Developer, maker, and perpetual project starter. I build web apps and dev tools mostly, things that I think are really useful and should exist and be simple to use. I also like to experiment with AI.
Senior Lead Tech/Dev, 20+ years. Building NoireBox — the flight recorder for your of AI agents. Proof, not promises. Rust · TS · Python · PHP. I write about trust in AI.
Apparently, the world doesn’t need AI agents that just go around in circles. 🐍
That’s why I’ve spent my time dissecting what others are doing.
It takes an incredible amount of time!
PS: I’m currently designing a WordPress-style system based on Markdown and GitHub Pages—if anyone wants to jump on board!
Civic technologist building AI tools that help systems explain themselves. Clew Suite builder, NACM 2026 speaker. I write about hackathons, product judgment, agent readiness, and learning in public.
To build or not to build, that is the question. I also get very excited about an idea and the exploration stage can sometimes be the most fun. Building a plan based on wondering whether or not this is something I can dream into existence.
But it does weigh on me when I build, build, build but don't necessarily launch or go back to review.
I've come to realize stopping is a skill. And sometimes brainstorming an idea and storing it knowing I can go back at any time, can be enough. Sometimes. 😂
Developer, maker, and perpetual project starter. I build web apps and dev tools mostly, things that I think are really useful and should exist and be simple to use. I also like to experiment with AI.
I think stopping being a skill is something I'm still learning. I get so caught up in the excitement of an idea that I forget there's nothing wrong with just exploring it and moving on. You're right that sometimes just writing an idea down and knowing it's there whenever you want to revisit it is enough. I probably need to remind myself of that more often!
Civic technologist building AI tools that help systems explain themselves. Clew Suite builder, NACM 2026 speaker. I write about hackathons, product judgment, agent readiness, and learning in public.
Lots of ideas with little time. lol I'm trying to use Obsidian to capture them and go back later. We'll see if it takes the pressure off of wanting to build right away. :-)
I help Python and backend engineers move beyond writing working code to designing production-ready systems, making architecture decisions, and growing into senior engineering roles.
“An idea is perfect until you start building it” is so true. In my head every project is amazing, then real decisions show up and a new shiny idea starts waving at me 😅 Love the ending too. Having the freedom to make nothing is something I needed to hear today!
Developer, maker, and perpetual project starter. I build web apps and dev tools mostly, things that I think are really useful and should exist and be simple to use. I also like to experiment with AI.
Exactly! It's amazing how quickly that perfect idea loses a little of its shine once you start dealing with the actual work involved. And somehow the next idea always looks so much more exciting lol. And the ending... I think I needed that reminder myself just as much as anyone. We spend so much time thinking about what we could be making that we forget it's okay to just enjoy doing nothing sometimes too.
The suggestion to actually use things you've already made feels different from the other choices on that menu. An evening using a terminal app could be worthwhile even if it produces no commits and no new feature ideas. I'd be curious whether the pressure to choose eases when the editor stays closed but the thing you made stays open. Does being its user feel like a different kind of creative time to you?
Developer, maker, and perpetual project starter. I build web apps and dev tools mostly, things that I think are really useful and should exist and be simple to use. I also like to experiment with AI.
That's a really interesting question. I think it does feel different, actually. When I'm building something, I am constantly thinking about all the things that I can improve or what I can add to it. But when I am simply using it, I get to enjoy the satisfaction of having made something that works and is useful to me. Although I'll admit, sometimes using my own apps just gives me MORE ideas for things to add lol. I probably don't spend nearly enough time just enjoying the things I've already created.
The 'using it gives me MORE ideas' part makes that boundary tricky: even a useful app can turn straight back into a to-do list. Maybe a feature idea can wait until the activity you opened the app for is finished, instead of immediately becoming a development session. That would leave room for the app to be useful in its current state. Is there one thing you've made that you can now use without mentally reviewing it as its developer?
Developer, maker, and perpetual project starter. I build web apps and dev tools mostly, things that I think are really useful and should exist and be simple to use. I also like to experiment with AI.
That’s exactly my problem. I can open something I made with every intention of just using it, and five minutes later I’m thinking about what I could improve or add to it.
I think you’re right though, I need to get better at letting those ideas wait instead of immediately turning everything into another task.
I do have a few little utilities that I use regularly without thinking too much about them anymore. But I think most of the time there’s still that little developer voice in the back of my head going, “You know what would make this better…”
It’s actually a really interesting distinction, being able to enjoy something you’ve built without constantly feeling the need to keep building it!
The trap for me is that moment right before you actually start building. In your head, the idea is practically a masterpiece. Then you sit down, spend an hour fighting dumb config errors, and suddenly that other shiny idea in your head starts looking real tempting.
I've had to teach myself that tinkering for an evening and abandoning the project isn't a failure. If you had fun or learned one new trick, that's enough. You don't owe the internet a finished product every time you open VS Code.
Developer, maker, and perpetual project starter. I build web apps and dev tools mostly, things that I think are really useful and should exist and be simple to use. I also like to experiment with AI.
