What I learned

One RCPT TO probe answers "is this address live?" faster than any test email.

Never trust my own selection count: comparing it with Google's "N selected" before every bin caught each bug before it cost a photo.

Do not be afraid to experiment with tools.

Decode the real files before I design the screens.

Read raw Whisper transcripts before I build anything on them, because silence turns into fake "Thank you" lines.

A redirect can look like a name clash, so I compare full_name with the name I asked for.

I do not know yet if the pool beats a carousel, so I will not guess.

Check the total video length and the length of each section before I buy a course.

Test my checker against the bug before I test the fix.

A consent banner can remember the answer and never pass it to gtag.

The live MCP session is for experiments and the rebuild script is what I keep.

Use the layout Claude Code expects: one marketplace with plugins, not one repo per skill.

Approval gives me credentials, not data.

Store every webhook body raw before I parse it, so a new feature becomes a backfill.

A static bearer token is enough when only Claude Code connects.

I can test write tools against a live API cheaply: start a real build, then cancel it at once.

Startup time decides the shape of a DAW tool.

C2PA answers the question music metadata never did: who created a track, and how.

The best interface for an agent in a family project is a shared spreadsheet, not a chat window.

Watching a video is not the same as keeping what it says.

Skip the conversion step and edit the real file.

Build the Python BLE simulator first, not last.

For room-level sensors BLE beats WiFi: no router, less power, a simpler protocol.

A simple protocol is enough for a live demo: a 4-byte sync header, a checksum, and lost frames simply skipped.

The hard part of Rust is unlearning my C and Python habits, not the syntax.

A missing driver is not a dead end.

A BPM number from an API is a starting point, not the truth.

Keep each MCP server thin and focused on one domain, and to return JSON, not prose.

Bandcamp exports its CSVs in UTF-16 by default, which trips up most parsers.

Scan a folder first, review what is missing, then ask Claude to fix it, because the conversation remembers which files it just scanned.

Any REST API I keep opening a dashboard for can become an MCP server.

Async video pays off as an archive, not as single clips.

A well-defined workflow with domain rules that rarely change is a good fit for a Claude skill.

A role-based invite needs a second fetch of the document to get the role_id SignNow assigns.

I do not need a paid service to transcribe recordings.

A branded watch face is a small project with real value.

Shipping a rough MVP to waiting coaches beats waiting for clean architecture.

Leaving a tool is manageable once the export is solid.

The key to a DIY MIDI controller is a board with native USB.

The useful data lives in the .als file, which is just gzip-compressed XML.

Default to the dependency that is still maintained.

Treat my DAW as a data source.

Start with the simplest thing that works.

Designing for sound first made the game work for players I had not planned for.

Event Storming shows how a process actually works, not how the documentation says it works.

Each web era changed one verb for the user: read, then write, now own.

DDD earns its upfront cost only in large, evolving systems with complex business rules and domain experts at hand.

Treat Kubernetes as a framework, not just a tool.

Most production wins here are one small config line: a cache mount, a health check, a memory limit.

A flat structure on paper still left me as the main blocker.

The "from X to Y by when" formula quickly shows which goals really matter.

Profit sharing stays fair when the rules are few: an equal share for everyone, and no payout until all invoices are paid.

Linear planning does not work for me, so I focus on today.