CLI
trace.
A tiny terminal tool that turns noisy stack traces into something you can actually read.
TypeScript1.2k stars
Available for interesting conversations
Building software,
writing it down.
I'm Evan, a software engineer working on developer tools. This is where I think out loud about systems design, type systems, and the small details that make products feel right.
/ 01 — Journal
Latest writing
The quiet cost of clever abstractions
Every abstraction is a promise about what will never change. Most of them quietly break it.
8 min
Local-first is a state of mind
Not a sync protocol. A decision about who owns the data when the network goes away.
6 min
What I learned from deleting 4,000 lines
A refactor that removed more than it added, and why the diff felt better than any feature shipped.
5 min
Defaults are the real interface
Most people never open the settings panel. The initial configuration is the product.
7 min
A small case for boring technology
Innovation tokens are finite. Spend them where the product actually differs.
4 min
Reading the TypeScript compiler for fun
A weekend spent inside the checker, and three ideas I stole for my own error messages.
11 min
/ 02 — Index
Things I keep coming back to
A loose map of the notes above.
01
Systems & architecture
Boundaries, state, and the long-term cost of a shortcut.
14 notes 02Developer tooling
Compilers, editors, CLIs, and the feel of a fast feedback loop.
11 notes 03Product & defaults
Why the untouched settings panel matters more than the new feature.
9 notes 04Field notes
Short observations from things I built, broke, and rebuilt.
14 notes/ 03 — Work
Small tools, sharp edges
Library
slate.
Schema-first local storage with sync that behaves the same offline as it does online.
Rust / TS840 stars
Experiment
glyph.
An editor prototype exploring what compiler diagnostics could look like inline.
Web / WASMIn progress
/ 04 — Stay in touch
A short note,
occasionally.
One email when I publish something worth reading. No cadence promises, no noise, unsubscribe anytime.