Thoughts - Yuyu — Full-stack Designer

August 27, 2025
9:17 PM

(3 hours ago)

The Big Battle Between Marriage and “Flow State”

Have you ever been so immersed in a task that the world around you seems to fade away? Psychologists call it the “flow state.” It’s that magical zone of peak performance where you are completely immersed in an activity, losing all track of time while your skills are perfectly matched to the challenge at hand.

For designers, programmers, or more collectively, problem-solvers, the “flow state” is the peak of productivity. It is a divine state where you get into full swing and everything just starts falling in place.

Before getting married and becoming a dad, I could do uninterrupted sprints of 2 days straight just to get into that realm and close out a project. During that sprint, I would enter that realm of full momentum, a climax that slowly builds up with focused time. It is a period where you are on top speed and would MAGICALLY close down a project faster, but ONLY IF that momentum is not broken.

Back then, it was easy for me to completely cut out distractions by turning off all my devices for as long as it takes to reach the flow state and close out projects, and this can sometimes take up to two straight focused days. However, such a climax is hardly ever achieved since getting married, and believe me, I have tried everything I can, but to no avail. The only thing I have not tried is sleeping out at night, because when night comes, I still have to “report to base” (my home) no matter where I am or how close to the flow state I am.

This scenario may seem simple, but it reflects a daily reality for many married creatives, regardless of gender. If not properly managed, it often results in lots of projects starved of genuine attention, waiting to be completed.

How can I (predictably) enter that realm in marriage? It feels almost impossible. Because I’ll get calls. I get disturbed by household processes. I have to attend to the kids, for example, pick them up and drop them off at school and extra lessons. I might have to do grocery shopping, and so on.

The silent, unbroken runway required for takeoff is simply no longer there.

Becoming a father to multiple kids is indeed a big sacrifice. It is like parting ways with a part of you, and every day is a struggle to re-develop the superpower that you once had, but in a different way. But I can’t lie, I miss those times when I could go an entire day without opening my mouth to say a word, and ultimately entering into this full swing while executing projects. The results were always amazing and precise to a fault.

Despite all that I have painted above, I still do not see marriage as an obstacle, but as a necessary sacrifice built on love, mutual respect and understanding, one that allows us to legally and ethically multiply and groom mini versions of our great selves.

There is no denying the fact that my old method of entering into the flow state is no longer valid, and I have no other choice than to unlearn it and relearn a new way.

In conclusion, the main challenge here is unlearning the old way and relearning a new way back to that sacred state of focus, but the bigger challenge is that mastering it can take years.

What’s your Reaction?

August 19, 2025
6:28 AM

(1 week ago)

How to Avoid the EFCC

I’ve been watching some videos on TikTok for nearly two hours, reading through hundreds of comments from young guys who’ve been through EFCC hell and back. Stories that make your chest tight. Stories that sound too familiar.
One guy lost two cars, spent months in detention, legal bills, spent money getting sureties, and bail for his release. By the time he was finally released, he was already homeless with millions in debt. Barely two weeks into his release, his girlfriend cheated on him, and that caused even further instability to his already miserable life. Another stayed 56 days, lost 4.9 million naira and three phones, parents didn’t even know where he was.

The pattern is always the same. Once the EFCC finally convicts you, they take everything and leave you with nothing, forcing you to find a way to rebuild everything from zero.

But here’s what really got to me. After sharing their pain, after crying about losing everything, most of these comments end the same way. “I’m back to doing it again.” “I’m more dangerous than before.” “Had to double up to recover what they took.”
It’s like watching someone burn their hand on a stove, scream in agony, then immediately reach for the same burner again. I understand though. When you’ve tasted that kind of money, when you’ve felt what it’s like to send 500k to your mom without thinking twice, when you’ve experienced that rush of seeing millions hit your account, going back to normal feels impossible. The legitimate 50k salary looks like pocket change. The 9-to-5 feels like slow death. So you go back. Because what else can you do? You’ve got debts to pay, steeze to maintain, family depending on you. The same intelligence that got you the money in the first place starts working overtime to figure out how to be smarter, more careful this time. Use someone else’s account. Don’t buy property in your name. Smash your phone if they come knocking.
But that’s just playing defense in a game where the house always wins eventually.

