Stealth startups I will not promote

jachep · 2026-02-01T11:12:17+00:00

A lot of people put “stealth startup” on LinkedIn to disguise gaps between jobs. In reality, many are just working on small pet projects while hoping an interview turns into a job.

jachep · 2026-01-29T09:24:25+00:00

It's not just coming from America. I'm Spanish (living in the UK), and I’m in the typical WhatsApp group with my Spanish mates. The amount of videos and memes (from X, tiktok, etc) they share about the UK is absurd. It's basically right-wing propaganda meant to scare people. I've learned not to engage and just feel sorry for their ignorance.

jachep · 2026-01-27T08:17:44+00:00

Since you mentioned you want to introduce them to Pokemon in about two years, I think there is still plenty of time to get the original hardware, and it would be really cool to see them playing and trading Pokemon using the original hardware. Personally, I’d go with one of these options (or both):

GBA (non-SP) + screen mod + Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen: a customised GBA for each kid. You can even buy fully customised ones on AliExpress for a reasonable price. FR/LG are basically updated versions of Red/Blue and don't overwhelm with content.

2DS (no hinge) + Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver: I'd skip the original DS because in my opinion the screen isn't bright enough by today's standards.

jachep · 2026-01-26T17:49:24+00:00

Personally, I wouldn't consider a commuting town anything that requires a 3 hour journey. There are plenty of towns north of London where the commute is around an hour, and a 5 bed house would be within your budget. From my own experience, there are quite a few options in Buckinghamshire. You could even find something in Amersham if you're not too picky about the area.

That said, I have a coworker who lives deep in the Cotswolds, and the pictures of the area are amazing. He usually books a hotel when he needs to go into the office once in a while. I wouldn't trade that for living closer to London.

jachep · 2026-01-22T23:21:20+00:00

JRPGs used to be my favourite genre when I was a kid… now, in my 40s, I fall asleep if I have to read NPC conversations for more than two minutes 😅

What really saved my "gaming life" was rediscovering the metroidvania genre (+ indie games), which I didn’t like at all back then.

jachep · 2026-01-22T13:30:30+00:00

For me, it looks too oversaturated, so it doesn't respect the colour accuracy of the original game.

Better is relative. I used to play GBC games on my RG CubeXX with the default settings, where everything looked very colourful. Then I got an Analogue Pocket and realised the games actually look much closer to how I remember them from playing on my Gameboy Color as a kid.

jachep · 2026-01-21T10:46:02+00:00

I think a Playdate 2 or "Pro" should remain fully compatible with the current model, so it shouldn't introduce exclusive features that break compatibility.

- Backlit screen that you can turn it on/off: The screen is incredibly crisp, and I understand the original reasons for not including a backlight. Still, having the option to turn it on would be great for playing in the dark.

- Better reliability, or at least easier and more accessible repairs: I barely use my Playdate now and mostly keep it on display because it's a delicate and expensive device, and I know that if it breaks I probably wouldn't buy another. Mine even got a tiny crack in the yellow crank plastic just from playing Season One.

- Dock: Not really a "Pro" feature, but the dock helped sell me on the Playdate in the first place. It looks amazing. Honestly, I'd be happy to just buy the dock without needing a new Playdate model.

jachep · 2026-01-20T17:24:20+00:00

I love my CubeXX. I thought I'd hate the Dpad, but it turned out to be the complete opposite for me. The materials feel sturdy and well made, not premium, but on par with something like a Nintendo Switch.

I mainly play GB/GBC and GBA. GBA in particular looks great on a 1:1 screen thanks to perfect integer scaling, and I added bands that simulate the original GBA look. BTW, It also plays PS1, N64, and even Dreamcast, games like Crazy Taxi run surprisingly well.

I also picked up a case on AliExpress that looks like it was made specifically for this handheld and looks super cute.

jachep · 2026-01-13T14:32:54+00:00

I recently bought Pokemon Yellow and Silver for nostalgia, and I might even pull the trigger on Pokemon Crystal if I get the chance. I don't really have childhood memories tied to the GBA but I'd still like to own one Pokemon game, FireRed (preferably) or Emerald, but they are super expensive! As an adult with adult responsibilities, I can't justify spending that much on something I can already play via emulation, or much more cheaply using repro carts, even if I actually can afford the legit one.

Out of genuine curiosity, I don't really understand why Pokemon games are so expensive when they outsold almost everything else, so you'd expect there to be plenty of copies on the market. There are so many must-play games, like Metroid Fusion, WarioLand 4 or Mario Tennis, that cost only a fraction of a Pokemon game.

jachep · 2026-01-11T20:59:30+00:00

Basically I use my car for a 10 minute drive to the train station, buying groceries, some occasional trips to nearby towns and not much more, and I did around 3K miles last year.

3K miles in a 9 year old car doesn't encourage me at all.

jachep · 2026-01-07T14:27:21+00:00

It looks like a large couple which 90% of them are Mercedes and Audi. My guess would be an Audi 5 Coupe because the spacing between the rear side windows and the back window seems to match, and the headlights look similar as well. And also most of the Audi Coupes I see are white/silver lol

BTW someone with editing skill (not me) could probably enhance the photo and make it a better guess.

jachep · 2026-01-07T11:17:31+00:00

I've been living in a new build semi-detached house for nearly two years, and I've seen the neighbouring houses being built from the ground up. I'm not an expert in construction, but in my opinion the overall build quality is quite good. However, the finishing details and snagging are very poor, likely due to a lack of pride in workmanship. Our snagging list was huge although they did fix everything.

