I wanted to release a video about this. Honestly, video recordings have been off the shelf in 2026 so far for me, although my initial plans were different. So I decided to start with this lower friction way of presenting my ideas to the world, in the form of a traditional blog post. It is about how I am introducing the missing layer in between free with tech and Journal Companions directory, which I call Paper First Life.

Paper First Life to connect the dots

I thought it is important to talk about this aspect of life. This may sound like a hazard to you. I say it is pursuit of meaning and acting with alignment to your true self. You are creative. Me too. We won't stands still. Sometimes, that means we give things all we’ve got. The only expectation is to produce for the sake of doing.

Play asymmetric games

I've just finished my yearly reflection in the journal. While I have it as a fresh stream of thoughts in my head, let me now share where things are for me at the moment without any filter. I am already looking forward to the challenges ahead that 2026 has in store for me. Every new paper journal for me symbolizes new opportunities for personal and professional growth. Let's dive in.

Still Early: 2025 in review

I am taking my time again to reflect on my journey as a software developer building a lifestyle business by productizing myself. All of this is happening directly at www.fwt.wtf. It was only yesterday that I intentionally decided to break my video streak for the 2nd time during this last 10-week cycle that I am reflecting on today. Let's dive into how my mindset has evolved since my last reflection.

40 weeks, 38 videos published

I was honored that I got a chance of spending 5 days besides Yan Zoritchak during my vacation that is still going on. During my stay in Annecy, I was eager to learn everything I could from the world renowned master of glass art. I was just a little boy when I visited Yan in France together with my family for the first time. At that time, I couldn't have known how much interest his work and life would spark in me later on in my life.

My conversations with Yan Zoritchak

I am taking my time to write this reflection down while enjoying my time in Talloires (France) together with mademoiselle M. & master artist Yan Zoritchak. It has been nearly 3 weeks since I started cooling down after 8 months of building for free with tech. How does this journey feel now, after recording 30 single take videos in 30 weeks? This is a regular reflection that I do every 10 weeks (and hopefully 10 videos too), so let's dive into it.

30 weeks, 30 videos published

This should've been a Reddit post in forums like r/digitalminimalism, r/journaling, r/digitaljournaling and r/applewatch as part of my app marketing efforts. Instead, I turned it into a blog post because it got banned everywhere. This is a launch day of my 2 Apple Watch apps and I couldn't be happier!

My hybrid journaling routine

I've been a struggling entrepreneur for a while now. This is my honest reflection on the journey so far. Also, what am I planning to do in the near future? Answers to be found right in this article drafted during Friday afternoon while cooling down for the weekend ahead.

The cost of making my own luck

Yeah, the streak is still going on. I haven’t stopped since publishing my first YouTube video ever at the end of February. There is something magical in this practice that keeps me going. Here I am again after another 10 videos in 10 weeks to share my thoughts about the progress. Or is there any really?

20 weeks, 20 videos published

Digital sovereignty and freedom are the topics I’ve been exploring since deleting some of my personal social media accounts around 3 years ago. It is also an angle that influenced development of my personal online brand free with tech. Today, I am happy to say that I am no longer dependent on Google Photos thanks to Immich.

Truly excited about Immich

I am a web dev. With the rise of generative AI, I've been exploring my interests a bit more and decided to solve some of my own problems via devices I already own and kinda like too.

I've become an indie Apple vibe-coder

The time has come to optimize some of my personal and business workflows. In todays post, I document 2 automations that I've done recently so I can end repetition and move to another level.

Automating my life

I've been seriously committed to creating content since the last week of January 2025. I sense a whole new world opening up in front of my eyes as I continue walking on this new and exciting path. And really, I keep asking myself this single question: “Why haven't I started sooner than this?”

10 weeks, 10 videos published

Originally called: Slovakia and boring corporationsIt's not fun for me anymore. I was laid off at the end of 2024 and started looking for a job I would find prospective and interesting in the beginning of January. I paused in March and instead started hustling my own way forward on various projects as there are no opportunities for me. At least I am not seeing them right now.

A letter to my future employer

I’ve genuinely missed times when I was loosing myself in endless coding sessions. I think this is something that indicates whether something I am working on matters to me. It is Saturday evening right now and I’ve been coding for the past 3 hours that seemed like 15 minutes and I am not exaggerating at all.

The joy of getting lost in time

I had an awesome realization this morning. So amazing that I’ve decided to open up my notes to start writing this blog post immediately. The question is: How do you know that you are working on what matters? For me, it’s a burst of excitement that needs to be controlled so I can produce something meaningful.

