Thread for 2023: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33873800
I'd like to take on VR dev alongside my existing journeys in computer graphics, iOS dev and Unreal Engine. A stretch goal would be setting up a blog to document my experiences in those journeys.
In terms of non-technical skills, I'm thinking of focusing on sales and marketing. Those are fundamental skills, without which any side project I do would be doomed to failure.
In terms of more creative skills, I have a few already in the "pipeline": a woobles kit to learn crocheting, a warhammer starter pack to learn miniature painting and a gunpla model kit to learn to properly assemble it.
Excercise every day with “scientific 7 minute workout”. Also 20–40 minute walks or 100 basketball jump-shots.
Draw daily, even a 5 minute drawing.
Write daily, even for 5 minutes.
Publish first original song, publish first EP. Learn a new song or practice one or two from existing set. Keep learning piano by learning songs you like: https://hypertexthero.com/piano/
Write postcards to people.
Set up a weekly “office hours” livestream to help people with design or technical computer issues.
Avoiding wasting time is okayish but it pales in comparison to the state where you are naturally drawn to doing things that you consider to be more important.
Factorio teaches this. You work on some tiny little thing, like getting a belt to balance properly, and move on to the next. By iterating that you can raise up this great machine, like pointillist art. Mark Andreessen claims that is Elon's secret sauce. I'm not so much hoping to accelerate inter planetary diaspora as I am to figure out how to keep my shoes from coming untied. I'm considering making one small step for man and ordering those elastic shoe laces, and solve a problem that I've been faffing around on since about age four. And then repeating that.
This is one of the reasons I'm dissatisfied with myself. My greatest successes have been when I applied full attention to details out of frustration, which have been rare. I genuinely believe that my life would drastically improve if I'd stop rushing from one thing to another.
What I mean is if once they’re tied they’re standing “up”/lying along your shoe instead of straight, then you’re doing it wrong and they’re slowly untying themselves.
Instead, make the loop with the other hand. The knot will lie perpendicular to your foot and this one stays tied.
Here is a random link with a video: https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/how-to-tie-your-shoes-righ...
I didn’t learn this until I was 32, and Im telling everyone since!
Honestly, I'm just tired of taking on technical skills. It might be better for my career, but I'm sick of hobbies and interest that encourage me to be solitary.
Oh, but most importantly, I want to develop my relationship skills. My romantic life has had its ups and downs, but it's mostly been in the pits for the last decade, and I've realized that I have both relationship skills to develop as well as emotional repression I need to work on. I want to have a family someday and am afraid I may never will at this point, so it's important to me that I can be a good husband and father someday. In other words, I've been more of a scared boy than I thought I was, and I need to fix that.
Started doing sports / gym this year, and will probably continue that next year. I've thought about taking a drawing art course or cooking course.
An ADHD brain is more motivated by external Urgency while a more neurotypical will be motivated externally by Importance. This often leads to ADHD people being perceived as anywhere from flakey, unreliable, to totally unconcerned with problems and/or commitments. In social relationships, they are perceived as being anywhere from touch and go to just unwilling to invest into social bonds. The worst part is that if you are able to mask well in one area, you just don’t have the energy to mask everywhere else. It’s like an unwinnable game of wack-a-mole.
It has taken many years and losing so much to get to where I am and it’s still objectively shit. Knowing that every in the world is not made for how your brain functions and is often made specifically for how the majority of people’s brain functions is depressing.
I’ve found that very carefully selecting work that lets me lean into my specific strengths (good under pressure, able to dive deep on technical problems and pull out results, and being a good business communicator), in conjunction with aggressively automating or pre-preparing parts of my life that suck (laying out clothes/tools/equipment the night before, having a checking “escrow” account all my auto bill pay gets pulled out of) helps me function more efficiently.
It gets better, you can carve newer and deeper neural-pathways by sticking to routines, and finding ways to get that dopamine.
Also medication, that really helps.
Someone else suggested a 'coach' and please, I beg you, don't waste money on a 'coach'; they are a scam.
If you want some professional input or support (highly recommended!) see a psychologist or an occupational therapist who has experience working with ADHD adults.
OTs are the best option for ADHDers considering 'coaching' imo; OTs are professional problem solvers and will help you build the skills to be your own coach (among other things). They're also educated, trained, and regulated. OT as a field has some serious problems but that's a rant for another time. They're a fantastic resource for ADHD adults looking to learn to work with their brain on their own terms. They can absolutely help you achieve those goals. Working more regularly with one for a short while and then reconnecting when you need extra help or have new challenges is common.
