I wanted my first post here to explain why this website exists; there’s no big strategy behind it. No content plan. No funnel. Just a simple explanation.
A bit of background
I’ve been working with software and the internet since 1999.
Over the years, I’ve worked at security software startups, held different technical roles, and managed more networks, firewalls, routers, web servers, and websites than I can remember. Early on, I was lucky enough to share an office with Sandro Gauci from Enable Security. I’m nowhere near his level when it comes to security, but I learned a lot just by being around him, and I’m grateful we’re still close friends today.
Changing direction (without a plan)
After about 14 years in intense jobs, it got to me. So, I quit and started freelancing, without much of a plan. I always liked the idea of having my own software company, mainly because that was the world I knew, but I never really worked toward it deliberately.
I took on whatever made sense at the time: technical writing, product management, marketing, sales engineering, research, odd consulting gigs. During the day I worked for clients. In the evenings, I started experimenting with WordPress and development, slowly building what eventually became the first working prototype of WP Activity Log.
It took me around seven years to move from freelance and subcontracted work to working full-time on Melapress. As I like to remind myself, life, and things in life are a marathon and not a sprint.
I’m not a developer (but I can still build things)
I can read code and write some code, but I’m not a developer. I tried learning “proper” coding more than once. I never managed to get the hang of it. I could build things that worked, but nothing I’d call production-ready on my own.
And then in 2025 we got AI. For people like me, with a solid technical background but limited coding skills, that changes everything. AI makes it possible to build real things if you understand the problem well enough.
That’s one of the main reasons this website exists.
This website is an experiment (and an outlet)
I wanted a project where I could experiment with AI properly, without pressure. What better way than building my own website?
I’ve managed plenty of websites for other people and companies, but I never had my own space online. Somewhere to write and share ideas, opinions, and thoughts without worrying too much about polish.
So this site is partly an outlet, partly a diary, and partly an experiment.
Everything you see here is built with AI, or AI assistance. I still do the thinking and the writing; these are my ideas and my words, but AI helps me structure things, edit drafts, and turn rough thoughts into something readable. I am also using AI to build this website’s theme, and any other customization. Why not?
If this helps one person, that’s enough
I hope this website helps or inspires someone who needs a small push.
I always thought that the world doesn’t need another person talking about their journey. I’m not Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, or Mark Zuckerberg. My “success” is nowhere near theirs, not even remotely close. However, those stories can feel very distant, especially if you come from a small village on a small island.
Also, success doesn’t have to mean building a massive company. For me, right now success means running a small business that supports seven people and their families, gives me a reasonable balance between work, family, and hobbies, and allows us to live a normal life.
That is doable; when I joined GFI at 19, I didn’t even know what an IP address was. Today, I run a small software company building WordPress security plugins.
If I managed to get here, you probably can too.
