What I’ve Been Learning While Building DevChase

Here’s a quick snapshot of what’s standing out so far:

1. A clean stack makes a big difference

I’m using Laravel Sail, Tailwind CSS, Livewire, and Filament. It took some setup, but once I had it running, it gave me a clean slate to build something fun and manageable. Learning how these tools work together has helped me slow down and really understand each part. 

2. Small details add up

From how the navigation feels to how I name my folders, every choice either makes things clearer or more confusing. I’m trying to write code that’s not just functional, but readable and maintainable.

3. Good design feels good

I want Dev Chase to feel warm and simple, not flashy or over-designed. I’ve been paying more attention to whitespace, font sizes, and the way content flows. The frontend is starting to feel like a space I’d want to hang out in. The backend still needs some work but I've made some major progress in another project and plan to add those features for myself to enjoy. 

4. God is in this

This isn’t just a dev blog. It’s a place I hope encourages people who are chasing after what God put on their hearts. Every post, every tweak, every lesson, it’s all part of the bigger story He’s writing. I've been chasing this a long time and had some big wins along the way.  

5. Learning is actually super fulfilling

I didn’t expect to enjoy the process this much. Even the parts where I get stuck have been exciting because I’m pushing through and growing. Each bug I fix or feature I get working feels like a little win. It’s reminded me why I love to build in the first place.