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Usama
Usama

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Small Progress, Big Direction — Balancing Job, Passion, and Real-World React Work

For the past few days, I didn’t publish any update or blog.

Not because I stopped learning — but because I was busy building quietly.

Most people only see the final posts, not the in-between grind.


Why No Recent Blog?

The truth is simple:

I’m currently balancing a regular job and my programming passion side-by-side.

After work hours, instead of scrolling or resting, I invest my energy into coding.

Some days the progress is small.

Some days the progress is huge.

But not every small step feels “blog-worthy.”

And I don’t want to post just for the sake of posting.

I prefer sharing meaningful progress, not noise.


What I’ve Been Working On

1. My Side Project (MVP Phase)

Lately, most of my time is going into my main side project, where I’m building the MVP version.

This phase is intense because:

  • I’m structuring the foundation
  • Making architecture decisions
  • Writing core logic
  • Refining UI and flow

It’s not flashy work, but it’s the most important stage of any product.

I’ll be sharing a proper update about this project very soon once it reaches a stable milestone.


2. Improvements in the “WorldWise” Project

Alongside the MVP work, I also revisited my WorldWise project and applied several concepts I had recently learned:

  • Context API usage refinement
  • Navigation logic improvements
  • Better URL state handling
  • Map interaction enhancements
  • Leaflet integration polish

I experimented with map clicks, navigation triggers, and dynamic coordinate handling, making the user interaction smoother and more realistic.

This wasn’t a completely new feature — it was refinement and implementation of previously learned concepts.


Why I Didn’t Post Earlier

Because each individual change felt too small.

Writing a full blog for:

  • one button change,
  • one hook tweak,
  • or one UI adjustment

didn’t make sense to me.

So instead of posting multiple tiny updates,

I decided to bundle everything into one meaningful reflection.


What I Learned From This Phase

  • Progress doesn’t always look big from the outside.
  • Silent work builds stronger foundations.
  • Consistency matters more than frequency.
  • Not every learning moment needs instant publication.

Sometimes you learn, apply, refine, and only then share.


What’s Next

  • Finalizing the MVP of my side project
  • Deeper state management exploration
  • More advanced architecture thinking
  • A full update once the product reaches a clear milestone

This phase is less about showing and more about building with intention.

And honestly, this is the part of the journey I enjoy the most —

when learning turns into implementation,

and implementation turns into confidence.

Top comments (1)

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aaron_rose_0787cc8b4775a0 profile image
Aaron Rose

nice one, usama. I like your thinking about building - "building with intention"
cheers buddy ❤✨💯