An open notebook, kept since 2021
Software, German, and the parts of life that fit in neither.
Notes from Munich on building software, learning a language properly, and the books that changed how I think. Written down so I stop relearning them.
New
Complete 'Nicos Weg A2' Vocabulary Guide: Master German Fast.
Name your price · from €0.99 · Gumroad
Also available
German B1 PDF/kindle; Ace Your B1 Exam with the All B1 grammar / conversation summary Plus an online flashcards app to memorise them.
Name your price · from €1 · Gumroad
Quick thought
AI removed the bottleneck of doing. What is left is the bottleneck of choosing. When output is cheap and endless, time management stops being the skill. Prioritisation is the skill. The question is no longer 'how do I fit this in' but 'should this exist at all'.
Quick thought
Most of your problems can really be resolved if you just give up, stop resisting, and see the truth.
29 Mar 26
AI Will Never Replace Humans. And That's Not the Point
That's my point. AI is not replacing you. A human with AI might. The tool doesn't eliminate the person, it amplifies whoever holds it. And the ones who don't pick it up? They become easy to replace.
15 Feb 26
telc Deutsch B1 [Part 2]
In the writing section, you write ONE letter or email of about 150 words. You get a situation and 4 content points (Leitpunkte) you must address. The text is informal (an einen Freund) or semi formal.
13 Feb 26
telc Deutsch B1 [Part 1]
The telc Deutsch B1 exam tests your ability to handle everyday communication in German speaking countries. It covers four skills: reading, listening, writing, and speaking. You need 60% to pass, in the written and the oral part separately.
27 Jan 26
The B1 German Book I Wish I Had When I Started Learning
Learning German doesn't have to take years. With the right approach, you can go from struggling to speaking confidently in just 60 days.
3 Nov 25
Residence Permits and Migration (Munich)
What it's really like to navigate the German immigration system when you don't speak the language, don't understand the rules, and your future in this country depends on a plastic card.
6 Jul 25
Red Lights, Green Lights, and Qadar
At some point I realized this is more than driving. It’s Qadar and Tawakkul in real life: you take the lawful means, you keep your lane, and you trust the outcome to The God. The shortcut mindset looks fast, feels loud, and arrives literally at the same red light.
Quick thought
The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
15 Apr 25
German B1 Series, Episode 3: Anna sucht eine neue Wohnung
Anna has a problem. Her landlord called last week and told her that he is selling the apartment building. She has three months to find a new place to live.
8 Apr 25
The Automatic Millionaire (Book summary)
David Bach's simple system: know where your money goes, pay yourself first, automate everything, and let compounding work in the background.
30 Mar 25
What Everyone Needs to Know About the Stripe Ticket (Streifenkarte)
A practical guide to the Stripe Ticket (Streifenkarte) in Munich: costs, how to use it, and tips for new residents.
13 Mar 25
German B1 Series, Episode 2: Anna geht einkaufen
It is Saturday morning. Anna is still in bed, but she can hear the birds outside. She stretches, yawns, and looks at the clock. It is already 9:30.
13 Mar 25
How I Changed the Way I Learn German (And How You Can Too)
If you ever looked at a mountain of German grammar notes and thought "this is impossible", you are not alone. Here is what I changed to get through B1.
2 Mar 25
Accuracy. By Philip Jacobs (Book summary)
Discover the secrets to mastering life with 'Accuracy' by Philip Jacobs. Learn how to set goals, cultivate relationships, and achieve financial success.
10 Feb 25
German B1 Series, Episode 1: Anna plant ihre Woche
In this first episode, Anna plans her week. She sits in a café, orders coffee and apple pie, meets friends, and writes to her family. What does Anna do each day? What words can you already understand?
10 Feb 24
How I Learned German with "Nicos Weg" and Why You Should Too
How the DW series "Nicos Weg" changed the way I learned German, and how my vocabulary file can help you do the same.
2 May 22
Your First Week in Munich: The Anmeldung and Everything Nobody Tells You
A personal guide from someone who landed in Germany knowing absolutely nothing, less than a year before the world shut down.
11 Jan 22
How to tackle a software task?
In this article, we will talk about an average software task. Imagine you picked up a ticket from your board and assigned it to yourself, what next? That is what we will be talking about here.
11 Sep 21
Debugging With TDD
Debugging is the process of finding out why your software is not working as expected, and fixing it. TDD is a discipline that starts with writing tests instead of the functionality itself.
25 Jul 21
What The Heck is HTTP
HTTP is the protocol that connects a client and a server so they can exchange messages. The communication happens as request and response: the client sends a request, and the server replies with a response.
20 Jul 21
Introduction to Php
In this article, we will talk about the PHP programming language. We will cover the basic syntax, variables, constants, data types, and more.
2 Jul 21
Introduction to Mysql Internals
In this article, we will talk about high-level database internals, specifically MySql's that already overlaps with many other databases. We will talk about architecture, concurrency, transactions, ACID, Deadlocks, and MVCC
9 Jun 21
You Think You Know Php
PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML.
15 Feb 21
How to solve AWS SES and certificate manager to verify your domain name in route53
If you are working with AWS route53 domains and you are trying to create a certificate or verify a domain name for AWS SES. If the verifying process is taking ages or never happens, no matter how you delete the request and recreate it again.
27 Jan 21
9 Steps for the effective technical decision-making process
Every problem, if it is technical or not, can be solved in many ways. And if you are a problem solver, you have to decide what method you should use to solve the issue at hand.
21 Jan 21
Debugging: The 9 indispensable rules for finding even the most elusive software and hardware problems. By: David J. Agans
Debugging: The 9 indispensable rules for finding even the most elusive software and hardware problems. By: David J. Agans
4 Jan 21
Best Practices for Secure Software Development: Enhancing Software Security Through Effective Techniques and Practices
In order to navigate the risks of our interconnected globe, prioritizing software security is imperative. Sophisticated cyber threats demand that engineers of software adopt the best methods for safeguarding their code
31 Aug 20
Mastering Vim: Essential Tips and Tricks for Productivity and Efficiency
Vim is a versatile text editor that offers a multitude of features and capabilities. By mastering essential tips and tricks, you can unlock Vim’s full potential, significantly boosting your productivity and efficiency.