Why do?
Dated: 12/12/2023

Why do?

I don't really know how to start and what I have to say today.

but: at some point you have to answer the simple factual question - why do I do anything at all?

I mean, hopefully you're aware of the fact that all humans do something and provide value by creating something or offering something etc etc, but let's break down a product if you may: Vercel.

I love vercel and I use vercel, and if anyone gets hurt by what I have to say I can completely assure you it's not vercel. (because there's nothing to be hurt by)

They mainly offer hosting services that are based off of AWS, and most of what people (me) use them for is connecting their sites through github repositories, and then having each commit be a different build which is instantly deployed to the domain it's linked to.

Can you make your own vercel? Sure. Have I ever? Nope. I've used another service that is an open-source framework for AWS aka way cheaper than vercel:

I used sst.dev for TranslateAudio.com and it followed a similar procedure - run a cli command and bam - the entire code is packaged and deployed to AWS Codebase. While I paid $20 / mo for vercel's services, I paid nothing for SST since I never had that many users.

At this point you have to ask, why do people use vercel when there's SST.dev? And why do people use SST.dev when there's AWS since clearly both of them use that?

And why for god's sake don't we just use bare raw computers instead of AWS? I mean - I have a PC and a laptop which is mostly free - so if I made them servers won't I save a lot of cost?

(that's what DHH did btw)

But we do this because it makes things easier - Vercel is a giant company and now is helping a lot of devs with AI boilerplate which - all it does - is it makes things easier.

Vercel provides value because AWS provides value because servers provide value because the web was invented because HTML was invented because programming was invented because someone at some point thought - god these COMPUTERS (definition: human beings which calculated math and arithmetic problems, that's where the word comes from, google it) are slow af!

Do you follow me or do you think I'm bonkers? Let's move forward either way.

I don't think I am much of value; at least in the current state, and I will never change internally BUT if I keep doing experiments I learn what people like and what they don't, it doesn't change my taste completely, but it does affect what I consume for myself, and what I consume for the world.

So now what? Now that I've said we don't have any inherent value and there's no reason to do anything, where does that leave us?

In the perfect spot - in the perfect spot for experimentation that is.

Why do you want to decide what's going to fail or succeed? Are you a gambler or a builder?

"I reckon he gonna do it this time" says the man in the long coat, too much for this heat. He lights up his cigar.

"Nay nay nay - he will fall and he will fall harder. See you bet on his intent - and I bet on his actions. I will win just with sheer math, math and probability you understand?" says his own internal voice as he gazes at the bar with no one nearby. He gets out the door and heads home.

A whole lot of drunk driving later - he sits down on his typewriter, maybe someone will read it this time. Maybe this one is it. I have to start somewhere right? In the middle maybe. In the middle yes.

His fingers shake when he reaches for the keys, his brain without a thought strikes:

"I don't really know how to start and what I have to say today."