The biggest jumps in my career didn't come from new frameworks. They came from letting go of beliefs I was sure were right.

From tables to workspaces

When I started, I thought frontend was about displaying what exists in the database. A table here, a form there, a create-read-update-delete screen for every entity, an API behind each one. If the data was on the screen and editable, the job was done.

Now I think in workspaces, personalization, workflows and productivity. A registrar doesn't want a "students table". They want to know which students need attention this morning, what is stuck, and what they can finish before lunch. An admissions officer doesn't want a list of applications. They want a queue that tells them who is waiting on them and for how long.

The database is the raw material. The product is the work it makes easier. Build screens around tables and you get data-entry sheets.…