If you're looking for professional body doubling/human rubber ducking or some more casual kind of motivation and support, disability support workers are also an option much better than 'coaches' imo. They should also be regulated and have at least some training. They're also cheaper than 'coaches' and they're not a scam trying to lie about credentials, regulation, or scopes of practice. I've had disability support workers help me with some really banal stuff I just needed that extra push to get done.
I know some people swear by coaching, but it's a repugnant scam preying on people. I think the market of ADHD adults realising they want or need help exploding combined with a lack of education and awareness that there are already existing actual professionals that can help has perfectly paved the way for these scam artists to swoop in and steer people away from professional help. Anyway, please see an OT or a psych instead of a 'coach'!
Would you mind giving examples.
I ask because I’m wondering about a family member.
Having said that I have allowed myself one time intensive hobby - to learn Japanese. I’ve memorised around 1000 kanji and my grammar is decent. My goal is to pass the N4 or N3 next year.
That’s a worthy 2025 goal for me as well. Thanks for sharing!
For next year, I want to start taking actual meditation courses and build a regular habit to meditate before going to bed. On top of that, I want to also relax and unwind after work without being on my computer, phone, or the TV (it's ok to pick those things up later, but I just want to rest first without screens)
- Fix up a 30 year old motorcycle that's been just sitting far too long. Maybe resurrect a classic bike or two thereafter.
- Tour by bicycle and motorbike and write about the journey, both physical and mental.
- Hike and backpack, day hikes and longer.
- Develop musically, maybe even play the myriad instruments I've accumulated over the years. Ideally, in an ensemble.
- Find others with similar interests to hang with offline.
- Stay actively curious and engaged.
I have two perfect videos for this topic.
TWO YEARS ON A BIKE (four part video series)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0i2wUmIak&list=PL32DhVYS_c...
One Year on a Bike
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/oneyearonabike
One Year on a Bike "A thousand hellos"
Called it quits at that point unfortunately although I am looking to get another bike for similar reasons, don't really care what kind as long as it isn't a hog if you have any recommendations!
That’s what’s holding me back. Even if I get past the loneliness aspect I start freaking myself out about bears and moose.
* (Continue) Dancing - Beginning of 2023, I got into street style dance and movement (including stretching which I've done now for the past 223 days) helped me get through one of the most challenging periods of my life (i.e. divorced with a child, moved from U.S. to London to single raise my daughter). Dance has now taken its life of its own and I'm finding myself competing in dance "battles" as a way to test and grow my mental fortitude.
Technical skills
* UI Design - as a low level (i.e. C developer), I currently lack the skills to make my own little toy web apps more aesthetically pleasing for not just me, but to share with others
* Photography and videography - want to increase my current level(s) since I started a YouTube channel documenting my dance journey and also create little reels for community events
* (maybe) Rust or C++
[0] - Example of dance related YouTube shorts I make: https://youtube.com/shorts/cI2LAe-MMrw
I would advise to learn couple dancing as: * Zouk (and if you are already doing street style dance, you will love black zouk) * Bachata (there are so many Bachata dancers around the world, that any country or trip you do, you can go into Bachata socials and make local friends all over the world) * Tango (it is the hardest dance to learn, but it has the best connection of all)
And definetly go into dance congresses. There are multiple dance congresses on Europe, but if you can go to some of the best dance congresses like zoukmx or into brazilian zouk congresses during January in Rio de Janeiro, it will be a life experience.
Check on youtube "zoukmx social" and "black zouk"
How did you get interested in opposite ends of the tech stack?
It has been such a rabbit hole because, much like software development, it is not just one skill but lots of different skills and disciplines that combine. From design sketches to pattern drafting to understanding the nature of fabrics and how to cut them properly for wear and durability to the actual sewing and fitting etc.
I figure if the game I'm working on doesn't pan out then I'll go become a sailor or something. I think thats what I'm training for, potential career change.
Marketing. I'm hopeless at it, and I need to be at least OK at it in order for my project (https://nuenki.app) to succeed.
Time management. I'm very good at obsessing over one thing; less so at managing lots of different things that need to be round-robined.
Physics and maths! I'm in my gap year at the moment, but I want to be prepared for my physics degree next year. I'm already really quite rusty.
