You know what’s the funniest thing about me trying to learn something new? I always started like an action hero—with big plans and crazy motivation. “I’m gonna program for 8 hours straight today!” or “I’ll finish this whole design course over the weekend!”
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What I Would Tell My 25-Year-Old Self
If I could talk to my 25-year-old self, I wouldn’t lecture. Your head was already a mess of ambitions, anxiety, and the desire to please everyone and prove you were worth something. I’d just sit down beside you and say a few things.
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No grand speeches.
Just the stuff that actually worked. -
How I Use Microsoft Clarity to Make SubSweeper Better
I’ll be honest—when I first launched SubSweeper.com, I had a lot of ideas about how people would use the site. But as any founder knows, what you imagine and what actually happens can be two totally different things. That’s where Microsoft Clarity has been a total game-changer for me.
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ABCDX Customer Segmentation: A Simple Guide for Canadian Businesses
A Coffee Shop Story
Sarah owns a small coffee shop in downtown Toronto. Every morning, she watches three types of customers walk through her door.
First, there’s Mike – he rushes in, already knowing he wants a large double-double and a breakfast sandwich. He’s ready to buy, has his money out, and makes quick decisions.
Then there’s Lisa – she comes in looking tired, mentions she “really needs to start drinking better coffee,” but usually just orders her regular medium coffee. She’s thinking about upgrading but isn’t ready yet.
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How to Get Your First Users: Lessons from App in the Air
I just listened to an awesome podcast in which Bayram Annakov, the founder of App in the Air, gave his take on how to get your first users.
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He talked about where to find them, how to reach out to them, and what to remember when you’re launching a new product.
His observations were rooted in actual experience—how App in the Air acquired its initial users. Let’s take a closer look. -
What Does It Take to Get “Product of the Day” on Product Hunt in 2025 – A First-Hand Experience
Let’s jump into how Product Hunt has evolved over the past few years, according to two successful launches of 2PR.io—one in summer 2023 and one in February 2025.
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TL;DR: The game has changed. -
Rethinking the Ordinary
I was wondering what to write about and realized—there are so many things around us that seem perfect just the way they are. But with the right approach, almost anything can be improved to a “wow” level.
Take dental floss, for example. At first glance, it’s the simplest thing: grab it, clean your teeth, forget about it. But then someone thought, “What if we put floss on a stick?” And suddenly, there are options—mint flavor, black floss, different attachments—boom, innovation! Now, I can’t even understand why anyone still uses regular floss.
I love this mindset: take something standard and level it up. But here’s the catch—you can’t just upgrade things randomly. To truly make something better, you need to either use it a lot or observe closely. It’s like real chefs—they don’t just cook, they experiment, tweak ingredients, and constantly refine their craft. That’s when things start working at 100%.
The secret to success? Stay curious—always!
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Should you try if someone else does it better?
Anything humans achieve can be repeated—but it takes so much effort that I sometimes wonder: is it even worth it if someone out there can do it 100 times better? Like some guy from China on YouTube.
I always loved watching people skateboard. Back in Arsk, there were no proper places for it—the roads were all dirt and… well, worse than dirt. But still, seeing videos of people flipping their boards and hanging out with friends looked awesome.
One day, I watched a skater try the same trick for an hour straight. And in the end, he finally landed it. I sat there thinking:
“Seriously? Was all that struggle really worth it?”Then again, maybe if someone has that much determination, they should put it into something like programming? If you can grind through failures and keep going, why not use that skill somewhere else?
I enjoy watching dedicated people.
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It’s never too late—but when?
When I got my first phone, an iPhone 3GS, I used the default Notes app. Back then, it showed how much time had passed since a note was created.
One day, I made a note called “Learn Web Design.” A year later, I opened it and saw that 365 days had passed—and I hadn’t done anything. Then I got a new phone, and every year that number kept growing. Eventually, my notes got erased when I transferred data, but that one note stayed in my head—like an old joke that isn’t funny anymore.
The problem is, we often think, “It’s too late to start now.” Sound familiar? Over the years, I built up so many excuses I could write a whole library of them.
Sure, you might not become a design/marketing/juggling master or a fluent polyglot overnight. But every little step counts.
So stop regretting what you didn’t do. It’s time to take action instead of just sitting around—like I did with that note.
Tell yourself: “I can start right now! Or… maybe on Monday.” 😆
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My Workspace: Comfort and Surprises
A workspace is, believe it or not, one of the most important places in our lives. I used to work at the kitchen table or on the couch, but trust me—my productivity suffered. Sitting on a couch is comfy, but the moment you start working, everything falls apart. I realized that even a simple desk and chair aren’t just formalities—they actually help you focus and get things done.
Back in Russia, I saw these cool height-adjustable desks. They’re awesome! After moving to Canada, I couldn’t resist and bought one for 170 CAD—not too bad considering how much time I spend working. In Russian rubles, that’s about 12,000, which didn’t seem like a big deal. But… the tabletop turned out to be super thin, and adjusting the height felt like flying a helicopter in Vice City.
When I sit, everything’s fine. But when I raise the desk to work standing up, it feels like it was made for tiny people. I’m 171.2 cm tall, and my elbows end up lower than the desk—it’s a disaster. But standing while working is actually fun! Switching tasks feels easier, and I don’t get tired as quickly. Though my back sometimes reminds me to sit down, so I jump onto my trusty Markus chair from IKEA—it’s adjustable, comfy, and not expensive.
Under my desk, I have a footrest. When I sit, I put my feet on it to stretch a bit. And when I stand, I rest one foot on it—it’s a lifesaver.
Now I’m dreaming of a second monitor. I want to feel like a real developer or designer, though my 13-inch MacBook does the job. But editing in Figma on this tiny screen feels like using an old iPhone SE—not fun at all.
And don’t even get me started on the lighting. It’s as dark as a basement. I keep googling how to brighten a room with just one window, but no good tips so far. I moved my chair so the light comes from the right, but I’m not sure if that’s the best setup. Maybe I should go old-school, like in Soviet classrooms, where the light came from the left? And add a teacher with a pointer for full effect? Right now, my face gets weird lighting during video calls—not great.
If you have any tips, let me know! Or don’t. 😆