Personal Blog
Notes from building BrandGEO, an AI visibility tool for our agency s clients. For almost 30 years, being discovered worked one way: someone typed words into a search box, an engine returned ten links, and an entire industry, mine included, fought over the order of those links. That era is ending faster than almost anyone s marketing budget admits. Buyers now ask an AI... The post AI Is Quietly…
When Multi-Region Strategy Means Outrunning a Military Conflict So last week a military drone blew up the AWS data center where my customer s platform runs. The platform serves millions of users across seven countries. I had to spend about a week moving everything from Bahrain to Europe. By hand. Because every single automated migration tool... The post The Cloud Is Just Someone Else’s Computer.…
You Put OpenClaw on a VPS. It Has Access to Everything. You Secured None of It. Let s Fix That in 30 Minutes. This guide was written for the brave souls who saw the OpenClaw hype train, jumped aboard, spun up their first VPS, and then had the terrifying realization that they now need to learn... The post You Just Gave OpenClaw the Keys to Your Entire Digital Life – on a VPS Server You Don’t Know…
I ve watched the same movie play out too many times: a management team receives a penetration testing report, sees a wall of findings with scary-sounding names, and immediately assumes their platform is on fire. It s not on fire. It s almost never on fire. But the report sure makes it look like it is. And that s the problem... The post Your Penetration Test Report Just Landed. Read This Before You…
An interview should never feel like a test. It should feel like a sales call where your questions lead the way. Photo by Mina Rad on Unsplash If you are a candidate, you need to ask more questions than you are asked. The company is not your examiner. It is your potential customer. Think like... The post How Questions Can Win You the Job first appeared on Dawid Makowski .
There’s a lot of hype about vibe coding—that moment when caffeine hits, your playlist slaps, and you hammer out code like a jazz drummer sprinting through a solo. It’s exhilarating, but relying on that adrenaline burst is like funding your retirement with scratch-offs. So let’s flip the script to something that actually compounds: vibe refactoring.... The post Vibe Coding Is Fun—But Vibe…
Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash More than a decade ago, I had the opportunity to take a Total Quality Management (TQM) course by none other than Andrzej Blikle at ASBIRO, a unique Polish educational institution where only entrepreneurs teach entrepreneurship. Since then, I’ve been testing and refining various TQM techniques with my teams, especially... The post Improving Software Development,…
Photo by Fotis Fotopoulos on Unsplash Software development has a way of humbling you. Early in my career, I was certain about a lot of things—best practices, the right way to code, how teams should work. Over time, I realized that many of those truths weren’t universal. Some were outright wrong. And some—well, present-me now... The post Simplicity, Microservices & Other Lies We Tell Ourselves…
Photo by Alvaro Reyes on Unsplash So, you’ve crafted a killer API. It’s fast, efficient, and ready to save the world (or at least make things easier for developers). But here’s the twist—selling an API is as strategic as building it. I know because I’ve been testing the waters with my SharpAPI, and I’ve put nearly every distribution channel... The post Top Strategies to Successfully Sell Your API…
What do you despise? By this are you truly known. Frank Herbert, Dune I listened to the first 4 books of Dune recently and have thought about this quote a lot. That’s also why there are so many Dune quotes in my posts lately. Herbert s words invite us to reflect on a powerful truth: what we... The post The Power of Hate: Are Your Despises Truly Yours? first appeared on Dawid Makowski .
Ever feel like you re wrestling with life and losing every round? 🥊 I did, too—until I stumbled upon Alan Watts and his teachings on Wu Wei. Wu Wei meaning expresses inexertion , inaction , or effortless action —the art of doing less while achieving more. Alan described it as “dancing with life, not wrestling it. It’s not about... The post Wu Wei: How Alan Watts Taught Me to Stop Wrestling with…
foto: My all-time favourite coding spot. TL;DR: AI might be good at spitting out code, but until it learns to drink coffee, panic over edge cases, and argue about tabs vs. spaces in meetings, I think we’re safe. Look, I get it. Everywhere you turn, there’s talk about the future—flying cars, robot overlords, and AI... The post Can AI Code? Sure. Replace Us? Nah. first appeared on Dawid Makowski .
“Will this matter in 5 years?” My friend Michal asked me this question years ago when I was sharing some personal issued with him, and it completely reshaped my mindset. Ever found yourself stressing over something and wondered if it s really worth your mental energy? Yeah, me too. This question has become a cornerstone of... The post “Will this matter in 5 years?” first appeared on Dawid Makowski…
“We thought of life by analogy with a journey, a pilgrimage, which had a serious purpose at the end, and the thing was to get to that end, success or whatever it is, maybe heaven after you’re dead. But we missed the point the whole way along. It was a musical thing and you were... The post Dancing Through Life: Embracing the Rhythm of the Present Moment first appeared on Dawid Makowski .
Alright, folks, let’s chat about why ChatGPT sometimes sounds like it s confidently bluffing its way through a poker game it barely understands. We’re talking about a study by Michael Townsen Hicks, James Humphries, and Joe Slater titled ChatGPT is Bullshit. Yes, that’s the actual title. Let’s dig in. It’s Not Lying, It’s Just BS-ing The... The post ChatGPT is Bullshit: Why Your AI Buddy Might Be…
Explore how AI APIs are transforming workflows with natural language processing, computer vision, speech recognition, predictive analytics, sentiment analysis, chatbots, recommendation systems, anomaly detection, language translation, and o The post AI APIs Transform Workflows: 10 Use Cases first appeared on Dawid Makowski .
