ping-pong match. All that was missing was some popcorn and a referee's whistle if it didn’t have a direct impact on what I was expected to deliver. Lesson learned: Stick to what you know best. Being helpful is great, but not at the cost of your project's success or your professional relationships. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BOEaiIX9Xg&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true The Freebie Trap: Compensating Dissatisfaction with More Work There I was, facing a client who looked about as satisfied as a cat in a bathtub. My brilliant solution? "Hey, let me throw in some extra work for free!" It was like trying to fix a leaky boat by drilling more holes. Before I knew it, I was juggling multiple projects, working overtime, and still not hitting the mark. It was the professional equivalent of digging myself into a hole and then deciding the best way out was to keep digging. Lesson learned: Set clear expectations from the start. If something's not working, address it head-on rather than trying to bury it under a mountain of free work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu_XDJP3wAc&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true The Discount Dilemma: When Generosity Comes Back to Haunt You In my early days, I handed out discounts like they were party favors. "You get a discount! And you get a discount! Discounts for everyone!" It felt great at the moment, but it came back to bite me harder than a caffeinated chihuahua. Case in point: A client I'd given a hefty discount to in their startup phase came back years later, expecting the same deal. Trying to explain why my rates had increased was about as comfortable as a root canal surgery without anesthesia. Lesson learned: Your time and expertise have value. Price them accordingly, and stick to your guns. Your bank account (and your self-respect) will thank you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaxNc5-qn6s&ab_channel=TED&embedable=true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CNRmhleJmk&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true Turning Mistakes Into Mastery: My Freelance Comeback Tour As I prepare to take the freelance plunge full-time, those hard-learned lessons from past missteps will shape a smarter, more focused approach going forward. Gone will be the overeager yes-man, the mismatched client-freelancer pairings, the accidental middleman roles, the freebie traps, and the discount debacles. From those failures, I've discovered my true calling - serving as a strategic data partner for early-stage and scaling mobile app companies, especially in e-commerce and gaming. No more scattered as a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of tailored, data-driven growth strategies for this industry, or as I want to call it, “Data Operation Partner”. My future services will directly tackle common pain points I've witnessed. From conducting workshops to define clear goals and KPIs, to assessing ROI and maximizing data investments, to optimizing pipelines for reduced costs - it's all about empowering clients to leverage their data for strategic growth and operational excellence. Many companies struggle with high data costs and transforming insights into smart decision-making. My customized, data-driven solutions will cut through that chaos. Comprehensive health checks to uncover opportunities. Collaborative sessions with key stakeholders like CEOs, CDOs, and product teams to ensure seamless integration and measurable impact. While my niche will crystallize in mobile/e-commerce, I know my expertise can translate across industries like healthcare, finance, and retail - anywhere data insights drive sustainable growth and elevate the customer experience. This freelance journey has been priceless in lessons learned. From over-committing to undervaluing my work, I now emerge with a sharpened skillset, clarified mission, and belief in providing exceptional value through strategic data partnership. Here's to using past missteps as stepping stones toward freelance mastery. May we all find the humor in our freshman freelancing flubs while using them as fuel for future success. I can't wait to begin this new chapter! I will finish with Simon Sinek and start with WHY, which I hope you all know because this is exactly what we freelancers need to focus on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true Avoid rookie freelance blunders - read my hard-earned wisdom and level up your freelance game! Any tips I have forgotten? What lessons have you learned during your career? As I hit the big 4-0 and prepare to dive back into the freelance world, I can't help but chuckle at my younger self. Oh, the enthusiasm! The naivety! The sheer audacity to think I could do it all! But as they say, with age comes wisdom - or in my case, a hilarious collection of "what not to do" stories. So, grab a coffee (or something stronger), and let me tell you the top five mistakes this old freelancer won't be repeating that are shaping my triumphant comeback tour. Shared with 7 TED talks that will inspire you to be a better freelancer. Freelancing Fails That Made Me Smarter The 'Yes Man' Syndrome: When Enthusiasm Outpaces Expertise Picture this: a bright-eyed freelancer (yours truly) bouncing around like a caffeinated squirrel, shouting "Yes, I can!" to every request that came my way. Build a dashboard? Sure! Write a Python script? Absolutely! Audit your analytics. Why not! Spoiler alert: It didn't always end well. There was that time I confidently agreed to create a "simple" python-based pipeline with APIs for a client, only to find myself three days later, surrounded by cheap Lidl coffee caps, questioning my life choices and Googling (No chatbots to be used back then) "How to explain to the client that their request is hard." Spoiler alert: Lesson learned: Define your niche, know your strengths, and don't be afraid to say "no" to projects outside your wheelhouse. Your sanity (and your clients) will thank you. Lesson learned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtPRrn5nwAo&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtPRrn5nwAo&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true Client Roulette: The Perils of Not Knowing Your Audience Ever walked into a room thinking you're the guest of honor, only to realize you've crashed the wrong party? That's how I felt during a workshop I once conducted for a team that didn't want to be there. The enthusiasm level was somewhere between the "DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) line" and "watching paint dry." As I fumbled through my carefully prepared presentation, I could almost hear the collective eye-rolls. It was like trying to sell ice to Eskimos - if the Eskimos were penguins, and I was offering them sunscreen. Lesson learned: Know your audience inside and out. Understanding your ideal client profile isn't just good business - it's the difference between being a welcome guest and an awkward party crasher. Lesson learned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smajeIVjCSc&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smajeIVjCSc&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true The Middleman Muddle: When Good Intentions Lead to Bad Outcomes In my quest to be the ultimate problem-solver, I once found myself playing a tech matchmaker. A client needed a specific tool implemented, and I knew just the person for the job! Or so I thought. What followed was a comedy of errors that would make Shakespeare proud. Delayed timelines, miscommunication, and I found myself stuck in the middle of a tech tug-of-war, feeling like a bewildered spectator at a particularly intense ping-pong match. All that was missing was some popcorn and a referee's whistle if it didn’t have a direct impact on what I was expected to deliver. Lesson learned: Stick to what you know best. Being helpful is great, but not at the cost of your project's success or your professional relationships. Lesson learned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BOEaiIX9Xg&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BOEaiIX9Xg&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true The Freebie Trap: Compensating Dissatisfaction with More Work There I was, facing a client who looked about as satisfied as a cat in a bathtub. My brilliant solution? "Hey, let me throw in some extra work for free!" It was like trying to fix a leaky boat by drilling more holes. Before I knew it, I was juggling multiple projects, working overtime, and still not hitting the mark. It was the professional equivalent of digging myself into a hole and then deciding the best way out was to keep digging. Lesson learned: Set clear expectations from the start. If something's not working, address it head-on rather than trying to bury it under a mountain of free work. Lesson learned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu_XDJP3wAc&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu_XDJP3wAc&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true The Discount Dilemma: When Generosity Comes Back to Haunt You In my early days, I handed out discounts like they were party favors. "You get a discount! And you get a discount! Discounts for everyone!" It felt great at the moment, but it came back to bite me harder than a caffeinated chihuahua. Case in point: A client I'd given a hefty discount to in their startup phase came back years later, expecting the same deal. Trying to explain why my rates had increased was about as comfortable as a root canal surgery without anesthesia. Case in point: Lesson learned: Your time and expertise have value. Price them accordingly, and stick to your guns. Your bank account (and your self-respect) will thank you. Lesson learned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaxNc5-qn6s&ab_channel=TED&embedable=true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaxNc5-qn6s&ab_channel=TED&embedable=true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CNRmhleJmk&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CNRmhleJmk&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true Turning Mistakes Into Mastery: My Freelance Comeback Tour As I prepare to take the freelance plunge full-time, those hard-learned lessons from past missteps will shape a smarter, more focused approach going forward. Gone will be the overeager yes-man, the mismatched client-freelancer pairings, the accidental middleman roles, the freebie traps, and the discount debacles. From those failures, I've discovered my true calling - serving as a strategic data partner for early-stage and scaling mobile app companies, especially in e-commerce and gaming. No more scattered as a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of tailored, data-driven growth strategies for this industry, or as I want to call it, “Data Operation Partner”. My future services will directly tackle common pain points I've witnessed. From conducting workshops to define clear goals and KPIs, to assessing ROI and maximizing data investments, to optimizing pipelines for reduced costs - it's all about empowering clients to leverage their data for strategic growth and operational excellence. Many companies struggle with high data costs and transforming insights into smart decision-making. My customized, data-driven solutions will cut through that chaos. Comprehensive health checks to uncover opportunities. Collaborative sessions with key stakeholders like CEOs, CDOs, and product teams to ensure seamless integration and measurable impact. While my niche will crystallize in mobile/e-commerce, I know my expertise can translate across industries like healthcare, finance, and retail - anywhere data insights drive sustainable growth and elevate the customer experience. This freelance journey has been priceless in lessons learned. From over-committing to undervaluing my work, I now emerge with a sharpened skillset, clarified mission, and belief in providing exceptional value through strategic data partnership. Here's to using past missteps as stepping stones toward freelance mastery. May we all find the humor in our freshman freelancing flubs while using them as fuel for future success. I can't wait to begin this new chapter! I will finish with Simon Sinek and start with WHY, which I hope you all know because this is exactly what we freelancers need to focus on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA&ab_channel=TEDxTalks&embedable=true Avoid rookie freelance blunders - read my hard-earned wisdom and level up your freelance game! Any tips I have forgotten? What lessons have you learned during your career?

