10 years old, no money, threatened online, and still building every single day

Ferny — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:49:38 +0000

I’m 10 years old.

I didn’t start building because I wanted to be famous. I started because I needed something to do.

Our family doesn’t have a lot of money. We’re not starving, we’re not in danger — but we’re not comfortable either. Every ruble counts. Every month, my parents try to stretch the money just enough to get to the next month. I see it. I hear it. I understand it.

I don’t complain about it. I don’t think it makes me special. But it made me look for something to fill my time.

I couldn’t afford expensive hobbies. I couldn’t afford lessons or courses. So I spent my time on the computer.

I started learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Not because I had a big plan — I just wanted to understand how things work. How websites are built. How buttons can actually do something.

I didn’t have a teacher. I didn’t have a mentor. I had the internet and a lot of patience.

I learned by doing. I built small things, broke them, fixed them, and built them again. I didn’t care if they were ugly. I just wanted them to work.

The first real project

My first real project started because I wanted to see if I could make something that actually works. Not a concept. Not a demo. Something real.

I sat down and started writing code. I didn’t know how long it would take. I just started.

That project became Ferny — an AI assistant that can answer questions, write code, and generate images. It’s not a perfect project. It has bugs. It has limitations. But it works.

Ferny became the start of something bigger. I built it alone. No team, no funding, no outside help. Just me, a screen, and a lot of time.

That taught me something important: you don’t need money to start building. You just need curiosity and patience.

The threat

Not everything was easy.

A few days ago, I was threatened by a stranger online. They said they had my personal information. They said they would share it if I didn’t give them money.

I was scared. I’m not going to pretend I wasn’t. Fear is a real feeling, and it hit me hard.

I sat there for a moment. I didn’t know what to do. I felt small.

But then I stopped. I took a breath. I asked myself: Do they really know who I am? Do they know my real name? Do they know where I live?

The answer was no. They didn’t know anything real about me. They were just using fear to control me.

I took screenshots. I saved everything. I blocked them.

And then I moved on.

What I learned from that

That experience taught me something that I will never forget.

Fear only works if you react. The moment you stop, their power disappears.

I also learned that safety on the internet isn’t about hiding. It’s about being careful. It’s about knowing what to share and what to keep private. It’s about understanding that most threats are just noise.

I don’t feel afraid anymore. I feel more confident than before.

What I’m doing now

Right now, I’m building projects from scratch. I don’t have a team. I don’t have funding. I just build things because I enjoy the process.

I’ve built several projects: an AI assistant, a cloud storage app, and I’m currently building a messenger. All of them are built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. All of them are hosted on Netlify. All of them are free to use.

I don’t wait for the perfect moment. I don’t wait for someone to give me permission. I just start, and I figure things out along the way.

Why I keep building

I build because it’s the only thing that makes sense to me.

I don’t build for money. I don’t build for fame. I build because I want to see what I can create. I want to see if I can turn ideas into things that actually work.

I believe that you don’t need permission to start. You don’t need money to start. You just need a reason. And if you don’t have that reason, you can find it.

What’s next

I’m going to keep building. I’m going to keep learning. I’m going to keep sharing what I learn along the way.

Fear won’t stop me. Money won’t stop me. I’m just getting started.

Thank you for reading my story.

— Ferny

l built an AI and a full ecosystem named Ferny – here's how and why

Ferny — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:59:23 +0000

When I started building Ferny, I didn't just want to make another chatbot. I wanted to build an ecosystem.

Ferny started as a small project. Today, it's the core of a growing ecosystem built from scratch. Here's what I've built so far:

Ferny AI – The core assistant

Ferny AI is the central part of the ecosystem. It's a conversational assistant that can:

Answer questions on various topics

Generate images from text descriptions

Write and explain code

Some of its features include:

Multiple personas (Standard, Bold, Creative, Brief)

Child mode for younger users

Voice input and text-to-speech

Search the web (via API)

Ferny AI is built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It uses external AI APIs under the hood, with a built-in fallback system to switch between models if one is unavailable.

FernyDrive – Cloud storage for your files

FernyDrive is a fully functional cloud storage app built with IndexedDB. It stores all files locally in the browser.

Features include:

Upload, rename, and delete files

Mark files as favorites

Move files to trash and restore them

Search through files by name

Grid and list views

Dark mode interface

FernyDrive is built as a single HTML file (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript inside) and requires no external dependencies.

FernyApp – Messenger (in development)

FernyApp is a messenger that I'm currently building. It will allow users to chat, find each other by username, and communicate in real time.

The goal is to create a simple, fast, and private communication tool that fits into the Ferny ecosystem.

How I built this:

I started by learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I didn't have a team or funding. I just had an idea and a lot of curiosity.

I used Claude AI to help with the code, and I handled the architecture, design, and product direction myself.

All projects are hosted on Netlify and are accessible to anyone.

What's next:

I'm planning to expand the ecosystem further. My long-term vision is to build a full operating system called FernyOS, where all Ferny services are integrated at the system level.

For now, I'm working on FernyApp (messenger) and improving FernyDrive.

Where to find me:

Telegram: @ferny_official

Telegram Channel: https://t.me/ferny9113

Thank you for reading. This is just the beginning!

DEV Community: Ferny

10 years old, no money, threatened online, and still building every single day

l built an AI and a full ecosystem named Ferny – here's how and why