Alena
@alenaesakova.bsky.social
⚒️ We'are building software dev agency.
Have a project to start? Let's discuss.
🖥️ giglabo.com
Have a project to start? Let's discuss.
🖥️ giglabo.com
🧠 Real case from a recent consultation:
A dev team of 5:
1 team lead
1 senior
2 juniors
1 intern
The client is frustrated - deadlines keep slipping, tasks are on fire, and Jira is pure chaos 😬
So… what do you think is the real problem here?
Curious to hear your take on it.
A dev team of 5:
1 team lead
1 senior
2 juniors
1 intern
The client is frustrated - deadlines keep slipping, tasks are on fire, and Jira is pure chaos 😬
So… what do you think is the real problem here?
Curious to hear your take on it.
September 18, 2025 at 8:05 AM
🧠 Real case from a recent consultation:
A dev team of 5:
1 team lead
1 senior
2 juniors
1 intern
The client is frustrated - deadlines keep slipping, tasks are on fire, and Jira is pure chaos 😬
So… what do you think is the real problem here?
Curious to hear your take on it.
A dev team of 5:
1 team lead
1 senior
2 juniors
1 intern
The client is frustrated - deadlines keep slipping, tasks are on fire, and Jira is pure chaos 😬
So… what do you think is the real problem here?
Curious to hear your take on it.
Don’t over-automate your first workflow
Manual is fine at the start.
You need to understand the flow first.
Then automate with precision.
Manual is fine at the start.
You need to understand the flow first.
Then automate with precision.
September 5, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Don’t over-automate your first workflow
Manual is fine at the start.
You need to understand the flow first.
Then automate with precision.
Manual is fine at the start.
You need to understand the flow first.
Then automate with precision.
Build less, reuse more
Before writing code, check:
→ Can we use a library?
→ An API?
→ A tool we already built?
Fast doesn’t mean hacky.
It means smart.
Before writing code, check:
→ Can we use a library?
→ An API?
→ A tool we already built?
Fast doesn’t mean hacky.
It means smart.
September 5, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Build less, reuse more
Before writing code, check:
→ Can we use a library?
→ An API?
→ A tool we already built?
Fast doesn’t mean hacky.
It means smart.
Before writing code, check:
→ Can we use a library?
→ An API?
→ A tool we already built?
Fast doesn’t mean hacky.
It means smart.
Don’t mimic some SaaS bro with 100-hour weeks.
Build for your bandwidth, your phase, your family.
Design your company to fit you.
Build for your bandwidth, your phase, your family.
Design your company to fit you.
September 4, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Don’t mimic some SaaS bro with 100-hour weeks.
Build for your bandwidth, your phase, your family.
Design your company to fit you.
Build for your bandwidth, your phase, your family.
Design your company to fit you.
Not everyone wants to ‘scale’
Some devs just want solid, focused work.
Not management. Not politics. Not fame.
Respect different growth paths.
Some devs just want solid, focused work.
Not management. Not politics. Not fame.
Respect different growth paths.
September 3, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Not everyone wants to ‘scale’
Some devs just want solid, focused work.
Not management. Not politics. Not fame.
Respect different growth paths.
Some devs just want solid, focused work.
Not management. Not politics. Not fame.
Respect different growth paths.
Junior devs don’t need hand-holding. They need context.
Give them real tasks, guardrails, and space to think.
Micromanaging kills growth.
Trust + feedback = progress.
Give them real tasks, guardrails, and space to think.
Micromanaging kills growth.
Trust + feedback = progress.
September 3, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Junior devs don’t need hand-holding. They need context.
Give them real tasks, guardrails, and space to think.
Micromanaging kills growth.
Trust + feedback = progress.
Give them real tasks, guardrails, and space to think.
Micromanaging kills growth.
Trust + feedback = progress.
No, we won’t build your idea for equity.
Unless it’s Stripe equity - we work for cash.
Your idea might be gold, but until it earns, builders shouldn’t carry the whole risk for you.
Unless it’s Stripe equity - we work for cash.
