Poya Shad
Notes to my past, present and future self. I write about things I've learned, things I'm working on, or anything else I want to share. I hope you find something useful here.
- 2026VPS Hardening Guide (Ubuntu + Tailscale SSH)Hardening steps for a fresh Ubuntu VPS. Replaces public SSH with Tailscale SSH so the server has zero public attack surface beyond ports 80/443.
- Manage Your FocusAsk yourself if you have limited of focus each day. Should you really be wasting it? All the social media, streaming apps, tv shows companies knows this, and are fighting for that focus battery. They want to drain every little bit of it. Are you going to let them?
- Shiny Object SyndromeShiny object syndrome is real and it’s hurting you. Sometimes you just need to pick something and stick to it. In this day and age, the possibilities are endless. And if you’re trying to build something people actually use, it’s easy to hide behind a convenient excuse: “fail fast.”
- 2025The Sprinting Monk 🏃♂️🧘Exploring two sides of me
- How a late night obsession turned into a SaaSFrom doom-scrolling real estate listings to building a platform that connects agents with photographers, discover how a late-night idea transformed into a SaaS business.
- 2023Why is Nuxt Image better than <img>?Explore the advantages of using Nuxt Image over the traditional <img> tag in Nuxt.js applications, focusing on optimized performance, enhanced user experience, and efficient image processing.
- ChirpStack on Amazon EC2 with SSLA comprehensive guide on setting up ChirpStack on Amazon EC2 and securing it with SSL.
- Commit Fast, Ship FasterHow to set up a keybinding in VS Code to add, commit, and push your changes with a single keypress.
- The Power of Structure in Unleashing Your CreativityThere’s a quote attributed to William Faulkner: “I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately I am inspired at 9 o’clock every morning.”
- Giving Away Your Mind to TechnologyExploring the impact of technology on our minds and the potential consequences of relying too heavily on it.
- 2022Do Not Tie Your Identity to Things You OwnYou are not your car, your house, your watch, your phone. Or your money in the bank account.
- Dedication > MotivationMotivation is a product of your feelings. Feelings come and go, just like motivation. So do not rely on motivation to achieve your goal.
- Don't suffer imagined troublesWorry is a waste of time. It doesn't help you solve any problems and it doesn't change anything—it just wears you out and makes you miserable.
- Don't be a smartass, Just do the workThe Resistance tells me to do what I want to do, instead of what I should do. If I'm sitting on the couch watching TV instead of working, the Resistance is telling me that it's okay—that it's okay to put off work and just relax for a while.
- Turn Off to Turn ProYou are a miracle. You exist, and that’s amazing. The probability that you exist is basically zero. You are one in a billion, one in a trillion, one in whatever number you want to call it—the odds of your existence are so infinite small that they basically don’t exist at all.