DEV Community: Harsh Suthar

From $50K to $150/Month: How I Stopped Getting Robbed by CDNs and Built My Own Damn Streaming Infra

Harsh Suthar — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 13:09:08 +0000

Apparently, streaming video in India means paying like you're Netflix.
And I’m just trying to stream some bhajans, bro 🙃

$50,000/Month 😵

That was our infra bill.
Just to deliver basic, compressed, chill spiritual content — no fancy 4K, no Dolby, no premium anything. Just 1080p livestreams, mostly under 2Mbps.

You'd think this would cost a few hundred bucks, right?

Try $50K a month.

Who Was Bleeding Us Dry?

Not encoding. Not storage.

It was delivery.
Plain old “here’s your video segment, dear user” delivery 📦

Here’s what the MUX bill for 70 million requests looked like:

Category	Monthly Cost
Encoding	$393.75
Storage	$2.34
Delivery (CDN)	$44,782.50
Total	~$45,178.59

Almost 45 grand just to deliver files over HTTP.
Like... seriously?

Tried Bunny CDN, Got Slapped Anyway 🐰💸

Switched over to Bunny.
Bunny Stream, Bunny CDN, self-hosted pipeline — the works.

Cost dropped to $5K–6K/month, which felt like an improvement…
…until you remember we’re a small startup streaming in India — not HBO 😐

And surprise: most users still got routed through Tokyo or Singapore.
Closest edge?
More like closest disappointment.

So I Said “Screw This, I’m Building It Myself” 💀🧱

No VCs.
No fancy containers.
No $500/hr DevOps consultants.

Just me, a VPS, and years of accumulated frustration.

I opened up FFmpeg docs.
Dug through old NGINX configs.
Skimmed Cloudflare pricing tables.
Then built a pipeline from scratch that:

Doesn’t charge you $44K for breathing near the CDN
Actually respects Indian traffic
And doesn’t rely on any black-box streaming magic 🔮

Here’s What I Built — And How It Works ⚙️

This setup now serves 70M+ requests/month with:

Peak concurrency in 100Ks
Under 2s startup latency
< 0.5% buffering
$150/month infra cost 💸✅

RTMP Ingest via `nginx-rtmp` on VPS

Livestreams hit a raw RTMP server (NGINX + nginx-rtmp-module) on a beefy VPS.
Nothing fancy. Just reliable, stateless ingestion.

Transcoding via `ffmpeg` in Realtime

FFmpeg transcodes streams to 3 different bitrates (480p, 720p, 1080p).
No rocket science. Just CLI flags, CPU, and fast disk.

No Storage. No Bloat.

We don’t store livestreams (yet).
This means $0 storage cost, no object storage APIs, no S3 surprises 🎯

HLS Segments Churned Locally

FFmpeg chunks video into .ts segments and .m3u8 playlists — standard HLS.
These are dumped on disk, auto-updated in real time.

Cloudflare Does the Heavy Lifting ☁️🔥

And here’s the kicker.

Cloudflare caches those segments like a champ:

~95% cache hit ratio
Actual edge delivery inside India
Egress? Basically free
Bandwidth? Who even pays for that anymore? 🤷‍♂️

CDN usage is billed in Class A + B operations, which are hilariously cheap if you serve static HLS files properly.

Total Monthly Cost Now?

Service	Monthly Cost
VPS (8-core)	~$50
Cloudflare CDN	~$80
Misc Ops	~$20
Total	$150

That’s it.
From $50K to $150.
No performance loss.
In fact — it’s faster now 🚀

TL;DR Reality Check 🧠💥

Ditch platforms built for US-centric traffic. Tokyo is not an Indian edge.
Transcoding isn’t magic. It’s FFmpeg. Learn it.
You don’t need cloud-native. You need cost-native.
Don’t let SaaS eat your entire infra budget just because they slapped a dashboard on top of open-source tools.

👋 If You’re a Startup Trying to Build Something Similar...

And you're stuck wondering why your streaming bill looks like a Black Mirror episode…

Hit me up.

I'll help you build a streaming infra that actually makes sense for your users and your wallet.

💬 And Everyone Else…

What do you think about this setup?
Tried building something similar? Drop your story below — I’d love to compare war wounds 😅

Is MERN Stack Worth It in 2025?

Harsh Suthar — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Ah, the age-old question: Should I still learn the MERN stack in 2025? Before we dive in, let me ask: are you someone who’s just starting out and feeling a little lost, or are you a seasoned developer who’s already built a strong foundation? Either way, this post is for you. Let’s break it all down and answer the question once and for all.