Git. I know enough to use it, but I've no clue what a rebase is, for example.
I've had a vague interest in 3D printing for a while, but I've recently been getting into DND and it might finally justify getting one. It seems like miniatures are best with resin printers though, while most other things aren't. I also hate painting things, so maybe it isn't worth it.
German! Nuenki has distracted me from it, but I ought to properly get back to it. It's just something I enjoy - I've discovered how much fun language learning is.
And a number of other things, but the list is already quite long and I should probably be enjoying Christmas instead of browsing HN :)
You may eventually want a small project to create a recognizable logo (think how much mileage Duolingo has got from their little owl fellah).
One thing I often see with SaaS offerings is no clear & simple concept / theme that separates the free and paid plans of a service. For Nuenki I would just lean into "works on mobile" being the clear value you get from the paid plan. Hopefully over time you can bring it to more mobile platforms with a small app or something.
Congrats on what you've built and hope to see more growth in 2025! Great idea well executed.
This project looks great and the homepage does a great job at explaining what it does. Especially the slider. And it supports Firefox which is a rarity in this space. I think you should take pride in what you have accomplished from a communication perspective.
If you didn't know about it already, I think that you could use it to tweak the Nuenki landing page, and you'll possibly have some aha moment that'll help in marketing down the line.
You should really check out Math Academy! It'll diagnose where your gaps are and build you up to all the math you need for a physics degree and then some [0].
[0] https://jonathanwhitmore.com/posts/2024-09-10-MathAcademy-af...
Off the top of my head, I can think of Langulearn, Language Immersion for Chrome, Polyglot, Alpharabius, Mind the Word, Gloss (I think defunct now though), and Toucan. These are all extension-based approaches and range from individual words to entire sentences.
I think when people say they need to learn marketing they really mean they want to learn to skimp on spending on marketing.
Nothing anyone could come up with for 1 or 2 passes would really beat a white background with black text that just says https://nuenki.app that the target market sees 10 random times for 10 seconds.
I am hopeless at marketing because I think it is just that stupid at this scale of market size and being good at it goes against all my sensibilities.
I also want to improve my prioritization skills to better judge which challenging tasks truly deserve my time and mental energy, and which ones don't.
I'm about six months in of consistent weight training and it's been fantastic. I look better and I'm noticeably stronger. I want to continue my 30-45 minute, 4 day per week workouts through this next year.
The big addition that I've struggled with the most is increased cardio. My family has a history of heart issues (although I think a lot of that can be attributed to diet), and I'm definitely not the most cardio proficient individual. I'm not looking to lose weight, so eating enough will also be part of the challenge.
I'd just like to have better stamina, so it seems like regular cardio (maybe 3-4 times per week for 20-30 minutes) at a moderate to high intensity will allow me to do that.
It'll suck, especially here in the North East winters, but I'm hoping my cheap exercise bike can do me some good.
Life is pretty good right now as a young and single guy. I just want to make sure I get to live it in a healthy way for as long as I can now and hopefully get to share it with friends and family.
1. Play a sport like basketball - join a league. You will run and not even notice
2. Workout outside if nice. Or in winter open a window to let fresh air in. A lot of people get stuffy and tired inside working out bc the carbon level in the room will build up.
However, that doesn't mean that I enjoy working with difficult people or cleaning up other people's messes. I find those people just as off-putting as everyone else; I just happen to be better at masking it. And I find cleaning up messes just as tedious and challenging as everyone else; I just happen to be able to do it anyway.
So I think one of the skills I want to better develop in 2025 is being able to strike a better balance between the things I'm recognized for being good at and the things I actually enjoy doing.
(And if anyone has tips for how to make use of this skill set in a way that's genuinely fulfilling rather than draining, I'm all ears!)
That is one damn good Superpower! Develop it further and charge/ask more for the job. Advertise it in big bold letters to management/clients/everybody. As you say, that is your "brand".
> And if anyone has tips for how to make use of this skill set in a way that's genuinely fulfilling rather than draining, I'm all ears!
Do not let the above take over your life. Practice detachment via "Self-Distancing" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distancing_(psychology)) and drop it from your mind/consciousness when not working. Also see;
Self-Distancing: What It Is and How You Can Use It to Make Better Decisions - https://effectiviology.com/self-distancing-rational-decision...
