DEV Community: Munem Prionto

How to Share a Project

Munem Prionto — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:07:16 +0000

We have all, at some point, had an idea while in the shower, on a walk, or lying in bed at 4am and immediately thought this was the next billion-dollar idea. You get excited and instantly tell your close friends, spouse, colleagues, etc. They probably dismiss the idea, and you convince yourself they just didn’t see your vision. After a while, you give up on the idea yourself too.

But can you really blame them? Most ideas sound vague when spoken out loud. People react to clarity, not excitement. If you can’t explain it clearly, they can’t believe in it. If you can’t explain your idea on one page, you don’t understand it well enough yet.

Here’s a simple framework that can help you get a more positive response and make it more likely that you actually follow through. This isn’t scientifically proven or backed by research. It’s just my personal secret sauce, so take it lightly.

1. Write a 3–4 sentence description of the project

Not a paragraph. Not a pitch deck. Just 3–4 clean sentences.

If you struggle to do this, that’s already feedback. It means the idea needs refining.

2. Answer the 3Ws (What, Why, Who)

What is it?

Why do you want to build it?

Who are you building it for (target audience)?

Be honest here. Especially about the “why.” Is it ego? Money? Curiosity? A real problem you’ve experienced? Clarity creates confidence.

3. Pick a font and color palette

Yes, seriously.

When you give your idea visual identity — even something simple — it shifts in your brain from “random thought” to “actual project.”

It also makes people take it more seriously. Presentation matters.

4. Keep everything on one page

Complete this document and keep it on one page. Don’t make it long because, frankly speaking, all of us have a much shorter attention span now.

If someone can’t understand your idea in one page, it’s not ready yet.

Optional: If you’re feeling artsy enough, draw some sketches using pen and paper. Don’t use AI here. Think it through yourself first.

Most ideas don’t die because they’re bad. They die because they were never made clear enough to survive the first conversation.

When you take 30 minutes to structure your thoughts, you’re not just preparing to share an idea, you’re proving to yourself that it deserves to exist beyond a 4am burst of excitement.

Clarity creates belief. Belief creates momentum. And momentum is what turns a thought into something real. So the next time you have a “billion-dollar idea,” don’t rush to pitch it.

Sit with it. Shape it. Give it structure. Then share it.

That’s when people start listening, including you.

Using Git as Your Personal To-Do List

Munem Prionto — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 18:43:00 +0000

Keeping up with daily tasks can feel like a never-ending juggling act. Between managing personal goals, school assignments, work projects, and even gym routines, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the moving pieces. Sure, there are tons of apps and software out there to help streamline the process but let’s be honest, most of them are cluttered and ironically, end up adding to the overwhelm.

But what if there was a simpler way to keep everything organized while also sharpening your developer skills? If you’re a developer, you likely already know Git as the go-to tool for version control. Here’s a fresh twist: why not use Git as your personal to-do list? Imagine a repository where each branch represents a different area of your life—personal, uni, work, and gym. With each new task or goal, you’ll commit it to the appropriate branch, tracking your progress without the noise of a bloated app.

This setup not only helps you stay on top of your goals but also gives you hands-on practice with core Git topics. From creating branches to making commits and merging changes, this tutorial introduces essential commands in a way that’s easy to pick up. Many new developers can feel a bit intimidated by Git’s learning curve, but by using it daily to manage your life, you’ll build confidence and learn Git concepts in a practical, engaging way.

What Are Git and GitHub?

Before we dive in, let’s clear up what Git and GitHub are. Think of Git as a digital time machine for your files. It’s a version control system that helps you track changes in code or files, so you can go back to earlier versions, keep multiple versions (branches) at once, and track your progress over time. Developers use Git to manage their code as they work, making sure they have a record of changes and can collaborate without overwriting each other’s work.

