iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Follow your dreams, but don't forget to enjoy a nice sunny day with your kids and friends.

Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 03/10/2026

Added a new visual timeline to my website, illustrating the evolution from sspaeti.com to ssp.sh over the years, starting from 2004 to today. Hard to believe that my website has been online for 22 years and is still going. Love AI making such illustrations beautiful the way I want them.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 02/10/2026

Before, it showed "recently updated" all the git history. That git history, with added and removed words and dates of edits, still exists on the same hover, just below the explainer.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 02/10/2026

Inspired by @maggieappleton.com's digital garden stages, I added three states. They now grow from: started, growing, evergreen. Hovering will show you an explainer on the three levels (heuristically calculated based on how many changes & how long the note exists), or a fixed status by me.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 30/09/2026

I just did the "make it faster" prompt on my Neomd email client, as I had a slow internet connection today.

A table lists actions in an email client, showing performance metrics for before and after optimizations, with various numeric values.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 28/09/2026

It landed at the top of Hacker News 🫣

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 25/09/2026

Proud of what I have achieved with writing online. It's hard to consolidate writing in a form that makes sense and not being irrelevant after a week. Especially these days.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 25/09/2026

Or, if you want to get hands-on, here is a curated list of open-source projects to choose from, from 2022 to today. The list includes more than 80 projects. oss-de-projects.ssp.sh

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 25/09/2026

Or explore skills ranging from fundamentals (Linux commands, containerization, programming languages) to Kubernetes orchestration. The data engineering toolkit provides the building blocks of data engineering work in 2026. toolkit.ssp.sh

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 25/09/2026

If you want to be a data engineer, learn these concepts. de-concepts.ssp.sh

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 24/09/2026

Nothing to see here, just me traversing my little universe at ssp.sh.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 16/09/2026

You can actually just 𝚋̶𝚞̶𝚒̶𝚕̶𝚍̶prompt things. Here, I have a custom feedback page loading my book with reactions or comments on each paragraph. This is WIP and just testing the waters, but something like this is what I always wanted to get high-level feedback from multiple readers on parts of my book.

A draft document outlines data engineering concepts with a sidebar for navigation and comments, featuring structured feedback icons.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 15/09/2026

I show a use case that uses OmniGraph with Lance as the open columnar storage format, DataFusion as the query engine, and builds the typed graph with git-style branches. I mimicked my Obsidian CRM and rebuilt it as a Company Brain. There's no database server; only a typed graph in plain-text files

A diagram shows interconnected notes in Obsidian for personal and company CRM systems, emphasizing dynamic data relationships and processes.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 15/09/2026

One way is to use branching based on open storage, storing all the information in a typed graph that shows how the knowledge interconnects (dealWith, worksAt). Also, keep data-type integrity (aka `schema as code`) and add a way to auto-merge branches into main, or at least review them.

Diagram outlines a branching data management system where agents write to separate branches, auto-merge, and resolve conflicts through human decisions.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 15/09/2026

Ever wondered how to expand an Obsidian-style second brain to a company-wide brain? Wonder no more 🙂. I explore how to make a second brain multi-user-able, keep it consistent, and keep it up to date with agents securely. www.ssp.sh/blog/from-o...

A stack of blue paper is displayed, accompanied by the text “From Obsidian to a Company brain,” suggesting a transition in knowledge management.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 14/09/2026

thanks so much for the feedback. fully agreed. Before it was mainly text based, now I tried to make it a bit more visual, and show what's already there for people to explore, but maybe it's too much. One feedback i got i implemented, and the top bar has now articles instead of vanity metrics.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 14/09/2026

🔥 New services page. After having the old one for two years and not really updating it, I added more clients, a better description of my services, and some more stats. services.ssp.sh Wdyt?

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 13/09/2026

Race biking on my home loop around Twann, Magglingen.

A bike rests on a rocky ledge overlooking a scenic landscape with a winding river, lush fields, and distant mountains under a clear sky.

A racing bike is parked near a scenic overlook with green fields, a river, and distant mountains visible under a clear sky.

Benches overlook a calm lake surrounded by greenery and distant hills, with a pathway and utility box visible nearby.