Confessions of a Freelancer: 5 Mistakes I Won't Repeat

একজন ফ্রিল্যান্সারের স্বীকারোক্তি: 5টি ভুল আমি পুনরাবৃত্তি করব না

Geständnisse eines Freelancers: 5 Fehler, die ich nicht wiederholen werde

Confesiones de un autónomo: 5 errores que no repetiré

Confessions d'un pigiste : 5 erreurs que je ne répéterai pas

एक फ्रीलांसर की स्वीकारोक्ति: 5 गलतियाँ जो मैं नहीं दोहराऊंगा

フリーランサーの告白: 二度と繰り返したくない5つのミス

프리랜서의 고백: 반복하지 않을 5가지 실수

Confissões de um freelancer: 5 erros que não vou repetir

Признания фрилансера: 5 ошибок, которые я не повторю

Bir Freelancerın İtirafları: Tekrarlamayacağım 5 Hata

Lời thú nhận của một Freelancer: 5 sai lầm tôi sẽ không lặp lại

自由职业者的告白：我不会重复的 5 个错误

Hey, Hackers. Here, I will share how you can solve 50+ marketing tasks with a single click. is a tool I and my business partner created for ourselves, but after we made it public, thousands of people use it every week. Aiter.io First, how it started. ChatGPT helped me a lot with marketing work but at some point in time, I faced these problems: If I need to launch many different campaigns, I get stuck in with AI. boring ping-pong chat and strategy models, I needed to spend at least half an hour to get everything needed. To experiment with different types of ads As a result, I asked my friend to run a script that used some advanced prompt-management methods to deliver the marketing stuff required. After showing the tool and getting positive feedback, we made public. By far, it helped 50k people. So, maybe it can help you too. Aiter.io How Aiter Boosts Your Marketing. Ads Tailored to Your Product for LinkedIn, Google, Instagram, and Facebook Campaigns The algorithm is pretty easy – just insert a URL of your product and get ads and content tailored to your brand. For example, here are need-specific ads Aiter generated for HackerNoon: Also, you can get need-specific ads (JTBD) or ads that target different customer objections. It delivers for Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, and Instagram. The cool thing is to use the proposed ads to find a data-driven and powerful brand message for you. For example, you can leverage a data-driven way to define which customer is the most profitable to target in your messaging. The algorithm is: Generate ten unique need-specific ads for your product. Launch all of them targeting the same audience. Spread your budget evenly, so that each ad receives an equal number of views. The ad with the highest conversion rate and CTR appeals to your audience the most. Use it as the main point in your brand positioning and product management. Voila! The same principle works for barrier-specific ads that target customer pains and objections. They are especially good for retargeting. Another topic is the strategy features. Defining Your Marketing Strategy With Aiter Another feature our customers often use is strategy ideas generation. With Aiter, you can easily define the key customer needs or Jobs To Be Done, customer objections, and user persona. Also, you can get ideas for your positioning and value proposition. These are the major blocks for your marketing campaigns. For example, you can run an A/B test on your website using value propositions Aiter wrote for your brand. As a result, you can greatly increase the conversion of your landing page. Another good stuff is testing which customer barrier stops them from buying your product the most. You can take the ones Aiter provided and write your objection on your landing or payment page. Another approach is to use them to modify your sales script, which is highly effective. For example, here is the list of value propositions which Aiter generated for HackerNoon: What You Can Achieve for Your Marketing With Just a Click With Aiter: In a nutshell: we built a very robust and simple tool that saves your time and gets sh*t done: Get different kinds of ads, like need- or objection-targeted, for major marketing channels, like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Look at your messaging and audience from more angles by using the strategy tool. It generates marketing persona, value propositions, positioning hypotheses, customer needs, and barriers analysis. Generate content to promote your product, like YouTube ad scripts, social media posts, or blogs. has a free version – feel free to try and provide your feedback in the comments. We will be happy to implement it, as well if it helps you achieve your goals. Cheers! Aiter.io

How to Save Time on Marketing: 50+ Tasks Done With a Click 

মার্কেটিং-এ কীভাবে সময় বাঁচানো যায়: এক ক্লিকে 50+ টাস্ক সম্পন্ন

So sparen Sie Zeit im Marketing: Über 50 Aufgaben mit einem Klick erledigt

Cómo ahorrar tiempo en marketing: más de 50 tareas realizadas con un clic

Comment gagner du temps sur le marketing : plus de 50 tâches effectuées en un clic