Your idea might be gold, but until it earns, builders shouldn’t carry the whole risk for you.
September 3, 2025 at 10:20 AM
No, we won’t build your idea for equity.
Unless it’s Stripe equity - we work for cash.
Your idea might be gold, but until it earns, builders shouldn’t carry the whole risk for you.
Unless it’s Stripe equity - we work for cash.
Your idea might be gold, but until it earns, builders shouldn’t carry the whole risk for you.
It’s never just tech
Tech is easy.
Process, people, expectations are the hard part.
Tech is easy.
Process, people, expectations are the hard part.
September 3, 2025 at 8:20 AM
It’s never just tech
Tech is easy.
Process, people, expectations are the hard part.
Tech is easy.
Process, people, expectations are the hard part.
🚩Red flag: no technical advisor in sight
If you're a non-tech founder building SaaS solo, you need a tech-savvy partner or advisor.
Otherwise, you're throwing cash into a black hole.
If you're a non-tech founder building SaaS solo, you need a tech-savvy partner or advisor.
Otherwise, you're throwing cash into a black hole.
September 2, 2025 at 1:20 PM
🚩Red flag: no technical advisor in sight
If you're a non-tech founder building SaaS solo, you need a tech-savvy partner or advisor.
Otherwise, you're throwing cash into a black hole.
If you're a non-tech founder building SaaS solo, you need a tech-savvy partner or advisor.
Otherwise, you're throwing cash into a black hole.
Most MVPs fail not because of low budget - but because founders try to build everything.
Cut features -> launch faster
Cut features -> launch faster
September 2, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Most MVPs fail not because of low budget - but because founders try to build everything.
Cut features -> launch faster
Cut features -> launch faster
If you do the same thing 3 times for 3 clients - build a template or internal tool.
Saves time.
Boosts margins.
Delivers better results.
We did this with a file uploading.
After building it 3 different ways - we finally said:
“Okay. Let’s make it reusable.”
Repeat ≠ boring.
Repeat = scal
Saves time.
Boosts margins.
Delivers better results.
We did this with a file uploading.
After building it 3 different ways - we finally said:
“Okay. Let’s make it reusable.”
Repeat ≠ boring.
Repeat = scal
September 2, 2025 at 8:25 AM
If you do the same thing 3 times for 3 clients - build a template or internal tool.
Saves time.
Boosts margins.
Delivers better results.
We did this with a file uploading.
After building it 3 different ways - we finally said:
“Okay. Let’s make it reusable.”
Repeat ≠ boring.
Repeat = scal
Saves time.
Boosts margins.
Delivers better results.
We did this with a file uploading.
After building it 3 different ways - we finally said:
“Okay. Let’s make it reusable.”
Repeat ≠ boring.
Repeat = scal
Don’t let devs pick your tech stack blindly
Ask:
→ Why this stack?
→ What’s the risk?
→ How fast can we hire for it?
If they can’t answer, they’re playing with shiny toys.
Ask:
→ Why this stack?
→ What’s the risk?
→ How fast can we hire for it?
If they can’t answer, they’re playing with shiny toys.
September 1, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Don’t let devs pick your tech stack blindly
Ask:
→ Why this stack?
→ What’s the risk?
→ How fast can we hire for it?
If they can’t answer, they’re playing with shiny toys.
Ask:
→ Why this stack?
→ What’s the risk?
→ How fast can we hire for it?
If they can’t answer, they’re playing with shiny toys.
Listen to user behavior more than user words.
September 1, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Listen to user behavior more than user words.
Constraints are creative fuel.
Less time = better prioritization
Less budget = smarter solutions
Less people = cleaner process
Agree?
Less time = better prioritization
Less budget = smarter solutions
Less people = cleaner process
Agree?
September 1, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Constraints are creative fuel.
Less time = better prioritization
Less budget = smarter solutions
Less people = cleaner process
Agree?
Less time = better prioritization
Less budget = smarter solutions
Less people = cleaner process
Agree?
Every time I hit “deploy,” I still feel it.
Even after years.
Will it break?