A panoramic view of snow-capped mountains in the distance, with green fields and a small red-roofed building in the foreground.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 13/09/2026

I've landed on the front page of Hacker News 19 times, one of the most visited tech sites. Already 7 times this year, and 9 times in 2025 as well. It still amazes me. Meanwhile, I've collected more than 10k upvotes on Reddit. On Google Search, I've had ~1 million impressions in the past 28 days.

A digital display shows recent highlights from Hacker News and Reddit, featuring popular tech-related blog posts and discussions.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 10/09/2026

The Process of Smart Note-Taking. This showcases how I take notes, make connections, and distill them into blogs. It's what I've learned over the years, heavily inspired by Smart Notes and the Zettelkasten philosophy. But tailored to how my brain & writing work with Obsidian. youtu.be/RXuF0jnJAgE

A visually organized digital interface on note-taking, highlighting connections, brainstorming, and ideas inspired by the Zettelkasten method.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 09/09/2026

And the same for the Second Brain. www.ssp.sh/brain/e-mai...

A terminal interface displays email screening information, showcasing email organization and management using Neovim and Vim.

A web interface showcasing email management features, highlighting coding and programming elements related to NeoMutt and HEY.com.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 09/09/2026

I added converted Callouts to Marginal Notes on my blog and second brain. Before: Callouts inline, TOC on the right. After: Callouts notes on the right side, TOC moved to the left. It's amazing how much vertical space you can save, too, and it looks so beautiful, IMO.

A blog layout showcases a writing process with notes and a table of contents, emphasizing organization and vertical space efficiency.

A digital workspace showcases notes with highlighted sections, outlining writing processes and storytelling goals on a blog interface.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 09/09/2026

This is Part 2 of Grammar of Data, and we go from Definition to Execution. If you'd like to read the full article, go to xorq.dev/blog/gramma....

Flowchart illustrating data processes: Definition with reusable expressions, Manifest detailing a diffable build, Execution with engines listed.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 09/09/2026

I also managed to define the full stack into a single `stack.yaml` that has all the configuration needed for this project, e.g.

A code snippet outlines a `stack.yaml` configuration for data engines and tools used in a data processing project.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 09/09/2026

In my new essay, I am showcasing this with a 'data engineering digest project' where I use four data sources from my personal RSS feeds with favorite DE articles, Bluesky posts, PyPI downloads, and GitHub Events, to run it through the full "grammar of data" (full data engineering pipelines) with

A leaderboard shows raw PyPI downloads and 90-day growth percentages for various data engineering packages, highlighting trends and usage.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 09/09/2026

From a grammar-for-data perspective, I define sources (our NOUN) and transformations (our VERB), and bind them to any engine with a template and modifier; this lets us express all the operations a data engineering job needs. With manifest-ops, we can model it once and execute it deterministically.

A diagram outlines data engineering concepts, featuring nouns as data sources, verbs for operations, and connections to engines like DuckDB and Snowflake.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 09/09/2026

Defining your analytics solution end-to-end in one sentence would be a dream for most data teams. If we use a grammar that helps apply all steps of the data lifecycle, we can define, manifest, test, and run a full ETL workload with one expression. I tried exactly this.

A structured framework outlines five grammar parts for defining an analytics solution, emphasizing execution and transformation of data.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 08/09/2026

OK managed to install. but the fuzzy search is still very strange... the `obsidian search`, shouldn't that show up always?

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 08/09/2026

If you use RSS feeds, you can follow the latest updates on my second brain more easily. I updated the RSS feed to show full notes (not only summaries) with all images and links. You'll also see updated notes, since before you only saw newly added notes. See the before-and-after view in the images.

A digital interface displays notes on data engineering topics, dates, and sources, highlighting recent updates and comprehensive RSS feed changes.

The diagram illustrates the data engineering lifecycle, outlining stages from generation to serving, highlighting key components and undercurrents.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 07/09/2026

I added most of the ramen I've eaten to the gallery below my homemade ramen recipe. IMO, best food. What's yours? If you want to get hungry, check them out 😉. www.ssp.sh/brain/home-m...

