The "Control-the-Controllables" Manifesto

Look! there is one thing we all can agree on: Life is hard. Sometimes, it’s a relentless, unfair grind that will find a million different ways to screw you over. But facing that chaos while doing absolutely nothing to keep yourself composed is the dumbest way possible to live.

You have to control the controllables. You can’t stop the world from being a mess, but you can choose to meditate for ten minutes or more, spend an hour on a hobby that fulfills you, maybe do some physical exercise and build a routine that actually supports your sanity. You can choose to read good books. You can choose to pause and reflect. Break it down whatever you are doing, break it down to doable tasks. Write your assumptions down and check periodically if you are following the right path.

Ok Ok! I am being too harsh, I know. When you are having mental breakdown, you are blinded on such thoughts. But these aren’t nice-to-haves or soft wellness tips; they are the basic tactical requirements for being a motivated human being.

If I am your friend, I’ll be the first person in your corner when things go south. But I refuse to give validation on your unlucky circumstances when you haven’t even worked on the basics. Sort your routine out and if life still sucks after that, we’ll riot together against the universe. Until then, quit the complaining and get to work.

Food is fuel

I am so incredibly tired of food being an “event.” 🙄 Why have we collectively decided that every single time we put nutrients into our bodies, it has to be some five-star sensory experience? It’s exhausting.

Food is fuel. That’s it.

I don’t want a “gastronomic journey.” I want my brain to work. I want to spend exactly zero minutes of my life debating whether the “mouthfeel” of my lunch was worth a 2000 rupees price tag. Honestly, cravings are just a scam your brain pulls on you. You are NOT “craving” a burger at 1 AM; your brain is just dancing in the nostalgia of idk-a-week-ago. You’re chasing a ghost, not a nutrient.

I had this exact argument with a friend while he was scrolling through delivery apps like his life depended on it:

Him: “I’m starving, but nothing looks good, you know? I need something that hits that specific spicy-salty-crunchy spot or my night is ruined.”

Me: “Nirav, look in your pantry. You have rice. You have beans. Just eat that. (If you want something harsh, just don’t eat at night. Sleep it off and have some good breakfast in the morning.)”

Him: “But that’s so depressing. Don’t you want to enjoy your life? Where’s the garlic? The sauce? The experience?”

Me: “I am enjoying my life! I’m enjoying the forty minutes I didn’t waste staring at a ‘driver is approaching’ map. I’m enjoying not being a slave to a hit of salt on my tongue. Sauce is just a distraction from the mission, Nirav. The mission is biology.”

Seriously, we’ve fetishized flavor to the point of literal dysfunction. Think about reading a life-changing book. You’re there for the wisdom that shifts your perspective, not the ‘smell’ of the paper or the font it’s printed in. You don’t need the ink to be gold-plated to absorb the truth. But when I value the reality of the nutrients over the ‘luxury’ of the taste, I’m the weirdo? 🤡

I’m not a health monk. I’m just done with the “flavor hunt.” There is a massive sense of contentment that comes when you stop letting your tongue dictate your happiness. Think of it as an experience though, but why do you need to judge it? Also, I am very sure I enjoy any meal a lot more than cravers enjoy their favourite meal.

Eat what you have. Be okay with “boring.” Stop letting a 1 AM craving run your life. I’ve got better things to do. ✌️

P.S. Don’t get offended with my arguments with Nirav. He is my very good friend.

Kubernetes Is Overkill for 90% of Startups

It’s wild how many startups are out here “preparing for scale” by building these massive, over-engineered Kubernetes clusters before they even have ten paying customers. I just saw a team spend six months on Helm charts and service meshes for an app that could literally run on a $10 VPS.

We’re addicted to complexity because it makes us feel like we’re doing “important” work.

But every abstraction layer is just another thing that’s going to break when you’re tired. You’re paying a “complexity tax” on problems you don’t even have yet. By the time you actually need to scale to a million users, you’ll probably have rewritten the entire codebase anyway. Premature optimization is the silent killer. People build a rocket ship to go to the grocery store and then act surprised when they run out of fuel before they leave the driveway. Just ship the simple version.

Remote Work Is the Future, But Not for the Reasons You Think

Everyone talks about remote work like it’s a perk. Work from anywhere! Better work-life balance! No commute!

But the real reason remote work is inevitable has nothing to do with employee happiness. It’s that the best engineers don’t live in San Francisco. They’re in Lagos, Bangalore, Warsaw, and São Paulo. Companies that figure out remote-first operations will have access to 10x more talent than companies stuck in the office.

The future belongs to teams that can ship great products with people who’ve never met in person. The companies that master this will outcompete everyone else.

It’s not about whether remote work is better. It’s about whether you can afford to ignore 90% of the world’s talent.

On Being Wrong

I used to be terrified of being wrong. I’d research for hours before posting a hot take. I’d triple-check every claim. I’d hedge every statement.

Then I realized: being wrong is how you learn.

When you’re wrong publicly, people correct you. They share better information. They challenge your assumptions. You get smarter, faster.

When you’re right, you get validation. That feels good, but it doesn’t teach you anything.

The best engineers I know are wrong many, many times. They throw out ideas, get corrected, iterate, and learn. They’re not afraid to look stupid because they know looking stupid is temporary, but staying ignorant is permanent.

Be wrong. Be wrong often. Be wrong loudly. Just be willing to update when you learn better.

The Value of Boring Technology

We’re drawn to shiny new things. The latest framework. The newest language. The coolest architecture.

But the best technology is boring technology.

Boring technology is well-understood. It’s well-documented. It has fewer surprises. It has more answers on Stack Overflow.

When you use boring technology, you spend less time fighting the tools and more time solving problems. You hire easier. You onboard faster. You debug quicker.

I’ve seen teams spend months learning a new framework when PostgreSQL and Python would have solved the problem in weeks.

Innovation is important. But so is shipping. And boring technology ships faster.

Choose boring. Your future self will thank you.

On Simplicity

Simplicity is hard. It’s easier to add than to subtract. It’s easier to complicate than to simplify.

Simplicity is powerful. Simple code is easier to understand, easier to maintain, easier to debug. Simple products are easier to use, easier to explain, easier to love.

Every line of code is a liability. Every feature is a maintenance burden. Every abstraction is a cognitive load.

The question isn’t “Can we add this?” It’s “Do we need this?”

If the answer is no, delete it. Your future self will thank you. It’s about doing what matters, and nothing else.

Reminds me of a song. Just be simple lol