Spencer Henry
@operatingcan.bsky.social
Father of 3
Principal engineer @ music industry startup
Proud owner of a big shed
Principal engineer @ music industry startup
Proud owner of a big shed
Reposted by Spencer Henry
Happy beached whale dynamite day for all who celebrate
On this day 55 years ago, Oregon blew up a beached whale with 20 cases of dynamite.
The Exploding Whale: An infamous moment in Oregon history creates a strangely beloved icon
The infamous exploding whale incident occurred Nov. 12, 1970, in Florence, Oregon. A whale washed ashore on the Oregon beach and with no other means to dispo...
www.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Happy beached whale dynamite day for all who celebrate
It would appear sleeping 9.5 hrs is as effective as taking Adderall 😂
November 4, 2025 at 5:43 PM
It would appear sleeping 9.5 hrs is as effective as taking Adderall 😂
Playing around with the idea of just vibe coding my own full internal stack of day to day tools.
Beginning with: the weekly planner. I currently have a google doc where every week I add tasks for work, for my own biz, and then for all the stuff around the house I need to do.
Beginning with: the weekly planner. I currently have a google doc where every week I add tasks for work, for my own biz, and then for all the stuff around the house I need to do.
November 2, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Playing around with the idea of just vibe coding my own full internal stack of day to day tools.
Beginning with: the weekly planner. I currently have a google doc where every week I add tasks for work, for my own biz, and then for all the stuff around the house I need to do.
Beginning with: the weekly planner. I currently have a google doc where every week I add tasks for work, for my own biz, and then for all the stuff around the house I need to do.
Enough is enough, I decided to finally make a personal site.
I've never done this before because I hate design. Very grateful for figma make giving me good enough design bones to get started with.
spencerrichardhenry.github.io/personalsite
I've never done this before because I hate design. Very grateful for figma make giving me good enough design bones to get started with.
spencerrichardhenry.github.io/personalsite
Spencer Henry - Personal Site
spencerrichardhenry.github.io
October 24, 2025 at 2:19 AM
Enough is enough, I decided to finally make a personal site.
I've never done this before because I hate design. Very grateful for figma make giving me good enough design bones to get started with.
spencerrichardhenry.github.io/personalsite
I've never done this before because I hate design. Very grateful for figma make giving me good enough design bones to get started with.
spencerrichardhenry.github.io/personalsite
If there are no downsides to your business model, then it's already been done by a VC funded hyper scale. Probably hard to compete.
If you want a small SaaS business (small can mean millions in revenue) you should opt in to at least 1 pain. High churn, low price point, high support load...
If you want a small SaaS business (small can mean millions in revenue) you should opt in to at least 1 pain. High churn, low price point, high support load...
All businesses are hard in their own way. You have to choose what type of hard thing you can do that your competitors can't/won't.
Selling to low ARPU customers is a real challenge, but it also weeds out a ton of the competition because they also don't want to deal with the headaches.
Selling to low ARPU customers is a real challenge, but it also weeds out a ton of the competition because they also don't want to deal with the headaches.
The lower the ARPU, the higher the churn.
The lower the ARPU, the more the tech support (esp. relative to ARPU).
The lower the ARPU, the less likely to upgrade to higher ARPU later.
Going low $/mo for high N is not a bad strategy, but there are consequences.
The lower the ARPU, the more the tech support (esp. relative to ARPU).
The lower the ARPU, the less likely to upgrade to higher ARPU later.
Going low $/mo for high N is not a bad strategy, but there are consequences.
October 23, 2025 at 3:50 PM
If there are no downsides to your business model, then it's already been done by a VC funded hyper scale. Probably hard to compete.
If you want a small SaaS business (small can mean millions in revenue) you should opt in to at least 1 pain. High churn, low price point, high support load...
If you want a small SaaS business (small can mean millions in revenue) you should opt in to at least 1 pain. High churn, low price point, high support load...
Okay also this with "dockerize your local dev!"
Beautiful idea. Then I need to debug.
Beautiful idea. Then I need to debug.
me in theory: dev containers sound so cool!
me in practice: this barely works and took all day to get going
me in practice: this barely works and took all day to get going
October 23, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Okay also this with "dockerize your local dev!"
Beautiful idea. Then I need to debug.
Beautiful idea. Then I need to debug.
Claude OCR has worked well for most things, except freaking redlines on PDFs.