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 07/09/2026

Wild, accessed all my pages and subpages (4,010 unique URLs in ~10 minutes 😅), 96,447 requests in one hour.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 07/09/2026

Is this how AI-scraping looks like? I got like ~4.5k total visits/h, 4-5 visits on each of my pages (notes & blogs). The source is unknown. 437 agents simultaneously on my `posts`, scraping every page? 🤔 I guess I need to ask the next versions of each LLM and see whether they use my knowledge.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 28/08/2026

I've added writing processes since 2022 and how they have changed over time here: www.ssp.sh/blog/writing...

I've added writing processes since 2022 and how they have changed over time here: https://www.ssp.sh/blog/writing-since-2015/

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 27/08/2026

Oh no, what happened 🍷#todaysoffice

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 27/08/2026

I really love an easy way to publish my thoughts, notes & blogs. Here's my workflow, from an Obsidian MD file to a second brain note with one command. No conversion/formatting, no copying from a note-taking tool to email or Substack. The original always lives in Obsidian; the rest is automated.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 26/08/2026

It's so hard to finish an idea that is not yours (and suggested by AI). Some commented that it's also hard to finish an idea that is theirs—read the comments on HN now 😉.

Keep AI Out of Your (Obsidian) Vault on HN

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 26/08/2026

Updated image. Also see @motherduck.com's @tower.dev acquisition from yesterday.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 26/08/2026

News acquisition ongoing: @ducklabs.com joins AWS. @duckdb.org and the Foundation stays as is; only the team moves to AWS: > We are not acquiring the DuckDB project, which will remain free and open source under the independent DuckDB Foundation and available under the MIT license as it does today.

Recent data engineering acquisitions Acquisitions from 2022-2026

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 26/08/2026

Testing the open-source DWH engine Exasol, running locally and integrated with MCP. I built a little demo sales app to run some dbt runs and analyze the data. What requirements would you have for data analysis? For me: 1. one-command setup 2. built-in DWH features 3. easy to scale up What else?

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 25/08/2026

I've been using this prompt for 2-3 years with all models, with a more or less exact outcome I want. What's yours?

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 25/08/2026

I also have a ton of posts about it, in case you are bored (or curious) 😉 On my blog: www.ssp.sh/posts/?tag=vim Or on my notes: www.ssp.sh/brain/vim-l...

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 25/08/2026

Apparently, there's a new 'vim motion' plugin for Obsidian that I didn't know about. But beyond that, many still don't know the underlying power of 'vim motions' or 'vim shortcuts'. I'm here once again advocating that you check it out in Obsidian, Sublime, VS Code, whatever text editor you use.

Discussion on the benefits of the Vim Motions plugin for Obsidian, highlighting its impact on workflow and efficiency.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 24/08/2026

PyPi downloads (last 90 days) and Bluesky buzz metric from my data engineering digest project. No surprise that @duckdb.org gets the most buzz, or shall we say, quack? 🦆

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 21/08/2026

Why aren't you using OneTab yet? I've been using it for almost 10 years. Read why: ssp.sh/brain/onetab/

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 20/08/2026

A tour through my «Second Brain», with some of the features and recent updates. Sometimes an image or a real thing explains more than words do. Go to my public brain.ssp.sh and find out, or watch the short clip attached. I hope you enjoy. All free, no ads, no paywall.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 19/08/2026

I've added a visual changelog to my page to show what's changed over the years. Check it out, and filter by the graph or by year. What do you think? www.ssp.sh/changelog/

A dark webpage displays a visual changelog with nodes representing features and years, highlighting connections between updates.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 18/08/2026

My book on dedp.online gets much less traffic (I also didn't update for a while 😶), but 2.88 GB in the last 30 days nonetheless.

Analytics dashboard shows bandwidth used 2.88 GB, 127,027 requests, with cached and uncached bandwidth displayed over time.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 18/08/2026

Quite amazing how much traffic my website, ssp.sh, gets in GB. This is only one month, and 286 GB got served—almost 10 GB per day 🤯. I only added a CDN late, but I think it's really worth it. I hope you notice & enjoy the added speed.

Website traffic data shows 286.41 GB used, 3 million requests served, with a cache hit rate of 66.19%, spanning July to August.

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Simon Späti 🏔️ @ssp.sh · 18/08/2026

How do you see the challenges of OSS in the age of AI? The video by ForrestPKnight triggered me to publish my notee. I have been a big fan of Open source for two decades, and that hasn't changed. I still think OSS is the right thing to do, if you can afford it. Love the framing as a gift.

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