Open Source · by Tanvir Rahman · 2026-09-28
The delightful joy of doing the recipe badly at first in real life
This is probably obvious to veterans here, but it clicked for me only recently. github got easier when I stopped treating every attempt like a final exam.
My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 8 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it.
A few notes from my attempt:
- keep teh first step visible
- remove one annoying decision
- celebrate teh boring repeat
I tried this in Jakarta with a friend and we both noticed teh same thing: teh social part mattered more than teh perfect plan
271 sparks · 47 comments
Comments
Lena Müller · 52 likes
Good reminder that boring can be good. I would write it down before changing anything else
Cedar Coder · 35 likes
What happened after the first week? I am curious whether recipe stayed easy. This is more useful on a tired Monday morning than on a perfect day
Silver Noodle · 8 likes
@cedarbakes This comment has main-character footnote energy
Kabir Khan · 28 likes
This feels a little overrated to me, even if the intention is good. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error
Ananya Rao · 21 likes
I think the bad version of this advice causes a lot of frustration. This pairs weirdly well with jollof rice. Naming things remains undefeated as the hardest problem
Grace Parker · 1 likes
I was going to disagree, but your second sentence got me
Amelia Hughes · 14 likes
The vibe here is immaculate. That is the kind of detail beginners miss
Beatriz Sousa · 11 likes
Big fan of this approach. The useful part is easy to underestimate
Rohan Mehta · 10 likes
I wish more posts had this much context. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error. This is exactly the kind of tradeoff teams argue about for weeks
Hana Choi · 22 likes
I needed the reminder to start smaller
Ethan Brooks · 2 likes
Thanks for making it less intimidating
Amelia Hughes · 10 likes
Fair point, but I had the opposite experience. My friend tried it in Dublin and had the opposite result
Beatriz Sousa · 9 likes
My version of this was messier, but the conclusion was similar. It sounds small, but the route matters. Good reminder that tools should serve people, not the reverse
Maya Williams · 8 likes
This made me smile more then expected. The 3-minute rule is underrated. I would love to see the benchmark numbers
Maya Williams · 4 likes
Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot
Mateo Cruz · 8 likes
That last line is excellent. The practical constraint is probably teh real story
Noah Johansson · 6 likes
Can you share what you tried before this? I am curious whether github still feels good next month
Paolo Garcia · 5 likes
I am cheering for this update. The 8-minute rule is underrated
Aisha Rahman · 9 likes
that is fair, but I still worry about maintenance
Jiho Lee · 5 likes
This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for. This is more useful on a tired late summer then on a perfect day. I would love to see the benchmark numbers
Rizky Pratama · 4 likes
the kindness in this post is lovely. Good reminder that tools should serve people, not the reverse
Ethan Brooks · 6 likes
I like this more then the top-level advice
Cozy Fern · 2 likes
This is the kind of disagreement I like
Hana Choi · 1 likes
That made the concept click
Lucía García · 3 likes
This feels a little overrated to me, even if the intention is good. I would test it for 5 days before deciding
Minh Nguyen · 4 likes
Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot
Tanvir Rahman · 3 likes
I was going to disagree, but your second sentence got me
Amelia Hughes · 2 likes
my version of this was messier, but the conclusion was similar. For me it came down to the routine
Aisha Jacobs · 2 likes
There is a hidden assumption here that not everyone shares. This pairs weirdly well with bibimbap
Aarav Sharma · 2 likes
I do not have a strong take, but the badly detail is useful. The low-effort version is probably the keeper. Good reminder that tools should serve people, not the reverse
Avery Johnson · 1 likes
The vibe here is immaculate. A small test case would make this easier to trust
Maya Williams · 1 likes
honestly, great taste. For me it came down to the routine
An Pham · 1 likes
Great point especially the part about delightful
Piotr Zieliński · 1 likes
The framing feels off to me. Not terrible, just not convincing. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me
Valeria López · 1 likes
Helpful and not preachy, which is rare. For me it came down to the tiny repair
Solar Lantern · 1 likes
My version of this was messier, but the conclusion was similar. The beautiful part is easy to underestimate
Ruby Wilson · 0 likes
The vibe here is immaculate. The Cape Town example makes it feel concrete