#011 - How I Built My Blog

After six days, building my blog is done!

It ain't perfect.

But it's done, and that feels good.

Day 1

To get started I used a NextJS + Sanity template repo.

I followed the instructions in the ReadMe.

and by step 10 I had both a content management system (Sanity) and the frontend blog deployed live on Vercel.

Day 2

I coded the homepage UI.

I based the UI off a portfolio site I made last year while applying for jobs.

I had riffed that UI from Simple Scott's personal site.

I probably didn't do him justice, but I tried my best. lol

(Simple Scott > RK Portfolio > v0.1 this project)

Day 3

Then, I got totally stuck on something so simple.

I couldn't get an image to show up in my posts. lol

I was so frustrated, and my energy was depleted.

Here. This is me bummed out during that time.

Day 4

I figured it out!

I got both images and YouTube videos showing up in posts.

Here's the video, docs & code that helped me.

Day 5

I added Tweet embeds to my posts.

My plan is to have a tweet at the end of each post and I'll ask readers to retweet if they'd like to say "Thank you."

Day 6

I added the ability to accept email subscribers via Email Octopus.

I also added a pop-up

to collect emails when a reader tries to exit the page.

I followed Harry's Marketing Examples lead here.

He gets 50% of his emails from his pop up without it, his newsletter is half as big.

So, yeah, I'm doing it.

And that's the build!

Summary of Tutorials

- NextJS + Sanity starter repo

• Sanity + React video tutorials
• Customize Sanity schemas
• Sanity docs
• Simple Scott's website
• NextJS Tutorials
• TailwindCSS
• Email collection via Email Octopus
• Domain via Namecheap
• Hosting via Vercel​

Key Learnings

• Find a template to start from.
• Riff off other people's work.
• Stuck? Ask someone, walk away & come back.
• Perfect is the enemy of done.

And if you want to check out the site, here's the link.

Cheers!