Mehran Shahmiri

It was 3 AM on a Tuesday. I was testing a recharge portal that had to work by morning.
That’s what most of my nights look like now.

I wake up. Get ready. Tea is mandatory. Then I go to work. From around 10 in the morning till 6 in the evening, I work on systems, networks, and plans. After that, I usually continue working late into the night from home. I work on personal projects, learning, and things like this website.

I have been living like this since September 2025.
Not because someone is forcing me.
Because I want to.

One Late Night With a Recharge Portal

A few weeks ago, I was sitting at home late at night.
It was around 3 AM.
I was working on a new recharge portal.
It had to work properly. If it didn’t, users would not be able to recharge. Support calls would increase. Problems would pile up.
So I kept testing, fixing, and testing again.
That night reminded me why I like this work.
It is tiring. But it is real.
When it works, people feel it.

When a Router Refused to Cooperate

Not everything goes smoothly.
Once, a router was not working properly with RADIUS.
At that time, I did not have a managed switch at hand. I ordered one and got it the next day, but I still had to make things work immediately.
So I used macvlan and configured everything manually on an unmanaged switch.
It was not clean. It was not perfect. But it worked.
That experience taught me something important.
In real systems, you often solve problems with what you have, not what you wish you had.

Building Tools for My Own Work

Over time, I realized that repeating the same tasks wastes energy.
So I started building tools for myself.
I automated user onboarding. I built internal portals. I created basic NOC systems. I self-hosted services. I used AI APIs to speed things up.
These were not products for the public.
They were tools for my own work.
And they made daily operations much easier.
When systems run on their own, you can focus on better problems.

A Health Wake-Up Call

I was deep in this routine when something forced me to stop completely.
On 24 November 2025, something unexpected happened.
In the middle of the night, I had severe pain in my abdomen. I had to go to the hospital.
Later, I was diagnosed with gall bladder stones.

On 31 December, I had surgery to remove it.
That period forced me to slow down.
For the first time in months, I could not work properly.
It was a clear wake-up call.
No system matters if your health fails.
Since then, I try to take my health more seriously.

What My Days Look Like Now

These days, my routine is simple.
I wake up. I get ready. I have breakfast and tea. I go to the office.

During the day, I work on:

• Networks
• Systems
• Automation
• Operations
• Marketing plans

After coming home, I continue working on personal projects and learning.
I usually sleep by 11 or 12.
Then the next day starts again.
It is tiring.
But I enjoy it.

What I Have Learned So Far

After months of doing this, here are a few things I have learned.

1. Consistency Matters More Than Motivation
Some days feel easy. Some days feel heavy.
Showing up every day matters more than feeling motivated.

2. Automation Saves Time and Energy
If you do the same task every day, automate it.
Small systems save a lot of mental space.

3. You Will Not Always Have Perfect Tools
Sometimes you will not have the right hardware or setup.
Build anyway.
Improve later.

4. Health Is Part of the System
Ignoring your body will eventually stop everything.
Taking care of health is part of long-term work.

5. Alignment Feels Calm
Being aligned does not feel dramatic.
It feels quiet and steady.
You just know you are where you should be.

Why I Write Here

I am not writing this to look impressive.
I am writing this to document real work.
The late nights. The broken systems. The small wins. The health scare. The learning.
This blog is my long-term record.
For myself. And for anyone trying to build something from scratch.
This is where I am in January 2026.
Let’s see where this goes.

Cheers,
Mehran