TCG Log #20 - I almost quit (here's what happened)
Building at the edge of chaos
This past week, I hit a breaking point.
As many of you know, I've been building a digital version of Alpha Cards and have been deep in the World residency at Edge Esmeralda. The project required juggling WebGL, mobile browsers, Stripe payments, WorldPay, and a ton of other web dev hurdles—things I had zero experience with.
It was brutal.
After days of frustration, long deployments, and endless debugging, I hit a wall. “I’m just an artist!” said the voice in my head. idk how to do this tech stuff.
I seriously considered quitting…
Instead, I pivoted.
I dropped the complicated WebGL setup and rebuilt the app from scratch as a traditional web app.
Suddenly, everything clicked. With help from amazing friends at the coworking hub, I got it (mostly) running for our “World's Fair” demo yesterday. (It was a hit!)
Two lessons from this rollercoaster:
Pivoting is powerful. It's not easy letting go of work you've poured time into, but sometimes it’s exactly what you need. Recognizing the right moment to shift gears can be transformative.
Surf the edge of tech wisely. This wave of AI tools is incredibly powerful, but it has limits and scope creep is still very real! Just lean into the strengths of AI, be patient, and you'll create something amazing that truly stands out.
Oh, and some exciting news—I've been asked to make exclusive packs for upcoming events (including a big October launch).
Instead of getting boring mugs or t-shirts, imagine getting booster packs with exclusive cards that you can play and trade with your frens - EPIC.
If you know anyone hosting conferences or events who'd love this, let me know!
Thanks for reading. Keep an eye out for more card images and behind-the-scenes updates coming your way.
With metta,
Colton
PS one of the video cards I’ve been posting on social:
Thank you for consistently documenting your journey. Please know that your work inspires.