archive

from 1950s chinese input methods to the keyboard in your pocket — how predictive text works, built up from a trie and a bigram model.

from not knowing what coding was to building things from scratch. a timeline of how i got here.

ai commoditized the application layer. here's what's actually worth learning now.

penalizing common words and boosting rare ones with inverse document frequency.

how the hacker news semantic search browser extension handles information when you use it.

a quote i loved at 12, a squeeze theorem, and why fighting like you're already dead is mathematically sound.

a deep dive into building a search engine from scratch.

a reflective look at the transition to cs, college rejections, friendships, and family support in 2025.

how taking unconventional career routes and hypergambling without a safety net shapes success.

being backed against the wall brings psychological adrenaline and reduces expectations. how to use it to win.

why the conservative logic of statistics and probability clips our wings, and why to try when odds are low.

hard work is 99% of the equation, but luck is the vital 1% you can't control.

why deep knowledge of a single field (specialization) is a major advantage in a world obsessed with generalists.

success is an ever-changing goalpost. define your own goals instead of chasing what society dictates.

a look at how bureaucratic systems designed decades ago now limit progress in research and education.

arrogance, or at least a form of it, is actually required to be successful. you need to not give a damn about what a lot of people think about you and keep doing what you are doing.

ideas are just like those pieces of paper. they are everywhere on normal days, and they look meaningless. but on rainy days, they float.