Notes on building.
Guides on mobile apps, web platforms and AI products. Cost breakdowns, stack comparisons and how we ship.
How to Build a Crowdfunding Platform Like Kickstarter in 2026
Kickstarter clones are easy to sketch and brutally hard to ship. Here's how to actually build a crowdfunding platform that handles money, trust, and scale without blowing up.
How to build · Mar 3, 2026 · 15 min read
How to Build a Stock Trading and Brokerage App in 2026
Building a stock trading app is part engineering, part regulatory gauntlet. Here is how to pick the right brokerage partner, wire up market data, handle KYC, and ship something real without igniting the SEC's inbox.
How to build · Mar 3, 2026 · 15 min read
How to Build an Online Auction Platform Like eBay in 2026
Auction platforms look simple until a thousand bidders hammer your server in the last ten seconds. Here is how to build one that actually holds up when it matters.
How to build · Mar 3, 2026 · 14 min read
How to Build a Recipe and Meal Planning App in 2026
Recipe apps are a crowded space, but most of them are bad. Here is how to build one people actually open on a Tuesday night when they have no idea what to cook.
How to build · Mar 3, 2026 · 13 min read
How to Build a Live Shopping App with Real-Time Streaming in 2026
Live shopping is QVC for the TikTok generation, and it's quietly becoming the highest-converting channel in ecommerce. Here's how to build an app that sells in real time without the stream falling over.
How to build · Mar 3, 2026 · 14 min read
How to Build a Personal Trainer Marketplace App in 2026
Trainerize and Future proved the market. Now there's room for niche marketplaces that connect clients with trainers in ways the incumbents miss. Here's how to actually build one.
How to build · Mar 3, 2026 · 13 min read
How to Build a Membership Site Like Patreon in 2026
Patreon takes 8 to 12% of your revenue forever. Building your own membership site used to be a nightmare, but in 2026 the stack is mature and the math finally works in your favor.
How to build · Mar 3, 2026 · 14 min read
LiveKit vs Agora vs Daily: Real-Time Video APIs Compared in 2026
An opinionated 2026 breakdown of LiveKit, Agora, and Daily.co across pricing, architecture, AI agent support, and SDK quality so you can pick the right real-time video backbone.
Technology · Mar 3, 2026 · 13 min read
Mux vs Cloudflare Stream vs AWS IVS: Video Infrastructure in 2026
A hands-on breakdown of Mux, Cloudflare Stream, and AWS IVS across ingest, encoding, egress, DRM, and real cost examples so you can pick the right platform in 2026.
Technology · Mar 3, 2026 · 13 min read
Stripe vs Paddle vs Lemon Squeezy: SaaS Billing Platforms 2026
Picking the wrong billing platform will cost you months of engineering time and thousands in unnecessary fees. Here is a direct comparison of Stripe, Paddle, and Lemon Squeezy so you can choose the right one before you write a single line of payment code.
Technology · Mar 2, 2026 · 14 min read
Resend vs SendGrid vs Postmark: Email APIs for Startups 2026
Transactional email is infrastructure every SaaS product needs. Resend is the modern challenger, SendGrid is the incumbent, and Postmark is the deliverability purist. Here is how to choose.
Technology · Mar 2, 2026 · 13 min read
Upstash vs Redis Cloud vs Valkey: In-Memory Data Stores 2026
The Redis license change fractured the ecosystem. Now you have three strong options for in-memory data stores, each with very different trade-offs for cost, control, and edge compatibility.
Technology · Mar 2, 2026 · 13 min read