My strategy, to avoid getting frustrated, is usually to work around them or not take them seriously, rather than work with them. I speak from experience (generally a people pleaser).
That said, sometimes people feel difficult at first, but after giving what they say or do some thought, it starts to make sense.
Writing technical blogs - I find it easy to write topics where there is no right or wrong, just a perspective. But would like to write some technical stuffs i learnt over the year.
2. I have written technical blogs and it is very rewarding when you see your article ranking at the top of Google, and people sharing it because it is genuinely useful.
I may have some advice here.
If you've never had a blog, you'll be surprised how easily you can rank in search engines and get visitors. Technical blogs that haven't been tainted by monetization aren't as many as you'd think. You probably see many of them here on HN, but in Google most websites fight to stay on top for major keywords to make money.
Furthermore, many experts don't write. You'll be amazed when you start seeing impressions in Google Search Console (their dashboard for search activity).
I highly recommend: - Setup the site quick, in an imperfect state - Post a few articles in an imperfect state - Install Google Search Console
Then follow the data in Search Console - you'll see which keywords and pages are getting traction. From there, keep posting what you think would be helpful for people like you.
Any tips or resources for solo entrepreneurs is highly appreciated!
From the top of my head, in order of importance:
1. Your perspective is unique - no one else shares your exact point of view. Try everything.
2. Master digital marketing: Google & Facebook Ads, Server Side Tracking, Google Tag Manager, and Analytics. Recommended communities:
- reddit.com/r/PPC
- measure.chat
3. Keep creative talent in-house (designers, developers)
4. Study pricing psychology (eg. kolenda.io/guides/pricing)
5. Good books with warstories:
* Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
* The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing & of Branding (2 separate books) by Al Ries
6. Learn accounting essentials, each country has its own system
7. Provide solid support via multiple channels (phone, email, chat, social etc)
I assumed "build it and they will come" would work, and while there are definitely areas I could improve my product, the bottleneck for me is getting people to see it and try it. Once they're using the trial, I have an excellent conversion rate.
Build iOS apps is one of the few areas where I have excitement in software engineering, and one of my biggest regrets was to get into ML/backend instead of app development.
Maybe I am 15 years behind, but the whole idea of being able to deliver something to the phone of our final customer is beyond magic for me, even working on SWE for a very long time.
Every person that has the capability to deliver something to the end user via a front-end that you can build by yourself has one of the biggest senses of agency in the SWE field in my opinion.
I often have an idea for a post that would be interesting, but then as a learn more about the topic in order to write, I start to realize how much I don’t know. At this point, the post either dies or I spend way too long learning every irrelevant detail until I feel like I know enough.
So I think the skill I am trying to learn is writing as a non-expert. Learning to write in a tone that makes it ok to not know everything. Writing in a tone that conveys my experience and understanding, but doesn’t try to be an authority on the subject.
Writing is a tough skill!
When I revisit old posts, I digest the information differently and add more explorations/questions. It's much easier to build upon scaffolding that's already there. Maybe in N years, I'll have something insightful to say about X, but I don't have to hold off writing anything until then -- incomplete notes and rephrasing of other people's ideas already benefit me now.
For me I don’t collect metrics or really try to think that anyone might read a shred of it. I think that’s been helpful. And also just publish it. In the grand scheme it’s for you anyways to enjoy and develop. One piece of advice that I’ve gotten, is to commit to your points or idea. I think that’s can even include committing to uncertainty. You might need to revise it later, but done thoughtfully if you have readers, they should respect that. If not, well, without comments and metrics what does it matter?
Over the holiday break I’ve migrated to my own blog instead of a platform. So I’ve certainly found it enjoyable even if frustrating!
You probably know a lot, and what you write is still good as long as you don't spread misinformation. I have issues trusting most sources that are not clear about what they are uncertain about, cause most people are not experts.
I would normally think that with the rise of LLMs, writing would be come obsolete. Interestingly though, I think LLMs make good writing more valuable and at the same time more rare.
If LLMs obsolete writing, then they will also obsolete reading. Why waste time on reading texts when you know that no effort has been put into creating them, when they do not encourage trust, or sparkle joy.
- Self hosting; got a raspberry PI; hoping to self host a bunch of things on in
- Continue studying/deep-diving various topics. Networking, docker, Linux, databases
- Marketing, Sales and SEO
- Make some changes to my Neovim config
- Make some changes to my QMK keyboard
Nix for production: I’ve used NixOS on my work laptop for 9 months, and I’ve deployed it in production for on-prem CI, dashboard web servers, blogs, VPN gateways, DNS servers. But I could sink another 200 hours into more “katas”, especially wrt. deployment and handling a network of devices.