मार्केटिंग पर समय कैसे बचाएं: एक क्लिक से 50+ कार्य पूरे

マーケティングの時間を節約する方法: 50 以上のタスクを 1 クリックで完了

마케팅 시간을 절약하는 방법: 클릭 한 번으로 완료되는 50개 이상의 작업

Como economizar tempo em marketing: mais de 50 tarefas realizadas com um clique

Как сэкономить время на маркетинге: более 50 задач, выполняемых одним щелчком мыши

Pazarlamada Zamandan Nasıl Tasarruf Edilir: Bir Tıklamayla 50'den Fazla Görev Tamamlanır

Cách tiết kiệm thời gian tiếp thị: Hơn 50 nhiệm vụ được thực hiện chỉ bằng một cú nhấp chuột

如何节省营销时间：只需点击一下即可完成 50 多项任务

This is the 13-year journey that resulted in , a different approach to password management. Here goes articles[0] of articles.length == 2. Neulock Part I It was back in 2011. was still movie material; people communicated using monochromatic doodle faces instead of Pepe the Frog and Shiba Inu doges, and Daenerys Targaryen was the little girl who made the barbaric Khal Drogo find love. Contagion It was then that Google Chrome first made that offer. Do you want Google Chrome to save your password for this site? Save this password? Is that a thing browsers do now? Wow, thanks, Chrome, that’s so convenient! Come to think of it, I type most passwords on a web browser, so this looks like a great place to save them. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen? Chrome is a program installed on my computer. computer! I’m a seasoned Debian Linux power user, and nowhere in the universe is there a safer place than my hard drive! MY Sure, Chrome, go ahead. Save this password, and the next one, and every password I type in your input fields. Deception Until I bought another computer. After ditching the pre-installed Windows for whatever Linux distro I fancied at the time, the next thing to do was install Chrome. Firefox Quantum was still six years away, so there wasn’t much choice. Sign in with your Google account? Sure, why not? Let’s go check Facebook or whatever, and… hey, do you remember my username, Chrome? All right, let’s sign in to Facebook. Wait, why is the password field already filled in with asterisks? No, dear Chrome, this must be a bug, I’ve just bought this computer, your local database is pristine. You’ll realize your mistake once I click the login button. And… I’m in? I went to check Chrome settings immediately. What I saw only increased my horror. All the websites and usernames I had been saving were there, on a list. Plaintext passwords were only a click away. Two expectations had been broken. The first and most important thing is that I never expected Chrome to upload my passwords to Google’s servers without asking for consent. They asked me to my passwords, not to share them! save The second expectation was wishful thinking on my part. Shame on me. Google is one of the coolest tech companies in the world, and its engineers are supposed to be geniuses doing the impossible between ping-pong matches at the Googleplex. I thought Chrome was storing my passwords in some super-secure fashion and only retrieving each password at the right time to inject it like a ninja in the precise input field where it belonged. I didn’t expect to see them all in plaintext. And I wasn’t the only one who was shocked. ”. In a further discussion, Justin Schuh, Chrome’s chief of security, in a rather arrogant manner. Sir Tim Berners-Lee took Kember’s side, calling Chrome’s password manager “ .” Elliott Kember called Chrome’s password security “insane just shrugged it off a way to get your big sister’s passwords After this experience, I never got myself to trust any password manager, even though I knew it was better than confabulating weird passwords in my stupid human head. But, as we say in Brazil, a dog who’s been bitten by a snake fears even sausages. It doesn’t make more sense in Portuguese. A better password manager I spent the next ten years wandering in the desert of password insecurity. I was longing for a better password manager, but all of them seemed to follow the same principle: bundle up all your passwords in a “vault,” encrypt it with your master key and upload this vault to their cloud servers. I could never trust this model. Are they implementing end-to-end encryption, right? Is there a “key recovery” backdoor waiting to be exploited? Or maybe Justin Schuh was right after all: your passwords are “trivially recovered” from any application that stores them, and attempts to make passwords harder to leak are “all just theater.” In this sense, trying to safeguard your passwords any further than trusting a password manager was a novice fool’s errand. In 2019, I landed in the IT Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil. There, I shadowed the CTO and . I learned a great deal from him and took over after he left. Cybersecurity was always on the agenda since that Ministry produced about 80% of all classified information in the Brazilian Federal government, and its operations were spread over 240 locations in all habitable continents. We were constantly targeted by the world’s scariest acronyms, so we needed to keep our guard up at all times. Over those years, through constant exposure to problems in different domains of cybersecurity, I started to put together principles for a better password manager. tech guru Fabio Cereda Principle #0: all cryptography is broken or eventually will get broken There was a museum of diplomatic communications where I worked. It was full of code books, cast-iron cipher machines, suitcase-portable dish antennas, TELEX adapters, and a few specimens of . It was a showcase of one and a half-century of secret communications between the headquarters and Brazilian embassies and diplomatic missions abroad. All of them relied on some sort of crypto to hold the secrets. All of that crypto is now broken. the infamous Crypto AG C-52 machine If you think about a password manager, the fact that all crypto will eventually get broken isn’t scary. Let’s say it takes, on average, 15 years to break a cryptographic protocol. Just change your passwords every couple of years, and you’ll be fine. A decent password manager should upgrade its crypto every now and then so you’ll always stay ahead of the curve. The scary part is that it’s impossible to know if a protocol has been broken already. Or worse, if it was designed with an intentional, hidden vulnerability, as was the case with the Crypto AG machine. Intelligence agencies and cybercriminal organizations keep their zero-days under the radar for as long as they can. The more I saw last-gen, corporate-grade security systems leaking secret information, sometimes in catastrophically spectacular manners, the less I trusted the vault model employed by all cloud-based password managers. Until very recently, these concerns were merely theoretical. As , fellow hackernooner @hossam26644 wrote There is nothing wrong with using Google’s password manager, Microsoft, Apple, 1password, Bitwarden, or whatever. People have been using them for long, with zero problems till now. He was right on July 25th, 2022. He didn’t trust any of them, though, and he was right again. One year later, there was compelling evidence that and people losing money. Over 150 people, over $35 million in money. the notorious LastPass leaks were resulting in some high-value vaults getting cracked A common misconception is that for an encrypted vault to be cracked, the itself would need to be compromised. LastPass has reminded us how much easier it is to break encryption. AES stands strong, but LastPass made poor implementation decisions: too short master key requirements, too few iterations, and some users were left with vaults that were easily crackable by brute force. AES algorithm Principle #1: logistics are often the weakest security link Government cryptanalysts knew Principle #0 all too well. They are some of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met, and few of them would put money on something protected by cryptography alone. The most wary of them insisted on the use of a for critically secure communications. In fact, they put this requirement in the regulations for the transmission and storage of top-secret documents. One-Time Pad (OTP) In principle, an OTP cypher cannot be broken. It is a simple XOR operation of the plaintext (the data) and a buffer of random values of the same length as the data (the OTP key). By XOR’ing the cipher against the same key again, the plaintext is recovered. Although unbreakable from a cryptanalysis standpoint, the OTP has several inconveniences: Each OTP key can never be reused; An OTP key must be at least as long as the plaintext; The key is symmetrical and must be pre-shared between the sending and the receiving parties. For a worldwide organization, supplying every office with OTP keys is a large ongoing logistical operation. Even worse, it’s the Achilles’ heel of the whole security model! Because, for all of OTP’s crypto-awesomeness to hold true, you need logistics, both in-transit and at-rest. perfect Should Eve intercept your OTP keys while on the road to the destination? All your communications from that point on are compromised. Should Eve physically crack your safe room and steal your OTP key media? All your comms from that point on are compromised, and maybe even your previous ones, if used portions of the key had not been properly erased from the media. If you implement OTP keys as 1 GB chunks of random bytes that get consumed as you send information, it clearly lacks both and backward secrecy. forward In the end, the perfect crypto is a way to shift responsibility from the cybersecurity team to the physical security team. And a similar problem affects offline password managers: they trade-off availability for confidentiality, leaving you with a logistical mess to sort out. As anyone running a local copy of knows, you need to backup your vault. This backup had better be external in case your computer storage dies. You need to keep your backup up-to-date. And make sure nobody has access to it. And don’t keep them all in your house, lest they fall prey to flood and fire. And don’t upload them to Google Drive; otherwise, you’re not using an offline password manager anymore. And… KeePass Principle #2: when a user device is compromised, it’s game over One day, my boss called me. She wanted to share a PDF with ten people from the upper echelon. This information should remain in their eyes only for three days. She knew that they had incentives to share this document with their respective teams to get a head start. This sort of information should be presented in person, but covid. So, she asked me to make this PDF impossible to copy and share. — Can’t be done, I replied. My boss was an Ambassador. This is the diplomatic equivalent of a General. Ambassadors aren’t used to hearing “no” as an answer. I patiently explained that, in computer science, when you give someone read permission to a resource, you implicitly give them permission to copy and distribute. Information access rights don’t obey legal rights. Even if we somehow made it inconvenient to share the file, they could just take pictures of their screens with their phones and share them over WhatsApp. If they can see the document on the screen, so can their cameras. Justin Schuh was right. If someone gains full access to your computer (or phone), they have full access to the information that you, the user, can access through that device. He’s right, but that doesn’t excuse him for implementing such a lousy password manager on Chrome. For a password manager, it means that protecting the user's device is always critical. If the server leaks, the attackers still need to go through the challenge of cracking the vaults. But if a hacker gains complete ownership over the computer running the password manager client, there’s nothing stopping them from stealing all passwords. This happens quite often in the crypto community. User Alice has a few dozen BTC, which makes her a millionaire. She has been doxxed or never hid her identity in the first place. She keeps a copy of her seed phrase in a local password manager on her desktop. “This is not a cloud password manager; I’m safe from leaks,” she thinks. Hackers find a way to make her install a backdoor to her computer. If they’re really good, they can do this without user interaction. The next morning, she wakes up to an empty wallet. For all the doom and gloom about user device compromise, there’s a silver lining: protecting our own devices, as users, is something that’s within our control. A server leak is not. The 150+ people who lost millions to the LastPass server leak bore no responsibility for the leaks or for LastPass implementing inadequate encryption standards. If user device compromise is a catastrophic attack vector no matter the password manager security model, and if we, as users, must protect our devices anyway, wouldn’t it be nice if this were attack vector? If we could build an password manager where no secrets ever leave the user devices so that users don’t need to worry about things out of their control, like server security and AES implementation details? the only online The ingredients are on the table Fellow author @hossam26644 continued, : “maybe I am a security freak, but I don’t want to trust my passwords to an entity, regardless of their promises &/reputation”. He’s right again. Cybersecurity is supposed to be proven and auditable, not based on trust and reputation. on his article The three principles outlined above guided my development of . It took me three years of ideation and iterations to arrive at its current form: an auditable cloud-based password manager that achieves zero knowledge by design and not through encryption. Passwords are synced across user devices using the cloud, but no secrets ever leave these devices. Cloud server compromises cannot leak any secrets because secrets never reach the cloud. Neulock Password Manager The three years of the making of Neulock will be documented in Part II.

