Unwinding the Complexity: How I Fit Big Tech Ideas on a Cardboard Coaster

Working in the beer industry for five years taught me something simple. The best conversations happen at a sticky bar table over a drink. When someone tries to explain a huge technical idea with twenty buzzwords, everyone's eyes glaze over.

+-------------------------------------------------------+
|             THE COASTER METHOD IN 4 STEPS             |
+-------------------------------------------------------+
|  1. THE HYPE   : Cut out the fluff and buzzwords.     |
|  2. THE SKETCH : Draw the core idea on a 4x4 coaster. |
|  3. THE CODE   : Build a small prototype to test it.  |
|  4. THE STORY  : Explain how it works in plain words.  |
+-------------------------------------------------------+

Why Everything Feels So Overwhelming Right Now

Every week there is a new AI model, a new vector database, or a new framework. People post crazy demos online, but they rarely show you the simple engine underneath.

When I am trying to figure out how something works, I grab a pen and try to sketch the basic loop on the back of a paper coaster. If I can't draw the basic idea in two minutes, it means I don't fully understand it yet.

// The simple rule I use when building tools to learn
async function handleUserIdea(inputTopic: string) {
  // Step 1: Strip away the corporate jargon
  const simpleConcept = stripHype(inputTopic);
  
  // Step 2: Test it with a tiny piece of code
  const result = await runSmallExperiment(simpleConcept);
  
  // Step 3: Share what broke and what worked
  return writeFriendlyLog(result);
}

Building Things to Learn

This website is not a business. I am not trying to sell you a course or grow a startup. I am just a guy in Brooklyn who loves tinkering with PC hardware, retro games, and code. When I learn something cool about AI or game loops, I write it down here so you can try it yourself.