Tag1 on Rahul

I built another Mac app

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 07:00:00 -0400

It’s called Hush. A mac app that makes it easier to focus.

Over my entire career, I’ve entertained various ways to “get in the zone” as I sit down to work. In the early 2010s it was classical music, which worked pretty well because it had no words. From around 2014 to 2019 it was podcasts, mostly Joe Rogan, and I still don’t know how I got anything done with two guys talking in my ear for three hours. What finally stuck for me was generated noise.

Break Stasis

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

I have this OXO sink strainer that plays a simple role in the system that is my kitchen sink: drain the water, catch the food.

The other day, I let it sit overnight with some bits of food. In the morning it looked bone dry, so I picked it up to empty it into the trash and to my surprise—drip drip drip—water everywhere.

I got annoyed. “You had one job. You’ve been sitting there all night. How is there still water in you?”

Get an AI code review in 10 seconds

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Here’s a trick I don’t see enough people using:

Add .diff to the end of any PR URL and copy&paste into a LLM for a quick initial review.

You can get an instant feedback on any GitHub PR.

No Copilot Enterprise. No browser extensions. No special tooling.

Example

PR Link: https://github.com/RahulPrabha/oldmanrahul.com/pull/11
Add .diff to the end: https://github.com/RahulPrabha/oldmanrahul.com/pull/11.diff
Copy the raw diff
Paste it into Claude, ChatGPT, or any LLM (Maybe add a short instuction like: please review.)

So no more human reviewers?

This isn’t a replacement for a real code review by a peer, but it’s a great way to get a first pass in short order.

Hard work is irritating

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

My understanding of getting into a flow state (or “being in the zone”) was completely wrong.

Authors like Steve Kotler and Csíkszentmihályi describe achieving flow as a structural problem. To achieve flow we must match our skills to the challenges in front of us, they write. If the challenges are too easy, we’ll get bored, if too difficult, we’ll quit from frustration.

Start-up founders will speak of passion as the gateway to flow. If you’re passionate, you’ll dance into the office ready to get back to it. If you’re feeling resistance … well, maybe you’re not passionate or earnest enough.

Learning how to learn (Pt. 1)

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0400

I graduated from the University of Waterloo with honors. The school’s math department even sent my family a Dean’s List letter to highlight how well I was doing during my undergraduate program. I mention this not to pat myself on the back (fear from culture expectations powered many of my 16-hour study-a-thons), but to bring a modicum of credibility to what this three-part series covers: learning how to learn.

Learning, or our education more properly, doesn’t end on graduation day. It’s a life long process to keep you fresh and capable.