Regardless of the instructions we give it, it does NOT ignore redlined material. It's really truly bizarre
Regardless of the instructions we give it, it does NOT ignore redlined material. It's really truly bizarre
October 20, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Claude OCR has worked well for most things, except freaking redlines on PDFs.
Regardless of the instructions we give it, it does NOT ignore redlined material. It's really truly bizarre
Regardless of the instructions we give it, it does NOT ignore redlined material. It's really truly bizarre
I spawned winecap mushrooms in my wood chips and they're popping up beautifully past few weeks!
But I'm still too scared to eat them. Mostly I just don't like mushrooms 🫠
But I'm still too scared to eat them. Mostly I just don't like mushrooms 🫠
October 20, 2025 at 12:25 AM
I spawned winecap mushrooms in my wood chips and they're popping up beautifully past few weeks!
But I'm still too scared to eat them. Mostly I just don't like mushrooms 🫠
But I'm still too scared to eat them. Mostly I just don't like mushrooms 🫠
@tylerking.app your automations support actions on custom fields right?
I have a custom fields feature for a completely separate app but I'm curious about best ways to structure the data for future features like report building.
I have a custom fields feature for a completely separate app but I'm curious about best ways to structure the data for future features like report building.
October 16, 2025 at 11:25 PM
@tylerking.app your automations support actions on custom fields right?
I have a custom fields feature for a completely separate app but I'm curious about best ways to structure the data for future features like report building.
I have a custom fields feature for a completely separate app but I'm curious about best ways to structure the data for future features like report building.
LLM centric coding has caused a rapid and violent shift in my view of what's valuable in me as a programmer, from:
Fast to value
To:
Calculated and precise
Basically the LLM gives me so much of the first that it's table stakes while simultaneously upping the need/value of the second.
Fast to value
To:
Calculated and precise
Basically the LLM gives me so much of the first that it's table stakes while simultaneously upping the need/value of the second.
October 16, 2025 at 8:28 PM
LLM centric coding has caused a rapid and violent shift in my view of what's valuable in me as a programmer, from:
Fast to value
To:
Calculated and precise
Basically the LLM gives me so much of the first that it's table stakes while simultaneously upping the need/value of the second.
Fast to value
To:
Calculated and precise
Basically the LLM gives me so much of the first that it's table stakes while simultaneously upping the need/value of the second.
After playing with an MCP plugin for our nestjs backend we decided to just go with custom toolset calls behind traditional API.
We aren't trying to surface it as an integration and I was pretty disappointed with how much MCP spec recreates the MVC controller layer. I thought...
We aren't trying to surface it as an integration and I was pretty disappointed with how much MCP spec recreates the MVC controller layer. I thought...
October 14, 2025 at 10:47 PM
After playing with an MCP plugin for our nestjs backend we decided to just go with custom toolset calls behind traditional API.
We aren't trying to surface it as an integration and I was pretty disappointed with how much MCP spec recreates the MVC controller layer. I thought...
We aren't trying to surface it as an integration and I was pretty disappointed with how much MCP spec recreates the MVC controller layer. I thought...
Love working from home but also love in office days. So invigorating to be around everyone and doing the big picture planning
October 8, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Love working from home but also love in office days. So invigorating to be around everyone and doing the big picture planning
Reposted by Spencer Henry
Rather, the goal for small businesses -- software or restaurants or freelancers or car washes or landscapers or cleaners -- is ownership, pride, autonomy, fulfillment.
(3/6)
(3/6)
October 7, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Rather, the goal for small businesses -- software or restaurants or freelancers or car washes or landscapers or cleaners -- is ownership, pride, autonomy, fulfillment.
(3/6)
(3/6)
Kid brought home his first school pictures ever (1st grade)
He loves them and doesn't want to retake.
It's horrible. Actually could not instruct him to make a worse face. Wife and I trying our best not to lose it in front of him rn.
Hoo boy.
He loves them and doesn't want to retake.
It's horrible. Actually could not instruct him to make a worse face. Wife and I trying our best not to lose it in front of him rn.
Hoo boy.
October 1, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Kid brought home his first school pictures ever (1st grade)
He loves them and doesn't want to retake.
It's horrible. Actually could not instruct him to make a worse face. Wife and I trying our best not to lose it in front of him rn.
Hoo boy.
He loves them and doesn't want to retake.
It's horrible. Actually could not instruct him to make a worse face. Wife and I trying our best not to lose it in front of him rn.
Hoo boy.
The original owner of my home decided every garden bed should have landscape fabric 18in down. So this week I get to undo this sin.