My path is to create learning material for others.
Web accessibility.
Would be great if I could finally finish a simple static website for myself. I've been stuck in the analysis paralysis phase for so long it's embarrassing.
Best book hands down - “Be prepared A practical Handbook for new Dads” It’s funny and short and every page is insightful. And you will lol while reading it.
Pathways.org - Great app that suggests activities for right age. And it’s free.
Other than that sharpen guitar skills, linear algebra, and as a rubyist thinking about doing something in elixir. But we will see how the time allotment goes with an infant part of the program now.
All kidding aside, my kids are 16 and 19 and I am still trying to figure it out.
Pretty sure it is a journey and not a destination.
Let me know what you think!?
2) Get better at Git.
3) Study and pass the RHCSA.
4) Get better at troubleshooting Linux servers. I can actually feel my skills improving when I can find the actual root cause of an issue, and not just a symptom that is irrelevant. (Thanks, sadservers!)
As I enter mid life I’m finding a lot of things (mentally) challenging. I’m hoping to find peace and mental strength to stay the course and enjoy the life I have built. Worry less, appreciate more, and generally just be happy.
How to skill up in this area? I’m honestly not sure, but starting with reading.
Subjects to study are General Philosophy(Hinduism/Buddhism/Stoics/Cynics etc.) and Martial Arts Philosophy (all works translated by William Scott Wilson).
* Improving my audio description skills. I'm an AD writer, and I want to get better at that, but also possibly start performing. I've got a little notion to do a podcast of Audio Description Introductions, but they're pretty hard work and I'm a bit time poor.
* Improving my writing skills generally. I've learned a lot of techniques intuitively and not with any discipline. For example, have no idea what a past participle is, but I'm going to jolly well find out.
I did computer engineering in college some 10-15 years ago, where these projects were super basic and difficult to get into. Seems like massive advancements in the past decade. Maybe my eye has been watching for these, but I'm seeing many more posts about ESP32 projects, for example, being linked here. Same for RP2040s, along with sensors galore and wifi / bluetooth connections.
Picking Rust as language for the chips instead of the C and MicroPython. Rust has applications beyond the embedded systems and learning it lower level can be helpful if wanted in other cases.
MY_GPIO.borrow(cs).borrow().as_ref().unwrap().odr.modify(|_, w| w.odr1().set_bit());
Also is there anybody here who also draw?
TL;DR: I draw, not consistently, but I do enjoy it.
A good introduction to the former is Algorithmics: The Spirit of Computing by David Harel and Yishai Feldman - https://www.weizmann.ac.il/math/harel/algorithmics-spirit-co...
- Last month, I purchased the CKA, CKAD, and CKS certifications for approximately USD 400 during a discount. I plan to take the exams in April.
- I might also attempt the AWS Solutions Architect Professional certification to deepen my knowledge of AWS.
- I am currently pursuing a degree in AI Engineering at Universidad de Palermo. I need 16 more credits to graduate. In 2025, I plan to earn 11 credits (compared to the 14 credits I completed per year over the past two years), as I’ll have a bit more free time this year.
- My Neural Network professor is involved in research papers, and a few other students and I will be assisting him with his current projects.
- I’m currently living in Maceió, Brazil. My fiancée recently earned her university degree and plans to open a local business next year to gain experience and generate income. I’ll support her by providing funding and helping with any IT systems she may need.
- Now that my fiancée has graduated and we no longer need to stay in Maceió as in recent years, I plan to spend some time in São Paulo improving my Zouk skills and in Buenos Aires refining my Tango.Woah, that sounds an amazing deal. Is this deal still up? I could not find link to i5.
For the past month I've been contributing to a sqlite rust rewrite, and I want to continue until such a point that I would feel comfortable working full time on that (not just on the relatively low hanging fruit). Also want to explore more OCI runtime internals is something I've been fascinated with for a while that I want to get into.
With RL+Planning, my goal is to eventually be able to tradeoff classical estimation and planning with end-to-end systems, and use the best parts of either for a better-than-either pipeline. At the jobs I've had I've seen a weird false dichotomy that produces decent results once committed, but there's always this tension that "the other way" is better, producing weird politics.
