Sheet 04, notes
Notes
The longer write-ups: what I built, what broke, what I learned, and why a decision went the way it did.
One API, Two Apps: Building the Biblical Battle Plans iOS App
Version two of Biblical Battle Plans moved the game rules behind one tested API, and that is what made a native SwiftUI app possible. Here is what it bought me, what was hard, and where the app stands.
Eight Days After Launch, I Redrew the Whole Site as a Map
I shipped a redesign, then replaced it a week later with a site drawn like a storybook map of my work. How the prototypes went, how the map is generated, and how it reaches visitors without JavaScript.
Local Dev That Rehearses Production: One Caddy, Real Hostnames, a Real Inbox
How I run local development across all my projects: one containerized Caddy hands each app a real HTTPS hostname, and the apps that send mail get a Mailpit inbox that never leaks a real email.
Off Vercel, Onto AWS: What a Small Next.js Site Actually Costs to Run
I moved this site off Vercel onto AWS: Next.js on Lambda behind CloudFront, defined in Terraform. Here is how it is wired and what it really costs to run.
Why I Build for Niches Silicon Valley Ignores
Three recent projects, three unglamorous verticals, one thesis: depth in a specific niche beats breadth in a generic one. Here is why I keep picking the weird, specific industries on purpose.
I Killed the Consultant. Here's What I Built Instead.
Why I walked away from the AI consultancy playbook, stopped playing by rules that don't exist anymore, and rebuilt ShirePath as a builder's studio.
81,000 People Were Asked What They Want from AI. Here's What Small Business Owners Should Pay Attention To.
Anthropic's massive study of 81,000 AI users confirms what we see working with small businesses every day, and reveals five tensions every owner should understand before investing in AI.
How I Built This Website in 3 Hours Using AI (And Ditched My $40/Month Squarespace)
A practical look at using Claude Code to build a professional business website, cutting hosting costs and gaining full control over my online presence.