Blog Archive

Building an AI-Powered Web Application with Bubble

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work on an web application powered by ChatGPT during an internship over the summer. I was tasked with setting up the core functionality for a product called Jobquest, an AI-powered resume builder that aims to score a candidates resume given a job description to see how well the resume would do during an ATS screening during the application process.

How To Fuel Creativity

Since I started this blog, one thing I’ve needed to develop is a system which allows me to have a constant stream of ideas to write about. This has proven to be difficult as I am someone who doesn’t consider himself particularly “creative”, but over the last few months I’ve been able to build somewhat of a framework to do so. The framework isn’t specific to writing, and can be used in other areas too, such as coming up with project ideas.

The Secret To Becoming More Productive

In my previous blog titled "The Blind Spot", I talked about how I fell into the habit of reading after putting my preconceived notions that I carried with me from school aside and trying it on my own terms. Here, I want to highlight a few of the reasons I continue reading almost daily and why I think it’s a valuable skill to have. Though I want to take a non-academic approach to it and tell you the benefits from a productivity standpoint.

The Blind Spot

When I was 12 years-old, I decided to pick-up a habit of reading. I always saw people in my classes be praised by teachers for reading and saw it as an opportunity to start a new hobby and maybe get some academic clout in the process. However, when I began talking about how I was also a reader to my peers, many seemed to deny that, saying ‘You aren’t a real reader because you read childish books’. This upset me, because here I was trying to pick-up a good habit and being quite proud of myself for enjoying the process, yet having the hobby gatekept by people who felt more superior reading books by Shakespeare, Roald Dahl and Stephen King.

Change and Randomness

One of the books I am reading currently is "Creativity Inc." by Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios, and current president of Disney Animation and Pixar Animation Studios. In the book, he talks about how he went about managing a creative company like Pixar and all the challenges he faced and the solutions to them. In one chapter titled “Change and Randomness”, Ed talks about how he dealt with inevitable random events that cropped up throughout the creative process of making films and managing an ever-growing team of creative individuals.

The Trinity of Progress

When it comes to learning a new skill, whether it be a new sport, hobby, or otherwise, there are many ways to make progress towards your end goal. In his book "10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades", author, blogger and content creator Thomas Frank talks about 3 core ways in which someone can progress in their journey of learning a new skill, namely Gear Acquisition, Conceptual Learning, and Deliberate Practice.

Productivity in the Knowledge Economy

Today, we’ve made a major shift from working in factories to working in offices. The Professional and Business Sector has tripled over the last six decades in the US alone, and is only getting bigger. However, office jobs demand more than just your time. They also demand attention, energy, skills, knowledge, social intelligence and network; they demand productivity. You see, in today’s knowledge economy, time in no longer money, productivity is money. Time is only a piece in the productivity equation, and contrary to popular belief, it’s the least significant one.

Choosing Personal Projects

A lot of people will tell you that when learning a new skill, the best way to cement the concepts and techniques is by making your own projects. At some point in your learning journey, you’ll want to step outside the realm of tutorials and courses and produce something of your own. However, it is important that you don’t choose projects that are too difficult, as they could potentially lead you to quitting, and that aren’t too easy, as that means you aren’t learning anything new.