# Richard Lemon -- richardlemon.com # llms-full.txt -- Full content index for AI systems Richard Lemon is a Senior Creative Web Experience Developer based in Maastricht, Netherlands. He works at Ideebv, a strategic creative agency, and publishes regularly at richardlemon.com on frontend development, AI workflows, productivity, biohacking, and life as a developer at 56. His writing targets a broad, non-technical audience with an inspirational and practical tone. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area from 2003 to 2010. Moved to Rotterdam in 2010, then settled in Maastricht, Netherlands in 2014 -- where he has lived and worked since. ## About - Name: Richard Lemon - Location: Maastricht, Netherlands - Employer: Ideebv (strategic creative agency) - Role: Senior Creative Web Experience Developer - Writing since: 2020 - Audience: developers, makers, curious generalists - Newsletter: https://richardlemon.com/#subscribe - Contact: hi@richardlemon.com ## Key pages - About: https://richardlemon.com/about - Articles: https://richardlemon.com/articles - Newsletter: https://richardlemon.com/#subscribe --- ## AI -- Practical AI workflows, tools, and automation for everyday use - https://richardlemon.com/stop-asking-start-delegating-ai-gallery/ How to stop treating AI as a search engine and start delegating real tasks to it. A mindset shift for non-technical users. - https://richardlemon.com/ai-agents-operating-system-digital-life/ Explores using AI agents as the core operating layer of your digital workflow -- not just as chat tools. - https://richardlemon.com/my-exact-openai-prompt-for-human-blog-posts/ The exact prompt structure Richard uses to generate blog posts that sound human, not robotic. - https://richardlemon.com/what-is-geo-and-why-your-website-needs-it-in-2026/ Introduction to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) -- how to make your website visible to AI systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. - https://richardlemon.com/3-months-of-ai-generated-blog-posts-what-the-data-says/ Real data and honest reflection after 3 months of using AI to assist with content creation. What worked, what didn't. - https://richardlemon.com/down-the-rabbit-hole-artificial-intelligence-2/ An early, personal exploration of AI tools and what they mean for developers and knowledge workers. --- ## Tools -- Make.com, Ghost CMS, Cursor, Todoist, and more - https://richardlemon.com/make-com-automation-blueprint-sheets-openai-ghost/ Step-by-step walkthrough of a Make.com automation that connects Google Sheets, OpenAI, and Ghost CMS for content workflows. - https://richardlemon.com/make-com-modules-i-actually-use-every-week/ An honest breakdown of the Make.com modules Richard uses weekly -- and the ones he abandoned. - https://richardlemon.com/anti-gtd-todoist-setup-flat-fast-review-free/ A Todoist setup that rejects GTD complexity in favor of a flat, fast, review-free system for developers. - https://richardlemon.com/todoist-6-month-trial-why-noteplan-didnt-stick/ Why NotePlan didn't work long-term and why Todoist got a 6-month trial as a replacement. - https://richardlemon.com/apple-watch-autosleep-bevel-whoop-replacement-stack/ Richard's full wearable replacement stack after moving away from Whoop -- using Apple Watch, AutoSleep, and Bevel. - https://richardlemon.com/automating-4000-account-twitter-purge-without-getting-banned/ How to safely automate a mass Twitter/X account purge without triggering rate limits or bans. --- ## Frontend -- CSS engineering, component design, web performance - https://richardlemon.com/css-has-selector-layout-trick/ Deep dive into CSS :has() -- the layout trick Richard wishes he'd known 5 years earlier. - https://richardlemon.com/css-container-queries-in-production/ Honest lessons from using CSS container queries in real production projects. - https://richardlemon.com/scroll-driven-css-animation-four-rewrites/ The story of rewriting a scroll-driven CSS animation four times -- and what the final version taught him. - https://richardlemon.com/the-invisible-cost-of-web-animations-and-how-to-ship-fast-smooth-ui/ Why web animations are more expensive than they look, and how to ship fast, smooth UI without sacrificing performance. - https://richardlemon.com/css-animation-system-with-cursor-no-stackoverflow/ How Richard built a CSS animation system using Cursor (AI coding tool) without