Most self-taught dev portfolios look the same. Todo apps. Weather apps. Calculator clones. Hiring managers scroll past them in seconds.

Here's what actually works — build something that solves a real problem you've had.

A few examples from devs I've worked with:

• A Chrome extension that auto-formats code snippets from Stack Overflow

• A dashboard that tracks your GitHub commit streaks and sends Slack reminders

• A tool that scrapes job boards and highlights listings matching your stack

The difference? These show you can identify problems and ship solutions — which is the entire job description.

If you're self-taught and trying to break in, CodeVault is where we workshop these kinds of projects together. Real code reviews, real feedback, real accountability.