I’ve been watching this cycle destroy brilliant minds for years now. Guys who could build empires, create generational wealth, change their entire family tree – throwing it all away chasing money that disappears faster than it comes.

The crazy part is, the same skills that make you successful in that world – the marketing genius (a.k.a bombing), the psychology understanding (a.k.a nursing a client), the technical know-how (a.k.a update), the hunger (a.k.a “I’m active”) – these are exactly what the legitimate tech world is paying crazy money for. But nobody talks about that part.

There are nearly 1.2 Billion websites in the world right now, and each of them cost money, skill, or both to build. Every business needs a website. Every entrepreneur needs an online presence. Every brand needs digital solutions. The money is there, it’s consistent, and it’s growing every single day.

I mentored a guy who now build websites for small businesses and professionals. He was my old class mate whom I reunited with three years ago while he was working as a security guard at Shoprite. Now he charges 1,000 USD for a basic business website, 4K USD for e-commerce sites, and has a long list of clients who have booked him up in advance. No looking over shoulders, no sleepless nights, no worrying about who might snitch. Just pure skill meeting genuine demand.

That’s sustainable money. Money that grows your reputation instead of destroying it. Money that opens doors instead of closing them. Money you can tell your family about.

The hardest part isn’t learning Web Design. The hardest part is convincing yourself that slow and steady can compete with fast and risky. That building something real is worth more than building something that could vanish tomorrow.

I created ZHero because I kept meeting guys with insane potential wasting their lives in cycles they couldn’t break. Talented developers, creative marketers, natural born entrepreneurs – all stuck thinking there were only two choices: struggle or hiding.

ZHero isn’t just another Web Design course. It’s a complete system for building legitimate wealth in an industry that rewards skill and consistency. It’s for guys who want to channel that hunger into something that compounds instead of something that could land them in handcuffs.

When you know web design inside out, you’re automatically positioning yourself in a market where clients pay premium prices for custom solutions, where monthly maintenance contracts create recurring income, where your expertise becomes more valuable with every project you complete.

The same energy you’ve been using to look over your shoulder can be redirected into looking ahead. The same intelligence you’ve been using to stay one step ahead of trouble can be used to stay one step ahead of the competition.

Your mom doesn’t need to lie awake at night wondering if today is the day they come for you. Your younger siblings don’t need to watch you stress about things you can’t talk about. Your future doesn’t need to be built on foundations that could crumble any moment.

There’s a different path. It requires patience, consistency, and the willingness to build something real instead of something fast. But for guys who’ve already proven they can master complex systems and think strategically under pressure, it’s honestly not that hard.

The question isn’t whether you’re smart enough or talented enough. You’ve already proven that. The question is whether you’re tired enough of the cycle to try something different. Something that lets you sleep peacefully and not wonder which of the midnights the EFCC would come looking for you. Something that grows your wealth instead of risking it. Something you can be proud of instead of something you have to hide.

The streets will always be there. Yahoo will always exist, but your luck won’t hold indefinitely. And the skills you have right now could build something amazing if you point them in the right direction.

The ZHero Web Design Course is that direction. Not the easy path, but the right one. And sometimes, that makes all the difference.

What’s your Reaction?

August 6, 2025
4:36 PM

(3 weeks ago)

A polished product is better than an early launch

Elementor, the world’s most popular web page builder, is still testing its upcoming Editor v4 under the alpha version release. No drama, no undue pressure, just thoughtful testing, careful iteration, and feedback. It is now over three months and counting since Elementor made the alpha release of the Editor V4, and as I write this, there’s still no official release date for a production-ready version, which (I think) is a good thing.

Here are a few things I am learning from this approach to developing software:

Solid user experience isn’t built on urgency. It’s built on patience, feedback, and iteration.

