matt smith

Designing and Building Exceptional Web Apps

[matt smith @twobitfool]

It's a very different experience when you know how things played out. You start to see patterns and trends that are hard to see in the moment. You realize how bad we are at making predictions, but you also notice (a few) people who are better than most.

[matt smith @twobitfool]

It's easy to get wrapped up in news and fads, especially in our ultra-connected world. I have an odd way of "stepping back" to get a long-term view...

I listen to very old podcasts.

[matt smith @twobitfool]

For anyone that feels a little overwhelmed by 3d modeling tools (like Blender), I recommend https://t.co/OhFDTHPXbS -- it's web-based, free, and beginner friendly. And despite it's simplicity, it's capable enough to make designs like my wheel repair.

[matt smith @twobitfool]

Back when most consumer goods were made of wood and metal, they lasted longer and could be fixed with simple tools. With modern-day plastic junk, we often have to throw things out.

A surprisingly benefit of owning a 3d printer, is having a way to repair that stuff.

[matt smith @twobitfool]

It's easy to forget how much magical technology we have at our finger tips... like video calls with people across the world, for free!

Go back 100 years, and no one would believe your stories about: the internet, smartphones, and GPS navigation 🪄

#EverydayMagic

[matt smith @twobitfool]

Some of my favorites challenges...

- Build a SaaS app and search engine that can run offline in the browser
- Create an image editor (in React) over the weekend
- Find a Rubik's Cube solution with no complicated algorithms

[matt smith @twobitfool]

Constraints can spark creativity, joy, and unexpected innovations. Here are some ideas you can try...

[matt smith @twobitfool]

- Make a video that tells a story in under 10 seconds
- Draw a picture without lifting the pen from the paper
- Limit your emails to 100 words
- Create a pitch deck with a single slide
- Go on a week-long vacation with just a backpack
- Make a "painting" out of legos

[matt smith @twobitfool]

In the process of getting orange (and green) in the right spot, you will break the red and blue, but that's easy to fix. Just spin the white side 180 degrees and do ⬇️⬇️⬆️⬆️ again to put them back, and another 180 turn to line up all the colors again.

[matt smith @twobitfool]

The 4th edge is the trickiest. Bring the orange piece down will break the green piece. The solution is to start by putting the green piece in front (where the orange is going to end up). That way, the orange will push the green back into the correct spot, when you do: ⬇️⬇️⬆️⬆️

[matt smith @twobitfool]

What do Archer and Arrested Development have in common?

1. Jessica Walter as the mother, and...
2. This shot-for-shot callback scene.

Song is "Gypsy: Rose's Turn" (Ethel Merman)

https://t.co/0QE820KRZ0

[matt smith @twobitfool]

As someone that spent most of his life writing computer software, I empathize.

But it seems inevitable that AI is going to automate a lot of work over the next few years: especially for artists and programmers.

[matt smith @twobitfool]

The following sounds backlash against generative AI...

"These machines were an advantage... one man performed the work of many... the work was inferior in quality."

...but it's actually from Lord Byron's speech defending the Luddites, in 1812.

Is history repeating itself?

[matt smith @twobitfool]

Situation: There are 9 different ways to log in.

"That's confusing! Let's make one simple standard way, that easy for everyone."

Result: There are 10 different ways to log in. 🤦

[matt smith @twobitfool]

Fun Fact: You can solve a Rubik's Cube with one pattern (a.k.a. algorithm), and it is...

- Easy to learn
- Surprisingly intuitive
- Hard to mess up
- Only 4 moves long

The pattern is: Down, Down, Up, Up (see video).

Comment if you want more details on how it works.

[matt smith @twobitfool]

This is what it feels like to use AI tools. They give you super-human abilities. If you're not already using AI (in your job), start today.

Saying "I don't use AI" is like saying "I don't use electricity" -- it'll soon be a deal-breaker in (almost) every job interview.

#AI

[matt smith @twobitfool]

No other language has such a high signal-to-noise ratio, and (by extension) no framework is as delightful to use.

My thanks to Yukihiro “Matz” Matsumoto for the elegance and kindness that he infused into the Ruby programming language (@yukihiro_matz)

[matt smith @twobitfool]

After decades of software development, dozens of programming languages, and countless frameworks... I still keep coming back to my first love...

Ruby on Rails!

https://t.co/V4tOMYtZZR

[matt smith @twobitfool]

I built: my first home, a startup company, and way too much software 😜 I'm very grateful for so many opportunities to make things, and so much support from friends and family. Also, I feel very lucky to have lived through the age when people wrote software.

What defines you?

[matt smith @twobitfool]

I've been thinking about what drives me, what makes me tick, and here's what I came up with...

I am a builder.