My ever growing fight against imposter syndrome
Christopher Talke Buscaino
That persistent voice in your head - the one that whispers you're not qualified enough, not talented enough, not enough enough - it visits me daily. Despite years of experience and numerous successful projects, imposter syndrome remains my constant companion, convincing me I'm somehow faking my way through a career in technology.
This blog post isn't think-piece about overcoming imposter syndrome. Rather, it's my personal catalog of concrete achievements I can revisit whenever self-doubt creeps in. It's the evidence I need to counter that internal critic, a reminder that despite what my brain tries to tell me, I've built things that work, solved problems, and created actual value for myself and others.
From security vulnerability discoveries to full-stack applications serving thousands of users, from architecture optimizations to automation solutions that have run for years, these are the receipts I'm keeping to prove to myself that yes, I do know what I'm doing (at least some of the time).
Consider this my professional journal of wins, both for my future discouraged self and for anyone else who might recognize that same feeling of being perpetually out of your depth, even when the evidence suggests otherwise.
The List
🆘 Discovered & Helped Resolve an Exploit with a political web application
Successfully helped secure a political web application by identifying and disclosing a misconfigured Django API exposing sensitive data. This misconfiguration exposed highly sensitive environment variables, and the platform had been used by over 500k users leading up to the federal election. I was able to provde clear evidence, steps to reproduce the issue, and detailed guidance on how to remediate the vulnerability, helping to reduce risk during an active campaign.
#ResponsibleDisclosure #SecurityVulnerability #APISecurityTesting
🌐 Built a Scalable Game Replay System
Designed and deployed a distributed replay system for a multiplayer game, despite starting with no experience in C#, Unity, BepInEx, or TypeScript. I self-taught these technologies and built a custom game mod that captured real-time data, which I piped through a WebSocket server for processing. I developed a full-stack platform that included a React frontend, REST and WebSocket APIs, and serverless infrastructure via Cloudflare Workers. I automated packaging and deployment across multiple operating systems, integrated VirusTotal scanning for user safety, and implemented Stripe for optional donations. The project reached ~30,000 successful deployments and supported ~4,000 daily active users - all while building a strong and engaged open-source community around the tool.
#GameDevelopment #FullStack #OpenSource
🌬️ Scaled Learner Processing with Fan-Out/Fan-In Architecture
Refactored a long-running learner data processing task into a scalable fan-out/fan-in architecture. Originally a monolithic function prone to timeouts and brittle retry logic, I restructured the system so each learner's data was processed in its own isolated function invocation. This significantly improved fault tolerance and reduced execution time by parallelizing the workload. System-managed retries replaced custom error handling, improving reliability and observability. The architecture maintained the original business logic while transforming it into a robust, distributed workflow suitable for high-scale environments.
#CloudArchitecture #Microservices #DistributedSystems
📦 Automated Missed Delivery Platform for DHL Contract
Built a self-service missed delivery system using Cloudflare, Next.js, SendGrid, and QR codes for a logistics company fulfilling DHL contracts. The platform automated the entire redelivery workflow, allowing customers to manage missed deliveries independently via a secure, QR-based web portal. This significantly reduced inbound support calls and manual handling, enabling a small team to meet SLA obligations efficiently. The system remained in active use for two years, directly supporting business continuity and contract fulfillment.
#Automation #FullStackDev #CustomSoftware
📎 Paperless Workflow Automation with Digital Forms
Designed and deployed a digital forms system for a distributed workforce, replacing paper-based processes with a tablet-friendly, automated workflow. Built a custom Node.js application to handle PDF generation from user input, enabling staff across multiple locations to enter data on-site and automatically produce documents for downstream systems. Conducted hands-on training to ensure the team could operate the system independently. The solution has run smoothly with minimal support for years, significantly improving operational efficiency and reducing reliance on manual data entry.
#DigitalTransformation #Automation #FullStackDev
🔓 PII Exposure in Unyoked Booking Platform
Discovered a critical security vulnerability in the Unyoked.co platform that exposed booking details, customer PII, and sensitive data through misconfigured APIs and insecure local storage. Conducted responsible disclosure by collecting clear evidence and reproducing the issue without exploiting it. I contacted their internal team and worked cooperatively with them and their external contractors to ensure the vulnerability was remediated quickly and safely, reducing the risk of malicious exploitation and aligning the platform with privacy best practices.