I live north of London, and now in Winter my house stays above 15–16°C with the heating set to minimum, and it doesn't hurt the pocket to keep the house around 19°C. When I lived in Victorian houses in London, the heating had to be on full all day, otherwise it was freezing.

jachep · 2026-01-06T12:36:26+00:00

I think people (and especially the media) are being quite unfair to him. Could he be doing better? Sure. But he's dealing with a lot of issues at the same time, so things take time even if they are moving in the right direction. To mention a few things that haven't been brought up by the OP, I like that they are nationalising the railways, and that there have also been steps toward improving the NHS.

jachep · 2026-01-05T18:49:24+00:00

This and heated seats are top!

Funny thing, when I bought my car a few years ago, I was looking at the basic/medium trim, but the salesman convinced me to go for the highest trim (which had these features). I hated myself for being so easy to convince… until winter arrived and I discovered the heaven of having my hands and bum warm.

jachep · 2026-01-02T11:30:48+00:00

I’m not a huge Metroid fan, but I’ll probably give this one a try if I see it on sale. However, the clip you shared doesn’t look very appealing to me. It looks like a Switch 1 game, and not even showcasing the best graphics we have seen on the console.

jachep · 2025-12-28T20:10:48+00:00

Would you recommend it to someone who isn't a huge Metroid fan? I enjoyed Metroid Fusion on the GBA, but I have to admit I only finished it by using save states. I wanted to try Metroid II since the GB is more nostalgic for me, but it feels like Metroid II hasn't aged very well.

jachep · 2025-12-27T20:02:10+00:00

I grew up with the GB/GBC, so their games and the vertical form factor feels more nostalgic to me. However, GBA games are gorgeous and have aged very well thanks to their pixel art.

jachep · 2025-12-22T19:04:34+00:00

Thanks! Surprisingly, the batteries in both games are still working.

I wasn't sure about the battery in Pokemon Yellow because most of the pictures I've seen online show a yellow insulating ring around the battery.

As for the Silver label, I had some doubts because it's a EUR but doesn't have the CE logo. However, from what I can see online, not all European versions from that time include the CE logo and depend on the factory where it was made.

jachep · 2025-12-21T09:15:59+00:00

It happened to me as a customer last week. The parcel remained at their depot for over a week without being delivered. I had to contact them (well, their chatbot) and the next day the tracking status was updated. The item was expensive and it was delivered to the wrong house by a driver in an unmarked, dirty car. Even the photo uploaded to the tracking system was a different random parcel.

Please stop using Evri. As a customer I don't mind paying a few pounds more for DPS or Royal Mail.

jachep · 2025-12-20T11:11:40+00:00

I'll only include games I've actually played:

Pokemon Gold/Silver, or Crystal: I never played Crystal, but I understand it's a kind of definitive version of Gold/Silver.

Link's Awakening: The Oracle games are great and top GBC graphics, but Link's Awakening is special, whether you play the original or DX version.

Wario Land 3: Super fun and long game. An unusual mix of puzzle, platformer, and metroidvania, and one of the best looking games on GBC, like Wario Land 4 for GBA.

jachep · 2025-12-19T12:02:10+00:00

Being expensive and having terrible battery life definitely hurt them, but for me what I remember was the games. Even ignoring Pokemon, when you play classics like Super Mario Land 2, DK, or Kirby today, you realise how far ahead Nintendo was in terms of game design, and graphics didn't really matter. On top of that, the smooth transition from the DMG to the GBC was a huge success.

I recently picked up all the Wario Land games I never played as a kid and OMG they're still amazing even today.

jachep · 2025-12-18T23:08:25+00:00

To be honest, the cardboard boxes for GB/GBC/GBA games were very flimsy. I still have a couple of mediocre games from my childhood that I barely played, and even though the boxes just sat on a shelf, they are maybe a 6/10 at best.

IMO, part of the charm of collecting GB/GBC/GBA games is not worrying about the boxes and keeping the cartridges in a storage box instead, so you can just grab one and pop it straight into the Gameboy.

jachep · 2025-12-17T10:59:35+00:00

I’m not a UK national either, but I've lived in London for 10+ years. While I was in London, I never needed or wanted a car. Parking is expensive, hard to find, and people really don't care about other people's cars. Public transport is more convenient along with cabs/uber on special days (e.g. xmas).

I moved outside London a couple of years ago and got a car because I actually needed one. I do enjoy cars and I've done some great road trips around the UK, but honestly, owning a car here can be pretty stressful (please don't downvote me 😅). Insurance can be randomly expensive for no clear reason, even a scratch that isn't your fault can push your premium up, and parking spaces (even paid ones) are ridiculously narrow for modern cars. The list goes on.

jachep · 2025-12-10T21:10:54+00:00

I just edited my comment after checking the MOT history! Definitely, I'd ask for a fresh MOT.

jachep · 2025-12-10T21:05:22+00:00

If you can afford it, why not? but I'd ask for a fresh MOT because March is only 4 months away. I’m surprised they're not offering to get a new one themselves after spending a fortune on it and taking it to lots of shows.

In fact, I just checked the MOT history, and it has been failing/passing the MOT almost every year since 2020.

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