THE DAILY BUILDER

part of me is actually seriously surprised i managed to pull this off…
and another part of me is just nodding his head, because it’s what i expected of myself.

if i thought last week was productive, then this week just completely eclipsed that

and the best part about it all is that all the things i didn’t fully understand or grasp this same time last week, feel like they’re on autopilot today

progress
the one thing that gives me more dopamine than anything else

alright, so welcome back everybody, we’re on week 26 of the unicorn founder and week 2 of becoming a technical founder… fun times

today’s menu:
→ a consecutive overview of what was achieved each day
→ some feedback on what i’m doing to learn so fast
→ and as per usual, founder lessons

THIS WEEK

this overview has been really meaningful to compile because it has given me an opportunity to really get a birds-eye-view of how the complexity of the things i have been building has progressed and increased.

a little disclaimer: all these projects are interactive, so i’d like to say there’s sooo much more than just the images you’re seeing… so if you’re curious, go check out my socials (linked at the end) to watch the videos of their actual usecase.

one more disclaimer: there is a massive temptation to use ai to build all these for me, but i have intentionally constrained myself to not using ai to generate code for me, in order for me to genuinely learn how to code properly.

MONDAY

→ reiteration of html & css skills
goal: build a landing page

TUESDAY

→ reiteration of html & css skills
goal: build an admin dashboard

WEDNESDAY

→ use javascript to dynamically update an array/display with user input based off a user-form pop-up after clicking “add to library” button
goal: build a user-generated library

THURSDAY

→ use javascript to create a game that renders html elements on screenload, keep track of scores, declare a winner, and reset after game ends.
goal: build a tic-tac-toe game (max 5 rounds)

FRIDAY

→ implement tabs to change the content of the website without refreshing the page, install webpacks, and build website components with javascript modules.
goal: build a restaurant website/landing-page

SATURDAY

→ use localstorage (work with JSON files) to upload, retrieve, and store user data + have several tabs that renders new content on-click (literally zero html used here)
goal: build a to-do list

TODAY

→ use asynchronous javascript and api’s
goal: build a weather app

EDU FEEDBACK

look, i have no idea whether what i am doing is fast learning or not; i am just focused on getting as much into my brain and applying it, all as fast as possible.

has there been moments where i have been confused, frustrated, and angry?
absolutely. so many times haha.

what i have found however is that the knocker that keeps knocking eventually gets through the door.

and the really cool part is that when you start to look back, you begin to see how the things you used to struggle with are now super easy.

novelty has that effect on us: it is painful initially because we have to wire new paths of thinking in our brains

and so the perspective i have adopted: when it feels painful trying to understand something new, it represents a good thing, because i am expanding my capabilities and therefore my potential in the things i can achieve.

the key is to have a constant.

my constant has been the agreement to sit down for a minimum of 8 hours and figure out whatever is in front of me.

that self-imposed rule/boundary/limitation has been key to giving me the time required to push through the tough stuff.

and with anything that you genuinely give time towards, you will make progress in.

some make it faster than others, but progress is progress nonetheless.

FOUNDER LESSONS

1

humans are so powerful that we become powerless when we believe we are so.

belief lives in the connotations we have about ourselves, our abilities, and of things in general.

one of the beliefs i have been building in my life is the following: everything is easy

the rationale behind this is to remove any self-imposed limitation by making things more difficult than they really are by initially priming myself to believe it is difficult before i even try it.

in addition, whenever things are genuinely feeling difficult, i remind myself that all things are easy and that if it is feeling difficult, i am the cause for error, not the thing itself, and so i need to step back and reevaluate myself before carrying on.

i cannot tell you how powerful this has been.

2

we have been raised in a society that views pain as a negative thing, and a lot of pain is negative, but we have been neglected from being taught how to distinguish between pain.

not all pain is bad. not all pain is good. this is something we all know, but we very rarely practice it’s understanding in our lives.

and so when i experience the pain of learning, instead of it being something that crushes my spirit, fills with dejection, and suppresses my optimism, it gets me excited and fills me with adrenaline.

why? i have changed the connotation of pain in learning to being something incredibly good, an insanely accurate indicator of growth occurring… and that’s what i deeply value, growth.

so when i can feel it happening, it is a moment of celebration, not of suppression.

3

all time is given equally to all of humanity, why is it that some people turn it into 100x and others get a negative return on it?

i love to ask these sort of questions, because it’ really quite simple; the fact that we all have time in some shape and form, time that represents clay that we can mould and fashion into what we want it to become.

time is distributed equally, but it’s returns discriminate.

one of the examples i have had this last week is when i am taking a quick break from coding/learning — i have two choices available to me for how to spend the next 15mins:
1. watch social media
2. do some stretching/minor exercises/a little walk

every single time i have chosen choice number 1 i have been worse off, and time just seems to run away, 15 mins turns into 30, 45, who knows how much longer…

but every. single. time i have chosen choice 2 i have kept my break according to it’s limit, and my body feels so insanely good = an insanely good brain.

and it is so. damn. simple.
not easy…
but simple

choose things that give you life not death.

it’s something i am continually watching out for and paying particular attention to.

🕺 thanks for coming everybody

check out LinkedIn, X, IG, TikTok for daily updates/thoughts/ideas… and even YouTube for some longer form content I am putting out

connect with me there, or reply here.

Peace and Wholeness : )
ethan