Most recently, a classical planning pipeline was completely broken by an ML-based estimation of orientation of obstacles. On inspection they were using quite possibly the worst estimator you could use, and ignoring all kinds of good data, because (I think) they were counting on perfect "measurements" from the ML-based vision system. That kind of thing must happen all the time - get stuck in a local minimum of "tune just a little better" when a good filter on top of a noisy estimator could solve all your problems. There's probably a million such examples in planning systems too.
Desktop application development. I want to make it as easy and fast to create desktop apps as it is to create a web app or a command line app.
I haven't programmed in a while with Pharo but they have a built-in GUI framework. But there was also Bloc, if remember correctly.
Fun fact: you can then also ship the IDE itself with it, so people can hack into your application, if that's the sort of thing you'd want.
In the meantime I have found ways to self host personal media this year from the house and make it available across the internet behind find a personal domain name. Everything is fully automated and free. If can get my finances in order this would be my start up idea: a preconfigured hardware box with custom dashboards for all household and media services that are privately available across the internet. The MVP is complete.
For my hobbies, I still hope to get things organized (in my computer, my desk and my mind) to record some metal composings.
I let every part of my body deteriorate since Covid into late last year. I got tired doing everyday things and even lifting my suitcase from baggage claim had me gasping.
Now from a personal scale of “1” breathing heavy just walking to a “10” running a 5K without stopping. I’ve maintained at about 6 as far cardio, strength and flexibility.
I use to run 15k’s and be a part time fitness instructor and was at my personal “9”.
Second goal is to keep my work life balance and stay at peace with where my career is.
The efficient part would be learning to make cards and decks efficiently.
I can't imagine going back to school and not using Anki.
Dev-wise: python and SQL. I have some skill in both but my new job requires it.
non-technical: marketing. My new job will be a good opportunity for it.
Perhaps also leetcode, but only if I can scooch that in.
Creative skill: starting any side project really.
- Programming and be proficient with one language fundamentals (for now JS/TS) - launchschool seems like a great place for mastery learning.
- Math academy for learning math as an adult with a similar principle of mastery.
On a personal front I've managed to lose 14kgs with the skill of consistency of calorie tracking with Macrofactor and strength training + walking.
And last but not least the self-discovery, meditation and couple counseling made the major difference in my day to day.
Development wise, there is nothing I need to know. I know all I need to know and I'm productive and efficient. If only other companies would and could see it that way instead of requiring the use of bullshit tech like cloud, microservices, k8s.
Does anyone have tips on how get started with technical blog?
I present my outline to an AI chat and ask for other ways to structure it. Ask for some fun headings and the paragraphs will flow.
Share any failed search terms or unsearchable ideas. That way people can respond with "you have to search for frobnocator".
Understand that the faster you can go from and idea to a post the happier you will be. A quick one pot pasta dinner with interesting touches. Not a multi pan demanding process that requires that 6 things go exactly right.
Think about writers that you like and what it is you like about them. I like Joe Armstrong of erlang fame. He wrote it a casual friendly style that got you curious about the system and any number of deeply technical issues
As for the non-technical stuffs, I'd like to at least breach the 25-minute mark in my 5ks (just under 26 minutes flat is fine). Running's been such a revelation for me this year. Definitely agreed with the idea that avoiding burnout is mostly a matter of doing the inverse of what you do on a regular basis[1].
Probably should B1 my Spanish.
Sales. High volume sales specifically and capitalizing on opportunities that I’m maybe not ready to take on yet.
Applying consistency to my goal setting. Ie reading run rate.
I also would love to get better at developing partnerships with experts and those who are skilled in areas I'll never be skilled in.
As for weightlifting - I’ve had amazing success with Dan Go (https://www.dango.co)
I spent part of a bout of FMLA learning to develop simple PyTorch models to help with our data processing, which is sometimes frustratingly qualitative because nobody can define rigorously what they want to compute, just endless sketches and corner cases
* Learn a functional language (probably Elixir/Gleam)
* Launch at least one of my side projects
* Improving Mandarin skills
* Ending the long track of one of my favourite cycling granfondo (Nove Colli)
Got a nice speed cube with magnets for christmas, so that's the first important step on the journey :-)
Steps I'm taking. Write every day, Draw every day, Practice voices while I go for walks every day. (with my iphone/airpods recording me; so I look like I'm on the phone, not nuts.)