Chrome Password Manager Betrayed My Trust 13 Years Ago. I Never Forgot

13 বছর আগে Chrome পাসওয়ার্ড ম্যানেজার আমার বিশ্বাসের সাথে বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা করেছে। আমি কখনই ভুলিনি।

Der Chrome Password Manager hat mein Vertrauen vor 13 Jahren missbraucht. Ich habe es nie vergessen.

Chrome Password Manager traicionó mi confianza hace 13 años. Nunca olvidé.

Le gestionnaire de mots de passe Chrome a trahi ma confiance il y a 13 ans. Je n'ai jamais oublié.

क्रोम पासवर्ड मैनेजर ने 13 साल पहले मेरे भरोसे को धोखा दिया। मैं कभी नहीं भूला.

Chrome パスワード マネージャーは 13 年前に私の信頼を裏切りました。私は決して忘れませんでした。

Chrome 비밀번호 관리자가 13년 전에 내 신뢰를 배신했습니다. 나는 결코 잊지 않았다.

O gerenciador de senhas do Chrome traiu minha confiança há 13 anos. Eu nunca esqueci.

Менеджер паролей Chrome предал мое доверие 13 лет назад. Я никогда не забывал.

Chrome Şifre Yöneticisi 13 Yıl Önce Güvenime İhanet Etti. Hiç unutmadım.

Trình quản lý mật khẩu Chrome đã phản bội lòng tin của tôi 13 năm trước Tôi không bao giờ quên.

