The Old Stack Journal newsletter is for practical notes on AI tools, coding assistants, small web projects, useful workflows, self-hosting, automation, and old-web thinking.
No hype spiral. No daily flood. No pretending every new tool is revolutionary because somebody on X wrote a thread with too many lightning bolt emojis.
The idea is simple: occasional useful notes for solo builders and solopreneurs who want to build small things on the web without getting buried in noise.
What I’ll send
The newsletter will mostly be short, practical updates around things like:
- AI tools that are actually useful
- AI coding workflows that don’t wreck your project
- small app ideas worth testing
- WordPress, PHP, MySQL, automation, and self-hosting notes
- lessons from building small internet projects
- old-web ideas like directories, curation, and useful links
It’ll sit somewhere between a builder notebook, a practical tool log, and the sort of email you send when you’ve tested something and thought, “Right, this might actually save someone a bit of pain.”
What it won’t be
This won’t be another “10x your productivity with one magic AI prompt” newsletter.
I’m more interested in boring systems that work, tools that save real time, and workflows that make small projects easier to build and maintain.
If a tool looks impressive but creates more mess than progress, I’d rather say that than pretend it belongs in everyone’s workflow.
Who it’s for
This newsletter is probably for you if you are:
- building a small website, app, directory, tool, or side project
- testing AI tools without wanting to become an AI influencer
- using WordPress, PHP, MySQL, simple automation, or self-hosting
- interested in practical workflows over shiny demos
- trying to use new tools without losing old-web common sense
You don’t need to be a full-time developer. You don’t need a startup pitch deck. You just need an interest in useful tools, small projects, and building things that do something more useful than making another dashboard nobody asked for.
How often?
Occasional.
I’d rather send something useful when there’s something worth saying than fill your inbox because a content calendar says I should.
Very advanced publishing strategy, that. Not annoying people.
Join the list
The signup form will go here once the newsletter system is connected.
Placeholder: Add your newsletter signup form here. This could be Mailchimp, Buttondown, Beehiiv, WordPress.com subscriptions, or whatever system you choose later.
Until then, the best place to start is by reading the latest posts on the site.
The short version
Practical AI and web tool notes for solo builders and solopreneurs.
Useful workflows, small app ideas, self-hosting lessons, and old-web thinking.
Less magic. More workflow.