Blog on Pocket Dev

Stop Winging It: How I Use OpenSpec to Keep AI Changes Structured and Costs Sane

Sun, 03 May 2026 10:00:00 -0400

I’ve been burned enough times by AI-generated code that “solved” the wrong problem to know that the issue usually isn’t the model — it’s the absence of any agreement on what we’re building before the first file gets touched. The AI goes, I approve changes that look reasonable, and somewhere around the third follow-up session I realize we drifted from the original intent two sessions ago.

From Template to Custom in Under 20 Minutes: Claude Code, Plan Mode, and the Impeccable Skill

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0400

I rebuilt the entire frontend of this site in a single short session. New design system, new build pipeline, new color tokens, new typography, no theme dependency. The old Hugo template, the 36 Go modules, the 800-line custom SCSS — all gone. Replaced with Tailwind v4, ten hand-picked SVG icons, and a single main.css I actually own.

From 69 Repos to 19 Keeps: Auditing a Decade of GitHub Sprawl with an AI Agent

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0400

I’ve been on GitHub since 2013. By April this year my personal account had 69 repos. Some were real projects. Some were tutorials I cloned and forgot. Some were the same idea I’d attempted three times in three different frameworks. Some were 0 bytes. I had no idea which was which without opening each one and reading it.

Why Arent Developers Writing Tests?

Sat, 31 May 2025 20:14:24 +0000

Why Aren’t Developers Writing Tests? (And How AI Can Change That)

After countless refinement sessions, hours of discussions, and collaborative back-and-forth, the PBI lands on your plate. You’re eager to dive in. You skim the title, glance at the Acceptance Criteria (AC), and jump straight into the code. The lines flow effortlessly, and by the end of the day, the feature is done. You push it to QA, and the cycle of questions begins:

Managing Emotions in Software Development: A Guide to Effective Communication and Presentation

Thu, 15 May 2025 20:14:24 -0400

Managing Emotions in Software Development: A Guide to Effective Communication and Presentation

Managing emotions is a critical part of being… well, anything. However, in the realm of software development, it’s even more important. Software development isn’t just about writing code; it’s about collaboration, problem-solving, and conveying ideas clearly. Success hinges not only on technical skills but also on how effectively we manage our emotions and communicate with others.

Level Up Your Tech Skills: Recreating Old Projects in New Frameworks

Thu, 01 May 2025 20:14:24 +0000

One of the biggest challenges as a developer is staying ahead of the curve with new frameworks and languages. Technology evolves quickly, and yesterday’s hot framework can feel like today’s relic. If you’ve ever struggled with learning new tech, let me share a technique that has worked wonders for me: recreating old projects in new frameworks. This method combines familiarity with your past work and the opportunity to expand your skill set.

Doubly Linked Lists: Bidirectional Navigation Made Easy

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 19:23:00 +0000

Understanding Data Structures Through Big O Notation

In our previous discussion on Big O notation, we explored how it helps us measure the efficiency of algorithms. Now, let’s take the next logical step: understanding data structures in the context of Big O.

Navigating Linked Lists: Sequential Flexibility Explained

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 19:23:00 +0000

Understanding Data Structures Through Big O Notation

Mastering the Basics: Arrays from the Ground Up

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 02:29:45 +0000

Understanding Data Structures Through Big O Notation

An Experiment in Doing

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 01:00:00 +0000

As time passes and I get older, I find myself reflecting on the boxes I haven’t checked off. This blog was one of them—something I’d thought about for a long time but never acted on. Now, I’ve written a few articles and have more drafted, which I’ll be releasing over the next few weeks.

Optimizing E-Commerce Performance: A Deep Dive into Big O Complexity

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 15:11:00 +0000

Understanding Big O Complexity in an E-Commerce Application

Big O notation helps us analyze how an algorithm’s runtime grows as the input size increases. In an e-commerce application, different tasks—like searching for products, sorting items, and checking user sessions—have different time complexities. Writing efficient code ensures that your application scales well as the number of users and products grows.

Big O Notation Explained: A Simple Guide to Algorithm Complexity

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 13:56:00 +0000

Understanding Big O Notation: A Simple Comparison

This post is part of my data structures and algorithms refresher series, where I revisit essential concepts that every developer should understand. One of the most important is Big O notation—a way to measure how an algorithm’s efficiency scales as input size increases.

From Next.js to Hugo: Why I Ditched the CMS for Markdown Bliss

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 10:00:00 -0400

The Problem: When Your CMS Becomes Your Biggest Frustration

I started my blog with Next.js and Sanity CMS because I thought I’d be using the CMS extensively. The promise was simple: write content in a user-friendly interface, and let the system handle the rest. But reality hit hard.

Why Aren't Developers Writing Tests? (And How AI Can Change That)

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 01:30:48 +0000

Why Aren’t Developers Writing Tests? (And How AI Can Change That)

Fighting Perfectionism: Welcome to Version 0.0.1 of My Site

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:43:53 +0000

After over a decade of procrastination, I’ve finally launched a website with my own content. It’s far from perfect—the UI could use some love, the content is just getting started, and it’s not yet a showcase of everything I’m capable of.