Hi, I'm Nicu.
I like to build products.
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Latest
OpenRouter + Stripe = Universal Compute Credits?
With the news of OpenRouter being acquired by Stripe, I think we are one step closer to converting AI tokens to food you...
AI Can Take Your Job, but Don't Let It Take Your Identity
As AI starts replacing tasks and jobs, some people are going to lose their sense of self. I’ve seen this before. When I transitioned out of the military, my identity was tied to the mission. My team depended on me to execute, no matter what. Even a year of "transitioning" didn't prepare me to separate who I was from the purpose that had been drilled into me.
Refreshing nicuparente.com (Fall 2026)
I've been quietly shipping updates to this site since spring, so here's a roundup of everything that's changed.
1// Notes can hold more than one photo
This one shipped today. Notes now show multiple images as a peek carousel, so you can see the next photo at the edge of the frame. Tap any image to open it full-screen. My September recap had a pile of photos and nowhere to put them, so I fixed that.
2// A new About page
I rewrote it from scratch and simplified the layout. It's shorter and closer to who I am right now.
3// Short links + a real 404 page
The site has its own URL shortener now: links live at nicuparente.com/link/<something>. Old URLs from previous versions of the site also redirect to the right place instead of dead-ending. If you do hit a dead end, there's a custom 404 page now instead of the default one.
4// Design polish
- Bigger tap targets on buttons, nav, filters, and pagination, so it's easier to use on your phone
- Visible focus rings if you navigate with a keyboard
- Filter buttons on Notes, Resources, Learnings, and the Gallery all look and behave the same now
- Cleaned up fonts that were loading but never used
5// Better filtering
- Notes can be filtered by topic
- The Gallery can be filtered by type (and "graphic" is a new creation type)
6// Newsletter + subscriber fixes
- Images in the newsletter load reliably in more inboxes now
- Signing in to manage your subscription stays signed in, and you can sign out from the homepage
- Link previews look better when you share a page on social
7// Faster pages
Data now loads in parallel and less gets bundled up front, so pages load faster.
Up next
I'm building a single timeline feed of everything I build, learn, and create, grouped by month, so you can follow along in one place.
Alright, back to building.
Prototypes with AI
September Recap: VetsinTech Seattle Turns One + Dreamforce
September Recap: VetsinTech Seattle Turns One + Dreamforce
OpenRouter + Stripe = Universal Compute Credits?
With the news of OpenRouter being acquired by Stripe, I think we are one step closer to converting AI tokens to food you...
AI Can Take Your Job, but Don't Let It Take Your Identity
As AI starts replacing tasks and jobs, some people are going to lose their sense of self. I’ve seen this before. When I transitioned out of the military, my identity was tied to the mission. My team depended on me to execute, no matter what. Even a year of "transitioning" didn't prepare me to separate who I was from the purpose that had been drilled into me.
Refreshing nicuparente.com (Fall 2026)
I've been quietly shipping updates to this site since spring, so here's a roundup of everything that's changed.
1// Notes can hold more than one photo
This one shipped today. Notes now show multiple images as a peek carousel, so you can see the next photo at the edge of the frame. Tap any image to open it full-screen. My September recap had a pile of photos and nowhere to put them, so I fixed that.
2// A new About page
I rewrote it from scratch and simplified the layout. It's shorter and closer to who I am right now.
3// Short links + a real 404 page
The site has its own URL shortener now: links live at nicuparente.com/link/<something>. Old URLs from previous versions of the site also redirect to the right place instead of dead-ending. If you do hit a dead end, there's a custom 404 page now instead of the default one.
4// Design polish
- Bigger tap targets on buttons, nav, filters, and pagination, so it's easier to use on your phone
- Visible focus rings if you navigate with a keyboard
- Filter buttons on Notes, Resources, Learnings, and the Gallery all look and behave the same now
- Cleaned up fonts that were loading but never used
5// Better filtering
- Notes can be filtered by topic
- The Gallery can be filtered by type (and "graphic" is a new creation type)
6// Newsletter + subscriber fixes
- Images in the newsletter load reliably in more inboxes now
- Signing in to manage your subscription stays signed in, and you can sign out from the homepage
- Link previews look better when you share a page on social
7// Faster pages
Data now loads in parallel and less gets bundled up front, so pages load faster.
Up next
I'm building a single timeline feed of everything I build, learn, and create, grouped by month, so you can follow along in one place.
Alright, back to building.
Prototypes with AI
September Recap: VetsinTech Seattle Turns One + Dreamforce
September Recap: VetsinTech Seattle Turns One + Dreamforce
Building and Learning in Public
See what i'm active tinkering and learning about.
What I'm Actively Building
Career Fin
Duolingo for your Career
nicuparente.com
A personal website to capture all the project, resources and learnings.
Resources I'm Currently Learning From
Official Anthropic Courses
Free online courses by Anthropic covering modules for the Claude Certified Architect
TCM AI Hacking 101
Learn the fundamentals of penetration testing for AI/LLM-based applications.
Brief Box
8 Week Design Course
Lenny's Podcast
A world-class masterclass in product, growth, and career strategy, delivered through deep-dive interviews and actionable tactical advice from the tech industry’s top builders.
Official Anthropic Courses
Free online courses by Anthropic covering modules for the Claude Certified Architect
TCM AI Hacking 101
Learn the fundamentals of penetration testing for AI/LLM-based applications.
Brief Box
8 Week Design Course
Lenny's Podcast
A world-class masterclass in product, growth, and career strategy, delivered through deep-dive interviews and actionable tactical advice from the tech industry’s top builders.