Daniel Grant
@djgrant.bsky.social
CTO meetfern.ai. Building notation.dev. Blog at danielgrant.co.
There are two types of hard problems:
1. Problems that are hard to solve and remain hard after solving (e.g. particle physics)
2. Problems that are hard to solve but seem utterly obvious after solving (e.g. naming things)
Software development is a whole lot of #2
1. Problems that are hard to solve and remain hard after solving (e.g. particle physics)
2. Problems that are hard to solve but seem utterly obvious after solving (e.g. naming things)
Software development is a whole lot of #2
March 31, 2025 at 5:41 PM
There are two types of hard problems:
1. Problems that are hard to solve and remain hard after solving (e.g. particle physics)
2. Problems that are hard to solve but seem utterly obvious after solving (e.g. naming things)
Software development is a whole lot of #2
1. Problems that are hard to solve and remain hard after solving (e.g. particle physics)
2. Problems that are hard to solve but seem utterly obvious after solving (e.g. naming things)
Software development is a whole lot of #2
First version of OpenAI website dub.sh/iFgdW5y
"Since our research is free from financial obligations, we can better focus on a positive human impact. We believe AI should be ... broadly and evenly distributed as is possible safely."
Wonder what their 2015 selves would think of today
"Since our research is free from financial obligations, we can better focus on a positive human impact. We believe AI should be ... broadly and evenly distributed as is possible safely."
Wonder what their 2015 selves would think of today
OpenAI
We believe our research will eventually lead to artificial general intelligence, a system that can solve human-level problems. Building safe and beneficial AGI is our mission.
openai.com
March 31, 2025 at 4:49 PM
First version of OpenAI website dub.sh/iFgdW5y
"Since our research is free from financial obligations, we can better focus on a positive human impact. We believe AI should be ... broadly and evenly distributed as is possible safely."
Wonder what their 2015 selves would think of today
"Since our research is free from financial obligations, we can better focus on a positive human impact. We believe AI should be ... broadly and evenly distributed as is possible safely."
Wonder what their 2015 selves would think of today
I spent three months living in Saskatchewan when I was 19 and quickly learned how resourceful and resilient Canadians can be.
This is the real deal. I wouldn't bet against them even if they were in a good mood.
This is the real deal. I wouldn't bet against them even if they were in a good mood.
Carney: "The old relationship we had with the United States based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation is over."
March 28, 2025 at 10:27 PM
I spent three months living in Saskatchewan when I was 19 and quickly learned how resourceful and resilient Canadians can be.
This is the real deal. I wouldn't bet against them even if they were in a good mood.
This is the real deal. I wouldn't bet against them even if they were in a good mood.
Anthropic's latest "paper" is both extremely readable and a masterclass in interactive design.
transformer-circuits.pub/2025/attribu...
transformer-circuits.pub/2025/attribu...
On the Biology of a Large Language Model
transformer-circuits.pub
March 28, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Anthropic's latest "paper" is both extremely readable and a masterclass in interactive design.
transformer-circuits.pub/2025/attribu...
transformer-circuits.pub/2025/attribu...
This genuinely works. I wonder if it activates the anterior midcingulate cortex (brain region associated with will power)
Run a cold bath and do everything I would rather do more than get in a cold bath
March 26, 2025 at 8:56 AM
This genuinely works. I wonder if it activates the anterior midcingulate cortex (brain region associated with will power)
Reposted by Daniel Grant
This is unbelievably cool
Just keep pressing 'space' to learn how an LLM works
Just keep pressing 'space' to learn how an LLM works
LLM Visualization
A 3D animated visualization of an LLM with a walkthrough.
bbycroft.net
March 24, 2025 at 11:32 AM
This is unbelievably cool
Just keep pressing 'space' to learn how an LLM works
Just keep pressing 'space' to learn how an LLM works
For anyone struggling to understand the impact vibe coding IS having on the industry, I will personally buy you a copy of the mythical man month.
In fact I will buy you ten copies. Then you can read it 10x faster.
In fact I will buy you ten copies. Then you can read it 10x faster.
