Tom Norton

Blog

Thoughts on engineering, leadership, and building products.

  1. Using Math to Predict My First Half Marathon

    Using Math to Predict My First Half Marathon

    Jun 7, 2026By Tom Norton8 min read

    On a whim, I signed up for the Lausanne Half Marathon and I have never run further than 13 km. So I built a research-backed race time predictor and ran my own numbers through it. Here is what it says.

  2. How Vibe Coding Made Me a Hobbyist Again

    How Vibe Coding Made Me a Hobbyist Again

    May 20, 2026By Tom Norton8 min read

    After years too busy for side projects, vibe coding got me shipping again. I've been building free tools for cyclists and climbers at the weekends, and I'm loving it.

  3. Testing My Bike Split Calculator Against Real Data
  4. Using Math to Predict Cycling Performance

    Using Math to Predict Cycling Performance

    Apr 10, 2026By Tom Norton9 min read

    How I built a free GPX-based bike split calculator to figure out if I can beat last year's 3rd place bike leg at the Geneva Triathlon.

  5. Connecting the SBB to Claude via MCP

    Connecting the SBB to Claude via MCP

    Mar 27, 2026By Tom Norton4 min read

    I built an MCP server that gives Claude access to real-time Swiss public transport data. Here's how it works and what I learned along the way.

  6. Building an Electronic Press Kit (EPK) for Your Band

    Building an Electronic Press Kit (EPK) for Your Band

    Apr 8, 2023By Tom Norton5 min read

    In today's digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for a band's success. One important tool for promoting your music and getting noticed by industry professionals is an electronic press kit (EPK).

  7. Awesome Next.js API Routes with next-api-decorators
  8. Next.js 12 Performance Test: Builds Appear to be Slower, Not Faster
  9. If It Isn’t Already, Your Startup’s React Project Should Be Written in TypeScript
  10. 5 Lessons I Learned While Releasing A Mobile App
  11. Useful Custom Hooks for Tired React Devs

    Useful Custom Hooks for Tired React Devs

    Oct 25, 2020By Tom Norton6 min read

    React hooks are awesome. By abusing the power of JavaScript closures and with a few caveats, it’s possible to hold state in a function…

  12. Animations in React Native Just Got a Whole Lot Easier
  13. Better React Code Using Functional Programming