Why I Built My Own Blogging Platform Instead of Using Medium

Ghanshyam Kanojiya — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:10:25 +0000

Most platforms today are noisy.

What started as a place to write and share ideas slowly turned into something else — feeds, distractions, and constant scrolling.

The Problem with Modern Platforms

Over time, I realized something.

Writing online no longer felt like writing.

It felt like performing.

Every platform I used had the same pattern:

Too many distractions
Too much focus on engagement
Not enough focus on actual content

Even when I sat down to write something meaningful, I found myself:

checking notifications
thinking about how it would look
worrying about reactions

And slowly, the process of writing became… exhausting.

Why I Wanted Something Different

I didn’t want another platform.

I wanted a space.

A place where:

writing feels natural
content comes first
there is no pressure to perform

Something minimal. Something quiet.

Something that lets ideas exist without noise.

So I Built My Own Platform

Instead of searching for the perfect tool, I decided to build one.

That’s how LUMEN started.

Not as a big product idea —

but as a simple attempt to create a better writing experience.

Building LUMEN

From a technical perspective, I kept things simple and modern:

Framework: Next.js
Database & Auth: Supabase
Editor: TipTap
Styling: Tailwind CSS

Here’s a simple example of how a post is created:

const createPost = async () => {
  const { data, error } = await supabase
    .from("posts")
    .insert({ title, content });

  if (error) console.error(error);
};

The goal wasn’t complexity.

It was clarity — both in code and in experience.

What Makes It Different

While building, I focused on a few core ideas:

1. Minimal Experience

No unnecessary clutter. Just content.

2. Multi-format Writing

You can:

write blogs
share code
post audio
write short thoughts

3. Anonymous Expression

Sometimes, the most honest thoughts are the ones we don’t attach to our identity.

So I added a simple option:

→ post anonymously

What I Learned

Building this taught me something important.

People don’t need more features.

They need better experiences.

I also realized:

simplicity is harder than complexity
removing things is more difficult than adding them
and most importantly…

writing should feel natural, not stressful

Where It Is Now

LUMEN is still early.

It’s not perfect.

But it’s something I genuinely enjoy using — and that matters more than anything.

Final Thought

Maybe the goal isn’t to build the next big platform.

Maybe it’s just to build something that feels right.

If you're curious, you can check it out here:

https://lumen-archive.vercel.app/

If you’re building something similar or thinking about it, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Title: Building LUMEN: A High-Contrast, AI-Powered Archival Network with Next.js & Supabase

Ghanshyam Kanojiya — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 12:37:46 +0000

Intro

I've always been obsessed with minimalist design—the kind that gets out of the way and lets the content breathe. Most blogging platforms today feel like social media: noisy, colorful, and distracting.

So, I built LUMEN. An archival publishing network where thoughts are preserved in a strict monochrome "Clean Canvas."

Live Demo: https://lumen-archive.vercel.app/
GitHub: https://github.com/Shyamkano/LUMEN

🛠 The Architecture

To keep the site fast and scalable, I went with a modern full-stack approach:

Framework: Next.js 16 (App Router) using the latest Turbopack for lightning-fast development.
Database & Auth: Supabase (PostgreSQL). I leveraged Row Level Security (RLS) heavily to ensure user data is private and secure.
Styling: Tailwind CSS v4 + Vanilla CSS for that crisp, brutalist look.
AI Engine: Mistral AI API for the "Editorial Co-pilot" which helps writers refine their work.
Rich Text: TipTap for a seamless, distraction-free writing experience.

What makes LUMEN different?

1. The Multi-Format Feed

Unlike standard blogs, LUMEN handles four distinct types of content:

Essays: Full-length long-form writing.
Micro-logs: Thoughts under 500 characters.
Code Gists: Shared snippets with full syntax highlighting.
Audio Chronicles: Voice logs with an integrated audio player.

2. The AI Editorial Assistant

I integrated a custom AI assistant that does more than just "chat." It can analyze your writing, suggest relevant tags, fix grammar, and even help you continue a narrative—all without leaving the editor.

3. Radical Privacy (Anonymous Identities)

LUMEN allows users to generate "Anonymous Identities." These are temporary aliases that let you publish a "Signal" (post) without it being traced back to your public profile, perfect for whistleblowing or raw, unedited thoughts.

What's Next?

LUMEN is open-source. I’m planning to add:

[ ] RSS Feed synchronization.
[ ] End-to-end encrypted private drafts.
[ ] Advanced full-text search using Postgres tsvector.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the monochrome design. Is it too minimal, or just right?

Let's discuss in the comments below! 👇

#showdev, #webdev, #nextjs, #supabase.

Forem: Ghanshyam Kanojiya