Giant hassle yes it also i get to play in the dirt with big toys. 7/10 would do again
Giant hassle yes it also i get to play in the dirt with big toys. 7/10 would do again
September 30, 2025 at 12:13 AM
The original owner of my home decided every garden bed should have landscape fabric 18in down. So this week I get to undo this sin.
Giant hassle yes it also i get to play in the dirt with big toys. 7/10 would do again
Giant hassle yes it also i get to play in the dirt with big toys. 7/10 would do again
We used to get paid to work with horses and cut down trees.
I mean I'm grateful to have all my limbs but no wonder sometimes typing on a keyboard all day doesn't quite feel fulfilling
I mean I'm grateful to have all my limbs but no wonder sometimes typing on a keyboard all day doesn't quite feel fulfilling
September 11, 2025 at 11:26 PM
We used to get paid to work with horses and cut down trees.
I mean I'm grateful to have all my limbs but no wonder sometimes typing on a keyboard all day doesn't quite feel fulfilling
I mean I'm grateful to have all my limbs but no wonder sometimes typing on a keyboard all day doesn't quite feel fulfilling
Was just eating raisins out of my hand...
Ended up with a dessicated bumblebee in my mouth.
That kinda day
Ended up with a dessicated bumblebee in my mouth.
That kinda day
August 21, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Was just eating raisins out of my hand...
Ended up with a dessicated bumblebee in my mouth.
That kinda day
Ended up with a dessicated bumblebee in my mouth.
That kinda day
Any recs for articles/podcasts that focus on customer success / implementing large customers? Rollout plans metrics etc.
July 26, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Any recs for articles/podcasts that focus on customer success / implementing large customers? Rollout plans metrics etc.
Am I too old to ripstick around the neighborhood
Am I too old for a shiny new bmx bike
May 14, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Am I too old to ripstick around the neighborhood
Reposted by Spencer Henry
About once a month I drive 2 hrs away and stay the night to co-work with my team. It has become a ritual to get donuts from our favorite faraway donut place and bring them home to my kids.
It costs a lot to leave my family for a day but traditions like this make it a bit easier to do :)
It costs a lot to leave my family for a day but traditions like this make it a bit easier to do :)
March 26, 2025 at 4:42 AM
About once a month I drive 2 hrs away and stay the night to co-work with my team. It has become a ritual to get donuts from our favorite faraway donut place and bring them home to my kids.
It costs a lot to leave my family for a day but traditions like this make it a bit easier to do :)
It costs a lot to leave my family for a day but traditions like this make it a bit easier to do :)
My wife always produces 3-4x the amount of laundry I do.
To get revenge, I've started gardening
To get revenge, I've started gardening
March 22, 2025 at 7:52 PM
My wife always produces 3-4x the amount of laundry I do.
To get revenge, I've started gardening
To get revenge, I've started gardening
My fledgling museum SaaS, which I have no time to work on and a solid list of product improvements, keeps getting 2-3 highly interested customers booking demos a month.
Miserable, painful, validation when I know I ought not to be investing my time into it right now :(
Miserable, painful, validation when I know I ought not to be investing my time into it right now :(
February 11, 2025 at 6:02 PM
My fledgling museum SaaS, which I have no time to work on and a solid list of product improvements, keeps getting 2-3 highly interested customers booking demos a month.
Miserable, painful, validation when I know I ought not to be investing my time into it right now :(
Miserable, painful, validation when I know I ought not to be investing my time into it right now :(
All I wanna do today is crawl back in bed
Secondarily I'd take cracking a booster box of mtg
😴
Secondarily I'd take cracking a booster box of mtg
😴
February 5, 2025 at 4:30 PM
All I wanna do today is crawl back in bed
Secondarily I'd take cracking a booster box of mtg
😴
Secondarily I'd take cracking a booster box of mtg
😴
I work in react daily.
I cannot believe it is still the defacto technology of choice. 🥴
Like jsx is great but having to build all the opinions up from the ground is just such a mess
I cannot believe it is still the defacto technology of choice. 🥴
Like jsx is great but having to build all the opinions up from the ground is just such a mess
February 1, 2025 at 9:28 PM
I work in react daily.
I cannot believe it is still the defacto technology of choice. 🥴
Like jsx is great but having to build all the opinions up from the ground is just such a mess
I cannot believe it is still the defacto technology of choice. 🥴
Like jsx is great but having to build all the opinions up from the ground is just such a mess