Hey everyone, or maybe just me and my girlfriend if you're the only ones reading this. In which case, hi Megan!!

So, a bit about me:

I build apps.

A LOT of apps.

Well over 15 passion projects to date, to be exact.

In my eyes, they’re unique and full of character. I’m talking about apps that do everything from generating custom healthy recipes based on insanely specific user inputs to simulating entire job interviews complete with AI driven feedback (P.S. I'm talking about this app here 😉).

I like to use the OpenAI API to do snazzy things like stream AI responses in Slack (COMPLETELY unnecessary, but damn do I think it’s cool) - stuff I hadn’t seen anyone else do when I first started messing around with it.

And don’t even get me started on hosting everything. Backends, databases, and frontends spread across AWS, Azure, Netlify, and Heroku. Honestly I find that each service has its own standout feature that I like to see evolve, and its fun keeping up with each one’s updates.

Yes, it costs me about a hundred bucks a month, and yes, I pay for it out of my own pocket.

Why?

Because 👏 it's 👏 my 👏 passion 👏

I’ve planned, built, hosted, and styled all these projects myself, relying on nothing but good ol’ Tailwind CSS.

And despite the fact that these apps don’t really draw a crowd, I'm totally okay with that.

So, Why Do I Keep Building?

You’ve heard it before - “It's the journey; not the destination”.

I build because I love the process.

There’s just something special about bringing an idea to life, about dabbling with a new technology and bending it to your will. Each project is a learning experience, a creative outlet, a challenge that I set for myself.

The late nights troubleshooting a bug, the breakthrough moments when a piece of code FINALLY works as expected, and the “jump out of your seat” type of joy of seeing something I imagined come to life. You just can't beat that feeling.

I can’t lie, sometimes I wish more people - especially recruiters (thanks ATS) - could see what I’ve made. But at the end of the day, I’m doing this for me. I’m pushing my own boundaries, making “something out of nothing” , and having a blast while I’m at it.

Whats Next For Me

I’ll keep creating, keep learning, and who knows? Maybe one of these days, one of my projects will catch the right eye.

Until then, you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be here, coding away, building something amazing.

Each new project is an opportunity to try something different, to experiment with new technologies or to refine techniques I've already learned. It's this constant cycle of innovation and self-improvement that keeps me hooked.

And to anyone who has ever used one of my apps - even just once - it makes me very happy to know that my platforms aren't just floating out there in the digital ether. Your interest is truly what fuels my drive to keep innovating and creating.

For anyone out there who might be reading this, remember: find what you love, pour your heart into it, and don't stop. That's the spirit of a true creator.

Thanks for sticking around.

Keep hacking,

Dan