Haikal Kushahrin

What I’m using to build my site

Haikal -

When I wanted to build my site, I quickly Googled and set it up an hour later. In hindsight, I should’ve done more research.

I started by using WordPress with crappy self-hosting, and I wished I didn’t start there. So here's a guide that old me would have appreciated.

Website

  • Ghost: If you love Apple products because “they just work”, you’re going to love Ghost. Ghost is to blogs what Apple is to smartphones. It’s fast, and it functions well as a blog straight out of the box. There’s no need to tinker around with plugins and settings, unlike WordPress.
  • DigitalOcean: I use DigitalOcean to host my Ghost site. You need to get your hands dirty to set it up, but that can quickly be done by following some Internet guides. It’s cheap too! Pricing starts as low as $5 a month. Use my link for $100 credit (valid for 60 days). Students can get ten months for free if they link their DigitalOcean account to the Github Student Developer Pack.
  • Substack: Substack’s a fast and cheap way to set up a newsletter.
  • NameCheap: I use Namecheap to buy domains. It’s cheaper compared to other domain providers, and it includes domain privacy for free. Students can get one .me site free for one year via the Github Student Developer Pack.
  • CloudFlare: I use Cloudflare as a CDN. It helps secure my site and gives my site a free SSL certificate.

Writing Apps

  • Obsidian: Roam is where I keep all of my notes, and it’s where I do the initial outlining for my articles as I can quickly create an outline by connecting ideas.
  • Lex: Lex is where I write my first draft. It's like Google Docs, but with AI. I use it to: 1) brain dump my notes and
  • Hemingwayapp: I use the Hemingway App to make my writing bold and clear. It highlights lengthy and complicated sentences, as well as adverbs and passive voices.