Think Data Hub

  • From Pub Manager to Software Engineer: This is Where My Journey Starts

    Hi, I’m Niamh — and if you’re new here, welcome to ThinkDataHub.

    This is my first proper post under the new direction for this blog, and I wanted to make it count. Not a tutorial, not a guide — just an honest introduction to who I am, where I’m at, and where I’m trying to go. Because I think context matters, and I want you to know the person behind the posts.

    Where I Started

    I spent years working in pubs. Assistant manager, long shifts, dealing with everything that comes with hospitality. It’s a world away from software engineering, and honestly for a long time I didn’t think tech was something that was meant for people like me.

    I’m 28, I live in Scotland with my wife and our two cats Clover and Poppy, and I do cleaning work on the side to make things work while I study. I’m not coming from a traditional background. There was no computer science A-Level, no straight line from school to university to tech job. Just a decision at some point that I wanted something different, and a lot of hard work since then.

    Where I Am Now

    I’m currently studying Computing and IT BSc Honours with the Open University, and I am absolutely loving it — even the hard bits.

    This year has been a lot. I’ve been working through TM111 and TM112 alongside each other, which covers everything from the fundamentals of computing right through to the maths that underpins it all — statistics, surds, binary, and everything in between.

    The maths side of things has been one of the most satisfying parts. Binary in particular just clicked for me — converting between number systems, binary addition, understanding how computers actually process numbers at a fundamental level. There’s something really satisfying about understanding what’s happening underneath the hood.

    I also completed a networks module through Cisco’s NetAcad this year, which I’m proud of — my TMA came back with 97%, which honestly made my week. I’m currently waiting on my final overall result for TM111 and I’ve been predicted a distinction, which I’m equal parts excited and nervous about. I’ll update you when it lands.

    A Quick Taste: Binary Conversion

    Since we’re on the subject — here’s something I’ve been learning that I think is genuinely fascinating once it clicks.

    Computers don’t understand numbers the way we do. They work in binary — a system made up of only 1s and 0s. Every number, every letter, every image on your screen is ultimately represented in binary underneath.

    Converting a decimal number to binary is simpler than it sounds. Take the number 13:

    • 13 ÷ 2 = 6 remainder 1
    • 6 ÷ 2 = 3 remainder 0
    • 3 ÷ 2 = 1 remainder 1
    • 1 ÷ 2 = 0 remainder 1

    Read the remainders bottom to top: 1101

    So 13 in binary is 1101. That’s it. Once you understand the pattern it becomes second nature, and it gives you a completely different way of thinking about how computers work.

    This is the kind of thing I’ll be sharing more of as I go deeper into the technical side of my degree.

    Where I’m Going

    Next year I move into the Software Engineering pathway of my degree, which is the part I’ve been building toward. But I’m not waiting until then to get started.

    I’m already planning to build projects — real ones, things I can put on GitHub and talk about in interviews. Because the honest truth is I want a career in software engineering, and I know that a degree alone isn’t enough. You need a portfolio, you need experience, and you need to show people what you can actually do.

    That’s a big part of what this blog is becoming. A place where I document the projects, share what I’m learning, and hopefully help other people in similar situations — students, career changers, self-taught developers — do the same.

    What ThinkDataHub Is Now

    This blog has evolved since I started it. It’s no longer just general tech content — it’s my story, my learning, and everything I’m building along the way.

    You’ll find tutorials, honest reflections on studying, GitHub guides, Notion templates, and starting this Monday — a weekly paid newsletter with practical portfolio challenges designed to help you build a CV worth showing employers.

    If you’re a student, a career changer, or just someone trying to find your way into tech — stick around. You’re in the right place.

    I’ll see you in the next one.

    — Niamh ThinkDataHub.uk

  • A New Chapter for ThinkDataHub 🚀

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  • Launch: The 2026 Performance Planner is Live!

    We all know the feeling of a “busy” day that results in zero actual progress. We track things, we make lists, but the signal gets lost in the noise.

    At ThinkDataHub, I’ve spent the last few months obsessed with a single question: How do we build a productivity engine that works as hard as we do?

    Today, I’m excited to officially launch The 2026 Performance Planner—a minimalist Notion system built for those who value clarity over clutter.

    ⚙️ Stop Managing. Start Operating.

    Most planners are just digital paper. They require you to do all the heavy lifting. I wanted to build an Engine.

    The 2026 Performance Planner is built on three pillars:

    • Automation: A one-click “Daily Reset” that builds your workspace for you.
    • Visibility: Real-time habit progress bars that give you instant feedback on your consistency.
    • Strategy: Built-in Quarterly Audits that force you to step back from the “busy work” and check your trajectory.

    📥 The “Zero-Clutter” Brain Dump

    One of my favourite features is the integrated Inbox. We’ve all had those “2:00 AM ideas” that end up cluttering our calendars. This system gives those ideas a home without distracting you from today’s mission. Capture it now, schedule it when you’re ready.

    🎁 What’s Inside?

    • The Master Dashboard: A high-performance command center.
    • Smart Habit Tracker: Visual data for your daily wins.
    • Priority Task Engine: Automatic sorting for what actually matters.
    • 4 Seasonal Strategy Hubs: Pre-formatted for deep-dive reflection.
    A cinematic walkthrough of the 2026 Planner in action.

    🛍️ Get Your Copy

    The planner is now available on Gumroad.

  • The 3-Tier Logic Stack: How I Run This Hub

    Complexity is the enemy of execution.

    I often see creators carrying a “debt” of 15+ subscriptions—Monday.com for tasks, Trello for roadmaps, Webflow for design, ConvertKit for emails. They spend more time managing their tools than building their products.

    I run Think Data Hub on a lean, 3-tier architecture. It costs almost nothing and requires zero maintenance.

