DEV Community: Anas Sabah

Why I Love the Word "Pivot"

Anas Sabah — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 21:21:48 +0000

One of my favorite words in the startup and product-building world is pivot.

For a long time, I thought a failed project meant wasted time. Today, I see it differently.

Every project I worked on—even the ones that never gained users or reached the finish line—taught me something I couldn't have learned from books alone. They taught me how to validate ideas, communicate with users, make technical decisions, prioritize features, and, most importantly, when to change direction.

I've come to believe that many successful founders didn't succeed because they had the perfect first idea. They succeeded because their previous attempts gave them the experience to recognize a better opportunity.

In fact, I think that if many of them had started directly with the project that eventually made them successful, they might have failed. They first needed the lessons, the mistakes, and the discipline that came from building things that didn't work.

I'm still on that journey.

Some of my own projects didn't succeed the way I had hoped, but I don't consider them failures. They were investments in experience. Every project made me a better builder and helped me better understand what I want to create and how I should create it.

One principle that keeps me moving comes from the Quran:

«"Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves." (Quran 13:11)»

And another verse that reminds me to stay patient during difficult times:

«"Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear." (Quran 2:286)»

If you're building something today and it isn't working, don't be afraid to pivot. Sometimes changing direction isn't giving up—it's applying everything you've learned so far.

I'm curious:

Have you ever pivoted a project? What did it teach you?

Is AI the New "Genie in a Bottle" for Developers? 🧞‍♂️💻

Anas Sabah — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 23:26:10 +0000

We've all heard the ancient tale of Aladdin rubbing the lamp and a Genie appearing to grant his wishes with a booming "Your wish is my command".

As developers in 2026, don't you feel we are doing the exact same thing? We open our IDEs, trigger GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or ChatGPT, write a few lines of comments, and boom—a fully functional block of code, a complex regex, or a boilerplate setup appears in seconds.

AI has essentially become our digital Genie. But just like the old folktales, there is a catch.

Be Careful What You "Prompt" For

In the myths, if you ask the Genie for a "million bucks" without context, you might end up surrounded by a million male deer instead of dollar bills.

In software development, the exact same rule applies. If your prompt is vague, lazy, or lacks context, your digital Genie will confidently hand you:

Refactored code that breaks production.
Hidden security vulnerabilities.
The infamous "AI hallucinations"—functions that look brilliant but don't actually exist in the library.

The magic isn't in the lamp anymore; it's in how you frame the wish.

The Rise of the "Prompting" Developer

What we call Prompt Engineering isn't just a buzzword; for us as developers, it’s a core skill. It's about knowing how to define system instructions, pass the correct context, set strict constraints (like asking for a specific JSON schema output), and guide the LLM to write clean, maintainable code.

The developers who will thrive tomorrow aren't the ones who let AI do all the thinking. They are the ones who know how to act as the Architect, treating the AI as a super-fast junior developer that needs crystal-clear specifications.

💬 Let's Talk:

Do you agree with this Genie metaphor, or do you see AI as something fundamentally different in your workflow?
What’s the funniest, most bizarre, or disastrous code output you've ever gotten from an AI because of a poorly written prompt? Let’s hear your stories in the comments!

I Built MyTone Translate: AI That Translates Tone, Not Just Words

Anas Sabah — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 20:23:45 +0000

Hello everyone 👋
Over the last few months, I've been experimenting with AI-powered communication tools.
While working on translation-related ideas, I noticed something interesting:
Even when a translation is technically correct, it can still feel unnatural depending on the country or culture.
For example:
"Let's schedule a meeting."
The meaning stays the same, but the way people naturally express it can vary between the US, UK, India, the Middle East, and many other regions.
That observation led me to build MyTone Translate.
What is MyTone Translate?
MyTone Translate is an experimental AI tool that rewrites text while adapting the tone and communication style.
Instead of focusing only on language translation, it tries to make messages sound more natural and culturally appropriate.
Current Features
Friendly tone
Professional tone
Diplomatic tone
Enthusiastic tone
Direct tone
Multi-language support
Why I Built It
I believe communication problems are often caused by differences in tone rather than differences in language.
A message that sounds professional in one culture may sound cold or overly direct in another.
I'm exploring whether AI can help bridge that gap.Try It
🚀 MyTone Translate:
https://mytone-translate.netlify.app/
Looking for Feedback
This project is still an experiment and I'm validating the idea.
I'd love to hear:
Would you use something like this?
Which countries or cultures would be most useful to support?
What features would make it more valuable?
Thank you for reading.
— Anas Sabah