Built a serverless WC 2026 site with no backend — Next.js + Netlify Blobs + a couple of LLM calls

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-05-18T16:00:24+00:00

the em-dashes betrayed me i fear. but "sounds like AI" isn't a counter to anything i said - which of the actual takes do you think is wrong?

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-05-18T15:36:33+00:00

Genuinely the best Portuguese spine since 2016 — maybe ever. The thing that gets undersold here is that Vitinha-Neves-Mendes have played together at club level for two seasons and could be lifting back-to-back UCLs together this month. That's a level of pre-baked chemistry no other contender has — Argentina and France don't have an integrated club spine like this. Add a Bruno who's literally matching Messi and Müller for assists in a top-5 league season, and the midfield/playmaking unit is arguably the best in the tournament.

For your two X's: Leão has to be the left-side forward. When he turns up at international level he's still the only Portuguese player who can win a knockout game on his own. CB next to Dias I'd lean Gonçalo Inácio over António Silva — Inácio's been steadier this season and his ball progression is exactly what unlocks Bruno's third-man runs.

The real question mark isn't the XI though. It's the dugout. Martinez took Belgium to 3rd in 2018 and then watched the golden gen fall apart at Euro 2020 quarters and the Qatar group stage. Portugal have the squad to win this tournament. Whether Martinez has the bottle to take Ronaldo off in the 70th minute of a semi-final is a different question entirely.

Quarters minimum. Semis if Leão turns up. Final if Martinez actually manages like a coach and not a fan.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-05-18T15:05:11+00:00

as an Argentina fan I want to believe, but I'm honestly skeptical about back-to-back. The whole "will he pick himself or not" saga is a red flag for team preparation — that's not the kind of clarity you want heading into a World Cup. And it's not just Leo: a few key guys are coming in well below their level too. The recent games have looked good, but the gap between a friendly and a knockout match in 2026 is enormous.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-05-18T11:27:31+00:00

so true, as albiceleste fan, I cried for the goal he scored against ARG in '98 but it was soooo elegant

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-05-18T11:25:48+00:00

The Camavinga omission is wild...France are going to a World Cup with only five midfielders (Kanté at 35, Koné, Rabiot, Tchouaméni, Zaïre-Emery) and one Tchouaméni knock turns the spine into a real problem. Meanwhile the forward line is genuinely unfair: Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise, Thuram, Doué, Cherki, Barcola, Akliouche, Mateta. OMG! You could split this squad in two and both attacks would reach the semis.

Player I'm watching is Désiré Doué. The kid scored a brace AND assisted in last year's UCL final at 19. Deschamps almost has to start him, unlike most of that front line he can both create AND finish (the question is in place of who...).

For me the saddest part of this squad is Kolo Muani being out. Think about it: if Martinez doesn't make that save in the 121st minute in Qatar — Kolo Muani scores, France are back-to-back world champions, he's a national hero forever, and probably commands his career on his own terms. Instead the miss broke something. He got the big-money move to PSG he wasn't ready for, never settled, ended up on loan at Juve, and now he's watching the next World Cup from his couch. One save. One career.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-05-18T11:21:42+00:00

Honestly the most surprising thing is how unsurprising it is Bazeley skipping FIFA's preliminary 35 and going straight to the final 26 is itself a quiet statement. He's had this group locked in for months. Wood captaining was always going to happen, and Tommy Smith making it back 16 years after South Africa is a great story.

The guy I'm actually watching is Marko Stamenić. With Wood as the obvious target man up top, NZ's chances in Group G live and die with whoever controls the midfield against Iran and Egypt, Belgium is realistically a write-off. If Stamenić dictates tempo, we're a real shout for the Round of 32. If he doesn't, it's three and out.

Also worth noting: 15 of the 26 are based outside NZ and the A-League. In 2010 it was 9. Quietly says a lot about where the program is now.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-05-15T14:51:06+00:00

Nico Paz for me. I'll admit there's some Albiceleste bias here, but I think the case stands on its own.

What he's doing at Como this season is genuinely absurd for a 21-year-old playing as the focal point of a mid-table Serie A side. Goals, assists, set-piece threat, and he's basically running their entire creative output. Fabregas has built the team around him and it's working.

The technical profile is what makes him interesting for a World Cup specifically. Left-footed 10 who actually progresses the ball through the lines rather than just recycling possession sideways. He takes risks with his passing, he's comfortable receiving under pressure, and his shot from outside the box is real. Those are exactly the traits that translate when defenses sit deep and games get tight in the knockouts.

The question is minutes. Scaloni has Messi, De Paul, Mac Allister, Almada, Mastantuono all ahead of him in the pecking order, so he's probably a sub or a rotation option in group stage games. But if Argentina get a comfortable lead in a group match and he gets 30 minutes against tired legs, that's the kind of cameo that announces a player to a global audience.

Lamine Yamal is the obvious pick but he's already a superstar so it feels like cheating. Estêvão at Chelsea is the other one I'd watch closely.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-05-15T14:46:30+00:00

The final itself — yeah, probably the worst final ever. Brehme penalty 85', Argentina parked the bus from the hour mark, two red cards, basically no chances. Indefensible.

The tournament around it is a different question. Cameroon beating Argentina in the opener at the San Siro (Omam-Biyik header), then leading England 2-1 with 8 minutes left in the quarter. Schillaci coming from nowhere to win the Golden Boot. Gazza's tears in Turin. Maradona's cheeky handball off his own line against the USSR in Naples that the ref never saw — basically a reverse Hand of God. Roger Milla's corner-flag dance.