First Things First: Are You a Beginner or a Pro?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, ask yourself this: Am I a beginner still figuring things out, or am I someone who’s already comfortable with coding fundamentals? The answer to whether MERN is "worth it" depends entirely on where you are in your journey. Let’s tackle both perspectives.

For Beginners: Stop Overthinking It!

Alright, all you budding developers, listen up. You probably fall into one of these two camps:

1. The "I Need a Job Yesterday" Crowd

If you’re scrambling to hop on the job train ASAP, whether it’s due to FOMO, peer pressure, or just the thrill of landing that first paycheck, here’s the honest truth: MERN could be worth it for you. But this depends on whether there are actually job openings for MERN-based roles. If there aren’t, you might find yourself jumping from one stack to another, never really getting anywhere.

2. The "I Want to Learn Properly" Crew

Now, if you’re not in a rush and genuinely want to learn, here’s my advice: Stop stressing about which stack to pick. MERN, PERN, PENN, BSBS...it honestly doesn’t matter. What truly matters is building a rock-solid foundation in programming fundamentals. The stack is secondary. Once you’ve got the basics down, switching between stacks will be a breeze.

A little anecdote for you: Back in 2021, I started with MERN. Fast forward to today, I’m a blockchain and full-stack developer. Did MERN matter? Sure. But it was my focus on learning the fundamentals that really got me where I am. So don’t stress too much about your starting point; it’s the journey that counts.

For the Pros: Why Are You Even Asking?

Okay, experienced devs, let’s cut to the chase. If you’ve got a solid foundation in development, why are you even questioning this? MERN is just another stack. You could learn it in a month, max, and be building production-ready apps the day after. It’s not like you’re trying to learn blockchain development or master Rust; it’s just JavaScript frameworks.

MERN doesn’t require a massive learning curve. If it aligns with your project needs, dive in. And if it doesn’t work for you? Just move on to the next thing. That’s the beauty of having a strong foundation: you’ve got the freedom to pivot quickly. Don’t let analysis paralysis hold you back.

Conclusion: So, Is MERN Worth It?

For beginners: Stop worrying. Pick a stack, any stack, and focus on mastering the basics. Whether it’s MERN or something else, what matters most is building your skills. Once you’ve got the fundamentals down, the stack itself won’t matter as much.

For pros: MERN is just another tool. If it fits your project, go for it. And if it doesn’t? Drop it and move on. Learning MERN won’t take you more than a few weeks, unless you’re Elon Musk-level busy. (Kidding. Kind of.)

So, here’s my advice: stop overthinking and start building. The tech world is waiting for you, and there’s no better time to jump in than now. 💻

Oh, and by the way, if you want to connect or share your journey, feel free to reach out on LinkedIn. Let’s talk tech and build something amazing together!

How Supabase Made Me Rethink App Development (And Honestly, I’m Obsessed)

Harsh Suthar — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Okay, let’s set the scene: you’re trying to build a production-scale app, and it’s taking forever. You’re knee-deep in authentication code, wrestling with databases, and wondering why you didn’t just become a painter instead.

But then, like a superhero swooping in, Supabase enters the chat. And suddenly, app development feels... dare I say, fun? Yeah, I said it.

Here’s how Supabase completely changed the game for me (and why I’m never looking back).

Authentication That Feels Like Magic

Let’s start with the basics: auth.

Supabase’s authentication system is so smooth, it’s like butter on warm toast. Setting up signups, logins, and secure sessions is ridiculously easy. Whether you need email/password auth, third-party providers like Google or GitHub, or even magic links (cue oohs and ahhs), it’s all there, ready to go.

No more wasting hours building your own custom auth flow. With Supabase, it’s basically plug-and-play.

And the best part? It’s scalable. You’re not going to run into those “oops, too many users, better rewrite everything” moments.

Postgres Database, But Pre-Hosted and Prettier

If databases were people, Supabase’s Postgres would be that friend who shows up early to help you set up for the party.

Picture this: a fully visualized, pre-hosted Postgres database that’s easy to manage and packed with features.

Want row-level security? Done.
Need column-level policies? Got you covered.

You don’t even have to install or manage anything. It’s just there, waiting for you to build cool stuff.

Honestly, who needs the moon when you’ve got a tool like this?

The Docs Deserve a Standing Ovation

Okay, real talk: have you ever read documentation that made you want to clap? Because Supabase’s docs are chef’s kiss.

Everything is explained in clear, simple terms, with plenty of examples to get you started. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned dev, you’ll find exactly what you need without having to dig through a labyrinth of jargon.

And if you do get stuck? The Supabase community is always there to help. Whether it’s forums, Discord, or GitHub, you’re never alone.

It Plays Nice With Everyone

You know that friend who gets along with everyone at a party? That’s Supabase when it comes to frameworks and languages.