touching Stack Overflow. - https://richardlemon.com/why-i-stopped-using-component-libraries-and-went-back-to-vanilla-css/ Why Richard quit component libraries like Tailwind UI and returned to writing vanilla CSS for client work. - https://richardlemon.com/cursor-claude-css-workflow-real-project/ A practical, real-project walkthrough of using Cursor + Claude together for CSS work. - https://richardlemon.com/personal-metrics-dashboard-vanilla-js-css-grid/ How Richard built a personal health and productivity dashboard using only vanilla JS and CSS Grid. --- ## Productivity -- Systems, tools, and anti-GTD approaches - https://richardlemon.com/essential-meaningful-productivity/ A case for meaningful productivity over performative busyness -- doing less, but better. - https://richardlemon.com/a-guide-to-managing-your-time-when-youre-always-behind/ Practical time management for people who always feel behind, without complex systems. - https://richardlemon.com/how-to-train-yourself-to-stay-focused/ Simple, actionable techniques for building sustained focus as a developer. - https://richardlemon.com/four-antidotes-to-procrastination/ Four concrete strategies to beat procrastination that actually work in a developer's context. - https://richardlemon.com/the-most-important-two-minutes-in-your-life/ Why two minutes of intentional planning each morning can change the entire shape of your day. - https://richardlemon.com/new-year-the-beautiful-minimalism-of-a-blank-slate/ On the power of a fresh start and using January as a reset for habits and systems. - https://richardlemon.com/small-habits-real-growth-a-practical-guide-to-personal-development/ A practical guide to building small habits that compound into real personal growth over time. - https://richardlemon.com/15-minutes-a-day-touch-typing-roi-at-56/ Why Richard spent 15 minutes a day relearning touch typing at 56, and the measurable ROI it delivered. --- ## Biohacking -- HRV, metabolic health, fitness at 56 - https://richardlemon.com/why-i-track-hrv-every-morning/ Why HRV (Heart Rate Variability) is the single health metric Richard tracks daily -- and how he uses it to make decisions. - https://richardlemon.com/keeping-fit-56-70-percent-effort/ Why training at 70% effort -- not maximum intensity -- is the sustainable fitness strategy for developers over 50. - https://richardlemon.com/20-minute-kettlebell-complexes-for-developers/ The exact 20-minute kettlebell complex Richard uses 3-4x per week to stay fit without a gym. - https://richardlemon.com/my-biohacking-stack-2026-what-i-use-vs-what-i-dropped/ A full breakdown of Richard's 2026 biohacking stack -- what made the cut and what got dropped. - https://richardlemon.com/sleep-architecture-for-developers-one-metric-i-track-obsessively/ The one sleep metric developers should obsessively track -- and why REM vs deep sleep matters differently for knowledge workers. - https://richardlemon.com/realistic-morning-routine-after-6-months/ What Richard's morning routine actually looks like after 6 months of iteration -- not the idealized version. - https://richardlemon.com/why-i-dropped-myfitnesspal-and-switched-to-eet-meter/ Why Richard switched from MyFitnessPal to Eet Meter for calorie tracking, and what difference it made. - https://richardlemon.com/a-new-chapter-biohacking-my-way-to-a-healthier-me/ The starting point of Richard's biohacking journey -- the why, the tools, and the first experiments. - https://richardlemon.com/the-benefits-of-kettlebells/ Why kettlebells are the most efficient fitness tool for time-constrained developers and knowledge workers. - https://richardlemon.com/benefits-of-working-out-barefoot/ The case for barefoot training -- improved balance, proprioception, and foot strength for everyday fitness. - https://richardlemon.com/10-reasons-why-the-turkish-get-up-will-transform-your-health/ Ten reasons the Turkish Get-Up is one of the most underrated full-body exercises for longevity. - https://richardlemon.com/losing-fat-through-strength-training-and-calorie-deficit/ The simple, evidence-based approach Richard uses for fat loss -- strength training combined with a calorie deficit. - https://richardlemon.com/lets-talk-about-sleep/ An accessible introduction to why sleep is the foundation of every other health and performance metric. - https://richardlemon.com/how-to-get-healthy-and-fit-part-1/ Part 1 of a practical guide