ndeast

  Location: SF or Portland
  Remote: Yes (or Hybrid)
  Willing to relocate: Yes
  Technologies: Python (FastAPI), Typescript/Javascript (Angular, React), Postgres, Redis, AWS, Docker, Terraform, LLM, Data Pipeline/ETL
  Résumé/CV: https://ndeast.com/resume.pdf
  Email: hn [at] ndeast [dot] com

Hi, I am a backend-focused engineer with 5+ years building python microservices and full stack web applications at JPMorgan Chase and startups. Open to product engineering, infrastructure, and LLM integration roles. I like vintage mechanical keyboards, punk music, and natural bodybuilding.

The cash grabs from this band is insane, they are basically KISS at this point.

i am surprised (am i really?) that apple never implemented a toggle to E2EE your icloud backup, just like you can backing up locally through itunes. thankfully you can just completely disable iCloud Backup.

I went through the entire process of learning Colemak-DH last year, and made sure to maintain my ability to type QWERTY. I would bring my reprogrammed HHKB to work every day, and switching between layouts at home to keep the skill. Eventually I realized that all the new layout did was add an extra layer of cognitive friction when it came to keyboard shortcuts. Now a year later I am back to just using QWERTY.

Glad I tried it, now I know I could do it all over with only a little bit of discomfort, but I never saw any of the oft lauded benefits of switching keyboard layouts. Maybe at 60-70WPM I am just not fast enough to notice improved efficiency, or my youthful joints have yet to decay enough to have pain from typing. Who knows.

I enjoy that there is now so many options to share a beer with someone without the alcohol, but I am one and done. It’s calorically like drinking full sugar soda and most bars I’ve been to that sell cans tend to charge as much or more than a regular beer. Rather just drink water or seltzer at that point.

The vast majority of indie label owners are toiling away by day to fund their passions. If you are a successful indie label you are likely investing a lot of your profit back in to sign and put out more bands. Some are able to run a profitable record label along side a more 'traditional' business like a record store, recording studio, or being in a fulltime touring band.

As others have said, running a record label (in this day and age) is a labor of love. You do it because you love the music, you love the artists and you love the scene. I am friends with a few label owners and it's an absolute treat when their release breaks even. I don't think a whole lot more needs to be said really. You are approaching this with entirely the wrong motivations here. Start with a passion in music and the desire to give your friends band a platform to try and scrape together a barely sustainable living, or even just get their songs pressed on a physical medium. At least that will be spiritually profitable.

I collect a significant amount of new vinyl and listen to it relatively frequently, but digital music is so much more convenient. That can be a detriment though, I find a lot of the value I get out of listening to vinyl is the "intentional listening" experience. I think Henry Rollins called it carbohydrate listening or something to that effect, listening to things you like that you've heard a million times and isn't exactly stimulating in the same way a new album or artist would be. Music feels a whole lot more consumable and disposable when its just on constant instant playback. Forcing yourself to flip the record and drop the needle keeps you more engaged I feel.

All that to say I mostly just like collecting colored vinyl, and supporting small bands and artists you like by buying a product significantly more profitable than millions of Spotify streams is pretty cool.

Yeah completely agree. It's been a downward trend since the New York Times acquisition I feel. I still get a lot of value from them like you said, but I really can't blindly trust their "top picks" like I used to.

My default assumption is that if a product is using targeted (or really any digital ads) that it is garbage. I don't think I have ever seen a product advertised on social media that wasn't a drop shipped Chinese rebrand or just a straight up scam.

For a while now when ever a thing in my daily life needs replacement (or I have a need for a new thing) I spend a good amount of time researching those products to find the often hidden gem buy it for life alternative. Wirecutter, Consumer reports, sometimes delving deep into hobbyist territory to find out what the true eccentrics are using and valuing. I'll do this with everything from new sponges, pots and pans, gym bags, audio equipment, umbrellas, luggage, boots, whatever. Although often times yes these options have a higher upfront cost, sometimes the better product costs the same or only marginally more, its just not as well advertised..

I think its probably some sick consumerist enjoyment, but I really do love investing in BIFL products. You have to replace them far less frequently, the experience of using a well made product is often far superior, and I get a lot of satisfaction out of taking care of and maintaining things rather than treating everything as disposable. Especially the seemingly menial things you use and interact with on a daily basis I love the feeling of upgrading my "kit".

I'm not saying that an $80 indestructible stainless steel dish rack changed my life, but after a long day - cleaning up after dinner, being able to fit my entire kitchen into a super sturdy rack that doesn't topple over, and is banked to drain into my sink instead of spilling onto my counter top and then onto the floor every single night really makes a difference.

The only feature keeping me subscribed to Spotify is their Spotify Connect feature. Being able to seamlessly cast to all of my devices directly from the Spotify app is invaluable and no other streaming service I have tried has anything close.