Chrome 密码管理器 13 年前背叛了我的信任。我从未忘记。

Don't get me wrong, I adore a long hike, a damn good glass of wine, and snuggling with my kid during storytime (I don’t have one yet, but I’ve heard it’s the best thing that will ever happen to you, so I'm looking forward to it). But this cult of "work-life balance"...it makes my skin crawl. Like some cosmic accountant is tallying my joy points and yelling, "Not enough 'life' in your ledger, buddy!" The image of perfectly compartmentalized life, neatly sliced into work hours and blissful non-work...well, it's delusional. Real life? It's messy, exhilarating, and occasionally kicks you square in the teeth. That's not a bug; it's the best (and worst) feature. Let's stop chasing shadows and get brutally honest. The sooner we dump the "balance" baggage, the sooner we can craft a life that actually – spikes of intensity and joyful downtime included. works "Balance" - The Great Productivity Killer The problem with balance is this: It assumes focus happens in neat little chunks. An hour here for a Zoom call, an hour there for that spreadsheet...sound familiar? Here's a newsflash: your brain hates this fragmented crap. Science backs it up. See "flow" – that glorious state where time blurs, the world recedes, and you're crushing it – craves deep dives, not surface-level skimming. But building momentum to get into flow, takes space and focused time. Not the chopped-up mess we're sold as "balanced productivity." Think of those days stuck in meetings, email ping-pong, and constant, pointless context switching. It's not about hours worked; it's about intensity diluted, focus shattered. This isn’t work-life balance; it's a recipe for mediocre output and soul-crushing frustration. Beyond Balance – Mastering the Rhythm But, if balance is a myth, what actually works? Think less about a seesaw and more about an epic drum solo. There's power in those bursts of intensity, the crashes of focus. You know those sessions where an idea clicks, where work takes on a life of its own? Those are the moments you need to double down. Let your schedule serve the work, not the other way around. But drums without a pause…that's just noise. It's in the silence that the rhythm gains power. So, those "downtime" moments everyone tells you to feel guilty about? Consider these alternative possibilities: Deep rest isn’t about weakness, it's cognitive refueling. Your brain does vital background processing during "offline" time. A change of scenery can be a creative supercharger. A museum visit or a bike ride – it could spark the solution you've been agonizing over. Indulging in something utterly pointless has merit. That trashy novel/TV show? Let it reset your mental palate. It might make space for brilliance the next workday. This rhythm of intense-focus/deep-rest, it's dynamic, messy, and way more potent than bland "balance." Permission to be Selfish Newsflash: your worth isn't measured in chore charts and perfectly split 50/50 parenting. This "equal distribution" idea sounds noble, but it ignores the glorious chaos of our unique strengths and the realities of ebbs and flows. There'll be seasons where you lean hard into work, passion exploding, deadlines whizzing by. Your partner might pick up more slack at home, not because they're a martyr, but because they believe in what you're building. Then it shifts, and that energy flows the other way – it's a fluid dance, not an accountant's balance sheet. Same goes for internal prioritization. Some days, the gym just won't happen; a crisis takes precedence. And you know what? That's okay. Obsessing over the "shoulds" misses the point. Give yourself the radical grace to make today’s call as needed. No self-flagellation necessary. ...Let's be real, will there be some logistical juggling and communication breakdowns in all this? Hell yeah. But wouldn't you rather navigate those hiccups than carry the constant, low-grade guilt of failing to live up to an unattainable balance? Tools & Tactics for the Anti-Balancer Designate chunks of time where you are ruthless about distractions. No email pings, no "quick chats." This is your zone; defend it fiercely. Experiment with the length that works for you – maybe it's 90 minutes on, a 30-minute break, then back in. The Focus Block: Life's gonna throw admin, errands, and "low-stakes" tasks at you. Lump these together to minimize disruption. Have an "Admin Hour" where you power through the tedium, freeing up larger mental spaces for meaningful work. Batch the Bullsh*t: Our brains crave cues. Mark the start and end of your workday with a specific action. It could be a dedicated workspace, a special mug for work hours, or a brisk walk to mentally "commute" – anything that signals to your brain "focus time" or "chill zone activated." Ritualize Transitions: Just as you schedule work bursts, protect restorative chunks. Even 20 minutes of true downtime adds up. Visualize unbroken streaks of self-care on a calendar – it gets addictive in the best way. "Don't Break the Chain" for Rest: If you live/work with others, this isn’t going to happen solo. Explain your need for focus blocks, and negotiate how you'll navigate shared responsibilities. It won't be flawless, but ditching the resentment of unspoken expectations is half the battle. Communicate Your Rhythm: Beware the Balance Backlash A word of caution, anti-balancers – don't let this turn into a glorification of burnout. You hear folks bragging about "the hustle," about all-nighters as some badge of honor. Nope. That's just bad management with fancy branding. Here's the difference: Feeds on external validation, relentless to the point of harm. Hustle Culture: Serves your deeper goals and is balanced by deep replenishment. Intentional Intensity: You know when you're crossing the line – the body and brain will send signals. Respect them; that's self-preservation, not weakness. The Wisdom of Seasons We're obsessed with linearity – growth charts, career ladders, everything measured in a relentless upward crawl. But nature does her finest work in cycles, in bursts and retreats. It's okay for our lives to mirror that. We can have bursts of intensity, followed by alternative priorities/rest in both the micro and the macro. There'll be seasons of outrageous output, fueled by passion or simple necessity. Then come the fallow periods, seeming "unproductive" by external standards. But something's brewing beneath the surface: ideas cross-pollinating, energy stores rebuilt. Trust this process. Think of this rhythm overlaid over a lifespan: Your 20s might be fueled by exploration, by bursts of intense learning balanced with the messiness of finding your footing. Your 40s could be marked by focused execution, where the foundation you built allows for bigger swings. Later years might prioritize different legacies – mentorship and creative freedom that wouldn't have been possible in the head-down scramble. Reject society's timeline telling you it should all happen concurrently. Each phase has a distinct beauty, a different kind of "balance" unfolding over decades, not hours on a clock. Redefining Success If balance is a mirage, what do we measure our lives against? Here's where it gets personal and rebellious: Not about output, but how often you lose yourself joyfully in the of creation. Moments of Flow: act How many commitments spark genuine excitement, versus dragging you down with obligation? The "Hell Yeah" Test: Not about degrees, but the curiosity that survives when nobody's grading you. Learning as Lifeblood: Do you make something, teach something, or spark something bigger than your individual career climb? Legacy Beyond Self: Can you be fully present, truly vulnerable, with those who matter most? Depth in Connection: Let's be brutally honest – most of these won't fit neatly into some productivity spreadsheet. Because here's the thing: life's too short for bland "balance." The moments that spark your soul, the work that sets you on fire, the connections that leave you breathless – these defy neat categorization. It's in the dynamic tension, the willingness to embrace the unexpected, that we find the damn good life. Think about it: that feeling when you get lost in a creative project, time blurring at the edges. Or the deep satisfaction after a challenging workout. Or the belly laugh with a friend that leaves you feeling lighter than air. These are the moments that give life texture, that make it worth living. The nine-to-five, the perfectly scheduled weekend – those are just the backdrop. Let's get to it, shall we? Have a great weekend! Scott Also published here

Work-Life Balance? Yeah, That's for Losers

কাজ জীবনের ভারসাম্য? হ্যাঁ, এটা পরাজিতদের জন্য

Work-Life-Balance? Ja, das ist für Verlierer

¿Equilibrio trabajo-vida? Sí, eso es para perdedores.

