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Prayush.

Notes & essays

Thoughts on AI, software engineering, and building in public.
Essays
22
Topics
34
Min of reading
176
Job Offer vs Starting Your Own Thing: How to Actually Decide
Latest

8 min read

Job Offer vs Starting Your Own Thing: How to Actually Decide

Torn between taking a stable job and betting on your own project or startup? Here's a clear-eyed, non-hustle-culture framework for making the call, with no one-size-fits-all answer.

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The archive

21 entries
PHP2Shell: Two Critical PHP Bugs You Need to Patch Today (CVE-2026-109618 & CVE-2026-109619)

11 min read

PHP2Shell: Two Critical PHP Bugs You Need to Patch Today (CVE-2026-109618 & CVE-2026-109619)

Two critical remote code execution bugs just landed in the PHP engine itself. Here's what they are, whether you're affected, and exactly how to patch.

  • php
  • security
  • webdev
Learning to Code Without Burning Out: How to Stay Consistent for the Long Haul

9 min read

Learning to Code Without Burning Out: How to Stay Consistent for the Long Haul

Most beginners quit because of burnout, not difficulty. Here's how to build a sustainable learning routine, spot the warning signs early, and restart without guilt.

  • beginners
  • productivity
  • mentalhealth
How to Build Your First Portfolio Website (Even If You're Not a Designer)

9 min read

How to Build Your First Portfolio Website (Even If You're Not a Designer)

A beginner-friendly guide to building a portfolio site that actually gets you noticed. What to include, how to design it without being a designer, and how to put it online for free.

  • webdev
  • beginners
  • portfolio
Git Explained for Beginners (Without the Confusing Parts)

9 min read

Git Explained for Beginners (Without the Confusing Parts)

Git feels like magic commands until you get the mental model. Here's a plain-English guide to commits, branches, merges, and undoing mistakes, with only the commands you actually need.

  • git
  • beginners
  • tutorial
Stop Panicking at Red Text: How to Actually Read Error Messages

8 min read

Stop Panicking at Red Text: How to Actually Read Error Messages

Error messages aren't insults, they're clues. A beginner-friendly guide to reading tracebacks, decoding common errors, and asking for help the right way.

  • beginners
  • programming
  • debugging
Which Programming Language Should You Learn First? (Stop Overthinking It)

8 min read

Which Programming Language Should You Learn First? (Stop Overthinking It)

Python, JavaScript, Java, C++? A no-BS guide to picking your first programming language based on what you want to build, plus a simple 90-day plan to actually get started.

  • beginners
  • programming
  • career
Your First Internship: How to Not Feel Completely Lost in Week One

8 min read

Your First Internship: How to Not Feel Completely Lost in Week One

Landed your first internship and terrified of week one? Here's how to read the unwritten rules, ask good questions, and actually make an impression without pretending to know everything.

  • internship
  • beginners
  • career
I Spent a Weekend Binge-Watching LLM Content So You Don't Have To (Okay, You Still Should, But Here's the Map)

12 min read

I Spent a Weekend Binge-Watching LLM Content So You Don't Have To (Okay, You Still Should, But Here's the Map)

Real talk: everyone and their uncle is "using AI" right now, but ask most people what a token...

  • llm
  • machinelearning
  • tutorial
Tutorial Hell Is Real: I Watched 40 Hours of Videos and Built Nothing (Here's How I Escaped)

8 min read

Tutorial Hell Is Real: I Watched 40 Hours of Videos and Built Nothing (Here's How I Escaped)

Stuck watching tutorials but can't build anything on your own? Here's the no-BS guide to escaping tutorial hell, with a simple 30-day plan for beginners.

  • beginners
  • programming
  • productivity
Should You Still Learn to Code in 2026? An Honest Take From a Student Who's Still Grinding

8 min read

Should You Still Learn to Code in 2026? An Honest Take From a Student Who's Still Grinding

Everyone says coding is dead. Here's the no-BS take on what beginners should actually learn in the AI era, and how to use AI without rotting your brain.

  • beginners
  • ai
  • career
Top 10 AI Coding Tools You Need in 2026 (Or You're Basically Coding With One Hand Tied Behind Your Back)

4 min read

Top 10 AI Coding Tools You Need in 2026 (Or You're Basically Coding With One Hand Tied Behind Your Back)

So here's the thing nobody warned us about: the "AI will help you code" era quietly turned into the...

  • ai
  • coding
  • programming
Security Pitfalls in React Apps I Learned the Hard Way

6 min read

Security Pitfalls in React Apps I Learned the Hard Way

A few months back I was doing a code review for a friend's project and noticed they were storing JWTs...

  • webdev
  • react
  • security
I Built a Free Public Random Quotes API — No Key, No Auth, Just Use It

8 min read

I Built a Free Public Random Quotes API — No Key, No Auth, Just Use It

Hey there! So you've been Googling for a free quotes API that doesn't require signing up, doesn't...

  • api
  • webdev
  • javascript
MongoDB: Zero to Advanced (The Real Guide Nobody Else Will Write)

17 min read

MongoDB: Zero to Advanced (The Real Guide Nobody Else Will Write)

Hey there! So you've heard about MongoDB and now you're wondering what the heck it actually is and...

  • tutorial
  • mongodb
  • database
Database Indexing Explained Like You're 5 (Then Like You're a Senior Dev)

10 min read

Database Indexing Explained Like You're 5 (Then Like You're a Senior Dev)

Hey there! So you want to understand database indexing? Cool. Let me break this down in a way that...

  • systemdesign
  • beginners
  • database
Setting Up Your Command Line Assistant with Google Services (The Complete Guide)

8 min read

Setting Up Your Command Line Assistant with Google Services (The Complete Guide)

Hey there! Welcome back. It's been a minute since my last blog on 7 Productivity Hacks That Changed...

  • automation
  • tutorial
  • productivity
7 Productivity Hacks That Changed My Life (And Will Change Yours Too)

7 min read

7 Productivity Hacks That Changed My Life (And Will Change Yours Too)

Hey there! I am glad you ended up here. Look, I've tried every productivity hack under the sun, and...

  • productivity
  • linux
  • beginners
Stop Paying for Obsidian Sync: Here's How I Actually Did It

6 min read

Stop Paying for Obsidian Sync: Here's How I Actually Did It

So you've fallen into the Obsidian rabbit hole. Good. Now you're realizing that having your notes on...

  • productivity
  • obsidian
  • automation
Top 10 Visual Studio Code Extensions for Enhanced Productivity

4 min read

Top 10 Visual Studio Code Extensions for Enhanced Productivity

Top 10 VS Code Extensions You Absolutely Need (or Else!) So, you’ve hopped on the Visual...

  • productivity
  • coding
  • vscode
Create your API using C++

2 min read

Create your API using C++

Creating a C++ API with Drogon Framework Introduction In today's connected...

  • cpp
  • drogon
  • api
The Ultimate Roadmap to a Full-Stack Developer

6 min read

The Ultimate Roadmap to a Full-Stack Developer

We all wonder about the best way to start learning web development and how to become a successful...

  • webdev
  • beginners
  • tutorial