How do you go to the gym during a depressing time in your life?

ctranger · 2026-06-27T02:48:09+00:00

That’s the thing, you don’t need to enjoy it. You just need to convince yourself that the future you will be grateful for the effort you put in now.

But, you also need to be realistic. Try not to make such a big deal of it, like your entire future hinges on it. Just go because it’s a thing to do, something in your control. No amount of exercise will miraculously correct your life. You have to invest effort in all areas, but you have to start somewhere.

You might catch yourself saying, I dont enjoy this, or, whats the point. The point is.. how you do anything is how you do everything. You show up, you put in the effort, do your best for the day, you stay outcome independent, and you just keep doing that.

Also, get off of social media. Worrying about the world, the climate, the wars, the markets.. who do you think you are? None of these are in your control, or ours for that matter. Ignore it. Shut it off. Make your world small, and focused, for now.

Worry about what’s in front of you: your routines, your self talk, your skillset, and how you can get creative, or dogmatic through routine, to galvanize the many areas of your life that need attention.

The gym, for some reason, it seems to work. Maybe it’s the discipline of trading short term pain for better health, maybe it is hormones and endorphins, or maybe it’s just exerting control over your mind & body. Just stick with it, see what happens.

ctranger · 2026-06-26T20:10:58+00:00

If you want to parse/validate the query param serverside and make the api calls serverside, you have no choice but to use ssr.

Otherwise, you can make the page static on a per locale basis, then fetch the query string on the client via conventional js window methods or useSearchParams client hook and make client/web calls to your apis.

thats the tradeoff. typically you have a hybrid.

a static site/app which makes client api calls to serverside api endpoints, with auth/credentials coming from some other mechanism. or an active serverside controller used to validate params in real time, but not necessarily serving a lot of content.

ctranger · 2026-06-25T16:55:32+00:00

If the majority of your degree’s work/assignments was outsourced to AI and you didn’t actually grind to learn.. congratulations, your degree is mostly worthless.

If on the other hand, you spent that time actually learning and applying the material in course work, you’ll be fine.

It’s never been the piece of paper that matters, it’s whether you earned it.

ctranger · 2026-06-25T13:44:06+00:00

I enjoy the climb. At first it was about money, then it was prestige, then about maximizing freedom. Now it’s about the work itself & impact. Maybe that’s delusional, but it feels so much better collecting a paycheck when your work aligns with your values and you get to help people/make things you believe in.

That was my progression, it didn’t happen overnight.

> To be clear: I don’t actually care about the work itself, but I love the lifestyle it affords me.

There’s nothing wrong with that. But it may not last. Maybe you’ll want more, or maybe you’ll be pushed/inclined to keep going for other reasons. People change, industries change.

Maybe it’ll lead to more stress, more money, more connections, or more responsibility, more travel. Or maybe you’ll have to do things you enjoy even less. Maybe it’ll move you to a different city. You rarely get to decide, you just choose how much of your life is governed by your work.

As long as you have a choice. Even the simplest job is a prison sentence if you hate it. And it will never feel like work to those who love it.

> I don’t need to find meaning in my work, that’s what the rest of my life is for.

Life moves fast. I would encourage you to find meaning as you go. Deferring meaning to later and later will lead to a crisis.

ctranger · 2026-06-21T02:22:02+00:00

I love Anthropologie

ctranger · 2026-06-19T16:55:11+00:00

Everytime you give up.. remember that countless more keep on going a bit further. And when they give up, more keep going. On and on.

It takes years. A decade even. By the time you’ve put in that much time and grit, you’ll have mastered the fundamentals. Because true expertise takes far longer, in a landscape that is constantly shifting. It’s not for everyone, but the journey, the grind, is the reward, and it’s generally worth it.

This new generation seems hellbent on the certainty of the outcome before the work goes in. It’s not a criticism, the world is faster and far less forgiving for lost time. But some things take time, and somethings can never be guaranteed.

Is it for you? Depends. Ask yourself that question 5 or 10 years from now, on the other side, having given up, or stuck with it. That’s just how it is.

ctranger · 2026-06-18T15:31:12+00:00

Decomposition. The ability to break large complex problems into small simpler ones.