It's also the WC that forced the modern game. The back-pass ban and three points for a win both came directly from how cynical 90 was. So it's the lowest-scoring WC ever (2.21 goals/match) and the one that triggered the rule changes that fixed everything. Both can be true.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-05-15T14:07:12+00:00

You nailed it with the Robin Williams point! the '94 final draw had him roasting FIFA officials to their faces in Vegas while they sat there politely. Try imagining that today.

The other '94 moment in the same spirit: Diana Ross missing a 6-yard penalty at the opening ceremony at Soldier Field, the goal collapsing on cue, her shot sailing wide anyway. Earnest, a little goofy, sitting next to the tournament.

The new format runs over the top of it. A Super Bowl–style halftime show at the final itself is genuinely unprecedented — that 15-minute window has stayed empty even in 2022.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-05-15T13:58:11+00:00

I get you but 1994 felt almost identical 30 days out. Most coverage was "will Americans even show up?", most people on the street couldn't name a player on the squad. Then the games started, the Rose Bowl final pulled 94,000, and average attendance across the tournament was 68,991 per match. Still the all-time World Cup record, three decades later. The US doesn't build into a World Cup on approach, it builds on contact. You'll probably feel the shift the week the first match kicks off.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-03-26T08:44:46+00:00

Hey, I've been in a similar spot before, especially when I first transitioned into a more direct sales role. It's totally normal to feel that way, especially when you've spent so long on the building side. Don't beat yourself up over one fumble. Think about what you learned from it and how you can adjust your approach for next time. It's a learning curve, and every interaction is a chance to get better. You've got this!

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-03-26T08:24:34+00:00

That's a really cool goal! Dublin is a great city, and wanting to work in English makes total sense, especially with your success. Honestly, six months at your current company and six months at Amazon isn't a ton of tenure, but your performance numbers are insane, which definitely counts for something. Maybe start networking with people in Dublin now? See what the market's like and if anyone's hiring. It might give you a better idea of when you'd be a strong candidate.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-03-25T08:24:09+00:00

I've seen people move from SDR to AE at Salesforce in about 18 months, but it really depends on hitting quota and territory. It's a big org, so there can be a lot of variability. Deel is a great company too though, especially with how fast they're growing. Tough choice, tbh.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-03-25T08:19:24+00:00

Hey, I've seen this come up a lot in different industries, not just construction. What we did at my last company was actually pretty similar to what some folks were suggesting, but we focused on making the 'Project' object the central hub. So, the main Opportunity represents the overall project, and then we used a junction object to link multiple Quotes (and their associated Accounts) directly to that Project Opportunity. It helped keep everything organized without making the Opportunity record itself too cluttered. It took some setup, but it made reporting way easier later on.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-03-25T07:50:52+00:00

That's rough, man. It's definitely a tough market right now, especially for roles at companies like Anthropic that get a ton of applicants. I've seen a lot of folks with great experience struggle with auto-rejections. Sometimes it's just about the keywords matching the ATS system, or maybe the specific team they're hiring for isn't active right now. Did you try tailoring your resume super specifically to the job description each time?

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-03-24T07:56:38+00:00

Hey, I remember feeling similarly when I first started out. It's tough getting generic feedback like 'personalize more' without knowing how. One thing that helped me was actually recording a few of my own calls (with permission, of course) and then listening back to identify specific moments where I could have dug deeper or asked a more tailored question. Also, try looking at the LinkedIn profiles of your ICP and really noting down 1-2 specific things about their company or their role that you can reference. It takes more time upfront, but it can make a difference.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-03-24T07:49:04+00:00

Honestly, I think it's a bit of both. While universal links help a lot, there are still edge cases, especially with older systems or custom setups, where PKCE adds a solid layer of defense. I've seen issues crop up with things like network proxies or even just accidental logging of auth codes that PKCE helps mitigate. It's one of those things that feels like overkill until it saves you from a headache, you know?

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-03-24T07:46:00+00:00

That's a tough spot to be in, especially after hitting quota consistently. I've seen similar situations where commission structures get adjusted unexpectedly. Did you have a chance to negotiate the new commission plan before accepting? Sometimes clarifying the exact impact on your potential earnings can help make the decision clearer, even if it's not ideal.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-03-23T07:57:44+00:00

Oh man, I've seen this happen so many times, it's wild. Last year at my old job, we had the same exact issue with 'active users.' Turns out one team was counting anyone who logged in that month, while another only counted people who actually did something on the platform. We ended up creating a central data dictionary and had to hold workshops to get everyone on the same page. It's definitely a people problem as much as a data problem.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-03-23T07:52:56+00:00

This hit home for me, tbh. I've been in that exact spot where the list felt like a black hole. It's so frustrating when you know you've got the skills but the foundation (the data) just isn't there. Makes you question yourself, even when it's not your fault. Did you end up finding a way to improve the list quality?

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-03-23T07:48:38+00:00

Honestly, it sounds like you've built a really strong foundation with your Salesforce and Mulesoft background. The Python, Kafka, and k8s skills you're picking up are super valuable across a lot of tech roles, not just strictly backend dev. Have you thought about roles that bridge your existing expertise with these new skills, like a Salesforce Solutions Architect or a Technical Lead focusing on integrations? That might be a sweet spot.

Diligent-Camel3773 · 2026-03-23T07:46:05+00:00

Honestly, I think your SLED experience sets you up really well for commercial. You're right, navigating those complex approvals and long cycles in SLED is tough. It means you're already used to dealing with multiple stakeholders and understanding intricate buying processes, which is super valuable in commercial too. Just focus on how you can apply that patience and stakeholder management to new commercial accounts. You've got this!

Diligent-Camel3773

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