Real-world lessons from building and shipping web and mobile apps.
Most TypeScript tutorials teach fancy generics you never need. Here are the patterns I actually use: discriminated unions, branded types, narrowing, and exhaustive checks.
Building React forms with useState is fine for two fields. It falls apart for real forms. React Hook Form + Zod is the stack I use for everything else.
Jest has been the standard for a decade. Vitest is faster, has native ESM support, and integrates with Vite. Here's the migration I run on client projects.
Most Next.js apps render everything or nothing. Slow database queries make the whole page wait. Streaming with Suspense changes that. Here's how to use it correctly.
A 50MB React Native app is a problem. Users bounce, downloads drop, especially on mobile networks. Here's the bundle size audit I run on every client project.
React Navigation's imperative config is fine for simple apps. Expo Router brings Next.js-style file-based routing to React Native. Here's how to set it up and what to watch for.
SwiftUI List looks like UIKit UITableView but performs differently. Lazy loading, identity, diffing, and view updates all matter. Here's how to keep your lists smooth.
Reanimated 2 was powerful but confusing. Reanimated 3 with the new worklet syntax is the animation library React Native deserved. Here's the mental model and 4 patterns I actually use.
Most teams run migrations that lock tables and take the app down for minutes. The expand-and-contract pattern makes them safe to run in production. Here's how it works.
Most Node.js apps open a new Postgres connection per request and wonder why the database refuses connections at scale. Here's how connection pooling actually works.
WCAG has 1,000 rules. 20 of them cover 80% of real issues. Here's the practical accessibility checklist I use for client projects, focused on impact over checkboxes.
Most React apps use Redux or Zustand for state that is not actually state, it is cached server data. TanStack Query handles that better. Here's how to use it.
Tailwind v4 is a rewrite, not an upgrade. The oxide engine is faster, the config is gone, and several v3 patterns stop working. Here's the migration guide I wish I had.
Server Actions are not a replacement for API routes. They shine for form mutations but break down for webhooks, third-party callbacks, and public APIs. Here's when to use them.
Expo used to be the training wheels. After EAS Build, it's the fastest way to ship native React Native apps. Here's the workflow I use for client work in 2026.
Deep links break in the weirdest ways: they open the wrong screen, lose the query params, or do nothing on cold start. Here's a setup that actually works.
Snapshot tests catch typos and miss every real bug. Here's the React Native testing strategy I use: behavioral tests, MSW for APIs, and zero snapshots.
@State, @Binding, @Environment, @Observable. Most SwiftUI code I review uses the wrong one. Here's the mental model that makes it click.
Auth advice on the internet is mostly cargo cult. "Use JWT" was the 2018 answer. The 2026 answer is "it depends, and probably not localStorage JWT." Here's the real framework.
80% of indexes I see in production are useless or harmful. They're added when a query is slow, never validated, never measured. Here's how to do it right.
Next.js middleware is the worst-documented feature in the framework. Edge runtime limits, JWT verification gotchas, redirect loops. Here's the setup I ship.
React Context is the default state tool for most teams. It's also the slowest for anything that updates often. Here's the actual decision framework.
CORS is the most copy-pasted topic in web dev. Everyone adds Access-Control-Allow-Origin: * until it works. Here's what's actually happening under the hood.
FlatList jank is the #1 complaint from RN teams. Most fix it wrong, wrapping rows in memo, bumping initialNumToRender. Here's what actually causes scroll jank.
App Router shipped in 2023. Three years later, most teams still use it like Pages Router with extra folders. Here's what actually scales past the demo.
Most React performance advice is wrong. useMemo and useCallback won't fix your app. Here's what actually causes re-renders, and what to do about them.
AsyncStorage breaks past 100 records. Realm is heavy. WatermelonDB is the answer for serious offline-first React Native apps. Here's the actual setup.
Everyone says Bali. I chose the Philippines. Here's why Southeast Asia in general is unbeatable for freelance developers, beyond just the cheap rent.
Push notifications are documented in 14 places across Expo, Firebase, and Apple. None of them tell you the actual flow. Here it is in one place.
Default SwiftUI animations look like 2003 Keynote. .easeInOut everywhere, no springs, no choreography. Here's how to make them feel premium.
Most Fiverr gigs get views but no orders. The problem isn't Fiverr's algorithm, it's your gig page. Here are the 5 elements of a gig that converts.
Images account for 50%+ of a webpage's weight. Fix your images and your site loads 2x faster. Here's everything that actually matters.
I audited a client's API and found their admin endpoint had no auth. They're not alone. Here are the 5 security must-haves every Node.js API needs.
Deploying to Vercel takes 2 minutes. Setting it up properly takes 30. Here's the 30-minute version, custom domain, SSL, analytics, preview deploys, and rollback.
Clean code isn't about patterns or architecture. It's about the next person who reads it, usually you, 6 months later.
Your website is your hardest-working salesperson. But most small business sites are actively driving customers away. Here are 5 mistakes costing you money.
Firebase has been the default for years. Supabase is eating its lunch. Here's when to use each, from someone who's shipped apps on both.
70% of diners check a restaurant's website before visiting. Most restaurant sites look like they were built in 2005. Here's what yours actually needs.
The Catch-22 of freelancing: you need reviews to get hired, but you need to get hired to get reviews. Here's how to break the cycle.
I get paid in USD, EUR, and PHP. Without the right bank setup, I'd lose 5-10% on every transfer. Here's what I actually use and why.
I've worked from coffee shops in Davao, beaches in Palawan, and airports in Bangkok. Here's what I actually need to run a freelance dev business from anywhere.
I stopped writing long proposals. My response rate went from 10% to 50%. Here's exactly what I send, and why most proposals get ignored.
Three years ago I was in Poland. Now I'm writing this from Davao City. The honest reality of being a freelance developer in Southeast Asia.
LinkedIn says $200K. Reality is more nuanced. Here are real earning ranges for freelance developers, not the Instagram version.
You don't need a fancy portfolio to land your first client. You need proof you can build. Here's the step-by-step that actually works.
I'm on both Upwork and Fiverr right now. Here's where the money actually is, which platform to start with, and what most freelancers do wrong.
Yes, you can turn your existing website into a mobile app. Here are the three approaches, from quick and cheap to proper and polished.
Most cost estimates online are from agencies padding their quotes. Here's a transparent breakdown from a solo developer who actually ships.
Everyone asks this. The answer depends on what you want to build, not what Twitter says. A practical guide from a working developer.
Agencies aren't bad, they're just overkill for 80% of projects. Here's why a solo developer is usually the better choice.
Real-world lessons from shipping SwiftUI apps to the App Store. The things that broke in production, review rejections, and the toolchain that actually works.
Stripe's docs are great. The edge cases that break your checkout flow? Not documented. Real lessons from building an online store.
A step-by-step guide from someone who's done it multiple times. Developer accounts, certificates, screenshots, review rejections, the whole process.
I've shipped production apps in both frameworks. Here's my honest take on performance, developer experience, and when to pick each one.