The Flash That Keeps Me Going

August 5, 2025

There are moments where I look at the Signally codebase and feel like I’ve run headfirst into a wall. Features still to build, bugs to fix, design quirks to refine… and the never-ending “todo” list that looms like a mountain.

And when that feeling hits, sometimes I pause. I stop coding. I go quiet. I question whether this project will ever be “ready enough” to share with the world.

But then, a flash hits me. A burst of energy. A vision of what Signally could be: bold, beautiful, and buzzing with the sound of discovery. And just like that, I’m back at the keyboard, tinkering and pushing forward.

So far, I’ve told a grand total of four people about Signally. That’s it. Not because I’m not proud — but because I’ve been waiting for the “perfect” moment. The truth is, perfect doesn’t exist. And maybe it’s time to stop waiting.

There’s always more to build. Always room to improve. But that’s the heartbeat of creation. And Signally? It’s not just alive — it’s on the air.

Signally Unveiled: The Next-Level Radio Experience

June 3, 2025

Snapshot of our original “Radio Station App” (mar 10 2025 prototype)

My adventure began on March 10, 2025, with a super-simple idea called Radio Station App. Its goal: find an online station, click play, and boom—you’re listening. It worked, and I loved it, but honestly, it felt more like a proof of concept than something you’d show off.

Knowing I could make it work, I shelved Radio Station App and, on March 2, 2025, went all-in on a shiny new audio app named Signally. I even ran the name through a pronunciation tool—spoiler: everybody says it right! Suddenly, my side project turned into a full-fledged “Hey, check this out!” kind of app.

Weekends became my playground. I added live music news from Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and AllMusic so you’re always in the loop. I also built a cover-art fetcher that grabs album images from iTunes—or, if none exist, a colorful placeholder pops up with the artist and song name. It’s like having an artist-approved backdrop, even when you’re streaming an obscure station.

Performance? Check. I integrated Flask-Caching to keep things snappy and avoid API rate limits. Want variety? Hit the “Surprise Me” button to discover a random station. There’s a pulsing “On Air” indicator when audio plays, plus a sleek light/dark theme switcher called Studio Mode to set the perfect listening ambiance.

I don’t have tons of weekday hours, so I tackle tiny tweaks after work—maybe a CSS refactor here or a button tweak there. Then, come Saturday and Sunday, I dive deep: refining search layouts, adding pagination to genres, and polishing every detail.

Next milestone: launching Signally on a memorable “.com” address. I can’t wait for you to check it out!