Hahaha, yes!! Everything seems so perfect when it's still just an idea in your head. Then you actually start building it and reality comes knocking with a bunch of annoying errors. And I love what you said about not owing the internet a finished product every time you open VS Code. That's such a good reminder. Sometimes just messing around and learning something new is the whole point, and I think we forget that far too often.
the twenty minutes standing at the menu is so real. maybe the choice gets lighter if it's just 'what's tonight for' instead of 'which project wins', since like you said the other nine aren't going anywhere
Developer, maker, and perpetual project starter. I build web apps and dev tools mostly, things that I think are really useful and should exist and be simple to use. I also like to experiment with AI.
That's a good way to look at it. Just picking whatever sounds interesting in the moment instead of trying to decide which idea deserves my time the most. I probably make the decision way more complicated than it needs to be lol. And you're right, the other ideas will still be there tomorrow!
Hello, I feel this as well.. Tbh I don't know what I'll do or what others would do but I have always been concerned about tracking what I have created.. almost like when you save a world on minecraft I like to go back and look at what I've created lol.
Its kinda like that, where I can just track all my projects and help people understand the cost from tokens to money to environment etc.. working on updating it and always accepting contributions and feedback. Would love to see the community trying it out and being excited about it!
Developer, maker, and perpetual project starter. I build web apps and dev tools mostly, things that I think are really useful and should exist and be simple to use. I also like to experiment with AI.
I love the Minecraft comparison! There’s definitely something satisfying about going back and looking at things you’ve created, even if you haven’t touched them in ages. I have so many projects at this point that sometimes I forget what I’ve made lol. I think that’s part of the fun though. Not everything has to turn into something huge or even be finished to be worth making.
Your app sounds interesting too. I like the idea of keeping track of projects and making the costs of AI more visible.
This is such a profoundly relatable reflection for anyone who builds things for the sheer joy of creation. We spend years wishing for the technical barriers to drop—for the languages, frameworks, and tools to become accessible enough that "if you can dream it, you can build it"—only to discover that infinite freedom comes with a completely different kind of paralysis: the weight of opportunity cost.
When every passing thought can instantly become a working prototype, choosing one path means actively abandoning a dozen others. The beauty of this piece is how it reframes that paralysis, reminding us that curiosity doesn't always have to be monetized, scaled, or even finished. Sometimes an experiment fulfills its purpose the moment it teaches us something new, and sometimes the bravest thing a developer can do is simply close the editor and let the ideas wait.
Developer, maker, and perpetual project starter. I build web apps and dev tools mostly, things that I think are really useful and should exist and be simple to use. I also like to experiment with AI.
Thank you so much! I love how you put that, the weight of opportunity cost. That's really what it feels like sometimes. It's funny how we spend so much time trying to make things easier to build, only to discover a whole different challenge once we get there lol. And I completely agree, sometimes just learning something new from an experiment is enough. I'm trying to remind myself of that more often, along with the fact that it's perfectly okay to just close the editor sometimes.
I build software for drilling robots and private AI that runs inside a company network. C++/Python, DDS, PLC, local LLMs. Founder, Yantrakar AS, Stavanger.
For me the barrier that's left is not skill, it's what a hosted AI lets me ask. I asked one how self-replication works, it said I can't know that and stopped the session. That's one reason I run open models inside my own network now. There, curiosity decides what I try next, not the tool.
I had this thought that someone also talked about it, and figured out that someone did!
The hidden trap of endless AI capabilities
What do you build when you can build anything?
Otherwise, great post!
Oh yeah I think I remember this post now. I guess it’s something a lot of us are thinking about! Thanks!
Apparently, the world doesn’t need AI agents that just go around in circles. 🐍
That’s why I’ve spent my time dissecting what others are doing.
It takes an incredible amount of time!
PS: I’m currently designing a WordPress-style system based on Markdown and GitHub Pages—if anyone wants to jump on board!
To build or not to build, that is the question. I also get very excited about an idea and the exploration stage can sometimes be the most fun. Building a plan based on wondering whether or not this is something I can dream into existence.
But it does weigh on me when I build, build, build but don't necessarily launch or go back to review.
I've come to realize stopping is a skill. And sometimes brainstorming an idea and storing it knowing I can go back at any time, can be enough. Sometimes. 😂
I think stopping being a skill is something I'm still learning. I get so caught up in the excitement of an idea that I forget there's nothing wrong with just exploring it and moving on. You're right that sometimes just writing an idea down and knowing it's there whenever you want to revisit it is enough. I probably need to remind myself of that more often!
Lots of ideas with little time. lol I'm trying to use Obsidian to capture them and go back later. We'll see if it takes the pressure off of wanting to build right away. :-)
“An idea is perfect until you start building it” is so true. In my head every project is amazing, then real decisions show up and a new shiny idea starts waving at me 😅 Love the ending too. Having the freedom to make nothing is something I needed to hear today!