React? No problem.
Next.js? Of course.
Kotlin? Yep.

I’m pretty sure Supabase supports almost every frontend framework and language under the sun. But hey, if they’re missing something, you can let me know (or better yet, let them know).

Why Supabase Feels Like a Cheat Code for Devs

Let’s be real: before Supabase, app development could feel like a slog. Sure, you’d get the job done, but it wasn’t always enjoyable.

Now? Supabase makes everything easier, faster, and dare I say... fun.

You’re spending less time on the boring stuff (auth, database setup) and more time on what really matters: building awesome apps that people love to use.

And I don’t just say this as a developer — I recommend Supabase to my clients too. It’s so simple and reliable that four startups I’ve worked with have had a fantastic opinion of this recommendation. One of them even explicitly thanked me for it. That speaks volumes about the impact Supabase can have on your app development experience.

So, What Are You Waiting For?

If you’re not using Supabase yet, you’re missing out. Big time.

It’s like having a Swiss Army knife for app development, but instead of a bottle opener and scissors, you get auth, a visualized Postgres database, killer docs, and compatibility with every framework you care about.

Seriously, stop reading this and go try it out. You can thank me later.

If you’ve got projects you want to be built on Supabase, hit me up on LinkedIn here. Let’s make something awesome together!

And hey, if you’re already using Supabase, what’s your favorite feature? Let’s geek out about it in the comments.

From NFTs to DeFi: What Developers Can Do on Solana in 2025

Harsh Suthar — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 04:16:34 +0000

Ah, 2025. Crypto’s still kicking, Solana’s thriving, and you, my friend, are here wondering, what’s the next big thing to build? Let’s be honest: the blockchain space hasn’t magically turned into a utopia. Scammers? Still lurking. Wannabe Web3 startups? Still rebranding Web2 apps with a “decentralized” sticker. But here’s the kicker: real developers are more in demand than ever, thanks to crypto’s market revival.

Let’s dive into the smorgasbord of opportunities awaiting you in 2025. Spoiler alert: it’s deliciously exciting.

Start With the Basics (Because the Basics Still Rock)

First things first: don’t sleep on the essentials. These might not be groundbreaking, but they’re the foundation of it all. You can:

Create NFTs: Yep, still thriving. Whether it’s quirky art, exclusive music, or gaming assets, Solana NFTs are hot property.
Build Accounts: Seamless account systems for Web3 apps? Still crucial. Still in demand.
Develop Other Tokens: Think governance tokens, utility tokens, or the next meme coin (because who doesn’t love a Doge-tier moment?).

These projects are where most devs dip their toes, and trust me, the demand for them hasn’t gone anywhere. But hey, you’re not here for just the basics, are you? Let’s turn it up a notch.

Big Brain Time: Advanced Projects to Build

Alright, now we’re talking about the real action. If you’re looking to flex your dev muscles, here are the projects that will make you stand out:

DeFi Applications

DeFi isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the backbone of Web3 finance. Solana’s low fees and high-speed transactions make it perfect for building lending platforms, staking protocols, or yield farms that users actually love.
DEX Applications

Who doesn’t want to build the next Uniswap killer? Decentralized exchanges are still a goldmine, and with Solana’s scalability, you could revolutionize trading experiences.
Grid Trading Bots

Okay, confession time: this idea’s been haunting my brain for months. Solana’s speed and cost-efficiency are chef’s kiss for automating grid trading strategies. (Psst, if this excites you too, let’s collab!)
Token Launchpads

Exclusive sneak peek alert. I’m working on a token launchpad that bridges the gap for investors and creators. Think seamless launches, smoother investments, and a platform that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out. It’s rolling out in February, but for now, let’s keep that on the down-low. 😉

The point is: Solana’s tech makes big dreams achievable, and you’re the person to make them happen.

The Clock’s Ticking, Solana Devs!

The market’s buzzing, the tools are ready, and the opportunities are yours for the taking. Whether you’re creating the next-gen NFT marketplace, a groundbreaking DeFi app, or a totally unique idea, the Solana ecosystem is your playground.

So stop scrolling and start coding! Go build something amazing. The blockchain world needs you now more than ever in 2025.

And hey, if you’re dreaming big and need a brainstorming buddy, hit me up on LinkedIn. Let’s make 2025 the year Solana devs rule the blockchain universe. 🚀

Can AI Really Replace Dev Jobs? Let’s Talk About It

Harsh Suthar — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 04:58:29 +0000

So, the AI panic is real. Everywhere you go, someone’s crying, "AI is gonna take our jobs!" And if you’re in tech—especially if you’re a developer—you’ve probably heard it more times than you’ve had to debug that one pesky line of code. (Don’t lie; we all have that one bug that haunts us.)

