Written by Brian Hulela
Updated at 20 Jun 2025, 17:35
5 min read
Photo by Nubelson Fernandes on Unsplash
It wasn't long after I learnt how to build web applications with ReactJS that I started having ideas of building my own personal website. Discovering this framework gave me the confidence to make all my ideas as a developer come to life.
As I was diving deeper into tutorials, I realized just how much I still had to learn before I could build production grade web applications.
When I graduated and started job hunting, I began to notice how unready I was for the job market from a personal branding perspective. That's when I started searching for resources online on how to build a strong personal brand.
I stumbled upon the book Personal Branding For Dummies by Susan Chritton. She goes into detail on why building a strong personal brand is essential and provide tools to achieve it. Before I even finished the book, I was convinced that a personal website was a great next step after updating my résumé. In fact, I started building my website while I was still reading the book.
Up until this point, I had never hosted any of my web applications on a public domain. All my projects either ended up on my computer or in a GitHub repository. Building a personal website gave me a chance to purchase a domain and finally have a public-facing platform.
This was a commitment—one that allowed me to learn a lot along the way.
Suddenly, I had to think about aspects of app development that I had previously ignored. Since this was an actual project meant for real-world use, I could no longer overlook important elements. Some skill gaps were immediately apparent to me:
I didn't own a domain name
I didn't know how to host web apps
My knowledge of securing a public-facing app was limited
I lacked experience in branding—designing a logo choosing typography, theming, and more
There were so many aspects of what makes a web application functional, secure and easy to maintain that I hadn't thought about before. I realized that these gaps in knowledge had been the main reason I had avoided building a personal website for so long.
I saw this project not only as a way to develop my personal brand, but as an opportunity to learn all the skills that I had been avoiding all along. Skills I knew were important but had neglected because I was stuck on tutorial mode.
I never saw the importance of owning my own domain because I never intended to launch the websites I built—I was just 'practicing'.
In hindsight, this mentality held me back significantly. I wasn't pushing myself hard enough to learn valuable skills. Skills that were going to take my journey as a developer to the next level.
Looking for work, collaborators and trying to monetize my skills finally gave me the push I needed. Reading Personal Branding For Dummies made it clear that to stand out, I needed a strong personal brand. A website was a major step in that direction.
It also allowed me to develop other key aspects of personal branding that are often overlooked, such as:
A cohesive color palette
A personal logo
A blog
A unique promise of value (as Susan calls it in her book)
Not only did these elements help me stand out, but they also helped me understand myself better. I had to reflect on who I was and what I had to offer the world.
I've always taken ownership seriously. While social media provides reach and accessibility, I never felt in full control—I owned the content, but not the platform. And I think these platforms need some competition especially since censorship is a real phenomenon.
A personal website was a no-brainer. I could control everything: the design, the content, and the user experience. I saw it as an investment in myself.
Owning the tools we use as creators gives us an advantage. It allows us to challenge the mainstream, take control of our brand, and grow our platform alongside our skills.
Although it takes time for a personal website to gain traction and attract an audience, I still believe it's a great investment in the long term. It serves as a digital business card and allows me to showcase my skills.
It's a project I can continuously improve. Recently, I migrated my website from ReactJS to NextJS for it's Search Engine Optimization (SEO) benefits and implemented Server-side Rendering to improve performance. I also added a blog—where this very post is published.
As my traffic grows, I might explore monetization through ads, e-books, tutorials, and other content. But more than anything, my website is a space for learning, sharing, and positioning myself as a developer.
My motivations are clear: ownership, investment, knowledge-sharing, and life-long learning drive me to continue building.
If you're a developer and you don’t have a personal website—what are you waiting for?
This is one of the most rewarding projects you can undertake. The amount of learning that comes with building a personal website will leave you motivated and confident to take on any project your heart desires.
Thank you for reading! Check out my other blog posts and subscribe to my Substack to receive updates each time I post.
