About

My journey into software engineering didn't start with complex theories. It started with real-world experiments. I still remember building my first website for "Salon Cantik" alongside my friend, Aldi Saputra (aldisaw). Later, I hacked together a site on my own just to spread my Bitcoin referral links.

The code back then was definitely messy—we were still using native PHP, with no frameworks or fancy stuff. Even though the project never went live, the appreciation we received was enough to spark a curiosity that defined my career. I realized early on that software isn't just about syntax—it's about creating things that have value.

The best engineers I've worked with aren't the ones who write the most clever code. They're the ones who write code that doesn't make you want to throw your laptop out the window when you're debugging at 2 AM. That's what I aim for—code that's clear, maintainable, and doesn't require a PhD to understand.

I've bounced around different stacks—PHP and Laravel for backend work, Next.js and TypeScript for frontend stuff. Each project taught me something, usually the hard way. But that's how you learn, right? Break things, fix them, and try not to make the same mistake twice.

Clean code is what you leave behind. Someone's going to read your code eventually—maybe your teammate, maybe future you, maybe someone at 3 AM trying to fix a production bug. I write code with that person in mind. Not because I'm a saint, but because I've been that person at 3 AM.

I try to balance solid backend work with interfaces that don't frustrate users. The best system in the world is useless if people can't figure out how to use it. Beyond coding, I help other engineers level up through mentoring and sharing what I've learned (usually the hard way).

One project that really matters to me is Praesepe.id. I built it to help people learn programming and actually get better at it, not just follow tutorials.

The idea came from my own experience. Learning to code on your own is tough. There's a million tutorials, but finding someone who can actually look at your code and say "hey, this works but here's why it's going to bite you later" is rare. I wanted to be that person for others.

Through mentoring and code reviews, I help people write better code—not just code that works, but code that won't make them (or their teammates) want to quit. We focus on the stuff that matters: clean architecture, best practices, and building things that last. The same lessons I learned the hard way.

We also do client work, which creates this cool loop: real projects become learning opportunities, and mentees get to work on actual problems instead of toy projects. Seeing people grow from "I can write a function" to "I can build a system" has been the best part of this whole thing.

Building Praesepe.id taught me that sharing knowledge isn't just nice to do—it makes everyone better. Every engineer who gets stronger makes the whole community better. That's worth building.

Right now, as a Lead Software Engineer, I'm focused on building systems that won't fall apart in six months. I work on projects that actually matter, mentor other engineers, and write about what I've learned. Still making mistakes, still learning, still debugging at weird hours sometimes.

The journey's not over. New challenges pop up all the time, new tech to figure out, new problems to solve. That's what keeps this interesting. If it ever gets boring, I'll know it's time to do something else.