Why I love building small tools

Most of what I ship never makes it onto a resume. A script that renames a folder of files, a tiny CLI that checks a build before I push it, a bookmarklet that fixes one annoying thing about a site I use every day.

None of it is impressive on its own. But building it is where I actually learn how a language or a tool works, without the pressure of a grade or a deadline attached.

I've started keeping a running list of these small tools. Most weeks I add one. It's a nice reminder that not every project needs to be a portfolio piece to be worth building.