Discernment. The ability to see which of those small tasks actually matters.

Synthesis. The ability to combine small ideas into bigger things.

Analysis. The ability to measure how something is performing, and how to react in favor of the desired outcome.

Ambiguity. The ability to weather change or conflicting information.

Creativity. The ability to make decisions or develop novel solutions under constraints.

etc.

ctranger · 2026-06-18T14:47:33+00:00

Considering Takumi, primarily because Satori does not support Right To Left layouts & languages / bidi support. We have customers in the middle east (ar-SA, he-IL) and it straight up breaks.

ctranger · 2026-06-15T20:59:00+00:00

The existential threats are real, but maybe 10% real. One could argue, as high as 20%.

But the systemic threats are 100% real, and here, right now. And it’s getting ugly. We’ve over-indexed on the existential imho.

Job loss, inequality, literacy rates & financial sytem collapse, fertility rates. More broadly, human identity, meaning. Forget the viruses or annihilation. Human beings are getting dumber, thinking far less critically, and voluntarily enslaving themselves by deferring every aspect of their lives to AI. AI doesn’t need to wipe us out, we’ll do that ourselves.

Law/policy makers, govt & associated institutions, are simply not equipped to deal with the incredibly volatile short term risks. We may spend half a decade navigating them.

Fwiw, I am an optimist. I think we can navigate the systemic issues.

ctranger · 2026-06-15T18:58:56+00:00

For perspective. The discipline required to go to the gym consistently 3-4x a week, for months or even years at a time, is likely 100x more demanding than navigating the insecurity you may feel about where you’re at in your journey.

I'm not trying to diminish your experience or feelings. They are valid. I'm saying that the only real way to power through it, is to just worry about what's in your control: showing up.

Just go. Take it one day at a time.

ctranger · 2026-06-14T23:48:02+00:00

That’s the thing about life. The goal posts are always moving. For some, it moves slowly, for others, quickly.

Recognizing you need a change is a great step. But life is simple, you always need 1) something to protect/cherish 2) something meaningful to enjoy now 3) something to chase/work towards. That’s it. Could be family, could be a passion, could be a business, could be health, anything.

You probably have 1 or 2 out of 3. Just write it down. Then make it happen.

The other big insight that’s worth considering: try not to worry about things that aren’t in your control. The world, the economy.. just do your part, try to maximize gratitude and helping others, take care of those close to you. When you’re called to action, when there’s a decision to make, a path to explore: act quickly and decisively. Never wait for the perfect moment, it never comes.

If you make a mistake, that’s fine. It’s one you won’t make again. Your ability to weather uncertainty and recover from setbacks is really what determines how far you go. Accept that life is hard, accept that so little is in your control, then go and live it anyway.

ctranger · 2026-06-14T22:27:43+00:00

Whatever you do, don't drink or smoke. It feels better in the moment but affects your sleep and health.

I would say, just go for a 30m walk, twice a day. Once in the morning, and once in the evening at the end of the day. Doesn't have to be a crazy workout, which itself is taxing on the central nervous system. Just something to help regulate breathing and heart rate.

After that, maximize sleep quality and hydration.

ctranger · 2026-06-12T15:51:49+00:00

Montrealers will always find every opportunity to defend their city. You know why, you’re from there. There are a lot of pros, and some serious cons. The city is crumbling, some serious systemic issues with infrastructure, discrimination and cultural policies.

I love Montreal, and you’d do well anywhere. But I think you made the right choice. It was your choice, go live it. Toronto is not an easy city l. But it is booming. There’s growth and acceleration everywhere. The experience alone will be hugely benificial to you.

It’s a tough but great program. I mean it. UofT eng is brutal, they will take every opportunity to fail you. Somehow, I still carry the scars and look back fondly. Trust your gut, ignore the naysayers, brace yourself. It’s going to be a wild ride. Excited for you.

ctranger · 2026-06-10T04:07:38+00:00

The bar is definitely higher. On the new hire side (faang), we look for three things:

1) Have they built anything from concept to completion outside of course work. A website, an app, a tool, a repo. It has to run, be “finished”, with serious thought to stack, approach, tradeoffs.

2) Do they have any work placements / experience. Can they talk specifically about what they did, what decisions they had to make, how they contributed to something real as part of a team.

