AI Lab · by Benjamín Rojas · 2026-09-07
I tried doing tools the boring way and it worked before coffee
> Tiny progress is still progress.
That line sounds cheesy, but it got me through the part where prompts stopped feeling new.
Context: I am not an expert, just someone trying to make AI Lab feel less intimidating. I wrote down what worked, what felt awkward, and what I would do differently next time.
I had a disappointing first try, a surprisingly good second try, and then a third attempt that taught me humility. So, naturally, I now have opinions.
I had a disappointing first try, a surprisingly good second try, and then a third attempt that taught me humility. So, naturally, I now have opinions.
182 sparks · 82 comments
Comments
Paper Orbit · 65 likes
I love this. It feels practical without pretending life is neat. I learned that one the expensive way.
Elif Yılmaz · 58 likes
Can you share what you tried before this? I would test it for 2 days before deciding.
Nour Ali · 260 likes
@dev_elif That is a much better way to say it.
Sara Ahmed · 40 likes
I appreciate the honest middle stage, not just the polished ending. I would write it down before changing anything else. I would love to see the benchmark numbers.
Sara Hosseini · 21 likes
Really good advice, and it feels doable. The quiet constraint is probably the real story.
Bilal Raza · 18 likes
I like the idea, but the setup probably matters a lot. I would test it for 5 days before deciding.
Rafael Almeida · 1 likes
That is fair, but I still worry about maintenance.
Rohan Mehta · 18 likes
Fair point, but I had the opposite experience. This is more useful on a tired lunch break than on a perfect day. A small test case would make this easier to trust.
Tanvir Rahman · 12 likes
This is useful for some cases, but terrible advice if the stakes are high. I used to overcomplicate this constantly.
Maya Putri · 12 likes
I am mostly here for the follow-up. I learned that one the expensive way.
Minh Nguyen · 11 likes
I like the idea, but the setup probably matters a lot. I would test it for 2 days before deciding.
Rohan Mehta · 10 likes
Do you think this would work in a smaller place than Manila? My only addition is to make the first step visible. Naming things remains undefeated as the hardest problem.
Aisha Jacobs · 9 likes
Amazing how much difference one small change can make. It sounds small, but the playlist matters.
Cedar Sparrow · 0 likes
Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot.
Tiny Fern · 9 likes
This sounds sensible, though I would need to test it myself. That is where the boring checklist helps.
Iryna Melnyk · 9 likes
That last line is excellent. The Manila example makes it feel concrete.
Marco Conti · 7 likes
Do you think this would work in a smaller place than Lisbon? The 6-minute rule is underrated. A small test case would make this easier to trust.
Benjamín Rojas · 9 likes
This comment has main-character footnote energy.
Tanvir Rahman · 1 likes
@curious_marco That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines.
Jasmine Cruz · 7 likes
Wonderful detail. It makes the whole thing feel real. The gentle constraint is probably the real story. A small test case would make this easier to trust.
Ngozi Bello · 6 likes
Love the tiny experiment energy. A little friction removed goes a long way.
Ananya Rao · 6 likes
What happened after the first week? I am curious whether coffee stayed easy. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error.
Tanvir Rahman · 6 likes
I disagree a bit. tools matters, but the bigger issue is usually expectations. I keep a note about tools for exactly this reason.
Aoi Ito · 5 likes
I love this. It feels practical without pretending life is neat. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near the library. A small test case would make this easier to trust.
Angel Reyes · 4 likes
Really good advice, and it feels doable. This pairs weirdly well with ramen.
Maya Williams · 4 likes
What happened after the first week? I am curious whether doing stayed easy. For me it came down to the practice run.
Kabir Khan · 3 likes
That is a good question for people with more experience than me. This pairs weirdly well with bibimbap.
Ananya Rao · 3 likes
Maybe, but the tradeoff seems bigger than the post suggests. I keep a note about ethics for exactly this reason.
Rapid Sparrow · 3 likes
I think the bad version of this advice causes a lot of frustration. That is the kind of detail beginners miss.
Piotr Zieliński · 2 likes
The vibe here is immaculate. My friend tried it in Toronto and had the opposite result. The boring solution is probably the reliable one here.
Kabir Khan · 25 likes
That is fair, but I still worry about maintenance.
Benjamín Rojas · 5 likes
That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines.
Nour Ali · 3 likes
Respectfully, I see it the other way.
Aisha Jacobs · 2 likes
This is the gentle version of my rant.
Ren Suzuki · 1 likes
@piotrmakes That is the part people skip.
Priya Nair · 1 likes
Yep, the boring details matter.
Paper River · 2 likes
The boring logistics are always the hidden part. My friend tried it in Berlin and had the opposite result. The boring solution is probably the reliable one here.
Camila Soto · 2 likes
I like the idea, but the setup probably matters a lot. My only addition is to make the first step visible.
Lukas Huber · 2 likes
I agree with the goal and disagree with the method. This is more useful on a tired Monday morning than on a perfect day.
Iryna Melnyk · 2 likes
You explained the tradeoff really clearly. I would write it down before changing anything else.
Noé Petit · 2 likes
I am skeptical. The idea sounds good, but the maintenance cost is real. I keep a note about machinelearning for exactly this reason.
Tanvir Rahman · 2 likes
Honestly, great taste. I would love to see a follow-up after 7 weeks.
Rohan Mehta · 11 likes
This is the gentle version of my rant.
Rapid River · 2 likes
Useful intention, poor execution. That is where the boring checklist helps. Naming things remains undefeated as the hardest problem.
Benjamín Rojas · 2 likes
This is adorable and oddly motivating. The social part surprised me too.
Quiet Runner · 2 likes
You explained the tradeoff really clearly. I noticed the same thing in São Paulo.
Ananya Rao · 2 likes
Big fan of this approach. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me.
Tola Ibrahim · 2 likes
Excellent timing; I was just thinking about boring. I used to overcomplicate this constantly.
Sleepy Lantern · 1 likes
This reminds me of something a friend in Kuala Lumpur mentioned. The social part surprised me too.
Amina Okafor · 18 likes
Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot.
Cedar Otter · 1 likes
This feels like advice from a patient friend. I learned that one the expensive way.
Maya Williams · 1 likes
This is adorable and oddly motivating. I used to overcomplicate this constantly. Good reminder that tools should serve people, not the reverse.
Camila Soto · 1 likes
I am saving this for the next time I overthink boring. This is more useful on a tired late summer than on a perfect day.
Maja Wiśniewska · 1 likes
This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for. I would write it down before changing anything else.
Gentle Noodle · 1 likes
You explained the tradeoff really clearly. It sounds small, but the practice run matters.
Sophie Gagnon · 1 likes
I would not call it wrong, just incomplete. This pairs weirdly well with mango sticky rice.
Haruto Sato · 1 likes
You explained the tradeoff really clearly. That is where the boring checklist helps. The boring solution is probably the reliable one here.
Nour Ali · 7 likes
Now I want a spreadsheet.
Mateo Cruz · 0 likes
That is a surprisingly elegant way to frame it. This is more useful on a tired weekend than on a perfect day. This is exactly the kind of tradeoff teams argue about for weeks.