    Here is the stack.

    Tier 1: The Operating System (Notion)

    Everything starts here. I don’t use Notion just for notes; I use it as a relational database.

    • CRM: Tracking connections.
    • Content Calendar: Planning these posts.
    • Product Development: Building tools like The Auto-Prioritizer.

    If it isn’t in Notion, it doesn’t exist. It is the RAM of my business.

    Tier 2: The Engine (WordPress)

    Many people moved to Substack or Medium. I stayed on WordPress. Why? Control.

    I treat WordPress as a “Headless CMS.” It allows me to build custom logic loops—like the Self-Updating Code Repository I built yesterday—without needing a dev team. It is robust, open-source, and I own the data.

    Tier 3: The Storefront (Gumroad)

    I don’t want to manage Stripe APIs or worry about VAT taxes in Europe. Gumroad handles the logistics. It is the checkout layer.

    • I build the logic in Notion.
    • I explain the logic in WordPress.
    • I deliver the file via Gumroad.

    See the live storefront in action here.

    The Philosophy

    This stack follows the “Unix Philosophy”: Do one thing and do it well.

    • Notion handles Data.
    • WordPress handles Display.
    • Gumroad handles Transaction.

    Stop looking for the “perfect” all-in-one tool. It doesn’t exist. Build a modular stack and get to work.

  • Refactoring Your Finances: How to Fix “Financial Memory Leaks”

    The Concept: In software engineering, a memory leak happens when a program allocates memory but fails to return it to the operating system. Over time, these small leaks consume all available RAM, and the system crashes.

    Your personal finances have the same vulnerability.

    We call them “Subscriptions.”

    We sign up for a £12/month tool, a £9/month streaming service, and a £5/month premium app. Individually, they are negligible. Collectively, they are a massive drag on your system resources (capital).

    Most people try to “budget” their way out of this. I prefer to audit.

    The Logic of the Annualized View

    The human brain is bad at compounding. When you see £15/month, your brain categorizes it as “Cheap.” But financially, that is a £180/year liability.

    If you have 10 of these “cheap” subscriptions, you aren’t spending £150. You are bleeding £1,800 a year on background processes.

    To fix this, I built a system in Notion called The ROI Auditor.

    The System Architecture

    I don’t track expenses; I track Dependencies. The system is built on two simple logic gates:

    1. The True Annual Cost Formula The dashboard doesn’t show me the monthly price. It forces me to look at the annual impact.

    • Input: Netflix (£15/mo)
    • Output: £180.00

    Seeing the four-digit number is painful. That pain is necessary to trigger action.

    2. The “Zombie” Detection A subscription is only valid if it is used. I added a Usage property to every item.

    • If Usage == “Daily” → 🟢 Active
    • If Usage == “Never” → 🔴 BURN MONEY

    This creates a “Kill List.” A view that filters for every service I pay for but haven’t touched in 30 days.

    The Protocol

    I run this audit once a month (usually on the 1st).

    1. Open the Dashboard.
    2. Check the “Kill List” view.
    3. Cancel everything in Red.

    Last month, this system flagged a VPN I hadn’t used in 6 months and an Adobe license I didn’t need. Total savings: £420/year. Time taken: 5 minutes.

    Get the Tool

    I cleaned up the code and turned this into a template. It includes the pre-written Annual Cost Formulas and the Zombie Alert logic.

    You can download it and run your own audit today.

    Download The ROI Auditor

  • Your To-Do List is Broken. Here is the Logic Formula to Fix It.

    Stop me if this sounds familiar:

    You have 15 tasks on your to-do list. You stare at them for 10 minutes, overwhelmed by the sheer volume, and end up doing… none of them. Instead, you check your email or scroll social media.

    This is called Analysis Paralysis.

    The problem isn’t that you are lazy. The problem is that your to-do list is “flat.” It treats a 5-minute email (low value) with the exact same visual weight as a major project deadline (high value).

    To fix this, you don’t need more willpower. You need a Logic Gate.

    The Eisenhower Protocol

    General Dwight D. Eisenhower—one of the most productive men in history—used a simple decision matrix to rule his day. He categorized everything by two variables: Urgency and Importance.

    • Urgent + Important: Do it immediately.
    • Not Urgent + Important: Schedule it.
    • Urgent + Not Important: Delegate it.
    • Neither: Delete it.

    It is a perfect system. But in the heat of the moment, most of us are too emotional to make these decisions objectively. We convince ourselves that checking Slack is “Urgent” when it really isn’t.

    Introducing: The Auto-Prioritizer

    I realized I needed to remove myself from the equation. So, I engineered a Notion system to make the decision for me.

    I built a simple Notion to-do list template called The Auto-Prioritizer. It uses a Boolean Logic Formula to automatically rank tasks.

    You don’t type “Priority.” You just input the raw data:

    1. Is it Urgent? (Yes/No)
    2. Is it Important? (Yes/No)

    The system instantly runs the code and tells you exactly what to do using a color-coded traffic light system:

    • 🔴 DO NOW: (High Urgency + High Importance)
    • 🟡 SCHEDULE: (Low Urgency + High Importance)
    • 🔵 DELEGATE: (High Urgency + Low Importance)
    • 🟢 DELETE: (Low Urgency + Low Importance)

    It strips away the emotion and leaves you with a clear execution plan.

    Get the System for Free

    I usually build complex logic stacks for data analysis (like my full Logic Stack system), but I believe basic productivity should be accessible to everyone.

    I have packaged The Auto-Prioritizer as a Free Notion Template. You can duplicate it into your own workspace and start using the logic immediately.

    Download the Auto-Prioritizer Template Here

    Download the ROI Auditor Template Here

    Stop guessing. Start executing.

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