Did we forget something?
But I’ve learned:
The only thing worse than shipping something broken - is never shipping at all.
Even after years.
Will it break?
Did we forget something?
But I’ve learned:
The only thing worse than shipping something broken - is never shipping at all.
September 1, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Every time I hit “deploy,” I still feel it.
Even after years.
Will it break?
Did we forget something?
But I’ve learned:
The only thing worse than shipping something broken - is never shipping at all.
Even after years.
Will it break?
Did we forget something?
But I’ve learned:
The only thing worse than shipping something broken - is never shipping at all.
You don’t need everyone’s advice
Especially from people who’ve never built what you’re building.
Choose your voices carefully.
Especially from people who’ve never built what you’re building.
Choose your voices carefully.
August 30, 2025 at 4:35 PM
You don’t need everyone’s advice
Especially from people who’ve never built what you’re building.
Choose your voices carefully.
Especially from people who’ve never built what you’re building.
Choose your voices carefully.
People only see the product.
But behind it is:
✔️ Frantic testing
✔️ Budget panic
✔️ Feature cutting
✔️ Google Docs chaos
✔️ Doubt
That’s normal.
Don't mistake mess for failure.
It’s the process.
But behind it is:
✔️ Frantic testing
✔️ Budget panic
✔️ Feature cutting
✔️ Google Docs chaos
✔️ Doubt
That’s normal.
Don't mistake mess for failure.
It’s the process.
August 29, 2025 at 4:50 PM
People only see the product.
But behind it is:
✔️ Frantic testing
✔️ Budget panic
✔️ Feature cutting
✔️ Google Docs chaos
✔️ Doubt
That’s normal.
Don't mistake mess for failure.
It’s the process.
But behind it is:
✔️ Frantic testing
✔️ Budget panic
✔️ Feature cutting
✔️ Google Docs chaos
✔️ Doubt
That’s normal.
Don't mistake mess for failure.
It’s the process.
Founders: you don’t need to build everything.
Buy when it's been solved.
Build when it’s core.
Hack when it’s just to test.
Spending $20/month on something proven > 20 dev hours reinventing the wheel.
Buy when it's been solved.
Build when it’s core.
Hack when it’s just to test.
Spending $20/month on something proven > 20 dev hours reinventing the wheel.
August 29, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Founders: you don’t need to build everything.
Buy when it's been solved.
Build when it’s core.
Hack when it’s just to test.
Spending $20/month on something proven > 20 dev hours reinventing the wheel.
Buy when it's been solved.
Build when it’s core.
Hack when it’s just to test.
Spending $20/month on something proven > 20 dev hours reinventing the wheel.
🧵 Things I wish I knew earlier
✔️ Code is the easy part
✔️ People are the hard part
✔️ Clients forget what they asked for
✔️ You can ship ugly and fix later
✔️ Nobody reads long docs
Still learning, every week.
✔️ Code is the easy part
✔️ People are the hard part
✔️ Clients forget what they asked for
✔️ You can ship ugly and fix later
✔️ Nobody reads long docs
Still learning, every week.
August 29, 2025 at 10:50 AM
🧵 Things I wish I knew earlier
✔️ Code is the easy part
✔️ People are the hard part
✔️ Clients forget what they asked for
✔️ You can ship ugly and fix later
✔️ Nobody reads long docs
Still learning, every week.
✔️ Code is the easy part
✔️ People are the hard part
✔️ Clients forget what they asked for
✔️ You can ship ugly and fix later
✔️ Nobody reads long docs
Still learning, every week.
Some founders avoid asking technical questions because they feel dumb.
But the smartest founders I work with ask a lot.
They want to understand.
If your devs make you feel stupid - they’re failing you.
Not the other way around.
But the smartest founders I work with ask a lot.
They want to understand.
If your devs make you feel stupid - they’re failing you.
Not the other way around.
August 29, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Some founders avoid asking technical questions because they feel dumb.
But the smartest founders I work with ask a lot.
They want to understand.
If your devs make you feel stupid - they’re failing you.
Not the other way around.