And I wanna play keys (and ideally also sing) in a band again.
Using a program called learncraft spanish currently and its been very very effective imo. Recommendations for learning strategies are welcome!
One-on-one lessons are super fun because you can do whatever sounds interesting to you, and doing it in a Spanish-speaking country means it’s automatically in the target language. I would get ice cream with my teacher, go for walks, watch movies, read short stories, listen to music, browse meme pages, etc.
They can also go with you to turn errands like renting a car into learning experiences, or help you specifically prepare for an errand you need to run.
Not to mention all the other benefits of immersion, and it gives you an excuse to travel.
I’ve been partially avoiding learning whilst mostly living in Spanish speaking countries for the last 6 years. Concerted effort is key but don’t beat yourself up about having difficulties listening, native speakers have the whole dictionary to pull from whereas you only have a few words and phrases with basic grammar.
It helps to be around other people that are learning or have learned as there’s a lot of cracks to fall into between a direct literal translation. These are obvious for bilinguals but can’t be appreciated by native monolinguals. Try asking someone to go on a fecha with you to the movies.
And don’t worry about being slow, find good people with patience.
Otherwise, immersion through Spanish media helps - you can listen to Spanish music or watch movies/series in Spanish (initially with English subtitles, maybe later with Spanish ones).
It has the sort of content that can be used to supplement other Spanish learning approaches. It has videos suitable for all levels.
Also, the best grammar reference for English speakers is "A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish" by John Butt et al.
Spanish is extremely pattern-regular and maps to English very well once you "see the Matrix" and learn the tricks. Happy to help — if you like, let me know your contact info and I can get in touch back-channel.
- Running: I want to run a marathon under 4h in 2025. My smartwatch currently predicts 4:01:20 (was 4:30 beginning of the year)
- Chess: I want to improve my FIDE rating to 2100 (I'm at 2050 now and was 1930 in 2023)* Math. Got two books to refresh my skills.
* Improve my parenting.
* Get back to sxratchin (turntables) and making beats.
* Put my work out.
I love the `x ||= 0` feature of the language, and miss it when working in elixir.
I also got to like the tailing if. `puts "hey" if x > 0`
Sometimes that things are pass by reference catches you buy surprise.
Now you can write efficient ruby, and structured algos too. The language isn't primarily used for this, but it can be done. Or rather one can easily write inefficient code. I've had a co-worker say "I don't write my code to be efficient." I (not liking the guy) replied. "It shows"..
Most times though (from a practical POV) I've found the code isn't the slow part of many apps; it's the data (database/file/api's). Still writing better ruby, with smart use of memoization and loops is a great boon.
1) Lojong aka "Mind Training" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lojong
2) Tonglen - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonglen
Also I will keep working on learning rust for no particular reason at all :)
Also, professional development. I think I’ve never learned to sell myself.
I need to learn how to sell myself as well.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/@CodingtheFuture-jg1he [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMXP2wwC5Ss&list=PLk7JCUQLwR...
Based on my interests, music theory, acoustic wave modelling, bicycle maintenance.
Based on the job interviews I been on, Rust.
2. how to self hosting, like buy a cheap machine, create a website like blog, setup a kubernetes cluster, backup and security stuff (for learning purposes)
3. drive a car
Just giving you the warning.
I also recently got a Quest 3, so hoping to learn some basic modeling and rigging, I want to make a VR medical clinic.
2) understand and perform experiment power analysis, run several experiments
3) get certified on ski toboggans to at least blue runs
4) drop 30 lbs to survive #5
5) pass fire academy
6) learn enough android and ios to build UI to run several experiments
7) 1 pull-up
Does anyone know of a good “AI/ML for Dummies” … from the basics.
I do not want something that is just teaching me dozens of frameworks or toolkits.
This was pre-gpt-3.5 release. It's classical ML.
1) Neural Networks for Applied Sciences and Engineering by Sandhya Samarasinghe. Old book but great for understanding.
2) An Introduction to Statistical Learning: With Applications in R or Python by Hastie, Witten et al.
3) Any Statistics and Probability textbook should be at hand for reference.
* 100+ monthly listeners on Spotify.
* Find girlfriend.
- fitness discipline, moderation and better consistent average performance than hitting PR's.
- musical literacy. I'd like to be able to read a score and hear it instead of just sounding out each note.
