# Nika Sakandelidze

> Founder and engineer sharing what I actually learn building with AI — the technical craft, and the human side of doing good work.

## About

I'm Nika Sakandelidze, a founder and engineer. I co-founded [Mazeg](https://www.mazeg.io/), an AI-native studio in Tbilisi. Our team takes software products from strategy and design through engineering and launch.

Most of my attention goes to AI: where it is genuinely useful, and where it still falls short. I write about the technical craft of building with AI, focused work, and the human side of pursuing ambitious ideas. I also help organize [Hacktoberfest Tbilisi](https://hacktoberfest.ge/).

## Essays

- [Why Being a Good Teammate Matters When You Lead](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/importance-of-being-a-team-player.md): 2026-08-23, 2 min read. Not the only reason leaders fail — but one of the most common ones I notice.
- [Collecting Evidence](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/collect-evidence.md): 2026-07-27, 4 min read. You change how you see yourself by collecting new evidence — through different decisions, not motivation
- [The Importance of Being Bored](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/importance-of-being-bored.md): 2026-07-15, 3 min read. Boredom isn't something to escape — it's where creativity, reflection, and real growth start
- [Be The Author Of Your Goals](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/be-the-author-of-your-goals.md): 2026-07-13, 3 min read. Why useful skills only compound when they serve goals you have consciously chosen
- [Knowing Things Is The New Superpower](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/knowing-things-is-the-new-superpower.md): 2026-04-26, 1 min read. Why breadth of knowledge matters more than ever in the AI era
- [Sense of Urgency](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/sense-of-urgency.md): 2026-03-03, 2 min read. Why creating and sharing a sense of urgency is non-negotiable in startups
- [Hacktoberfest 2025](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/hacktoberfest2025.md): 2025-10-20, 7 min read. Here i'll share some observations, learnings and advices after i've reflected on hacktoberfest 2025's event
- [Bad Habits](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/bad-habits.md): 2025-09-24, 3 min read. How Bad Habits Can Be Detrimental To Your Life
- [What's Your Attitude About Feeling Bad?](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/thoughts-about-feeling-bad.md): 2025-06-06, 2 min read. Is it possible to limit the impact area of feeling bad in your life
- [Journey Of Starting An Agency](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/why-to-start-agency.md): 2025-02-17, 3 min read. Journey Of Engineer Building An Agency
- [Power Of Knowing When To Shut Up](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/one-of-the-most-important-actions.md): 2024-11-24, 1 min read. Learning To Not Get In Your Teammates' way
- [If You Aren't Afraid Of Your Goals, You Aren't Stretching Yourself](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/streching-yourelf.md): 2024-10-27, 1 min read. The only way i've found useful to improve
- [Build In Public](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/build-in-public.md): 2024-09-30, 2 min read. Reminder for builders(aka engineers)
- [only 2 types of people in tech](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/best-people-to-work-with.md): 2024-09-30, 2 min read. What do the best people around me have in common? How to become like that?
- [Why It's Okay to Feel Like a Loser](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/remember-when-you-feel-like-looser.md): 2024-09-04, 2 min read. Read this if you are feeling like a complete loser
- [Fail as much, as miserably & as fast as possible](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/fail-more.md): 2024-07-07, 1 min read. The only way to learn as much as possible & as soon as possible
- [Surround Yourself With Right People](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/surround-yourself-with-good-people.md): 2024-05-18, 1 min read. What to keep in mind about people around you
- [Why I Write](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/write.md): 2024-04-07, 2 min read. The reason i started writing and why you should as well
- [Find People To Learn With](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/learn.md): 2024-03-24, 1 min read. One thing to change in your learning process
- [Become comfortable with uncomfortable](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/uncomfortable.md): 2024-03-10, 1 min read. Importance of getting used to psychic pain of uncomfortable situations
- [Dealing With Uncertainty](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/dealing-with-uncertainity.md): 2024-02-22, 2 min read. What to keep in mind when faced with uncertain situations
- [Effectively Handling Highs Of Life Is As Important As Handling Lows](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/how-to-handle-ups.md): 2024-02-18, 2 min read. Another area for improvement for all of us
- [My First Post Mortem](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/first-post-mortem.md): 2024-01-25, 4 min read. Report of my first serious incident as a software engineer
- [Share Your Failures Like Achievements](https://nikasakandelidze.com/essays/embrace-failures.md): 2024-01-24, 2 min read. Embracing mistakes & failures