March 21, 2025 at 1:48 PM
For anyone struggling to understand the impact vibe coding IS having on the industry, I will personally buy you a copy of the mythical man month.
In fact I will buy you ten copies. Then you can read it 10x faster.
In fact I will buy you ten copies. Then you can read it 10x faster.
TypeScript people: Is there a definitely typed package that is the intersection of nodejs types and browser types?
March 10, 2025 at 2:37 PM
TypeScript people: Is there a definitely typed package that is the intersection of nodejs types and browser types?
Reposted by Daniel Grant
It's our meetup on Tuesday 11th! Come and hear from Sergio on Design Systems with Tailwind 👇
www.meetup.com/glasgow-java...
www.meetup.com/glasgow-java...
March 7, 2025 at 2:38 PM
It's our meetup on Tuesday 11th! Come and hear from Sergio on Design Systems with Tailwind 👇
www.meetup.com/glasgow-java...
www.meetup.com/glasgow-java...
This has turned out to be really really useful for env governance.
Unix philosophy is really powerful
Unix philosophy is really powerful
More Sunday evening hacking on github.com/djgrant/env0
v0.2.1 – introducing -sh flag to run commands in a child shell
v0.2.1 – introducing -sh flag to run commands in a child shell
March 6, 2025 at 6:10 PM
This has turned out to be really really useful for env governance.
Unix philosophy is really powerful
Unix philosophy is really powerful
Every time I get cozy letting AI write my code I suddenly find I've spent two days in a doom loop and then it takes like 20 minutes of concentrated effort to fix it myself
March 6, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Every time I get cozy letting AI write my code I suddenly find I've spent two days in a doom loop and then it takes like 20 minutes of concentrated effort to fix it myself
New github.com/djgrant/env0 release
v.0.3.0: support for .env0.local files
Example use-case: overriding a DB env to point to a local database
v.0.3.0: support for .env0.local files
Example use-case: overriding a DB env to point to a local database
February 25, 2025 at 8:31 PM
New github.com/djgrant/env0 release
v.0.3.0: support for .env0.local files
Example use-case: overriding a DB env to point to a local database
v.0.3.0: support for .env0.local files
Example use-case: overriding a DB env to point to a local database
Had a funny conversation with the pharmacist today comparing pharmacological risk with the risk of flying. Ended with us both declaring, "and that's why you shouldn't read the leaflet"
February 25, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Had a funny conversation with the pharmacist today comparing pharmacological risk with the risk of flying. Ended with us both declaring, "and that's why you shouldn't read the leaflet"
More Sunday evening hacking on github.com/djgrant/env0
v0.2.1 – introducing -sh flag to run commands in a child shell
v0.2.1 – introducing -sh flag to run commands in a child shell
February 23, 2025 at 8:19 PM
More Sunday evening hacking on github.com/djgrant/env0
v0.2.1 – introducing -sh flag to run commands in a child shell
v0.2.1 – introducing -sh flag to run commands in a child shell
New in github.com/djgrant/env0 v0.2.0, support for env var assignments:
```
# Shorthand assignment - loads TEST_ENV_VAR from 1Password
TEST_ENV_VAR
# Literal string assignment
LITERAL_VAR="my static value"
# Reference assignment - loads SOURCE_VAR from 1Password
RENAMED_VAR=SOURCE_VAR
```
```
# Shorthand assignment - loads TEST_ENV_VAR from 1Password
TEST_ENV_VAR
# Literal string assignment
LITERAL_VAR="my static value"
# Reference assignment - loads SOURCE_VAR from 1Password
RENAMED_VAR=SOURCE_VAR
```
GitHub - djgrant/env0: Load environment variables directly from 1Password and never store secrets in .env again
Load environment variables directly from 1Password and never store secrets in .env again - djgrant/env0
github.com
February 23, 2025 at 4:30 PM
New in github.com/djgrant/env0 v0.2.0, support for env var assignments:
```
# Shorthand assignment - loads TEST_ENV_VAR from 1Password
TEST_ENV_VAR
# Literal string assignment
LITERAL_VAR="my static value"
# Reference assignment - loads SOURCE_VAR from 1Password
RENAMED_VAR=SOURCE_VAR
```
```
# Shorthand assignment - loads TEST_ENV_VAR from 1Password
TEST_ENV_VAR
# Literal string assignment
LITERAL_VAR="my static value"
# Reference assignment - loads SOURCE_VAR from 1Password
RENAMED_VAR=SOURCE_VAR
```
Made a CLI tool to load environment variables from 1Password instead of using .env files
github.com/djgrant/env0
github.com/djgrant/env0
GitHub - djgrant/env0: Load environment variables directly from 1Password and never use .env files again
Load environment variables directly from 1Password and never use .env files again - djgrant/env0
github.com
February 20, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Made a CLI tool to load environment variables from 1Password instead of using .env files
github.com/djgrant/env0
github.com/djgrant/env0
Reposted by Daniel Grant
Oracle justified its JavaScript trademark by claiming Node.js — now it wants that ignored
#FreeJavaScript
deno.com/blog/deno-v-...