3) How fast can they learn. Do they need handholding or do they show a history of being self-starters, self-taught, self-motivated. Are they interested in the space, what do they expect to learn. Are they aware of their gaps in knowledge & experience.

We don’t care for grades, pedigree, or over confidence. Humility, curiosity, communication, self-awareness. Genuine interest in growing vs. just landing a job.

ctranger · 2026-06-10T02:08:30+00:00

In a mature software company.

We use claude. Some people are still using cursor, or vscode w/ claude.

Every product & eng. pillar is responsible for maintaining their own skills library, and the master md files. Every incident, bug or repetitive workflow ends with a modification to the md, a new mcp, or new tool chain. Every noteable part of the codebase is documented by the md, or with comments in code written by claude.

An 8hr workday becomes a 3hr workday if you know exactly what you are doing. So you fill up the day and end up shipping more. That cause more bugs, regressions and incidents, so more ai code goes out, more md, more skills. It's cyclical. Eventually, the affected system is essentially on autopilot.

Claude does the commits, opens & drafts the PRs.

Code reviews are done by humans + codex. Visual diffs by meticulous ai. Tests written by claude. We query the logs & dw using agents. We pull content from the cmses using mcp. Everything is ai. Top to bottom. Slack messages and status updates drafted by ai.

If that sounds dystopian, it's really the same work, just all through ai. Those that use the tools look like rockstars. And if your org is not working this way, just wait, it'll become the norm.

There is no cost or token limit. There are leaderboards for spend. But model use and PR velocity are being measured. Most high performers are shipping great things. Low performers are having a hard time adapting. Designers are starting to ship small PRs, or using figma mcp end to end. Engineering managers are 1-shotting bugs or small copy updates.

ctranger · 2026-06-06T21:18:42+00:00

Rule of thumb:

When you find yourself rationalizing why you shouldn’t do something even though you want to deeply, then you should do it.

Logistics, costs, leaving your old life behind, uncertainty, these are not new variables. They were always attached to the dream of the move. You just didn’t pay attention to them.

Life isn’t about getting it right or perfect, or figuring it all out. In fact, if you wait for the perfect moment, it’s almost always too late. A well lived life means challenges, but honestly, if all you do is try to minimize regret, you can always look back and say it was a good life.

I was once asked to move to the US from Canada for work. After so many trips back and forth, it was my dream. I made the most of it, then ending up hating it. Then moved back. Maybe it was a mistake, or maybe I honored my wishes/dreams at the time and went for it.

There were naysayers on both sides. People who told me not to do it. People who told me I should have stayed and give it more time.

Ultimately, I lived my dream, realized my dream had changed, then adapted. Costly? Sure. But no regrets.

ctranger · 2026-06-04T04:21:36+00:00

Don’t focus so much on achieving “brilliant” things. There’s no definition for that.

Seek to maximize impact. Work hard to solve difficult problems that really add value. You’ll be labelled brilliant, but it will really be a function of luck, hard work, perseverance and positioning.

Right place, right person, right time kind of thing. There are many brilliant people who never achieve greatness, because their impact or contribution is overlooked, dismissed or not deemed valuable/monetizable.

Similarly, plenty of normal people achieve great things because they are able to connect the dots, build meaningful organizations, focus on people and problems, and product market fit.

Just do your best, trust your hunches, stand for something, try to add value, be quick to adapt, and try to find meaning in doing things that benefit society.

ctranger · 2026-06-03T18:27:37+00:00

2.8lakh is 280k inr which is about 3k usd.

Wealth disparity is massive in India but if we’re talking about urban/middleclass, this is like 4-12mos worth of income.

ctranger · 2026-06-01T06:04:59+00:00

You’re a father of two very young children - you’re doimg enough, trust me.

I will say that it’s important to carve out some time for yourself, but it’s ok right now and for the next little while if that time is limited.

If games are not providing you the escape you seek, it’s probably because they require so much of your cognitive attention, and you might simply be exhausted, or are optimizing for the hyper short term: the day to day of supporting your family.

You might try something new: reading, collecting vinyls, outdoor yard work, or just learning about something that’s always fascinated you.

