Building Tools for Developers

Why I focus on developer tools, and what I've learned from building tiny-swiper, anka, and other projects.

The Philosophy

Developer tools should:

1. Solve a real problem you've experienced
2. Be simple enough to understand in 5 minutes
3. Work reliably without surprises
4. Not require extensive configuration

"The best tool is the one you don't have to think about."

tiny-swiper

A lightweight carousel library. The idea came from frustration with existing solutions that were either too heavy or too opinionated.

import TinySwiper from 'tiny-swiper';

const swiper = new TinySwiper('.container', {
  autoplay: true,
  loop: true,
});

Key decisions:

• Core is under 2KB
• Plugins are optional
• No styling included—you control the look

Comparison

What's Next

AriaType continues this philosophy: a voice keyboard that's private, fast, and doesn't require setup.

Check out the GitHub repo if you're curious.