https://ekky.dev/blog/ Personal blog about freelancing, programming, and technology by Ekky Armandi en Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/solo-developer-vs-mvp-agency-260625/ https://ekky.dev/blog/solo-developer-vs-mvp-agency-260625/ A practical guide to choosing between an agency and a solo developer for your MVP. Compare cost, speed, and risk to find the best fit for your budget. Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-06-21-how-to-read-medium-articles-for-free/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-06-21-how-to-read-medium-articles-for-free/ Hit the Medium paywall? Read any member-only story for free with Medium Free. Paste the link, skip the five dollars a month, and read the full article in seconds. Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-06-12-why-react-fastapi-is-a-perfect-stack-for-an-ai-web-application/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-06-12-why-react-fastapi-is-a-perfect-stack-for-an-ai-web-application/ React.js and Python FastAPI are a practical, production-ready stack for AI web apps. This article explains why, with real-world patterns, RAG architecture, and tooling examples. Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-06-05-i-tested-design-automation-for-catalog-images/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-06-05-i-tested-design-automation-for-catalog-images/ A practical design automation experiment for turning structured data into bulk image catalogs with a custom web app workflow Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-05-21-your-design-work-is-repetitive-so-why-are-you-still-doing-it/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-05-21-your-design-work-is-repetitive-so-why-are-you-still-doing-it/ Most design work isn't creative — it's repetitive production wearing a design label. Here's why that's an operations problem, not a creativity problem, and how custom automation fixes it. Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-05-10-fastapi-fastmcp-mount-stream-authenticate/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-05-10-fastapi-fastmcp-mount-stream-authenticate/ Don't run a separate MCP server. Mount it into your existing FastAPI app — one process, one deployment, one set of auth and monitoring. Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-04-30-what-is-an-mcp-server-founders-guide/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-04-30-what-is-an-mcp-server-founders-guide/ MCP isn't a protocol. It's shelf space — inside the AI tools your customers already use. What that means, why it matters now, and how to decide if your product belongs on it. Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-04-07-xcode-releases/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-04-07-xcode-releases/ How I found the right Xcode version for macOS Sequoia after the App Store and Apple's download pages didn't make it easy. Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-01-19-the-accidental-programmer/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-01-19-the-accidental-programmer/ It has been six years since I accidentally became a programmer. Start from randomly picking up freelance gigs, endup as a full-stack developer. I gave up with tutorials; I found learning by doing is the best way to learn things. Throughout the year, I'm getting better at solving other problems. Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-01-19-masa-kopi/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2026-01-19-masa-kopi/ The story of the small coffee shop in Yogyakarta that supported my early freelancing grind, and why I keep coming back. Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2025-12-16-my-favorite-ai-models-and-tools-so-far/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2025-12-16-my-favorite-ai-models-and-tools-so-far/ Over the last twelve months, I have tried a mix of model subscriptions, MCP tooling, and AI coding assistants. This is what has worked best for me so far. Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2025-10-22-introducing-context-engineering-in-python-jogja-community-event/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2025-10-22-introducing-context-engineering-in-python-jogja-community-event/ AI has changed how we do our work, especially for programmers. From code completion to code documentation, everything can be done using the AI assistant. In this article I showing the use cases of using AI by context engineering the data and prompts before code. Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2025-10-01-visiting-japan-for-pycon-jp-2025/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2025-10-01-visiting-japan-for-pycon-jp-2025/ Every year, the Python programming language community often runs a Python Conference (PyCon) event, where people from any background who have an interest in Python can share their knowledge and experience. This year, I found a reason to visit Japan, because in September, Python Japan usually also holds the PyCon called PyCon JP 2025. My original plan was only to visit PyCon JP, but somehow I ended up traveling together with my old friend who become my best friend. It's very exciting journey. Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2025-07-12-python-jogja-work-from-cafe-1/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2025-07-12-python-jogja-work-from-cafe-1/ The first Work From Cafe meetup with the Python Jogja community - exploring a new format beyond traditional tech talks Sat, 12 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2025-07-03-generative-ai-llm-overview/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2025-07-03-generative-ai-llm-overview/ A comprehensive overview of Generative AI and Large Language Models presented at the Data Sorcerer Event. Learn about the fundamentals, applications, and ethical considerations of these transformative technologies. Thu, 03 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2025-06-06-one-youtube-video-that-changed-my-life-forever/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2025-06-06-one-youtube-video-that-changed-my-life-forever/ How a single YouTube video transformed my life from an unemployed graduate to a successful Python developer. The story of my first $25 freelance job and the journey that followed. Fri, 06 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ekky.dev/blog/2024-05-03-solving-cors-fastapi/ https://ekky.dev/blog/2024-05-03-solving-cors-fastapi/ Learn how to effectively handle Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) errors when building APIs with FastAPI, including best practices for production environments. Fri, 03 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT