Developer Notes
Build logs from someone shipping security-first software alone.
Every entry here is a decision from a live product — the zero-knowledge vault behind MyDigitally, why Circal got renamed six weeks out from launch, the Claude Code setup that cut my session overhead in half. Including the calls I got wrong.
I build things to solve problems I actually have, and I write these the way I’d want to read them: what the problem was, what I tried, what broke, and what it cost.
The business side is here too — pricing decisions, pivots, the launches that didn’t land. Separating the engineering from the decisions around it would misrepresent how any of this got built.
Latest Build Note
How Consulting and Taking Online Courses Inspired – Deliberate Learners –
In one, I was an independent IT consultant — building web storefronts, small mobile apps, and social media strategies for local businesses, then teaching those clients how to actually run the tools once I handed them over. In the other, I was a student of everything. Coursera tabs. Udacity nanodegrees. A half-watched lecture paused at 12:04 for three weeks. A specialization I’d paid for and opened twice.
Workflow & Engineering
A Practical Guide to Password Managers
In today’s digital landscape, the average person manages over 100 online accounts, from social media platforms to business applications. Yet most people still rely on weak, reused passwords that put their personal and professional lives at risk. If you’re still using “password123” or your pet’s name followed by your birth year, it’s time for a serious security upgrade. Password managers have evolved from nice-to-have tools to essential security infrastructure for both individual users and businesses. They’re your digital vault, your security guard, and your personal assistant all rolled into one powerful application. Why Password Managers Are Essential The Password Problem: The human brain simply isn’t designed to remember dozens of unique, complex passwords. This limitation leads to dangerous shortcuts: using
Why Cybersecurity is Mandatory for Personal Websites and Social Media Accounts
In today’s interconnected digital landscape, personal websites and social media accounts have become extensions of our identity, repositories of our memories, and gateways to our professional and personal networks. Yet many individuals treat these digital assets with far less security consideration than they would their physical homes or financial accounts. This casual approach to cybersecurity can have devastating consequences that ripple through every aspect of one’s life. The Reality of Digital Threats Cybercriminals don’t discriminate based on fame or fortune. Personal websites and social media accounts present attractive targets because they often contain a wealth of personal information while frequently lacking robust security measures. Hackers exploit these vulnerabilities not just for immediate financial gain, but to build comprehensive profiles for
Cybersecurity for Businesses: The Ultimate Guide to Digital Survival
The Stark Reality of Cyber Threats Every 39 seconds, a cyberattack occurs somewhere in the world. This means that while you’re reading this article, organizations and individuals are falling victim to cybercriminals who operate with increasing sophistication and a decreasing fear of consequences. For Business Owners: Your Digital Survival Depends on It Financial Impact Beyond Recovery Small and medium businesses incur an average cost of $2.98 million per data breach, and 60% of small companies go out of business within six months of a cyberattack. These figures cover regulatory fines, legal fees, customer compensation, business interruption, and the cost of rebuilding a reputation. Consider the ransomware attack that shut down the Colonial Pipeline in 2021, disrupting fuel supplies across the
Circal
Digitally
Welcome to MyDigitally App — Your First 10 Minutes
This guide walks you through everything you need to get started. By the end, you’ll have a vault with your first asset, a secured credential, a profile photo, and a public page you can share with anyone. No technical experience needed. Just follow each step in order. Step 1 — Create your account Tip: If you don’t see the confirmation email within a minute or two, check your spam or junk folder. Step 2 — Onboarding After you sign in for the first time, Digitally walks you through a quick 3-step setup. You’ll see a clean screen with a progress bar at the top — no sidebar yet, just you and the setup flow. Step 1 of 3 — Welcome
The Encrypted Credential Vault: Zero-Knowledge Security at MyDigitally.app
A new Encrypted Credential Vault has been successfully pushed to the project. Think of this like a mini-1Password or Bitwarden built right into the app. When you view an asset, you can now securely attach passwords, API keys, or private notes to it.
Before this code went live, the latest updates from other teammates (the Friends feature, security docs, and styling tweaks) were safely pulled in and combined with it.
Zero-Knowledge Security: How It Keeps Your Data Safe
The core philosophy here is “Zero-Knowledge.” The server (and anyone running the database) has absolutely no idea what your passwords are. Here is exactly how that works, in plain English.
MyDigitally App – Audit your Digital Assets
Building MyDigitally: The Journey to Protecting Our Digital Legacies We spend years building our lives online. We buy domain names, accumulate thousands of dollars in gaming libraries, grow monetized YouTube channels, and pay for lifetime software subscriptions. Yet, if you look at a standard bank statement or a traditional physical will, none of these assets exist. If something happens to you, those accounts often vanish into the digital ether, leaving your loved ones locked out and billions of dollars in value completely lost. That is why I built MyDigitally (mydigitally.app). The app evolved from a simple core inventory tool into a complete, secure digital vault ecosystem. Why MyDigitally is Needed The problem is simple: our digital lives are