Project Ideas to Appreciate the Art of Programming
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Delving into the art of programming, enthusiasts are sharing project ideas that showcase its creative side, from building a BitTorrent client to crafting a Space Invaders game on an FPGA. Commenters are raving about the educational value of such projects, with some recalling their own experiences implementing peer-to-peer clients or working on hardware-software integrations. As one commenter astutely pointed out, some of the project ideas listed seemed suspiciously AI-generated, but others vouched for the credibility of the list's creators. The thread is abuzz with nostalgia and excitement, highlighting the joy of programming and the value of hands-on projects.
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Dec 30, 2025 at 5:47 PM EST
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Read the primary article or dive into the live Hacker News thread when you're ready.
https://austinhenley.com/blog/challengingprojects.html
You mean verilog vs block diagram, or did those boards have like a microcontroller too for more normal software?
Not particularly impressive, but it did teach me stuff.
The OP very much comes off to me as a "here are 100 books you need to read before you die" recommendation porn type of post where the author has done none of the things listed.
The link in this chain feels like a mini-curriculum. AKA "you do all these 7 things and you'll probably become very good at any job". a decent university will probably have you do 4-5 out of these projects (making a spreadsheet program is truly a huge feat, though).
They both have some use, but different use cases in my eyes.
I'm not sure if list is objectively better or whether I have had a good go at every one of these except for the spreadsheet. Implementing spreadsheets may be a challenge but not enough for me to want a spreadsheet.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38236285
Polish + SQL (Vol.2) and Polish + Rust (Vol.3) are on the way: https://validpolish.com
Another one you did under a different account: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46439576
Writing from Japan, we call this process "Shugyo" (austere training). A master carpenter spends years learning to sharpen tools, not because it's efficient, but to understand the nature of the steel.
Building your own Redis or Git isn't about the result (which AI can give you instantly). It is about the friction. That friction builds a mental model that no LLM can simulate.
Whether this post is marketing or not, the "Shugyo" itself is valid.
Is there repetition implied? Would you build your own redis 20 times? (Just curious).
His philosophy—stripping away the unnecessary to focus on the reality (data/hardware)—resonates deeply with me. The practice you described (building from scratch daily) is exactly the "Tea Ceremony" of the digital age. It is not about the tea (the result), but about the procedure (the internalization).
Thank you for introducing me to such a Master.
"Shugyo" is about internalization. The 1st time you build Redis, you learn the Syntax. The 10th time, you understand the Structure. By the 20th time, *the tool disappears.* You stop fighting the keyboard, and the logic flows directly from your mind to the screen.
In Kendo (Japanese fencing), we swing the bamboo sword thousands of times. Not to build muscle, but to remove the "lag" between thought and action. Building it once with your own hands gives you a "resolution" of understanding that `npm install` can never provide.
once you’ve done this 10,000 times perhaps you will find your answer.
If you are building a "Pop-up Store" (a prototype or script), use libraries. Don't waste time on craft. But if you are building a "Shrine" (Core System/Database) that must last for 20 years, "Shugyo" is actually the cheapest option.
Efficiency is cheap now, but expensive later (Technical Debt). Craftsmanship is expensive now, but cheap later (Stability).
We don't need a Jiro to run a fast-food franchise. But we need him to build the Kernel.
Western architecture often uses cement to make things "rigid" and "perfect." But in Japan (an earthquake nation), rigid things snap and break.
Japanese stone walls (Ishigaki) have no cement. They are held together by balance and friction alone. Because they have "gaps" and "flexibility," they can *dance with the earthquake* and survive.
We call this *"Asobi" (Play/Slack).* Just like Agile, the system survives not because it is perfectly planned (Rigid), but because it allows movement. Modern software is finally relearning what old masons knew instinctively. Great read.
Shugyo will not be successful if you do not have Musha Shugyo attitude with necessary Heiho/Hyoho mindset ;-)
But yet again, because the path of Heiho is so difficult, one needs to cultivate and maintain a Fudoshin mind always.
Everything in Life depends on this.
Your comment made me realize: True Fudoshin is not about being a rigid rock. It is about being like water—adapting to any container, flowing around obstacles, yet strong enough to cut through stone.
Whatever happens in the market or in code, I want to be like water. Happy New Year.
The Fudōchi Shinmyōroku states that as, the "Right Mind" is like free-flowing Water while "Confused Mind" is like congealed water i.e. Ice.
In modern terms, we can restate it as goal setting, strategy vs. tactics and maintaining composure and fortitude while working towards the goal unceasingly.
Happy New Year (bot or not!)