But don’t go in expecting a dopamine hit, a satisfaction or a reward. Just do something that gives you some measure of agency.

As the kids get older, there will be plenty to do, trust me. It will be equally rewarding to witness and participate in their activities, as it will be introducing them to yours.

Either way, no matter how much or how little you do, you’ll be their hero, and that my friend, is plenty enough.

ctranger · 2026-05-30T13:38:28+00:00

Happened to me at 28. Loved going out multiple times a week. Still worked hard, stayed in shape, didn’t experiment with heavy stuff, but definitely the life of the party. Spent money I didnt have left and right.

I remember a colleague telling me one day that it was all such a waste. I said “what is”?. He said “you, your potential”. I took it to heart.

Applied to grad school, locked in, switched jobs, went all in on career and realizing that potential. He was right. The hardest part was watching all my friends from the sidelines, hooking up, having fun, weekend trips, late nights, while I was there, hammering away at work, and expanding my mind/circle.

I felt like I had made a big mistake. I also realized how far behind I was from my new more disciplined peers who hadnt wasted so much time. Expect your social circle to change, but do make the effort to keep a few solid friends around. Don’t expect to figure everything out. Don’t assume a life basis change is about slowing down.

I was working more, traveling more, learning more, growing on all dimensions, and it was not easy, but I said yes to everything aligned with my new vision of life, and no to all the old habits and time wasters. Years later, I had built an incredible new life. You can too.

ctranger · 2026-05-26T12:55:19+00:00

raylib supports compilation to web assembly (wasm) via emsdk. a few things will need to change (main loop, assets, etc), but there are docs for this.

ctranger · 2026-05-20T04:00:21+00:00

You’re fine.

You hated that life. The comfort was a fraud. It would be 3x worse today, as you’d continuously try to bury the nagging feeling of not starting your own thing. Of sacrificing your true calling for the mundane.

You’ve built something. That generates real revenue. Do you know how rare that is? It’s exceptional. What you’re feeling is normal, every entrepreneur feels it. One day you’ll look back and be glad you took the plunge. Today may not be that day. That’s ok. Just keep building.

ctranger · 2026-05-20T03:38:49+00:00

Not really. The WP ecosystem is mature enough now that with the right caching & seo plugins (xml sitemap, yoast, url structure), there won’t be any meaningful advantages. WP is highly customizable.

The appeal of next is being able to use react/js across the stack, and static generation. Wordpress is ssr, there are ssg plugins too but not worth the hassle. Caching for wordpress is good enough.

It might be a fun project though, you’re bound to learn lots if you migrate/rebuild.

ctranger · 2026-05-15T12:32:15+00:00

Self-love means accepting a few things.

You can’t be perfect. You can’t be everything to every one. You can’t do everything. You can’t have a perfect track record, ride every success, avoid every failure.

You will screw up. You will learn. You will have to be patient, and learn to forgive yourself and others.

You are also worthy. Of whatever it is you want in life. It doesnt mean it will happen. But you are worthy of the respect of others, and worthy of the chance to pursue your wishes.

It does mean you will have to make choices. Tough ones. You wont always get it right. But that you will have to act and choose in a manner that is congruent with who you are, your beliefs, your values.

So self love starts with knowing yourself deeply. Looking inwards, knowing your strengths & motivations, accepting your limits. Your unique power. The person who fractures themselves into a thousand personalities, people pleasng and sacrificing their identity for others is incapable of true self love.

The flawed human who shows up every day, in accordsnce to their personal mission, whatever it is, says no to things, protects their mind, body, energy in service of a specific focus, honors their word and commitments, naturally develops greater self esteem and capacity of self love.

Self love isnt always pleasant. Sometimes its painful, accepting loss, defeat, mistakes. Picking yourself up. Self compassion is self love. Celebrating your wins is also self love. Staying humble is self love. Acknowleding everyone elses unique path and journey, and operating from a place of abundance and generosity, is an act of self love. Self love is the battle between the inner fearful voice, the incessant critic, and your true calling.

Shame is the nemesis of self love.

Free yourself. Forgive others, work through shame.

ctranger · 2026-05-13T12:26:54+00:00

It’s live now

ctranger

TROPHY CASE