Introduction API marketplaces are evolving rapidly, driven by the surge in AI-based solutions. As a seasoned technologist with over 25 years of coding experience, I ve had the privilege of witnessing and contributing to this transformation. Recently, I ve delved deep into the intricacies of API marketplace integration from the perspective of an AI-powered API provider. This... The post The Future…
Alright, folks, buckle up for my absolute, battle-hardened (quarter of a century!) productivity secret that I swear by. Plus, there s an extra productivity hack later, so stick around. Ready? Here it is: 1. Create one folder for every project you work on in your drive (make sure it s synced to the cloud because, let s face... The post My 25-Year Productivity Hack: Simple & Sexy first appeared on…
Feeling stuck in a rut or procrastinating like it's an Olympic sport? Here’s a tip that’s as simple as pushing a wheelbarrow—literally. This little nugget of wisdom has been lodged in my brain since the first time I heard it The post Just Push the Wheelbarrow: A Procrastinator’s Guide first appeared on Dawid Makowski .
Alright folks, let’s talk startup failure. The #1 reason? No market need at a whopping 42%. Let that marinate for a second. Since the first time I saw this chart from Statista, it struck a chord and made me rethink everything. It has truly reset my approach to building and testing new products. Seeing those... The post Why Most Startups Faceplant: Let’s Look at Some Data 📊🚀 first appeared on…
Being a prisoner is more a state of mind than just being confined to four walls. When you compare the life of a typical prisoner to that of a Buddhist monk, you'll notice that prisoners usually have more privileges than a typical monk. The post Prisoner or Architect: The Mindset of a Coder first appeared on Dawid Makowski .
So, you’ve poured your heart and soul into a shiny new Laravel package, and now it’s time to show it off to the world. But how? Well, here are some top-notch strategies that’ll get your package the attention it deserves. Document Like a Pro Start by crafting a complete README.md file. Include every detail about your package,... The post How to Promote Your Self-Made Laravel Package first appeared…
Integrating AI into business workflows can significantly boost efficiency and productivity. However, while directly accessing APIs like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini might seem like an easy solution, it comes with several challenges that can complicate automation. I m probably going to ruffle some feathers here, but hear me out. 🙂 Unpredictability and Inconsistency The GPT... The post Why…
In yesterday’s panel discussion, e27 Innovation without Compromise: Navigating Security and Growth, we were asked during the closing remarks about one actionable step startups can take to successfully navigate these areas. A couple of thoughts crossed my mind and I decided to share them here with you, I hope it will be useful. My advice?... The post e27 Webinar: Innovation without Compromise:…
Introduction Hey fellow Laravel enthusiasts! In the ever-evolving landscape of e-commerce, integrating AI into your Laravel applications is not just a luxury, it s a necessity. With SharpAPI s Laravel package, it s now easier than ever. In this blog, I ll guide you through 10 transformative use cases for enhancing your Laravel-based e-commerce applications using SharpAPI. Please refer... The post…
For almost two decades I ve been hiring software engineers with a unique approach that still raises eyebrows. When it comes to recruiting software engineers, I firmly believe in reviewing their previous work, specifically their code. It s like hiring an architect without seeing their buildings or drawings – it just doesn t make sense! Yet, I still... The post The CTO Tip of the Day: The (Still?)…
I ve had an immense pleasure to give a short interview for Amazon Web Services (AWS) during @AWS CTO Forum in Singapore and talk how BeMyGuest tech is powering tours and activities market in Asia. We re leveraging heavy on Singapore region of AWS since 2012 and we develop our platform to use it s innovative products more... The post AWS Startups Blog – How BeMyGuest Is Opening a World of Online…
Almost 2.5 h long video interview me, Jarek and Michał (all coders from BeMyGuest) gave to JustJoin.IT about live and work in Singapore. Hope you enjoy it! Text versions of the interview can also be found here: Polscy programiści na świecie – anegdoty z życia w Singapurze Polscy programiści na świecie – Czy Singapur to... The post JustJoin.IT interview – Polish programmers in Singapore [video in…
Photo credits summary of the event from: Webintravel As the Chief Technology Officer of BeMyGuest, I was thrilled to be invited as a speaker at the TERN 2017 conference. This event brought together professionals from various industries to share their insights and experiences in the world of technology and innovation. TERN is a networking... The post Speaker at the TERN 2017 conference first…
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-govt-shifts-policies-to-drive-innovation-say-panellists As a panelist at the recent innovation symposium in Tokyo, I had the incredible opportunity to discuss the role of governments in promoting innovation and facilitating disruptive enterprises. The event, hosted by The Straits Times, marked 50 years of Singapore-Japan diplomatic ties and brought…
BeMyGuest, a Singaporean start-up in which I have the privilege to be the head of IT just appeared on this list. We re marked as #4 in 2016 in the Travel Sector (right next to industry leaders such as AirBnB and Uber who also joined the ranks in the same category). We re also been conferred the... The post BeMyGuest as one of THE WORLD’S 50 MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES 2016 by Fast Company Magazine!…