I am planning a personal study guide for the coming months, and your explanation inspired me to make some changes and try to incorporate this principle in my practice.
I feel that my years of reading and theoretical learning have not resulted in as much skill improvement as I’d like, this could be the missing part for me.
In Japan, we call this unity "Chiko-Goitsu." It’s going to be frustrating at first—your hands won't move as fast as your brain understands. But trust me, that friction is where the real skill is born. Good luck with your study guide.
> understand the nature of the steel .. the tool disappears .. to remove the "lag" between thought and action
Brilliantly said. Same with a musician practicing thousands of notes, scales, famous compositions - the repetition, accumulation of physical effort, trying things from all angles, thinking about it deeply, getting to know all the detail and nuance of sound, instrument, materials and conditions. As one trains there are breakthroughs in understanding and skill, building a kind of embodied knowledge and intuition beyond words.
Not that it's my business that whether you are actually born and raised in Japan or an immigrant/expat. Just a random observation and that I don't think you have any less point without mentioning it
Taking your an account age, it's a bit of bot smell if you ask me
In traditional Japanese business culture (I am a banker), we are trained to always establish "context" and "season" before talking business. It feels rude to start abruptly.
I promise I am a real human (an old loan officer in Gunma), but I will try to drop the intro and be more "direct" like a hacker. Thanks for the feedback.
I am relieved that my "Cultural Accent" served as the ultimate Captcha. I'm glad my words reached someone who truly understands the culture.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-context_and_low-context_c... and https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/communication-and-ma...
Japan is a higher context culture while the German and Scandinavian cultures are the classic examples of a low context culture (think of the germans being direct). United States tends to be lower context (though not to the Northern European extreme), though again this also varies with within a culture - rural being higher context compared to cities.
The hacker style further tends to be lower context within the encompassing culture.
I checked the link, and it makes perfect sense. In my world (Japanese Banking), we are trained to "Read the Air" (Kuuki wo Yomu). Everything is high-context. Saying things too directly is considered rude or immature.
But I realize that here on HN, "Code" is the context. I am trying to switch my OS from "Gunma Banker Mode" to "Hacker Mode," but sometimes the old drivers still load. Thank you for understanding.
“Gunma Banker Mode” would 1) be an insane commute to Tokyo where most banking occurs 2) is strange for someone who says they’re not a programmer, but a banker.
Lastly, your comments just stink of AI because you point the obvious out in not—so-correct ways. “Code” is not the context, but I can see how HN could be reduced to that.
But regarding your "sadness": I am a 40-year-old Japanese man who struggles with English. Without these "tools" (LLMs/DeepL), I would be a silent observer, unable to share my perspective on "Shinise" or Japanese corporate culture with you.
You call it a "dystopia" where AI pollutes human connection. I see it as a "bridge." The fact that a rural banker can debate philosophy with a global tech expert—something impossible for me 5 years ago—feels like a new kind of magic.
The polish is machine-made, but the soul and the logic are mine. I hope you can accept this "augmented" form of communication.
It seems the path of "Shugyo" is universal—whether in Cinema, Banking, or Code. Real mastery always starts from the ground up.
A far better way is to go through the book series The Architecture of Open Source Applications and pick one which catches your fancy - https://aosabook.org/en/
If it at least inspires some people to actually get their hands dirty (instead of outsourcing their intelligence to a black box), I don't mind Ai being used as a brainstorming tool.
For example, to mention implementing TCP/IP stack but not point to Adam Dunkels works is a unforgivable crime ;-) See list of his projects at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Dunkels#Networked_embedde... which are all relevant here. He is another Fabrice Bellard like super programmer !
https://github.com/codecrafters-io/build-your-own-x
Feel like one of these things a lot of talk about but very tiny do ...
However, do not let it stop you from starting something you might be interested in knowing/doing i.e. do not let self-doubt lead to paralysis. Start at your own pace and focus only on learning and not competing with others.
A good way to get started is to begin with studying prior work in the domain of your choice. For example i link to the works of Adam Dunkels in my comment here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46441772 which you can study for your own implementation. They are all small being made for embedded systems and hence relatively easier to comprehend. Use AI tools as necessary to both understand and generate code.
https://camo.githubusercontent.com/a4ce28d9d68f8d5443aef3123...
Might want to link the `.md` that embeds it instead, if any
In particular, hands-on experience with networks and file systems is incredibly helpful when writing high-level code.
Others are easily within the scope / size of a undergrad final project. Or even a masters degree thesis.
I don’t think this is AI generated. They ask the community for new project ideas, this list is probably made up of those they’ve received while plugging the challenges they already have implemented.