But the smartest founders I work with ask a lot.
They want to understand.
If your devs make you feel stupid - they’re failing you.
Not the other way around.
So many founders ask for dashboards…
when they don’t even know which metric matters.
Start with a simple CSV or table.
Track one thing.
When that’s useful, then build UI around it.
Dashboards are not magic.
Clarity is.
when they don’t even know which metric matters.
Start with a simple CSV or table.
Track one thing.
When that’s useful, then build UI around it.
Dashboards are not magic.
Clarity is.
August 28, 2025 at 10:25 AM
So many founders ask for dashboards…
when they don’t even know which metric matters.
Start with a simple CSV or table.
Track one thing.
When that’s useful, then build UI around it.
Dashboards are not magic.
Clarity is.
when they don’t even know which metric matters.
Start with a simple CSV or table.
Track one thing.
When that’s useful, then build UI around it.
Dashboards are not magic.
Clarity is.
Don’t hire a senior dev if:
✔️ You don’t have a clear product spec
✔️ You can’t review code
✔️ You just “need someone to figure it out”
You’ll waste time and burn money.
Get a tech advisor first.
Then hire with direction.
✔️ You don’t have a clear product spec
✔️ You can’t review code
✔️ You just “need someone to figure it out”
You’ll waste time and burn money.
Get a tech advisor first.
Then hire with direction.
August 28, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Don’t hire a senior dev if:
✔️ You don’t have a clear product spec
✔️ You can’t review code
✔️ You just “need someone to figure it out”
You’ll waste time and burn money.
Get a tech advisor first.
Then hire with direction.
✔️ You don’t have a clear product spec
✔️ You can’t review code
✔️ You just “need someone to figure it out”
You’ll waste time and burn money.
Get a tech advisor first.
Then hire with direction.
Most early devs try to “build everything perfectly.”
Real-world devs ship within time, budget, team, legacy code.
Great devs are resourceful.
Not perfect.
Real-world devs ship within time, budget, team, legacy code.
Great devs are resourceful.
Not perfect.
August 27, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Most early devs try to “build everything perfectly.”
Real-world devs ship within time, budget, team, legacy code.
Great devs are resourceful.
Not perfect.
Real-world devs ship within time, budget, team, legacy code.
Great devs are resourceful.
Not perfect.
Your calendar.
Too many inputs = too little output.
I killed 80% of my notifications.
Emails, Slacks, even some calls.
I don't need to know everything right now.
I need to think, build and ship 🙏.
Want more focus? Start subtracting.
Too many inputs = too little output.
I killed 80% of my notifications.
Emails, Slacks, even some calls.
I don't need to know everything right now.
I need to think, build and ship 🙏.
Want more focus? Start subtracting.
August 27, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Your calendar.
Too many inputs = too little output.
I killed 80% of my notifications.
Emails, Slacks, even some calls.
I don't need to know everything right now.
I need to think, build and ship 🙏.
Want more focus? Start subtracting.
Too many inputs = too little output.
I killed 80% of my notifications.
Emails, Slacks, even some calls.
I don't need to know everything right now.
I need to think, build and ship 🙏.
Want more focus? Start subtracting.
Seen it too many times: someone chooses a fancy stack because it “scales” and ends up buried in dev hell.
Your MVP does not need Kubernetes, microservices, or a $500/month pipeline.
Complex ≠ professional.
What’s the most overkill stack you’ve seen used for a tiny project?
Your MVP does not need Kubernetes, microservices, or a $500/month pipeline.
Complex ≠ professional.
What’s the most overkill stack you’ve seen used for a tiny project?
August 26, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Seen it too many times: someone chooses a fancy stack because it “scales” and ends up buried in dev hell.
Your MVP does not need Kubernetes, microservices, or a $500/month pipeline.
Complex ≠ professional.
What’s the most overkill stack you’ve seen used for a tiny project?
Your MVP does not need Kubernetes, microservices, or a $500/month pipeline.
Complex ≠ professional.
What’s the most overkill stack you’ve seen used for a tiny project?