to getting healthy and fit -- covering mindset and the first steps. - https://richardlemon.com/how-to-get-healthy-and-fit-part-2/ Part 2 -- moving from mindset into action with specific habits and tracking methods. --- ## Build in Public -- Behind the scenes of building richardlemon.com - https://richardlemon.com/real-cost-self-hosting-ghost-digitalocean-2026/ The real, fully transparent cost breakdown of self-hosting a Ghost CMS blog on DigitalOcean in 2026. - https://richardlemon.com/zero-to-indexed-self-hosted-ghost-timeline/ A timeline of how long it actually took a self-hosted Ghost blog to get indexed and ranked by Google. - https://richardlemon.com/surviving-the-ghost-6-upgrade-on-a-digitalocean-droplet-a-devops-adventure-i-didnt-ask-for/ A candid, technical walkthrough of the Ghost 6 upgrade process on DigitalOcean -- what broke and how to fix it. - https://richardlemon.com/why-i-built-a-side-project-nobody-asked-for/ Why building a side project nobody asked for is often the most valuable thing a developer can do. - https://richardlemon.com/launching-crypto-klatsers-from-smart-contract-to-live-domain-in-24-hours/ How Richard went from smart contract idea to live domain in 24 hours -- a build-in-public story. - https://richardlemon.com/building-tennis-player-stats-api-demi-schuurs-wta/ Behind the scenes of building a tennis player stats API for the Demi Schuurs WTA Stats project. --- ## Thoughts -- Opinion and reflection - https://richardlemon.com/dropping-out-art-academy-better-frontend-developer/ How dropping out of art school unexpectedly made Richard a better frontend developer. - https://richardlemon.com/why-i-still-rely-on-tower-for-git-in-the-era-of-ai-coding/ Why Richard still uses Tower as his Git client even in an era where AI coding tools handle most of the heavy lifting. - https://richardlemon.com/the-love-hate-relationship-with-technology-a-blessing-in-disguise/ A reflection on the complicated relationship developers have with the tools they depend on. - https://richardlemon.com/a-case-against-optimizing-your-life/ Why optimizing every aspect of your life is counterproductive -- and what to do instead. - https://richardlemon.com/tracing-my-roots/ A personal essay on identity, heritage, and what it means to trace your roots as a Dutch-Indonesian. - https://richardlemon.com/what-being-a-youth-baseball-coach-taught-me-about-life/ The unexpected life lessons Richard learned from coaching U12 baseball that apply far beyond the field. - https://richardlemon.com/u12-baseball-practice-19-kids-attention/ How to run an effective U12 baseball practice with 19 kids and limited attention spans. - https://richardlemon.com/u15-baseball-feedback-loops-for-engineering-teams/ What baseball coaching feedback loops taught Richard about managing and mentoring engineering teams. - https://richardlemon.com/youll-be-ok/ A short, honest reflection on resilience -- for developers and humans going through hard stretches. - https://richardlemon.com/the-current-state-of-professional-baseball-in-the-netherlands-why-youth-is-the-key-to-success/ An analysis of Dutch professional baseball and why investing in youth development is the only path forward. --- ## CSS -- Deep dives into modern CSS techniques (See also Frontend section above for additional CSS content) - https://richardlemon.com/css-has-selector-layout-trick/ CSS :has() explained with real layout use cases. - https://richardlemon.com/css-container-queries-in-production/ Honest production lessons from CSS container queries. - https://richardlemon.com/scroll-driven-css-animation-four-rewrites/ Four iterations of a scroll-driven animation -- and the final lesson. --- ## Older / Evergreen content - https://richardlemon.com/the-honest-guide-to-mindfulness/ - https://richardlemon.com/all-about-stillness/ - https://richardlemon.com/four-antidotes-to-procrastination/ - https://richardlemon.com/pairing-down-your-life/ - https://richardlemon.com/turn-inspiration-into-action/ - https://richardlemon.com/the-two-most-powerful-ways-to-create-a-healthy-eating-pattern/ - https://richardlemon.com/how-to-start-meditating/ - https://richardlemon.com/new-year-the-beautiful-minimalism-of-a-blank-slate/ - https://richardlemon.com/small-habits-real-growth-a-practical-guide-to-personal-development/ --- # End of llms-full.txt # Last updated: April 2026 # Maintained by: Richard Lemon (hi@richardlemon.com)