It is not so uncommon for a product manager to walk into a stand-up meeting on a Monday and demand a Thursday launch for a fully featured, bug-free, and ready product intended to cater for thousands of users, availing no real time for strategy, benchmarking, and simulated tests.
Without strategy and holistic thinking, any attempt to execute a project will result in chaos and undue pressure.
Great software isn’t just about the code. It’s a culture. A culture that values quality over speed, process over pressure, and prioritize user needs over bureaucratic egos. We must stop trying to win the race by skipping laps.
Don’t chase market buzz at the cost of user trust. You can’t buy trust with Facebook ads or celebrity ambassadors. You can only earn it with reliable performance and a high-quality user experience.
Nobody remembers who launched first. But everyone remembers who worked best.

So, trust your engineers. If they say it needs two more weeks, please show empathy by believing in them and possibly motivate them by asking questions and offering to assist. They’re not being lazy. They’re just protecting you from the harsh realities of a new software launch.

I’ve seen far too many apps on the Play Store dismissed by harsh reviews before they even had a chance to gain traction, and most never recover from it.

What’s your Reaction?

July 27, 2025
1:40 PM

(1 month ago)

Improve UX with my Smart Sticky Header Snippet

Ever been on a sleek website where the header magically disappears when you scroll down and pops back up when you scroll up?

It’s subtle, it’s smooth, and, let’s be honest, it makes the site feel 10 times more modern. For me, the biggest perk with this design implementation is that it gives more room for page content as you scroll down the page since the nav menu bar would be temporarily hidden.

This effect is (unofficially) called a Smart Sticky Header. There is currently no standard name for it, but you might better relate with the names below:

🔹 Scroll-Aware Header
🔹 Auto-Hide Sticky Nav
🔹 Reveal-on-Scroll-Up Header
🔹 Dynamic Sticky Navigation
🔹 Responsive Smart Sticky

Still didn’t catch that? Okay, I’ll explain.

Unlike a regular dumb sticky header that always remains stuck to the top of your view port, this is a header that:
• Stays fixed to the top of your page (Like the regular sticky header)
• Disappears as users scroll down (to keep content in focus)
• Reappears when users scroll up (so they’re never lost)

Perfect for blogs, product pages, landing pages, or any site where you want to balance content and navigation.

You’re designing a site in Elementor for a client who owns an e-commerce boutique.
She’s worried her customers might bounce because the menu keeps crowding the screen on mobile, especially among people with shorter displays.

The Smart Sticky Header Effect is what you need, and here’s the bundled snippet to use:

<style>
    .sticky-toggle {
  position: fixed;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  right: 0;
  box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
  transition: transform 0.3s ease;
  z-index: 999;
}

.sticky-toggle.hide-on-scroll {
  transform: translateY(-100%);
}
</style>

<script>
let lastScrollY = window.scrollY;
const threshold = 10; // avoid false triggers on tiny scrolls
const elements = document.querySelectorAll('.sticky-toggle');

window.addEventListener('scroll', () => {
  const currentScrollY = window.scrollY;

  if (Math.abs(currentScrollY - lastScrollY) < threshold) {
    return; // Ignore small scrolls
  }

  const scrollingDown = currentScrollY > lastScrollY;

  elements.forEach(el => {
    if (scrollingDown) {
      el.classList.add('hide-on-scroll');
    } else {
      el.classList.remove('hide-on-scroll');
    }
  });

  lastScrollY = currentScrollY;
});
</script>

Just copy & paste this CSS and JavaScript directly into your site, and any element that you add the class name “sticky-toggle” will automatically assume the smart hide/show on-scroll effect discussed above.

If you are a WordPress Designer like me that likes to use Elementor, you just need to add an HTML Widget in your header template, and paste the code.

Then click on the your nav header section, and add the class name “sticky-toggle“.

To ensure that this snippet works as expected, make sure that the code is the last in the order of content in your header template, so that it runs when other elements in the header template are fully loaded.

This one little trick gives your web design project a professional polish and real UX value.
It’s the kind of touch clients may not ask for, but will absolutely love once they see it in action.

What’s your Reaction?

Menu

My Thoughts. Unfiltered. 💭

Love to get notified every time I make a post?

Subscribe to My Thoughts

The Big Battle Between Marriage and “Flow State”

How to Avoid the EFCC

A polished product is better than an early launch

Improve UX with my Smart Sticky Header Snippet