## Projects

- [Lasso](https://trylasso.online/) (2026): A screen drawing and annotation app for Mac. Draw arrows, circles and numbered steps over live apps, save annotated screenshots, or let AI agents see and draw on your screen.
- [Replay](https://tryreplay.online/) (2026): A meeting recorder for Mac. Records Meet, Zoom and Teams calls without a bot, transcribes them on-device, and drafts editable notes with Apple Intelligence.
- [Tomato](https://trytomato.online/) (2026): A Pomodoro timer for Mac that times focus sessions, keeps quick notes, and shows which apps and sites took your time, all stored on your Mac.
- [Mirrorly](https://trymirrorly.online/) (2026): Docs your team and your agents write together. Teammates and AI agents like Claude Code or Codex edit the same live doc, comment, and tag each other.
- [Animated Essays](https://animatedessays.com/) (2026): Great essays by writers like Paul Graham, Sam Altman and Naval, explained in a few minutes of narrated drawing.
- [Wholelook](https://wholelook.shop/) (2026 — ongoing): Helping fashion stores sell the whole look. Turns a single product into complete, shoppable outfits from the store’s in-stock catalog, with merchandisers in control.
- [AI Fusion Photography](https://aifusionphotography.com/) (2026 — ongoing): An experimental photography vertical I coined—real photographs reimagined with generative AI to uncover creative worlds in the ordinary.
- [PromptWear](https://promptwear.ge/) (2026 — ongoing): An AI-powered apparel platform that turns a text prompt into a one-time-printed t-shirt, hoodie, or tote bag — wearable design for everyone.

## Videos

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nikasarchive

- [Stop Copy-Pasting Between Docs and AI Agents](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWa6iA5-urc): 2026-11-13
- [Why Designing with AI Still Feels Slow (and a Better Loop)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN-rMrO8cy8): 2026-11-13
- [Stop Designing with AI Like a Slot Machine: A Simple 2-Step Process](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-u_QRupYq0): 2026-11-13
- [Replay: record your calls on your Mac. No bots.](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CAbPUIWOWtw): 2026-11-04, Short

## Library

These are some of the latest books I've read. I'm updating this list as I go, and I'd love to hear your [book recommendations](https://nikasakandelidze.com/#contact).

- [Atomic Habits by James Clear](https://nikasakandelidze.com/library/atomic-habits.md).
- [Deep Work by Cal Newport](https://nikasakandelidze.com/library/deep-work.md).
- [Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman](https://nikasakandelidze.com/library/thinking-fast-and-slow.md).
- [The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson](https://nikasakandelidze.com/library/the-almanack-of-naval-ravikant.md).
- [Zero to One by Peter Thiel](https://nikasakandelidze.com/library/zero-to-one.md).
- [The Pragmatic Programmer by David Thomas & Andrew Hunt](https://nikasakandelidze.com/library/the-pragmatic-programmer.md).
- [Designing Data-Intensive Applications by Martin Kleppmann](https://nikasakandelidze.com/library/designing-data-intensive-applications.md).
- [Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull](https://nikasakandelidze.com/library/creativity-inc.md).
- [Build by Tony Fadell](https://nikasakandelidze.com/library/build.md).
- [The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick](https://nikasakandelidze.com/library/the-mom-test.md).
- [The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson](https://nikasakandelidze.com/library/the-subtle-art-of-not-giving-a-fuck.md).

## Contact

- Email: nikasakana@gmail.com
- X: https://x.com/nikaskn
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-sakandelidze-004720189/
- GitHub: https://github.com/nikasakandelidze
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nikasarchive
- Contact form: https://nikasakandelidze.com/#contact