- horsemanship, continue the journey into a third decade, train up another young horse but this time with more lightness.
having amateur interests is a strange dynamic. what is more absurd? the ridiculousness of being an adult trying learn things that children do and that other people have already spent entire lifetimes and sacrificed other opportunities to learn- or not learning them or developing the physical competence, but having mere opinions and taste about them?
Better modulation of the implosions caused by short, consecutive teleportations.
I want to learn hosting, making and maintaining friendships, fluid small talk with strangers, and becoming magnetic.
Ansible
Improve my programming, either via CS50 or the new edition of Think Python
Put my synth collection to use
learn about language https://www.dliflc.edu/elearning/
I've always been a "stuff it", sort of guy. Not wanting to bother people with my problems. It turns out sharing the good and bad moments of your life with others not only is liberating, but it's an excellent way of showing others that you trust them. It's not all roses though, I've noticed that it's pretty easy to come across as a negative person when you first start doing this.
Also, I've observed that frequently, when doing the right thing while supporting someone, you can still hurt them immensely. Your perspective and their perspective can be so wildly different that it's almost like two entirely different realities exist. I don't know what to do about this one, but I'm going to be sinking considerable thought into it.
Honestly, when I type that out it seems like this shouldn't be a revelation to me. That these are things that most well adjusted normies "just get', but hey, I'm just a neckbeard. Better late than never. Perhaps I'm not the only one.
Also, delegation.
More health
More friendship
For that I will try launching from idea to production a solo project.
Learning how to draw.
Networking - I find it really hard to approach random people and finding any connection.
Sales - finding and converting clients is a must if I am to seriously consider doing freelance engineering or entrepreneurship.
Do you guys think it’s worth reaching out to a professional coach wrt the points listed above?
I've had an epiphany where I realise I waste too much time on smartphones and social media, TV and media, my career and the pursuit of financial stability, and I don't really understand anything deeply. Nor do 99.9% of people, and I want to change that about myself.
So - I've rid myself of all social media accounts (years ago - except HN), sold my TV and consoles (except switch - past year), blocked at a network level all news sites (recently), I've rid myself of a smart phone and now just use an old brick + a notebook to write thoughts in (past 3 months). I want to keep taking this process further.
I've lost interest in web stuff, its not that interesting if you think about it, and its a very high level of abstraction.
I've seen the light - there are amazing areas of computing out there if you look outside of career economics min maxing - Graphics, Emulation, Firmware/Embedded, Hand-written Assembly.
With all my new found free time, and desire to peel away layers of abstraction:
In Computing/ Electronics:
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- Going to complete Nand2Tetris to fully understand computers from the ground up. Already 4 projects deep.
- After the above, learn an HDL like VHDL or Verilog to emulate retro consoles via FPGA's, starting with chip emulation, then gradually moving to retro consoles. These old games were amazingly optimised.
- Write at least 1 small program in an assembly language. Just want to see how hard/constrained it is compared to C.
- Take Ben Eaters course to build an 8bit computer physically from scratch, or just try it myself without guidance. To crack into the Electronics side of things.
- Keep working on my pseudo-3D terminal ASCII renderer written in C and ncurses (you can walk through fully detailed 3D ASCII forests etc, but the code is dogshit currently)
- Take as many papers from OSSU [0] as I can reasonably fit into the year esp Mathematics and Graphics papers
- Complete my content blocking browser extension
- Continue modding old games, go deeper, like Fallout
- Commit to extended "No LLM" periods (days/weeks/months) because its making people stupid, present self included. And what are LLM's but statistical averaging machines. Average in, average out.
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In other areas of life:
- I want to understand how the clothes I wear are made, from scratch. So you take a plant, process it for fiber, process the fibers? Then knit the fibers together to make an item? I want to run through that process with my own hands: everything except planting the plant itself.
- Same with how our homes are made. Wood. Wood gets processed, you get timber, you get planks etc, you build a structure. I want to fell a tree and build a dog house, though realistically this wont happen next year.
- I want to develop self control with food. I currently eat meat, but I wouldn't want to slaughter an animal by my own hand. So, in my own eyes, I am a pathetic person for eating meat and off-handing the slaughter and process step to a third party. So, I want to stop eating land based meats, because the result is not something I could produce by my own hand. I have tried to go pescatarian before, but it didn't stick forever.
[0] - https://github.com/ossu/computer-science?tab=readme-ov-file#...