25 Sep 2026 #mondaylinks
Hey there.
Here are 4 links I thought were worth sharing this week:
#1. Bugs and incidents happen when there’s a flaw in the software development process. To make sure they don’t occur again, don’t share the details (5min).
#2. “Not all hobbies have to be productive,” a friend told me last week. We were talking about how AI has changed expectations at the workplace. F*ck it, and do it anyway (5min): the old way, the hard way, the slow way.
#3. I don’t use AI for my writing. It’s too personal to offload to an LLM. And I also don’t want to read something you didn’t write (10min).
#4. Life and happiness don’t have to be complicated. Maybe it’s just enjoying every sandwich (3min).
And in case you missed it, I wrote on my blog about the weapon to fight AI brain rot (2min) and non-fiction books I’ve read so far (2min).
(Bzzz…Radio voice) This email was brought to you by… Street-Smart Coding Manifesto. A case against syntax obsession. Because real impact comes from skills outside your IDE.
Keep coding smart.
See you next Friday,
Cesar
24 Sep 2026 #selfgrowth #books
Teachers use AI to assign homework.
Students use AI to do it.
Then teachers use AI to check if students used AI.
That’s the concern a ex-coworker shared on a WhatsApp group.
He was worried his children becoming so lazy to think by themselves.
But the weapon to fight brain root is well known since Ancient Times.
Books.
The best invention of man.
Read widely.
It trains your focus.
It frees your imagination.
It teaches you critical thinking.
It regulates your nervous system.
In Greece, free men learned to read, talk, and think.
That’s worked thousands of years ago.
And that’s how to thrive in AI times too.
When everybody is asking a black box to think for them, reading is resistance.
You can resist by picking one of my my books. Short and actionable books on coding and self-growth.
23 Sep 2026 #books
Following my reading rules, I’ve been reading two books at a time.
Here are the non-fiction books I’ve read so far:
#1. Mastery by Robert Greene.
Achieving mastery is like swimming:
You can’t do it against the current and you can’t be your own resistance.
#2. Smart Brevity by Jim VaneHei.
People don’t read, but skim.
Adapt to your reader’s consumption habits.
#3. Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspe.
Control your glucose and you’ll control your mood, weight, and cravings.
#4. Papyrus by Irene Vallejo.
Books are the best invention of man.
They won’t disappear any time soon.
#5. Financial Freedom by Grant Sabatier.
The sooner you start, the less money you need to retire.
#6. Purpose and Profit by Dan Koe.
Entrepreneurship is self-help and others-help.
#7. Anything You Want by Derek Sivers.
Your business is your utopia.
You don’t have to make it grow or look corporate.
You can make it anything you want.
#8. Useful But Not True by Derek Sivers.
Your perspective is like a timezone:
It feels “real” to you, but most people have a different one.
#9. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
Rule #5: Understand, before being understood.
Don’t just listen, but listen with empathy.
#10. Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman.
You can’t control when emotions appear.
But you can control how long you experience them.
Reading Emotional Intelligence made me connect it to 7 Habits.
Which led me to adopt reading a fortress of books.
Building my fortress has taken me from 7 Habits to Emotional Intelligence to Brain Wash.
In case you’re curious, here are my books. Short and actionable books on coding and self-growth.
22 Sep 2026 #wellness #selfgrowth
A walk fixes almost anything.
To slow down my ruminating thoughts, I put on my green Nike shoes and sport clothes, and went to the closest park for my daily walk.
But to avoid more overthinking, I added a twist.
I choose to pay close attention to the sounds around me.
The passing motorcycles, cars honking, kids screaming while playing soccer, some teenagers rehearsing a dance, a priest giving a sermon, or simply my footsteps on the pavement.
From time to time, I asked myself “Are you breathing?”
Then I switched my attention to my breaths.
Without even realizing it, one hour has passed and my mind already felt more quiet.
I guess I just discovered Walking meditation, a new way to slow down and calm my mind.
Walking is one of the ideas to take care of your body, mind, and spirit in 10 Surprisingly Simple Ideas That Changed My Life.
21 Sep 2026 #wellness #selfgrowth
If it drains you, cut it out.
If it energizes you, do it more.
One week free from social media taught me I’m another junkie.
My phone time showed me I was an enemy of boredom—or still I am.
Analog Sundays helped me to reconnect.
But for some reason, or for some distractions, I stopped following them.
And I regretted it.
A new social platform, my own expectations, and rushing to chase an imaginary finish line took a toll on my physical and mental health.
They cost me two nights without proper sleep.
And they force me back to my daily practice.
Less scrolling.
Less phone time.
Less rushing.
Less consuming.
More self-care.
More time in nature.
More being present.
More creating.
Bring a sense of joy and fulfillment to your life every day. Make every day a good day.
Keeping a daily healthy practice is one of the ideas in 10 Surprisingly Simple Ideas That Changed My Life.