#FreeJavaScript
deno.com/blog/deno-v-...
Oracle justified its JavaScript trademark with Node.js—now it wants that ignored
Oracle filed a motion to dismiss in response to Deno’s petition to cancel its “JavaScript” trademark. But instead of addressing the real issue—that JavaScript is an open standard with multiple indepen...
deno.com
February 4, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Oracle justified its JavaScript trademark by claiming Node.js — now it wants that ignored
#FreeJavaScript
deno.com/blog/deno-v-...
#FreeJavaScript
deno.com/blog/deno-v-...
Very cool idea. Useful.
Finally got this prototype to work after 1000 years of debugging. Sweet release 🥲
The idea is I dump a bunch of unstructured notes on a topic in, feed that into gpt-4o-mini, ask it to label sections with a set of types – claim, evidence, assumption, etc. – and display them as coloured highlights
The idea is I dump a bunch of unstructured notes on a topic in, feed that into gpt-4o-mini, ask it to label sections with a set of types – claim, evidence, assumption, etc. – and display them as coloured highlights
January 31, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Very cool idea. Useful.
Reposted by Daniel Grant
Still at such an early ideation stage with this project, but the overarching theme is "can language models help me think more, not less?"
Can I design an LM interface that enables me to be a more rigorous critical thinker; meaning better at understanding my arguments, assumptions, etc.
Can I design an LM interface that enables me to be a more rigorous critical thinker; meaning better at understanding my arguments, assumptions, etc.
January 31, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Still at such an early ideation stage with this project, but the overarching theme is "can language models help me think more, not less?"
Can I design an LM interface that enables me to be a more rigorous critical thinker; meaning better at understanding my arguments, assumptions, etc.
Can I design an LM interface that enables me to be a more rigorous critical thinker; meaning better at understanding my arguments, assumptions, etc.
January 29, 2025 at 11:55 AM
LLMs are sooo good at building legacy codebases
January 28, 2025 at 4:52 PM
LLMs are sooo good at building legacy codebases
Re-watched The Matrix last night. Amazing it was released over 25 years ago. Still such an incredible movie.
January 27, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Re-watched The Matrix last night. Amazing it was released over 25 years ago. Still such an incredible movie.
TIL 2.5 tablespoons of kashmiri chilli is NOT the same as 2.5 tablespoons of regular chilli.
January 23, 2025 at 2:13 PM
TIL 2.5 tablespoons of kashmiri chilli is NOT the same as 2.5 tablespoons of regular chilli.
My word for 2025. Drawing inspiration from Star Wars and a samurai teacher I met at a hippie festival. No cliches here.
danielgrant.co/posts/daniel...
danielgrant.co/posts/daniel...
Daniel’s Word for 2025
danielgrant.co
January 15, 2025 at 4:39 PM
My word for 2025. Drawing inspiration from Star Wars and a samurai teacher I met at a hippie festival. No cliches here.
danielgrant.co/posts/daniel...
danielgrant.co/posts/daniel...
Blog just got a major upgrade
January 15, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Blog just got a major upgrade