L'équilibre travail-vie? Ouais, c'est pour les perdants

कार्य संतुलन? हाँ, यह हारने वालों के लिए है

仕事と生活のバランス？そう、それは敗者のためのものだ

일과 삶의 균형? 응, 그건 패자를 위한 거야

Equilíbrio entre vida pessoal e profissional? Sim, isso é para perdedores

Баланс между работой и личной жизнью? Да, это для неудачников

İş yaşam dengesi? Evet, bu Kaybedenler için

Cân bằng cuộc sống công việc? Vâng, đó là dành cho người thua cuộc

工作与生活的平衡？是的，这是给失败者的

Marco stepped into the office, immediately feeling like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. The open-concept space was flooded with sunlight, ping pong tables, and young employees lounging on colorful beanbag chairs. Marco was used to the cold sterility of cubicles and stale office air. But this company prided itself on its “fun” and “collaborative” environment. As Marco navigated the maze of cluttered desks and exposed brick walls, he felt the eyes of hoodie-clad programmers following him. They sized him up like an algorithm calculating complexity. Marco was the oldest one here, wearing pants and dress shoes instead of jeans and sneakers. He stuck out like a verbose error message in elegant code. Finally, Marco arrived at his desk, a small oasis of order in the controlled chaos. His manager, Shirley, welcomed him with a warm smile. She handed Marco a sleek laptop and reassured him that he would pick up in no time, even after years of using Java. Marco felt relieved by her confidence in him. Shirley gave him a simple bug to fix, saying it was a gentle ramp for his first day. TypeScript Eager to start, Marco stood up quickly, raising the laptop, but his shin slammed into the corner of a nearby coffee table. Marco lurched forward, fumbling to keep control of the computer. As Marco regained his composure, he looked up and noticed a large ficus plant blocking half his view of the distracting open office layout. He felt a wave of relief knowing he had some privacy to focus on his work, separated from the energetic chaos around him. Marco settled in at his new desk, hidden partially behind the large ficus plant. He opened up his editor and started reviewing the simple bug Shirley had assigned. Being new to TypeScript, Marco inspected each line carefully, trying to understand the logic and structure. After about an hour of investigating, Marco thought he had found the source of the issue. A function was passing the wrong type of argument to another function, causing it to error out. He logged the offending lines and files. Eager to report his finding, Marco stood up triumphantly and navigated back through the maze of desks to find Shirley. “I think I’ve solved it!” Marco exclaimed as he approached Shirley. He excitedly explained what he had discovered in the code. However, Shirley didn’t seem as thrilled. “Let me take a look,” she said, gesturing for Marco’s laptop. She scrolled through the code Marco had flagged. “Hmm, it does look wrong structurally since TypeScript is expecting the arguments to match. But this code is quite legacy - it was written back when we were using plain JavaScript.” Shirley navigated to the test files. “And yet, all the tests are still passing. So it must be working as intended somehow.” She turned back to Marco with an apologetic look. “The code is a bit messy since it predates our TypeScript conversion. But I guess types don’t always tell the full story.” Marco deflated a little, embarrassed by his premature diagnosis. “I see, that makes sense. Coming from Java, I’m used to strict types being followed. But TypeScript has structural typing whereas Java uses nominal, right?” Shirley nodded encouragingly. “Exactly. You’ll get the hang of it. Don’t feel bad - asking questions is how we all learn. Next bug might be more straightforward!” The next morning, Marco entered the office wearing a casual button-down shirt and jeans. He felt he had found a better balance between his usual attire and that of his younger colleagues. After getting settled at his desk, it was time for the daily standup meeting. The team gathered around a large screen displaying their kanban board. Marco saw that the bug was already assigned to him and situated in the “Investigate” column. As the scrum master called on people one-by-one, Marco mentally prepared what he would report. When his turn came, he began, “For the bug I’m working on, yesterday I…” But the scrum master gently interrupted, “Marco, there’s no need to over-explain. A simple status update is sufficient.” Marco paused, feeling embarrassed. “You’re right, my apologies. For now, no update - I’m still investigating.” The smiled warmly. “No worries at all. Just keep us posted if you have any questions. Next up is Sam…” scrum master Marco realized he didn’t need to justify or defend. This team valued brevity and progress over lengthy explanations. He was still adjusting to their collaborative workflow. The following day, Marco arrived at the standup meeting feeling enthusiastic. When his turn came around, he confidently reported, “I have good news - the bug is fixed! All the tests are passing and I’m ready for my next task.” The scrum master nodded approvingly. “Great work Marco. We’ll update the board after standup. Any other status updates?” She continued on to the next teammate. After the meeting concluded, Marco returned eagerly to his desk. As he navigated through the desks and furniture, he instinctively gave the troublesome coffee table a wide berth. It seemed he was already getting accustomed to potential hazards in this unconventional workspace. Two sprints zipped by like scenes in a fast-forwarded movie. Marco’s confidence grew with each ticket he nudged from ‘To do’ to ‘Done’. The sunlit office became familiar territory, and those ping pong matches? Let’s just say he wasn’t the rookie anymore. The open-concept office wasn’t just tables and chairs. Here and there, patches of lush green grass dotted the walls, bringing a touch of nature indoors and making for a chic, sustainable design element. Tasha made her way to one of those patches, her strides purposeful, but her intentions unclear. As she got closer, she suddenly leaned in and lightly bumped her forehead against the soft grass. The grass flattened a bit, and she came away with some soil on her forehead. Wiping it off and smirking, she said to Marco, “Some days, you just need a wall.” Marco raised an eyebrow, the trace of a smile on his lips. “Rough day?” Tasha rolled her eyes, groaning. “You have no idea. I’ve been staring at this bug for hours. It’s a mismatch somewhere between the data type and the function, but I can’t pin it down.” “Want to walk me through it?” Marco offered, motioning to the empty chair next to him. Tasha hesitated for a moment, then nodded, pulling up a chair. “Alright, so here’s the deal. This function,” she pointed to a block of code, “expects a number, but for some bizarre reason, it’s receiving a string instead.” Marco leaned in, scanning the code, “Did you check the API response?” “Yes, and it’s sending the correct data type,” Tasha replied, exasperated. “Hmm,” Marco murmured, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk. “Wait a minute. This looks… familiar.” He frowned, memories of his first day flickering in his mind. “What do you mean?” A flicker of recognition passed through Marco’s eyes. Without a word, he quickly navigated through some files. Tasha could feel a glimmer of hope; his determination was palpable. Maybe he had a clue to the solution. After a few minutes, which felt longer to both of them, Marco pulled up the commit history. He scrolled to the day he first joined, looking for the bug he’d fixed. The file names, the diff, and the code changes all flashed before his eyes, but nothing seemed to stand out. Tasha tried to offer a hint, “Maybe it’s in another repo? Or could it be a library issue?” Marco’s brow furrowed. “No, it was right here. I remember fixing something so similar.” He hesitated, second-guessing himself. After another prolonged moment, he sighed, admitting to himself that his memory was failing him. “We’ll have to find the root cause again,” he muttered, feeling a bit deflated but determined. Diving back into the code, Marco and Tasha embarked on a debugging journey together. While the memories of Marco’s first day aided the process, making it smoother than his initial struggle, the challenge remained. They ran tests, checked the data flow, and scrutinized every line. With each failed attempt, the weight of frustration grew. Hours felt like minutes, and as the sunlight started to wane, Marco’s eyes widened. “There it is!” He exclaimed, pointing to a deprecated method that was the root cause. Tasha leaned in, squinting at the code, her face lighting up with realization. With the problem identified, Marco chuckled, “Is there a ‘wtf’ Slack-channel or something for these kinds of discoveries?” Tasha shook her head, “No, but we should definitely have one.” Not missing a beat, Marco created the channel, promptly typing up a succinct summary of their hard-won discovery. As he hit send, Tasha replied to the message with a smirk, “Guess everyone has their type of wall, huh?” [The next part of the story is ] Code That Cleans Itself: A Journey into Automated Refactoring

