Building this website

Finally, I managed to get my new website up and running. It's something I like to rebuild every so often to align with my current goals and interests. This time around, it's less about the design and more about updating how I write and share content online.

The hope here is that this is the last time I update my website in a significant way. Ideally, this should last a long time.

But I've said that before. And if I've learned anything from my past, it's that I'm always changing. I'm always learning. So, I'm sure I'll be back here in a few years, writing about how I've changed and how I'm ready for the next chapter of my life.

Improving how I write

These past few weeks I have been truly excited about writing.

Since the beginning of 2022, I've been writing every day. I've been writing about my thoughts, my ideas, and my experiences in my journal. This is an incredible way to look back at your life and see the ups and downs you've been through. I cannot recommend it enough. As I am doing it in Notion, I am also able to see a calendar view of my emotions at the time.

Journaling is paying attention to your emotions and thoughts on the day. Looking back on your entries is like a recap of your entire life.

I have been particularly excited about writing recently because of my newsletters, however. I am logging my startup journey on this site, at magnus.so. This has been great for me. To share my thoughts and my struggles is a great way to reflect on my progress. It also helps me to stay accountable, and to keep going.

I am also starting a personal newsletter on philosophical thoughts on Substack. This is a great deal of fun for me. I love philosophy, and I love writing. If you like philosophy as well, do check it out.

The two combined is a great way to share my thoughts and ideas with the world. They will surely help me become a better writer, too.

How I built this site

Hosting

I am hosting my site on Vercel, as it was the easiest way to get started. When I built this, I wanted to get it done somewhat fast to share my writing and get started with building startups. It is also free for personal use such as this, which is a great bonus.

I am using Gatsby.js as my React framework, which is a great way to build static generated sites. I am only going to be using this site for articles using Markdown, so it is a great fit for me.

It took me a few hours to get Gatsby and the Markdown functionality up and running, and then a few days to get the design and content right.

Using Markdown

I used markdown for my articles because it is incredibly simple to use. I can write my articles in any text editor, and then push them to my Git repository.

This is a great way to write, and I can do it from anywhere.

Website design

I initially designed this website in dark theme, but I decided to go with light theme instead. I think it looks better, and it is easier to read. It feels more open, and I like that. It represents my content a little better.

I have gone with a light-green branding for my brand along with the peacock 🦚. I went this way because I adore spring, and it is a great way to represent my content as being light, exploratory, and fun.

Conclusion

This website is very simple for a reason. I designed it to be easy to write and publish content by simply using Markdown. I also wanted to make it easy to read and navigate. I think I have achieved that. I am quite happy with the result.

I also enjoy the new integration with my newsletter issues. Now, readers can make an informed decision on whether my newsletter is for them or not.

My simple website allows me to focus on what matters: writing and sharing my thoughts and ideas with the world.

See you around,

Magnus