About

About me (Graeme Perkins) and why I'm publishing this

Making this website feels a bit like going back to the future for me. My first experience with the web was in the late 90s, before Facebook and other social media. Back then, to learn HTML the first thing I did was build a personal website. It's 2023 and I'm doing it again.

I have got something to learn again. I'm a pretty shy person, always have been. But I'm through with being under the radar. For now I'm going to start publishing my thoughts here. The main aim is to build my profile so I can promote the projects I'm working on.

I don't know what I want to say just yet, but some of the things I'm thinking about at the moment are:

  • Web development
  • Multi-step form apps
  • Health and longevity
  • Resistance training
  • History of ideas
  • History in general
  • X/Twitter
  • Ambient music

Web development

I've been building web sites and software since 1998. I'm a generalist so I don't think of myself as software developer. I didn't study Computer Science or Information Technology at university (I did a Bachelor of Science with a major in chemistry).

I'm drawn to working in or on small/new businesses where techology can make an impact. I've experienced solving problems in many different business functions, from engineering, sales, support, HR, and legal.

Multi step form apps

My interest in multi step form apps has come together under a new business called Startflows. It's something that has been on my mind for more than 7 years, but I only recently decided to do something about it.

Fundamentally, I love building software using web technologies. I'd love to have a little piece of the web which feels like my thing, where I help other businesses achieve things that make them more successful, where I add value, and where I build expert knowledge and resources over time.

Health and longevity

I've always paid attention to healthy living but a bigger urge to seek out new ideas and new ways keeps kicked in about 4 years ago.

I've been doing intermittent fasting for 4 years. For me this means an eating window from 2pm till 8pm, and simply skipping breakfast and having a late lunch. I don't do this on the weekends or on holidays.

In that time I've also developed some other habits that very intentional around sleep, alcohol consumption, meat consumption, air quality, water filtering etc., and a very modest amount of dietary supplementation.

I've also steadily increased the number of hours per week doing cardio exercise. I ride and run together around 4 hours per week currently.

Resistance training

Lifting weights just makes me feel good. It's that simple and I'd recommend it to everyone.

It has helped cure back pain from sitting long hours at a desk. I've also got a life long goal to be able to do a pull up. It's personal, I just want to be able to pull up my own body weight.

History of ideas

In the early 2000s I did an arts degree alongside my regular work. It was a kind of itch I needed to scratch; a feeling I lacked exposure to some intellectual traditions that I should respect.

I started that course with strong opinions about many things, but came out much more curious. I learned that many of my opinions didn't stand up when I tried to properly argue it out. I learned that it's pretty hard to know what the fuck is going on in the world.

As a student one teacher really got my imagination: Guy Rundle, in the Philosophy department at Melbourne Uni. It was sheer joy to be in his class, and I still feel that joy today when I read a relevant book or listen to a podcast.

History in general

2023 has been the year history podcasts took over my subscription list. I don't know if it's the zeitgeist, but there was that meme about man thinking about ancient Rome that popped up a few months ago.

Twitter/X

Twitter/X is a bit of guilty pleasure. I don't do any other social media, but Twitter became my main filter online during the COVID lockdowns in Melbourne, Australia--where I live. I value the immediacy, but above the serendipity of what comes to my attention.

Ambient music

After lunch I put on my headphones and get into some deep work with the help of ambient. It's a very powerful tool for me.