GitHub is a popular online platform that hosts Git repositories in the cloud, making it easier to share, collaborate, and back up your code. You can think of it as a social network for developers, where people showcase projects, work together on open-source code, and contribute to others' work. Using GitHub with Git is like using an online hard drive specifically designed for code—perfect for syncing, sharing, and working with others.

So, in this guide, we’ll focus on Git, but feel free to use GitHub if you want to store and share your life-planning “to-do list” in the cloud!

Understanding Git Status, Staging, and Committing

Before you start adding tasks to your Git to-do list, it’s important to understand how to check the status of your repository, and how to stage and commit your changes.

1. Checking status with `git status`

git status

This command gives you a snapshot of what's happening in your repository. Here’s what it shows:

Untracked Files: These are new files that Git isn't tracking yet.
Changes Not Staged for Commit: These are files you've modified but haven't yet marked for the next commit.
Changes to be Committed: These are files you've staged, meaning they’re ready to be included in the next commit.

2. Staging Changes

Once you know which files you want to include in your next commit, it’s time to stage them. Staging is like telling Git which changes to get ready for the next snapshot. You can stage specific files with:

# Stage changes made to tasks.txt
git add tasks.txt

Or, if you want to stage everything in your current directory, you can use:

# Stage all changes in the current directory
git add .

3. Committing Changes

After staging your changes, the next step is to commit them. To commit your changes, use the git commit command along with a message that describes what you’ve done. Here we're using commit messages to track individual tasks.

git commit -m "fixed that bug that’s been haunting my dreams"

The -m flag allows you to add a message.

Step 1: Initializing a Git Repository

First things first, create a Git repository to hold your tasks. Think of it as a digital “notebook” for your to-do list. Let’s call this repository life-planner—but feel free to get creative with the name!
Open your terminal: This is where you’ll type commands to interact with Git. If you’re on Windows, use Command Prompt or PowerShell. On Mac or Linux, use Terminal.

#This command makes a folder named life-planner.
mkdir life_planner

This command makes a folder named life-planner.

#Navigate into your new folder so you can start working inside it:
cd life_planner

The cd command (short for "change directory") switches you to the life-planner folder.

#Initialize the Git repository inside this folder. This sets up Git to start tracking changes
git init

You’re all set to start using Git to organize your to-do list!

Step 2: Set Up Your Task Categories with Branches

Imagine each branch as a different part of your life. Think of each branch as a distinct category of tasks you want to manage. Each branch will contain tasks specific to that category.

First, create a master branch called life, from which all your other branches will branch out:

# Create and switch to 'life' branch
git checkout -b life 

# Create a file to track tasks
touch tasks.txt 

# Check if 'tasks.txt' is untracked
git status 

# Stage 'tasks.txt'
git add . 

# Save your changes to the 'life' branch with a commit message
git commit -m 'life init'

Create branches for each category: Each time, go back to life to branch out from the base:

# Go to 'life' branch
git checkout life

# Create 'uni' branch
git checkout -b uni

# Return to 'life'
git checkout life

# Create 'work' branch
git checkout -b work

Step 3: Add Tasks as Commits

Whenever you complete a task, follow these steps to switch to the relevant branch, add your task to tasks.txt, and commit it.

Switch to the right branch for your task. If the task is related to work, switch to the work branch:

# Switch to the right branch for your task
git checkout work

# Add your task to the file by appending a new task to tasks.txt
echo "Made code look like I know what I'm doing" >> tasks.txt

# Stage your changes to prepare them for committing
git add tasks.txt

# Commit your task with a descriptive message
git commit -m "Made code look like I know what I'm doing"

By executing these commands, you log your task in Git with a clear message. This process allows you to keep track of your tasks across different branches effectively.

Repeat this process whenever you complete a task in any of your categories. Your tasks.txt file will serve as a comprehensive log of all your completed tasks.

Step 4: View Your Task History with git log

To see a list of all tasks completed in each category, use git log on each branch. Here’s how:

git log --oneline

you might see output like this:

e84d3b2 Made code look like I know what I am doing
b5c2a1f Updated UI spacing by 1px
c4b1e3a Optimized code by deleting unnecessary print statements

This gives you a quick overview of the tasks you’ve completed.

