How to handle Brawl Stars API rate limits with Nginx?

Use split_clients on request_id to rotate keys evenly, add proxy_cache_lock to kill thundering herds. Works for any strict API.

Best way to build leaderboards for 5K users cheaply?

Dump JS sorting. PostgreSQL materialized views with RANK() OVER partitions. Fetch JSON only — CPU vanishes.

Monetize teen gamers without credit cards?

VIP roles via one-click donors like Ko-Fi. Webhook to DB flip, instant UI glow-up. Vanity sells.

🏗️ DevOps & Infrastructure

Dad and 14-Year-Old Son Launch BrawlValue.com: 5K Users, Zero Downtime on a $10 AWS Box

5,000 verified Gen-Z users in days, all from WhatsApp whispers. A dad and his 14-year-old built BrawlValue.com — and kept AWS bills tiny amid the hype.

theAIcatchup Apr 08, 2026 3 min read

BrawlValue.com dashboard showing school leaderboards and glowing VIP share cards

⚡ Key Takeaways

Nginx split_clients + proxy_cache_lock survives API spikes on one IP without extra costs. 𝕏
Supabase window functions crush JS for dynamic rankings, enabling t3.small scaling. 𝕏
Discord bot + multimodal LLM automates teen verification at zero marginal cost. 𝕏

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theAIcatchup

Community-driven. Code-first.

#AWS EC2 #AWS EC2 scaling #AWS hacks #AWS traffic spikes #BrawlValue.com #Nginx hacks #Nginx tricks #Supabase leaderboards #gaming leaderboards #indie SaaS #supabase #viral gaming SaaS

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Originally reported by Dev.to

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