But let’s cut through the noise for a second. Are you really at risk of being replaced by AI? Spoiler alert: Nah, unless you’re slacking off. Let’s break this down—and do it in a way that doesn’t feel like reading another dry tech doc.

If You’re Worried About Being Replaced, Maybe You Should Do Something About It

Here’s the deal: You only get replaced in a job—any job—if you’re not good enough at it. Think about it. If you’re out here writing spaghetti code that’d make a plate of linguine look organized, yeah, maybe it’s time to level up. AI or no AI, the workplace has never been kind to mediocrity.

Instead of sweating bullets over AI taking your job, how about doing the stuff that makes you irreplaceable?

What Can You Do?

Learn new languages: Explore that framework everyone’s raving about.
Contribute to open-source: It’s like a gym for your coding skills.
Build side projects: Because nothing screams "hire me" like a cool GitHub repo.

Think of it like a video game—you don’t lose to the boss fight if you’re over-leveled. (And if you’re not? Well, you’ve got some grinding to do, my friend.)

AI Tools Are Cool, But They’re Not Magic Wands

I’ve worked with plenty of AI tools. Heck, I’m using some of them right now. And let me tell you—they’re great. They make your workflow faster, help you fix syntax issues you’d normally spend hours Googling, and even generate some boilerplate code so you don’t have to do the boring stuff. (More on that later.)

But here’s the thing: They’re just tools.

Remember when IDEs started adding autocomplete and people thought that’d replace developers? Yeah, didn’t happen. Same story here.

So, What Can’t AI Do?

Understand your project’s context: It doesn’t know why you chose that weird edge case logic.
Set goals: AI doesn’t know your client’s business needs.
Think creatively: Sure, it can generate a function, but can it design an entire architecture? Not really.

Think of it like this: A power drill makes building a house easier, but it doesn’t mean you can suddenly become an architect or a contractor without any skills.

AI Is Just Making the Boring Stuff Easier

Let’s be honest: No one likes writing boilerplate code.

It’s like peeling potatoes before making a gourmet dish. Necessary? Sure. Fun? Absolutely not. And that’s where AI really shines.

Back in the day (like, two years ago), starting a project meant building everything from scratch or at least from some tired, old boilerplate code you found on GitHub. Now, with AI, you type a few prompts, and boom! It spits out a nice, shiny, customized base for your project. It’s not perfect, but it saves you time and lets you focus on the fun stuff—the actual problem-solving and feature-building.

The Takeaway?

AI is like that intern who does the tedious parts of your job so you can focus on the cool stuff.

You’re still the one in charge.
You’re still the creative brain behind the project.
And you’re still… well, a programmer. You’re just faster now. (Sorry, hourly freelancers. Looks like fixed-bid contracts are calling your name.)

AI Won’t Debug That Nightmare Code You Wrote at 3 AM

Here’s another thing to keep in mind: AI is great at following patterns and rules, but debugging? That’s still on you, buddy.

AI might tell you what’s wrong with your code, but figuring out why it’s wrong and how to fix it in a way that doesn’t break the entire project? That takes actual developer brainpower.

The Human Element

Code isn’t just about writing lines that work.

It’s about collaborating with your team.
Understanding client needs.
Creating something that’s not just functional but also elegant and scalable.

AI doesn’t do that. At least not yet.

What You Should Be Doing Instead of Panicking

If you’re still feeling uneasy about AI, here’s a pro tip: Stop worrying and start learning.

Future-Proof Yourself

Learn to Work With AI: These tools aren’t going anywhere, so you might as well get good at using them. Treat them like the extensions of your skills they are.
Focus on Problem-Solving: AI can write code, but it can’t figure out complex business logic or design scalable architectures. That’s your job.
Stay Updated: Tech changes fast. If you’re still writing jQuery apps in 2024, that’s on you, not AI. Keep up with trends, learn new tools, and stay adaptable.
Build Stuff: Side projects, open-source contributions, freelance gigs—whatever keeps your skills sharp and your portfolio growing.
Collaborate: Teamwork is a huge part of being a developer. AI isn’t replacing your ability to communicate with your team or understand a client’s vision.

In Conclusion: Relax, You’re Not Getting Replaced (Unless You Let Yourself)

Here’s the bottom line: AI isn’t coming for your job.

At least not if you’re good at it. It’s a tool, not a threat. Use it to your advantage, keep leveling up, and stop letting headlines freak you out.

The only way AI is replacing you is if you’re stuck in the past, refusing to adapt or grow.

But if you’re out there learning, experimenting, and staying curious? You’re golden.

Now, get back to coding. And maybe let AI handle the boilerplate for you while you’re at it. Cheers!