Build logs, debugging stories, and things I wish someone told me earlier. I write these because the gap between 'I want to build that' and 'I actually built that' is filled with mistakes most people never talk about.
8 slides, and a prototype that tweets CO₂ data. What I learned about telling a technical story to judges who see 50 decks a day. Also: why you should never claim 90% efficiency if you have not measured it yet.
NASA Competition StorytellingThe SCD41 would not show up on the scanner. I checked wiring, pull-ups, addresses, and nearly gave up. Then I realized the multiplexer channel mask was wrong. A story about patience, Serial Monitor, and why sleep matters.
ESP32 I2C DebuggingI wanted to compress cabin air directly. Then I did the math and realized 99% of that energy compresses nitrogen, not CO₂. I felt stupid. Then I redesigned everything. That is where AERO-LITE actually became AERO-LITE.
Design Math Iteration