Forem: sohana khan

Why I Chose DevOps Along with Frontend (Weird Combo but Works)

sohana khan — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:35:17 +0000

I build UIs and debug Kubernetes. No, I'm not confused.

The Problem
As a frontend dev, I got tired of:

"It works on my machine"

"CI is failing, ask someone else"

"Can't deploy until ops is free"

So I learned DevOps anyway.

What Changed
Before After
Handoff to ops I own the pipeline
Broken builds? Not my problem Preview envs per PR
Deploy once a week Ship 5x/day
"Network issue" I check logs myself
The Superpower
Frontend + DevOps = no blind spots.

I see the whole path: code → container → CDN → user.

That means faster debugging, real ownership, and zero handoff delays.

The Truth
You don't need to pick a lane. Weird combos work because you connect the dots no one else sees.

Frontend + DevOps isn't a mistake. It's a cheat code.

🚀 Ship faster. Own everything.

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Learning React

sohana khan — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:50:07 +0000

When I first jumped into React, I thought it was just "HTML inside JavaScript." I was wrong.

After banging my head against the keyboard for months, here are the 5 hard truths I wish someone had told me from day one.

You Actually Need to Know JavaScript First (For Real) I thought I could learn React and ES6 at the same time. Big mistake.

React is not a separate language; it's 100% JavaScript with a twist. If you don't understand:

map(), filter(), reduce()

Destructuring (const { name } = props)

The spread operator (...array)

Async/await

...you will spend 80% of your time Googling basic JS errors instead of learning React.

Learn modern JS first. Your future self will thank you.

State Updates Are Not Instant I remember writing setCount(count + 1) and then immediately logging count—only to see the old value. I thought React was broken.

Reality: State updates are asynchronous. React batches them for performance.

javascript
const handleClick = () => {
setCount(count + 1);
console.log(count); // Still the old value!
};
Use useEffect or the updater function form if you need the new value.

Props Drilling Is a Trap Passing data from grandparent → parent → child → grandchild works... until it doesn't.

When you rename a prop in the middle component, everything breaks. You'll find yourself passing setUser through three levels just so a deep button can click it.

The fix: Learn Context API or Zustand/Redux early. Not for every app, but once you feel the pain of props drilling, you'll know when you need them.

Don't Memorize Hooks — Understand the Rules I tried memorizing useEffect dependency arrays like a recipe. That fails.

The core rules:

Only call hooks at the top level (not inside loops/conditions).

Only call hooks from React functions.

Once I understood why the rules exist (React needs a stable order of hooks), everything clicked. useEffect isn't a lifecycle method—it's a synchronization tool.

You Will Struggle With Keys and Re-renders Your app will re-render constantly. Sometimes 50 times a second. Sometimes the whole page when you type one letter.

The problem is almost always:

Missing or bad key props in lists (don't use index!)

Not memoizing components (React.memo, useCallback, useMemo)

Golden rule: If you're passing a function down to a child component, wrap it in useCallback. Otherwise, that child re-renders every single time.

Final Takeaway
React is a tool, not a religion. It's okay to not know everything on day one. But mastering vanilla JavaScript first? That's non-negotiable.

What’s one thing you wish you knew before learning React? Drop it in the comments 👇

My VS Code Setup for 2026 No fluff. Just the extensions, theme, and settings I actually use.

sohana khan — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:59:18 +0000

I stopped tweaking my editor and started shipping code. Here's my lean, mean 2026 setup.

Theme & UI
Theme: Aether Dark v3 (glass-morphism, dynamic contrast)

Icons: Material Icon Theme (2026 edition)

Font: JetBrains Mono 13.5px with ligatures

Essential Extensions (Only 6)
GitHub Copilot Agent v5 – Workspace-aware AI that refactors across files

Rust Analyzer – Incremental type checking

PyPy Native – Rust-powered Python (+ Jupyter)

Docker Compose Graph – Visualize and edit compose.yml

Live Share – Cursor trails + voice chat

Continue.dev – Local LLM fallback

What I Removed
Prettier (native formatting is faster)

GitLens (built-in now)

Bracket Pair Colorizer (native since '23)

Key Settings
json
"editor.fontFamily": "'JetBrains Mono', monospace",
"editor.fontSize": 13.5,
"github.copilot.commitMessageGeneration": "always"
3 Workflow Tricks
Profiles: Default / Presentation / Low-Power (battery saver)

Pre-commit: Format → Lint → Typecheck (green check = good)

Agent shortcut: Cmd+Shift+A → "Refactor this to async"

That's it. No bloat. Just code.

What's in your 2026 setup? Drop a comment 👇

"I'm 18, know Frontend + DevOps, and have no idea how to make money. Here's my 30-day journey."

sohana khan — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:23:59 +0000

TL;DR: Skills ≠ money. Strategy = money. Here's the roadmap I wish someone gave me.

The Problem Nobody Talks About

You learn React. You learn AWS. You can build a full app and deploy it.

Then you stare at your screen and think:

"Okay... now what? Where does the money come from?"

I've been there. I'm still there. But here's what I figured out in 30 days of failing, crying, and trying again.

The Hard Truth

Skills without visibility = $0.

Nobody cares what you know. They care what you can do for them.

And at 18? You have no portfolio, no connections, no "trust factor."

So here's the 4-step system I'm using right now:

Step 1: Stop Learning. Start Shipping.

You already know enough. Seriously.

I had to tell myself: "No more tutorials. No more courses. Build something real."

So I built a task manager app — not fancy, but functional. Then I deployed it on AWS free tier.

Took 3 days. Ugly as hell. But it was mine.

Your turn: Pick ONE small project. Finish it. Deploy it. Break it. Fix it. Repeat.

Step 2: Document Everything (Building in Public)

This changed everything.

I started posting on X (Twitter):

Day 1: "I broke my server lol"
Day 3: "Finally fixed the CORS error after 6 hours 😭"
Day 7: "Someone asked me for a quote. I charged $50. They said yes??"

People love the struggle. They love the wins. They love real.

Do this: Post 1 thing daily. Even if it's "I did nothing today because I was tired."

Step 3: Offer Value Before Asking for Money

I stopped thinking "how do I earn" and started thinking "how do I help."

Helped a friend deploy their portfolio → they paid me $30
Wrote a thread about fixing Docker errors → 2 people DM'd for help
Made a simple landing page for a local cafe → $80 one-time

Money follows value. Always.

Step 4: Price Low. Then Raise.

Shameful confession: My first freelance project was $15.

Yes, $15. For 8 hours of work.

But guess what? That client gave me a testimonial. And the next client paid $50. And the next paid $150.

You don't start at $1000. You start at something. Anything.

What I'm Doing Next (30-Day Plan)

Week	Goal
1	Finish portfolio + write 2 articles
2	Apply to 10 freelance gigs (Fiverr/Upwork)
3	Reach out to 5 local businesses
4	Land first paid client ($100+ target)

I'll post updates every week. Follow along if you're also trying to figure this out.

The Truth Nobody Tells You

At 18, you have time.

You can afford to fail. You can afford to charge $15. You can afford to look stupid.

But you can't afford to do nothing.

So start today. Write that post. Send that DM. Build that ugly project.

Future you will thank you.

P.S. If you're also young and confused about money + code — DM me on X. Let's suffer together. ✨

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