Exactly! It's amazing how quickly that perfect idea loses a little of its shine once you start dealing with the actual work involved. And somehow the next idea always looks so much more exciting lol. And the ending... I think I needed that reminder myself just as much as anyone. We spend so much time thinking about what we could be making that we forget it's okay to just enjoy doing nothing sometimes too.
The suggestion to actually use things you've already made feels different from the other choices on that menu. An evening using a terminal app could be worthwhile even if it produces no commits and no new feature ideas. I'd be curious whether the pressure to choose eases when the editor stays closed but the thing you made stays open. Does being its user feel like a different kind of creative time to you?
That's a really interesting question. I think it does feel different, actually. When I'm building something, I am constantly thinking about all the things that I can improve or what I can add to it. But when I am simply using it, I get to enjoy the satisfaction of having made something that works and is useful to me. Although I'll admit, sometimes using my own apps just gives me MORE ideas for things to add lol. I probably don't spend nearly enough time just enjoying the things I've already created.
The 'using it gives me MORE ideas' part makes that boundary tricky: even a useful app can turn straight back into a to-do list. Maybe a feature idea can wait until the activity you opened the app for is finished, instead of immediately becoming a development session. That would leave room for the app to be useful in its current state. Is there one thing you've made that you can now use without mentally reviewing it as its developer?
That’s exactly my problem. I can open something I made with every intention of just using it, and five minutes later I’m thinking about what I could improve or add to it.
I think you’re right though, I need to get better at letting those ideas wait instead of immediately turning everything into another task.
I do have a few little utilities that I use regularly without thinking too much about them anymore. But I think most of the time there’s still that little developer voice in the back of my head going, “You know what would make this better…”
It’s actually a really interesting distinction, being able to enjoy something you’ve built without constantly feeling the need to keep building it!
I feel attacked by this post haha.
The trap for me is that moment right before you actually start building. In your head, the idea is practically a masterpiece. Then you sit down, spend an hour fighting dumb config errors, and suddenly that other shiny idea in your head starts looking real tempting.
I've had to teach myself that tinkering for an evening and abandoning the project isn't a failure. If you had fun or learned one new trick, that's enough. You don't owe the internet a finished product every time you open VS Code.
Hahaha, yes!! Everything seems so perfect when it's still just an idea in your head. Then you actually start building it and reality comes knocking with a bunch of annoying errors. And I love what you said about not owing the internet a finished product every time you open VS Code. That's such a good reminder. Sometimes just messing around and learning something new is the whole point, and I think we forget that far too often.
the twenty minutes standing at the menu is so real. maybe the choice gets lighter if it's just 'what's tonight for' instead of 'which project wins', since like you said the other nine aren't going anywhere
That's a good way to look at it. Just picking whatever sounds interesting in the moment instead of trying to decide which idea deserves my time the most. I probably make the decision way more complicated than it needs to be lol. And you're right, the other ideas will still be there tomorrow!
Hello, I feel this as well.. Tbh I don't know what I'll do or what others would do but I have always been concerned about tracking what I have created.. almost like when you save a world on minecraft I like to go back and look at what I've created lol.
I did make this application: centrail.org
Its kinda like that, where I can just track all my projects and help people understand the cost from tokens to money to environment etc.. working on updating it and always accepting contributions and feedback. Would love to see the community trying it out and being excited about it!
I love the Minecraft comparison! There’s definitely something satisfying about going back and looking at things you’ve created, even if you haven’t touched them in ages. I have so many projects at this point that sometimes I forget what I’ve made lol. I think that’s part of the fun though. Not everything has to turn into something huge or even be finished to be worth making.
Your app sounds interesting too. I like the idea of keeping track of projects and making the costs of AI more visible.
This is such a profoundly relatable reflection for anyone who builds things for the sheer joy of creation. We spend years wishing for the technical barriers to drop—for the languages, frameworks, and tools to become accessible enough that "if you can dream it, you can build it"—only to discover that infinite freedom comes with a completely different kind of paralysis: the weight of opportunity cost.
When every passing thought can instantly become a working prototype, choosing one path means actively abandoning a dozen others. The beauty of this piece is how it reframes that paralysis, reminding us that curiosity doesn't always have to be monetized, scaled, or even finished. Sometimes an experiment fulfills its purpose the moment it teaches us something new, and sometimes the bravest thing a developer can do is simply close the editor and let the ideas wait.
Thank you so much! I love how you put that, the weight of opportunity cost. That's really what it feels like sometimes. It's funny how we spend so much time trying to make things easier to build, only to discover a whole different challenge once we get there lol. And I completely agree, sometimes just learning something new from an experiment is enough. I'm trying to remind myself of that more often, along with the fact that it's perfectly okay to just close the editor sometimes.
For me the barrier that's left is not skill, it's what a hosted AI lets me ask. I asked one how self-replication works, it said I can't know that and stopped the session. That's one reason I run open models inside my own network now. There, curiosity decides what I try next, not the tool.
simple answer curiosity inside me