#ResponsibleDisclosure #SecurityVulnerability #APISecurityTesting
🏚️ FindMeARentalBot, Real-Time Rental Alerts via Telegram
Built and operated FindMeARentalBot, a Telegram bot that provided near real-time rental property alerts by integrating with an undocumented realestate.com.au API. Developed using TypeScript, Node.js, Express, and Docker, with Supabase for persistence. To prevent detection and blocking, I engineered a rotating VPN proxy system to obfuscate outbound requests and ensure consistent uptime. The bot served around 300 users per month, offering a valuable automation tool for renters and showcasing creative problem-solving in working with unofficial data sources.
#Automation #ReverseEngineering #WebScraping
💥 Cache Busting & Build Optimization for Vue 3 Projects
Replaced a slow Webpack-based build process in multiple Vue 3 projects to enable cache busting and significantly improve build performance. The original setup produced static artifact names (index.js, index.css, etc.), causing caching issues for users upon deployment. I implemented a new build system that generated hashed filenames for each build and automated .cshtml file generation to reference these dynamically. This reduced build time from ~5 minutes to ~15 seconds and ensured users always received the latest version without stale cache issues.
#Automation #Tooling #Optimisation
2D Raycasting "Engine" with HTML, CSS and JavaScript (No Canvas)
I went through a phase of wanting to create my own games, and the visual effect of 2D raycasting was really interesting. So I challenged myself to understand and implement 2D raycasting from the ground up, imposing a constraint to avoid using the <canvas> element. Using only HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, I developed a prototype game that simulates line-of-sight, reminiscent of early games. This approach required me to manipulate DOM elements directly to render the scene, deepening my understanding of raycasting algorithms, revisiting concepts like vector math, trigonometry, and rendering techniques that I have not had to touch since high school. This was a completely for-fun project, which I ended up sharing on /r/webdev and got some really positive feedback because of the constraint I placed upon myself. It wasn't the most performant implementation (by a long shot), but I learned a lot by trying to problem-solve something I'd never encounter in my professional career.
#GameDev #2DRaycasting #ProblemSolving #Math
📃 Custom Quality Assurance System Design & Training
Developed and implemented a custom Quality Assurance system to replace an existing unreliable Excel based process. The new solution featured a centralized database (Postgres) with a user-friendly interface using Express and ReactJS SPA, allowing multiple staff members to manage and update records concurrently. This transition not only eliminated issues related to version control and manual errors but also streamlined QA workflows across various business systems. Comprehensive training and clear technical documentation were provided to ensure smooth adoption by non-technical staff. Additionally, I invested time in understanding the intricacies of legacy platforms and business logic to ensure seamless integration and alignment with operational goals.
#Automation #ProcessImprovement #InternalTools
📞 Cloud Phone System Deployment with Teams & 3CX
Implemented a cloud-based phone system using Microsoft Teams Calling with Direct Routing via 3CX and SIP trunking. Designed and deployed the solution to support a fully remote workforce, integrating seamlessly with existing workflows. Delivered training to staff to ensure smooth adoption, improving communication reliability and reducing dependence on legacy phone infrastructure.
#MicrosoftTeams #CloudTelephony #RemoteInfrastructure
📶 Custom LTE Signal Analyser
In an effort to optimize LTE signal strength in a rural setting, I developed a custom application to interface with the Netcomm NL1901ACV router and its embeeded Quectel LTE Module. By leveraging SSH access and issuing AT commands via the router's BusyBox environment, I extracted detailed signal metrics such as RSRP, RSRQ, RSSI, and SINR. To interpret these metrics, I created a comprehensive JSON mapping table based on Quectel's documentation. The application provided real-time signal analysis, aiding in the optimal placement of the router for improved connectivity. Although the project concluded prematurely due to hardware failure, it served its purpose effectively and enhanced my understanding of LTE technologies.
#Hardware #Networking #ReverseEngineering