Step 5: Summarize Your Day by Merging Branches

To get an overview of everything you’ve accomplished in one place, merge all your branches into main at the end of each day. This helps you keep track of what you’ve done across all categories.

#Switch to the main branch:
git checkout life

# Merge the personal branch
git merge personal  

# Merge the uni branch
git merge uni       

# Merge the work branch
git merge work      

# Merge the gym branch
git merge gym

Now, your "life" branch will contain a complete log of your tasks for the day!

After merging, you can view your daily summary in main with:

git log --oneline

you might see output like this:

e84d3b2 Organized desk for 30 mins, worked for 5
b5c2a1f Procrastinated productively for uni work
c4b1e3a Survived cardio without collapsing

Each commit represents a task you completed, giving you a clear view of your day’s productivity.

I know this may not be the most practical way to manage your to-do list, but it’s a fantastic exercise for anyone looking to get comfortable with using Git. By treating tasks as commits and organizing them into branches, you’re engaging with core Git commands in a unique, hands-on way. The purpose of this blog was to show that Git is not only powerful but also versatile enough to be used creatively. If you learned something here or gained more confidence with Git, then I’ve succeeded in my goal!

If you have any suggestions or ideas on how to improve this approach, please feel free to share. You can even take it further by syncing your to-do list to the cloud with GitHub, allowing for an accessible, trackable task manager that’s uniquely yours. Happy coding, and happy planning!

My attempt at creating a viral game.

Munem Prionto — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 19:16:39 +0000

The news of Wordle being acquired by the New York Times for over $1 million was not only a surprise, but also a revelation. It highlighted the fact that creating a viral game doesn't always require the backing of large corporations, large teams, or realistic graphics. Instead, it reminded me that simplicity and creativity can be just as effective in capturing the hearts and minds of players. This realization was not only motivational, but also sparked my desire to create a simple casual game of my own. I sat down and began to brainstorm ideas, taking into account my own limitations and skill-set.

Concept

I find mathematics to be enjoyable, however, I struggle with mental math. I had the idea to create a game that would assist me in enhancing my mental computation skills. This game would be the perfect blend of fun and learning. I decided to name it Exprn, short for "Mathematical Expression".

Tech stack

I recently embarked on my journey of learning React Js. Though I had a grasp of the basics, I had not yet put it into practice through any projects. To strengthen my understanding and skills, I thought it would be a great opportunity to use React Js to develop a game.

Game logic

“Create a mathematical expression to match the generated number.” But the catch is you can't use a double digit number. You have 9 digits ‘1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9’ and four mathematical operators ‘+ , - ,* , / ' to create an expression that will equal the given number. As you progress through the game, it will generate larger numbers. Another catch is that you cannot erase or reset your move, so you must carefully place each number and operator.

Build phase

It took me approximately 5-6 hours to construct the game. The game's mechanics were relatively straightforward, making the development process relatively easy. However, I invested a considerable amount of time figuring out how to implement a restriction on the usage of single digits by the player. As it was my first time utilizing React Js in a project, the learning curve added to the duration of the development process.

Designing a game is more fulfilling than constructing a standard website. It encourages creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. Through the process of creating a game, I gained a deeper understanding of the core concepts of React Js. I highly recommend others in similar situations or those just starting out to also consider creating a game. While my game may not become a viral sensation, the most important thing is that I had a great time developing it.

I encourage you to give it a shot and let me know your highest score.

Play

I tried Frontend Mentor for a week.

Munem Prionto — Thu, 20 May 2021 17:47:20 +0000

What is Frontend Mentor?

Frontend Mentor is a platform where you can solve real-world HTML, CSS and JavaScript challenges whilst working to professional designs.

