About This Site

MirrorCodex is an independent publication launched by Flynn Cheng, a software engineer with nearly a decade of hands-on fatherhood experience—mainly debugging the wildly unpredictable logic of a 10-year-old daughter. Somewhere between bedtime negotiations and LEGO-induced foot injuries, he’s found time to reflect on what it really means to build things that last.

A Different Time in Software

There was a time when we built software line by line—not because it was trendy, but because it was the only way. We read the docs, we traced the stack, and we debugged until 2 AM not for the glory, but for the joy of figuring it out. (Coincidentally, we were also up at 2 AM because someone had a nightmare involving that movie we definitely shouldn’t have watched before bed.)

We knew what every line of code meant, and more importantly, why it was there. That mindset—of craftsmanship, curiosity, and care—is the soul of MirrorCodex.

A World Changing Fast

But the world is evolving faster than ever.

AI is transforming the way we write, ship, and even think about code. What was cutting-edge yesterday is fading into folklore today. And somewhere in that shift, something essential risks being lost: the stories, the scars, and the quiet elegance of truly understanding how things work. Kind of like explaining to your kid that sometimes, the best upgrade isn’t smarter software—it’s just using a real keyboard instead of tapping on glass.

Why MirrorCodex Exists

MirrorCodex exists to preserve that spirit. To capture the lessons, patterns, and philosophies from an era where code wasn’t just generated—it was crafted. This is a place for those who still believe the how matters just as much as the what.

Think of it as a digital time capsule for builders who want to remember where we came from—even as we bravely venture into a world where AI writes half our code and our kids think Stack Overflow sounds like a breakfast cereal.

You’re Among Kindred Spirits

Whether you’re here to sharpen your skills, revisit a forgotten technique, or reconnect with the deeper why behind what we do—welcome. You’re among kindred spirits. Possibly sleep-deprived, slightly nostalgic, and always curious.

We build, not just because we can, but because we must. (Also because the next generation is watching.)