Debugging Déjà Vu: A Story of Forgotten Fixes

Let's learn about via these 26 free stories. They are ordered by most time reading created on HackerNoon. Visit the to find the most read stories about any technology. Humor /Learn Repo 1. A Christmas Story: Using DevOps to Streamline Gift Delivery at the North Pole The first breakthrough came when they switched Elf-driven production into automated pipelines. 2. Fun at Work Matters: Building a Company Culture Having non-productive fun with colleagues at work is a great way of relaxing during work and getting to know the team. 3. Apply These 3 Secret Techniques To Be Amazing At Everything Photo by Guillaume de Germain, Unsplash 4. SHIB is a Martian Currency One thing Elon likes … It’s mind expansion. 5. Humor at the Heart Sharing some fun times at a cool place to work for body, soul and sanity. 6. 6 Surefire Ways To Suck At Maintaining Projects Do you want to ensure that working with your repo is a constant source of frustration for your fellow developers? Read on for some awful tips. 7. Interviewing in San Francisco: 3 Bizarre Short Stories ☝️Real Toilet from a Co-working Space in SF—On Finding my cultural fit in San Francisco... 8. Is Dogecoin Headed to Twitter, The Moon, or Throughout The Universe? The direction of dogecoin in 2022. Rito Rhymes explains his experiences with tipping on Twitter and shares knowledge of various parts of its growing eco-system. 9. Use Naming to Make People Laugh in Our Post-Apocalyptic Zoom World Seeing the funny side of team names and why they may be more beneficial, at the risk of appearing less professional. 10. What I've Learned from our Golden Retriever What humanities “best friend” has to teach us. 11. I Wish I Never Learned to Code I write code for a living. You might say I’m a professional software engineer, but really software engineering is much more than just a profession — it’s a lifestyle. The hoodies, the ping pong, the endless snacks and soda… it’s all true. And yet, as rewarding as this field can be, I have a confession to make: 12. Fictitious Works Disclaimer Notice: If You Have to Use One, Use This One A “Works of Fiction Disclaimer” that embodies the concept of having some entertainment value in addition to its desired “suitability to purpose”: 13. How to Build Your own Rick-roll URL Shortener App Step by step guide on how to make your own url shortener. This wil help you understand how to integrate APIs. 14. Russian Politicians Want To Take Back Alaska…and Other AI-Generated Jokes A fun, quick summary of recent research around ML-generated humor and why everyone should be watching this space. Laugh, earthlings. 15. How to Distribute Kittens the Computer Network Protocol Way (Hacker Humor) How would finding a new home for a kitten look like if it were done in a computer network protocol way? 16. My Dog Wants To Be Tokenized, How Could I Do It? If you want to understand tokenization, start with your dog. 17. The Best (and Worst) Punny Jokes Only Data Scientists Will Understand For the first KDnuggets post on Hacker Noon, we bring you a lighter fare of very nerdy computer humor from the series of self-referential jokes started on Twitter earlier this week. Here are some of our favorites. If you do understand all of the jokes, then you congratulate yourself on having excellent knowledge of Data Science and Machine Learning! If you have actually laughed at 2 or more jokes, then you have earned MS in Computer Humor! If you just smirked, you probably have a Ph.D. And I have a great joke about AGI, but it will be ready in 10 years. Enjoy, and if you have more, add them in comments below! Yann LeCun, @ylecun 18. I'm Javascript: And I'm Done Taking Your Shit Alright, douchebag! You think you can go on the Internet — the house that I built — and talk smack about me? You thought I wouldn't know every time you and your hipster buddies on r/programming traded upvotes at my expense? What did you think you were using when typing out your little tweet about "Javascript Fatigue"? Yeah, that's right... me! 19. How to Achieve $9.99 MRR After Just 7 Years It's been a really long ride at Cloakist. 20. I Want to Know How Tall Everyone is Since We are a Remote Company Our Podcast Manager Amy Tom hopped on Slack to learn more about her remote colleagues. This is the conversation that ensued... 21. 25 Best Gaming Memes that Will Make Any Gamer LOL Memes are a great way to relieve stress after a long day of gaming. Here are the 25 best gaming memes that will make any gamer laugh. 22. Is Pisces the Dumbest Star Sign? What does it take to get your article rejected by Hackernoon? A behind-the-scenes thread where our editors share their thoughts about ill-fated star signs. 23. Polyfills: everything you ever wanted to know, or maybe a bit less The browser world we live in today is pretty great. You can use promises and fetch and arrow functions and const and let — all the hip new gear — and it will work in every major browser. No polyfills, no transpiling, it will Just Work. 24. The incredible story of Deft Every few years, a fresh banana peel is dropped by well-meaning experts. 25. A guide to cross-browser testing: installing all the things So, you’ve written a website. Your carefully crafted HTML, CSS and JavaScript sits waiting to be sucked through the ether into the wild world of browsers. 26. You might not need if statements: a better approach to branching logic What a ridiculous title, of course you need if statements. Thank you for checking out the 26 most read stories about Humor on HackerNoon. to find the most read stories about any technology. Visit the /Learn Repo

