Notes from shipping, not theorising.
Opinionated playbooks on scoping MVPs, fixing landing pages, squeezing React apps, and choosing the right surface for the workflow. Written by a freelance developer, for founders who would rather build than meet.
The minimum auth setup for an MVP (and what to delete)
Auth is the feature that eats the most engineering time for the least user value at MVP stage. Here's how to ship the minimum that lets you validate, and nothing more.
- 02MVP•3 min read
SaaS MVP development cost in 2026: a transparent breakdown
Most MVP quotes are a single number with no explanation. Here is the actual cost structure of a SaaS MVP, what each part adds, and how to tell an honest estimate from a padded one.
#pricing#saas#mvp#budget - 03Business•2 min read
How to price a freelance development project: 4 models ranked
Pricing is the lever that determines whether you build a sustainable freelance practice or grind yourself flat. Here are the four models and when each is the right one.
#freelance#pricing#money - 04Engineering•2 min read
Why I stopped using Tailwind plugins (and what I do instead)
Plugins felt like a productivity hack. They turned out to be a complexity tax. Here's the case for cutting them — and the two I still keep.
#tailwind#css#opinion - 05Business•2 min read
How to write a developer brief that gets you a real quote
A bad brief gets you bad quotes. A good brief gets you fast, honest, comparable quotes from freelancers who actually want the project.
#hiring#briefing#freelance - 06Engineering•2 min read
TanStack Start vs Next.js: a freelancer's honest take in 2026
I've shipped both in production this year. Here's what I tell clients when they ask which framework to bet on — and why the answer is rarely Next.js.
#react#tanstack#nextjs - 07Case Study•2 min read
Case study: invoice generator MVP shipped in 6 days
Real timeline, real cuts, real bug-fixing on day 4. Here's exactly how an invoice generator MVP got from 'hi' to 'paid customer' in six working days.
#mvp#case-study#shipping - 08Business•2 min read
10 questions to ask a freelance developer before you hire them
The questions that filter out bad freelancers are not technical ones. Here are the ten that actually matter — and the answers that should make you walk away.
#hiring#freelance#interviewing - 09Business•2 min read
Stripe vs Paddle vs Lemon Squeezy: the indie SaaS comparison for 2026
Three serious options for taking money in 2026. The right one depends less on fees and more on whether you want to be your own tax agent.
#payments#saas#comparison - 10Engineering•2 min read
Telegram bot vs WhatsApp bot: which to build first in 2026
Both are fine. Both are wrong for different reasons. Here's how to pick based on your audience, your budget, and how much friction you can stomach from a Meta-owned platform.
#telegram#whatsapp#comparison - 11MVP•8 min read
How to scope an MVP in one week (without cutting the wrong corners)
Most MVPs fail at the whiteboard, not the keyboard. Here is the exact seven-day scoping process I use with founders to ship something that actually buys information.
#startups#product#scoping - 12Conversion•7 min read
Why your landing page isn't converting (and what to fix first)
Traffic is expensive. A page that converts at 1% instead of 4% means you are paying 4x for every customer. Here are the five things I fix first, in order.
#landing-page#copywriting#design - 13Engineering•9 min read
Telegram bots for business: when they beat a web app
For the right problem, a Telegram bot out-converts and out-retains a web app at a fraction of the build cost. For the wrong problem, it is a dead end. Here is how to tell the difference.
#telegram#automation#product - 14Engineering•10 min read
The React app performance checklist I run before every launch
Your app feels fast on your M-series MacBook on fiber. Your users are on a mid-range Android on 4G. Here is the exact checklist I run before every launch to close that gap.
#react#performance#web-vitals - 15Business•7 min read
Freelancer vs agency: how to decide for your next build
I am a freelance developer. So let me give you the honest framework — including when you should not hire someone like me, and the middle option most founders miss.
#hiring#freelance#startups
Blog FAQ
- How often do you publish?
- Every other week, give or take. The pace is set by what is genuinely worth writing about — there is no schedule for the sake of one.
- Who is this blog for?
- Founders, operators, and product engineers shipping the first or second version of something. Less theory, more decisions you can copy.
- Can I republish or quote a post?
- Quote freely with attribution and a link back. For full republication, get in touch — it is almost always a yes.