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My name is Maksim Zhirnov. I’m a Growth Marketing Expert & MarTech Engineer. I help tech companies scale through data-driven marketing strategies, powered by my engineering background. I love building marketing systems that drive growth and sharing insights on the intersection of technology and customer acquisition.
Implementing Network-Level Rate Limiting with eBPF and Go: A Deep Dive into Kernel-Space Traffic Control

Implementing Network-Level Rate Limiting with eBPF and Go: A Deep Dive into Kernel-Space Traffic Control

Why Your User Space Rate Limiter Is Probably Crying If you’ve ever tried to implement rate limiting in user space, you know the feeling. Packets arrive at the network interface, traverse through several kernel layers, bounce around in syscall overhead, and by the time your beautifully crafted rate limiting logic gets a chance to inspect them, you’ve already lost the performance battle. It’s like trying to stop a tsunami with a garden hose while wearing roller skates....

January 12, 2026 · 14 min · 2972 words · Maxim Zhirnov
The Case for Embracing Inefficiencies in Software Development

The Case for Embracing Inefficiencies in Software Development

Remember when your car had a 5-speed transmission and a carburetor you could actually tinker with? Yeah, neither do I—but engineers loved them. Why? Because that “inefficient” design taught them how cars actually worked. Today’s software industry is obsessed with maximum efficiency, and I’m here to argue we’re optimizing away some of the most valuable parts of our craft. The Efficiency Cult We’ve Built Let’s be honest: the software development world is currently gripped by what I call “efficiency mania....

January 12, 2026 · 9 min · 1805 words · Maxim Zhirnov
Apache JMeter vs Gatling: A Developer's Deep Dive into Performance Testing Tools

Apache JMeter vs Gatling: A Developer's Deep Dive into Performance Testing Tools

Performance testing is like stress-testing a relationship—you want to know how your system behaves when things get intense. And just like choosing the right partner, picking between Apache JMeter and Gatling can make all the difference. Let me walk you through this journey. Why Performance Testing Matters Before we dive into the tools, let’s be honest: nobody wakes up excited to test performance. But here’s the thing—your users will definitely wake up upset if your application crumbles under load....

January 11, 2026 · 8 min · 1675 words · Maxim Zhirnov
Should AI Have Voting Rights in Open-Source Project Decisions?

Should AI Have Voting Rights in Open-Source Project Decisions?

The question sounds absurd at first glance—right up there with “Can my toaster run for Congress?” Yet here we are in 2026, watching AI systems become increasingly sophisticated contributors to our digital infrastructure. Some of them literally write code, review pull requests, and suggest architectural decisions. So maybe it’s time we ask: should these digital citizens get a say in how open-source projects govern themselves? The Paradox We’re Not Talking About Let me paint you a picture....

January 11, 2026 · 11 min · 2147 words · Maxim Zhirnov
Game Development with Python and Pygame: From Zero to Your First Playable Game

Game Development with Python and Pygame: From Zero to Your First Playable Game

If you’ve ever wondered whether making a game is something “only for game studios,” let me burst that bubble for you—it’s not. Thanks to Pygame, you can create fully functional games with nothing but Python and your determination. Whether you’re dreaming of building the next indie darling or just want to impress friends at the next gathering (“Wait, you made this?”), this guide will get you there. Why Pygame? (Or: Why Your Python Dreams Don’t Have to Stay Dreams) Before we dive headfirst into the code, let me paint the picture of why Pygame deserves a spot in your developer toolkit....

January 10, 2026 · 9 min · 1860 words · Maxim Zhirnov