26 Stories To Learn About Humor

The past few months have been filled with more and more news about AI. Maybe a little bit too much even. But whether you believe AI to be the next fad and put it in line with crypto and NFTs or think that it is the biggest invention and threat in human history: It is here to stay. So while students have been using it to write their thesis (and got in trouble for it), a lot of builders out there have started to utilize AI to kickstart their ideas. Effectively using AI to quickly ideate, build, and iterate. The speed at which this is happening would have been absolutely unimaginable just mere months ago. Now, all of it is possible. And just one click away. However, leveraging AI for product development and management brings both benefits and potential drawbacks. With thousands of new products surfacing in just the past months, it is also easy to get lost, lose track, and be overwhelmed with the given options. But there are some tools and use cases that you should definitely spend some time on. Using AI to Build a New Business You want to start a company, but don’t have an idea? Well, not anymore. AI serves as a powerful tool for entrepreneurs looking to ideate and create new products. And especially for someone going through the product life cycle from start to finish for the first time, AI can provide a lot of step-by-step guides to get started. 1. Use ChatGPT as a Starting Point for Your Ideation: It’s always hard to start with a blank canvas, especially when you have no idea what type of product you even want to build. ChatGPT can be a good starting point when you know how to use it. In order to find interesting niches and markets, you could ask what types of markets have been growing in the past years. It will immediately generate a list and you can just keep the conversation going from there. Pick a market, then ask ChatGPT to provide some niche ideas and target groups, and it will come up with some ideas for you. For example, I prompted ChatGPT to give me some niches in the e-commerce space and include a potential target group. It came up with the idea for handcrafted artisanal pet products. It specifically proposed pet beds or personalized pet accessories, which it wants to be targeted at affluent pet owners that are looking for something unique. While not every idea will be a good one, ChatGPT is very helpful to just get you started with brainstorming within seconds. You should see it as a very quick ideation partner and play idea ping pong with it for a while until you find something you like. It will not come up with the most unique idea for sure, but it definitely helps you get one. 2. Analyze Market Trends and Consumer Preferences. With just one more prompt, you can quickly ask ChatGPT to give you some candid market insights and even analyze them for you. I prompted ChatGPT to provide me with data on the current social media market and urged it to include data points like “time spent on social media”, arrange the data in a table chart from oldest to newest, and include data from the past 3 years. And I wasn’t disappointed. I have spent many hours in the past to gain as much insight into the social media market as possible. So, I can tell you the data was arranged perfectly, was correct and most importantly it only took me one minute to get it. Instead of hours. No more spending a lot of time pulling together data from different sources. ChatGPT did it all in seconds. It’s the golden key to be precise with your prompts. ChatGPT is only as good as your prompts are. Well, and as good as the data is. This leads us to one of the biggest problems with using ChatGPT based on GPT 3.5 for market research and trends. The data only dates back to the end of 2021. So if you are looking to find some current trends, ChatGPT is not the door you want to knock at (yet). Additionally, it’s important to always balance out the AI-generated insights with direct customer feedback to ensure you get to product-market fit. After all, ChatGPT is just a more convenient way to conduct secondary research and can be biased. Don’t skip the primary research. If you want to research current trends, then you might want to look at some other AI-powered tools like explodingtopics.com. 3. Product Research Now if you’re a product manager you will have heard about frameworks like “Jobs to be Done”, “Blue Ocean”, “AARRR” and others. They are very helpful in assessing what your product should do, how you can differentiate it from competitors, and what value it provides to the customer. No matter whether you want to prepare one of those frameworks, or draft up your business canvas or value proposition: ChatGPT is a good starting point - yet again. Requesting a specific framework will save you a lot of time and details on your prompt writing because ChatGPT, of course, already knows how a “Jobs to be Done” framework works. As long as you provide a precise description of your product it can quickly give you a great overview. It will often be helpful to add the way you want the information to be presented. I personally often request the data to be presented in a table chart because I find that the most easy to scan. superusapp.com is also a very good AI tool for quickly brainstorming anything around your product. 4. Creating Your Brand ChatGPT is a good option here as well, although I can also confidently recommend Notion AI. The latter is especially great if you like to keep your knowledge managed in one place. Both of them are good starting points but can’t cover all aspects of creating your brand. They can easily create a full guide for how to set up your brand identity, but when it comes to the more graphic part of it they’re not the right tools to use. But let’s take it step by step. Finding a name for your brand can be a very challenging process. Over the course of my career, I’ve come up with many product names that ended up making it as the final name. Almost all of them took me more than just one or two brainstorming sessions to come up with. So far, I have used AI only once or twice to come up with a name. I wouldn’t say that those were the best names I’ve ever come up with, but I would say that they’re pretty solid. Definitely, a quick way to find a good enough name to get started with. There are many different ways to go about brainstorming a business name with AI. You can just straight up ask the software to come up with a name that fits your product description. Or you can give it some example words, tell it to mix and match or even make some fantasy names up. You might be wary that most of the names could be already trademarked, and so was I. But instead, I was actually able to find many good names that weren’t trademarked anywhere and were indeed completely new ideas the AI came up with. As for the corporate identity, ChatGPT won’t be helpful with your Logo or color scheme, but it can give you some ideas on which colors might fit your brand. You might have seen the cactus dog toy on social media that has a second dog toy (a sad cactus) inside. When the dog destroys the cactus toy, you still end up with a second sad cactus toy. I asked ChatGPT to come up with a brand identity for a product like this. It gave me a comprehensive guide and recommended using joyful and happy colors like yellow and orange to highlight the brand’s playful character. If you want to create your own logo, try Adobe’s Firefly tool or other logo-targeted AI tools instead. I find the prompting with Adobe’s Firefly to be very intuitive. However, it also strongly depends on what you want to use the logo for; if you’re looking for a logo to put outside a brick-and-mortar store, then you might actually get some really good first drafts or even “good enough for now” logos through Firefly. If your goal is to create a logo for a mobile app, then it will only be helpful to collect the very first ideas to act on. The main reason for that is that almost all of the proposed logos will be too elaborate to be used for a small favicon or app icon 5. Creating a Prototype To create a prototype you can use tools like GitHub’s Copilot to craft up the first code you need or use it together with a low-code tool to tweak your prototype. You will be able to create simple applications, but of course, this doesn’t come without drawbacks. In most cases, it won’t save you from designing your prototypes through more traditional software tools like Adobe XD or Figma. The upside is that it will provide you with a higher range of options to lead the user around your application. On the other hand, prototypes done with design software like Figma result in a lot of dead ends. Personally, I still prefer to just build the designs and prototype using Figma - but that might also be due to my UI/UX background. There are also AI tools like uizard.io out there that will really speed up the design process for you, by allowing you to convert screenshots or paper sketches into fully-fledged mockups. If you want to go down the rabbit hole of using AI to create a technical prototype, there are many great guides available to dive deeper into it. 6. Marketing Your Product There are many aspects to great product marketing. But whether you’re looking for data analysis or content creation, AI has your back. From Lovo.ai’s hyperrealistic voiceovers, Midjourney’s beautifully generated graphics, or Invideo.io’s quick video creation tool: There are a lot of convenient tools out there that you can use to easily generate marketing graphics, copy, videos, and voiceovers. While Midjourney was known to generate hands with 8 fingers and other interesting visuals just a blink of an eye ago, that’s no longer quite the case. AI tools have improved in quality tremendously in the past few months and while they’re not perfect yet, some tools have reached a very high level already. All of the above (and many more) are easy tools that can help you create content for your ads or social media channels and start testing what you’ve built during the steps before. Conclusion To wrap it all up nicely: I don’t believe that AI is just a fad. And even if you think so - it is most likely still worth it to spend an afternoon testing some of the tools listed in this article. While some tools can seem more like nice “toys”, many of them already deliver frighteningly good results at this point. If we picture those tools in more of a lean startup context, then the steps I’ve mentioned so far are going to give you an idea, basic market analysis and research, name, logo, and color scheme in a day’s time. Maybe not in perfect quality, but in a “good enough for now” type of quality, that will be sufficient to test whether your idea can work out. But most importantly, one phrase always remains true. Execution is everything. AI tools can support you during almost every step of your journey to build your own product (or someone else’s): Critical thinking, quality evaluation, and execution are still in your hands. Make sure to second-guess the results AI is going to give you, dread carefully and have fun exploring and building.

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