Pros

Categories

One of my favorite things about Frontend Mentor is the barrier to entry is very low which makes it very beginner friendly. But that doesn't mean it is only for beginners. There is something for everyone. The challenges are well categorized (Newbie, Junior, Intermediate, Advanced, Guru) So you can choose your level.

Versions

There are two versions. One is a free version and the other is the PRO version (paid). I only tried the free version and I have been very pleased with it. You can check out the differences here

Scoring system

It has a very engaging scoring system. You earn points through solving problems and interacting with the community. Badges were introduced on Jun 15, 2020. You can earn the badges through points. And it was a great addition. It acts as a motivational incentive for those who are competitive.But don't get disheartened if you don't see yourself at the top. The scoring system is more geared towards being an active member of the community than being the best developer.

You can also check the Wall of Fame to see the leader board.

Community

The community is very helpful. You will get feedback almost instantly. You also get points for interacting and by getting up votes on your comments which is an added incentive.

Escaping Tutorial Hell

Every self-taught developer has gone through tutorial hell. And it is very difficult to get out of it. But Frontend Mentor does a wonderful job of helping you get out it. It is also helpful for those who want to code and learn rather than building up a website from scratch.

Learning Git/GitHub

Many beginner developers are scared of the idea of learning git and GitHub as it has quite a steep learning curve but Frontend Mentor forces you (in a good way) to learn git and GitHub.

Learning Hosting

Hosting is an important part of Web Development. Frontend Mentor provides a shortlist of free hosting platforms that can be used to host your static websites.

Cons

To be honest, I wasn’t dissatisfied with any part. It was overall a very good experience.

Tips

Don't skip challenges

It might be tempting to pass on challenges you find too easy. Again on the flip side, you might get stuck on a challenge you find difficult. Try your best not to skip it. Push your boundaries and get out of your comfort zone as often as possible. That is the only way to grow.

Create a separate GitHub repository

If you plan on doing more than 5 challenges, creating a single repository for every challenge might populate your GitHub repository and it will be hard for you to find the repository in the future. So my recommendation would be to keep all the challenges in a single repository and keeping every project/challenge in a different folder inside the repository

Example - https://github.com/Munem-Prionto/frontendmentor.io

P.S : I don’t know if this is conventionally correct but I personally find this process helpful.

Write READMEs

Frontend Mentor provides you with a README template. You might want to skip writing the README but it is a good practice to write README because if someone visits your repository, the README will enable them to understand the project. It is the medium of communication between you and the users.

Time-box yourself

There is no time limit on the challenges which is a good thing as you can go at your own pace but it can also be a bad thing. When there is no time limit we tend to waste more time. So time-boxing yourself is a great way to tackle this problem. When you take a challenge, estimate the time that you need to complete that challenge and try your best to complete it within your estimation. This will also help you to understand yourself and your skill level. It will also improve your estimation game which will come in handy if you venture into freelancing. But don't get disheartened if you fail to complete it within your estimation.

Compete with your friends

If you have friends that are on the same skill level as you, have a friendly competition. Who can do the most challenges? Who can do it faster? Who can do it better? But avoid comparing yourself with someone who is clearly ahead of you and has put in more hours than you. Be realistic whilst comparing with others. And keep in mind that everyone has a different learning speed.

DON’T be a perfectionist

A lot of us have a perfectionist mindset but being a perfectionist can slow you down. If your website is close enough to the design and looks good, submit the challenge and move on to the next one. Use the design as a guideline and not the finished product.

My experience

In the last 7 days , I learned a lot from Frontend Mentor. It helped me get motivated to code again and do it consistently. It got me out of tutorial hell. I tried my best to get the "Mentor of the week" badge (solved 16 newbie and junior challenges) but came up a little short. But it was still a great experience. My goal is to complete all the challenges the free version provides. And if you are willing to take your HTML CSS and JavaScript skill to the next level, I recommend Frontend Mentor highly. It is an amazing platform.

Lastly I would recommend you to take my advice with a pinch of salt as I am a beginner myself.

Munem Prionto.