My Hacker Compass: How I Decide What Not to Build
There are hundreds of tutorials on how to hack. There are almost none on when not to.
This is my internal compass: the questions I ask before writing a line of code, running a scanner, or launching a payload.
If more developers built one too, the internet would be safer by accident.
The Questions I Always Ask
- Would I want someone doing this to me, my family, or my company?
- If this project leaked into the wild, could it cause damage beyond my control?
- Is the goal educational, defensive, or quietly harmful?
- Am I building something that assumes trust — or abuses it?
- If someone else found this on my laptop, would I be proud or panicked?
- Is this solving a real security problem — or just proving that I can break something?
Lessons Learned (the hard way)
I’ve already seen it:
Clients asking for tools that feel innocent… until you realize what they’re really for.
AI assistants eagerly scaffolding entire exploits without blinking.
Perfectly legal builds with ethically catastrophic consequences.
Intent doesn’t compile.
And the faster tech gets, the more true that becomes.
It’s not about what you can automate.
It’s about what you’re willing to unleash.
Just like so many other tools, a hammer for example, one person can build a beautiful house with it, while another person can break a window and empty that same house. Same tool, same function, completely different intent and outcomes.
Why It Matters
Most security breaches aren’t masterminded by villains.
They’re the result of lazy builders, naive coders, and people who never bothered to ask better questions.
The world needs more cautious builders.
More developers who say “No, this is a bad idea” before the code ever exists.
Not to stifle growth, not to squash creativity and experimentation. Just that one second pause
that allows you, the maker, to say what happens if the wrong person used this, and how can I mitigate that.
When you build with a hacker compass, you’re not just protecting your project.
You’re protecting strangers you’ll never meet.
When I first started all this, it was a total fluke, like a happy little accident (re: Bob Ross) because why not. Sort of, curiosity, meets I can’t believe that is possible. I wanted to learn more, and see what else is possible.
I cover an in depth example of this discovery: When the AI Built a Scraper I Shouldn’t Deliver — the moment I realized AI doesn’t care about ethics unless you make it.
My compass doesn’t have to be yours, it doesn’t even have to be close, but I do believe that once you discover certain tools, abilities, or expertise, you must develop some form of “north star”. Your beliefs, your standards, your boundaries.
“If clients think you will do anything for the right amount of money, then you will always find clients willing to pay you that amount.”
Hacker Mentality
Since I was a very small kid, I can remember breaking things, disassembling them, trying to put them back, and trying all over again.
- why does this do that
- why doesn’t that do this
- what happens if I push this or pull that
- can I make this faster, slower, easier
- has anyone ever thought about this
- what if this did this, and that also did this
Some Call It Laziness
One day I had to do a chore, I spent so much time planning and trying to figure out how to do the chore faster, that I could have finished 4 times. I would spend 5 hours studying a 1 hour task, trying to concoct a way to turn the 1 hour task into a 30 minute task.
There was no such thing as ADHD or any other acronym when I was a child. You were either lazy, or lacked proper discipline at home.
For me, it was never a lack of discipline. In fact, I was very much “disciplined.”
(This isn’t a sob story — it’s just a truth.)
Here’s what I know now:
Just because someone says you can’t, doesn’t mean you can’t.
It might just mean they couldn’t.
Even if it hurts. Even if it costs you something.
My cost for curiosity was corporal. Yours might be time, money, or something else.
Don’t be reckless enough to end up on a flyer. Remember: don’t be dumb, but don’t be a sheep either.
25 years ago, platforms like TryHackMe ↗ and Hack The Box ↗ didn’t exist. The internet barely existed for most people.
Today, you can learn, build, break, and explore within real boundaries — with safety nets that barely existed when I was growing up.
This isn’t just about tech, either.
The hacker mindset touches every part of life.
Some call it curiosity, exploration, invention, entrepreneurship — but it’s the same spirit.
The mindset is the tool.
Sometimes good people do dumb things.
Sometimes it’s unintentional. Sometimes it’s misguided.
And yes — sometimes, there are real dirtbags out there too.
Don’t be that person.
Mmkay? Thanks.
Final Thought
The goal isn’t to be perfect.
The goal is to never become the mistake.
Build carefully. Break responsibly.
Ask questions first. Hack later. Stay curious. Stay loud.
Want more? Read Ethics Before Skill next — it’s where this journey really started.