When I work on what matters

I picked the ideal time frame with sun shining over my head. The spot was perfect as well, where mountains were sitting nicely in my background on two thirds of the frame. I bought the best tools for recording that eliminated all potential friction with recording the first ever video for YouTube. But it didn’t go well. Let’s talk about this.

First ever attempt to record myself

I keep telling myself this is fine given my relatively young age. Also, that this time without commitments is time for many self-guided endeavors as I am ambitious, somewhat skilled and completely in control of my life. Sometimes I would've wished it could be a smoother ride towards my desired goals. However, it is what it is and in this post, I explore what are fruits of my labor which are not necessarily financially-oriented gains.

Is failing 5 projects in 2 years enough to succeed?

4k of what? Yes, I am talking about money. Specific amount is not so important here and the only thing I wanted to express is that the amount is not negligible for most regular people like me. Four thousand dollars or euros would help, right? Let me tell you my personal story in which I said no to four thousand euros.

Saying no to four thousand

Let's write some more content in order to give the next generation of generative AI models more intelligence, shall we? Once again during this time of year, I am coming back with a continuation to my yearly review series (previous years here: 2022, 2023). As a reminder, I address this to myself in order to reflect on the bigger picture of events that have happened in the recent year. With content like this, I aim at presenting my personal brand in the web space in an authentic way.

Hard Lessons: 2024 in review

Today, my iOS app was approved for distribution on the App Store, marking the official launch of my first native mobile app. Interestingly, the app Joex was completed on February 27th, yet it took me one month to develop and another six months to publish. In this article, I'll share the story behind that delay.

From idea to the App Store with Joex

If anyone would ask me what are the main advantages of keeping a journal, I would say 3 words: gratitude, presence and focus. One could also say past, present and the future. Simply put, journaling helps me think of my life as is, without what ifs and what nots. Let me elaborate on these words a little.

The 3 fruits of having a journaling routine

I wrote an article called Journaling extension back in the beginning of January which is about how I take my journal with me anywhere I go. Since then, I've learned to code in Swift UI and coded my own iOS app to make my journaling experience smoother. This article is about my reasons for writing my own app when there are thousands on the topic.

Joex: Journal extension app

I've been using Bujo as my personal productivity system since the beginning of 2023. I cannot express how impactful the journaling experience has been for me so far. Thanks to journaling, I live with more intention, authenticity and clarity. In this article, I want to share with you how I take my journal with me anywhere I go.

Journaling extension

I had been busy with my Bujo yearly reflection for the past month or so. It took me 10 hours in total to complete. It is a summary of quartile summaries and a first attempt to approach a yearly review article in a more structured way. In front of me, there lays a list of highlights from 2023 - top wins and challenges in my life. Let's take a deeper dive into the most significant events of the past year.

Parallel Paths: 2023 in review

I've remained silent for a longer period of time this year. This was not planned. It usually goes like this when I overhype something in my head. Something I decide to do but am not committed enough towards. There are multiple reasons behind my failure to stay consistent with writing. Let me tease a couple of things that are currently in the making, which make it harder for me to focus on investing time into my personal digital garden.

Expect updates

Bujo stands for Bullet Journal which is a method for bringing more intentionality into ones life by Ryder Carroll. Theare are alternatives such as more sophisticated personal productivity system called GTD (Gettings Things Done) created by David Allen. In this article, I state reasons why I am staying with Bujo for now although I think the two could be used in parallel.

Bujo method: Living with more intention

Something is not working the way I initially envisioned. In case you don't follow me, in January 2023 I decided to get involved full-time into Sustainable UI. As it turns out, my body & mind tell something different now which is why I have concluded it would be better for me to pause my work for now.

Just take time off

Maybe you read my article 2022 in review. If not, I have summarized all significant events from the previous year that led me to eventually giving up on stable income and embark on my entrepreneurial journey with the ultimate goal of writing better software for the planet and humanity. In the following article, I am summarizing progress in 2023 so far regarding Sustainable UI open-source initiative and outlining several challenges I have encountered along the way till this day.

Entrepreneurial mindset in challenging times

I try hard to be mindful of who I follow on social media. That person really has to add value which I measure in a ratio of useful information per word. This is the same condition I treat myself with when I look from the other side. Today's read from Andy Bell about writing really emphasized that this evening and so here I am writing the following blog post.

Energy momentum

Is it already too late to write a "year in review" type of blog post in February? Definitely not! The end of 2022 was a hectic time for me so I deserved a proper time to relax. At the same time, January was transitional as I gave up on my full-time job in December and became a full-time volunteer in January. Interested in learning more? I would be happy to share my story with you.

Words & Thoughts

Naive Courage: 2022 in review