My Philosophy
This page outlines the constraints, assumptions, and priorities that guide my work. It is intended for those interested in building or using systems that prioritize ownership, transparency, and independence over convenience. If you are looking for tools or approaches that reduce reliance on external providers and favor long-term control, this provides the context for how and why those systems are designed.
Opening
Modern systems are increasingly structured in ways that reduce individual control over essential aspects of daily life. Consumers are more dependent on external providers for core needs such as electricity, water, and food. At the same time, service providers are moving toward closed solutions and subscription-based models that prioritize recurring access over ownership, often locking users into long-term dependency.
This trend extends into software. Open source ecosystems, which once enabled transparency and user control, are facing growing pressure from corporations seeking to weaken or bypass licensing constraints. Alongside this, centralized infrastructure—while efficient at scale—introduces systemic fragility. Failures propagate broadly, and individuals have little ability to intervene or adapt.
These conditions form the context in which I approach system design.
Position
My work is guided by a small set of constraints.
- Ownership over rent / subscription: Systems should be operable, modifiable, and maintainable without requiring continuous external permission or payment. Users should have control over the systems they use otherwise their dependency is extended beyond the system onto a service provider.
- Accessibility: Solutions should be available to those who need them. Systems should scale in a way that minimizes barriers to entry and allows for incremental adoption, rather than requiring large upfront investment or specialized infrastructure.
- Impact: Provided solutions should material improve the lives of their users. Time and savings should increase. Significant dependencies should be reduced.
Scope
Within this context, I focus on building practical systems that operate at a small, manageable scale.
System Categories
The types of systems I work on generally fall into three categories:
- Monitoring systems — tools for observing resource usage, environmental signals, and system state
- Automation systems — mechanisms for handling routine or error-prone tasks, reducing time and manual effort
- Extensible software frameworks — reusable systems that can be adapted and extended to fit specific needs
Operation Scale
These systems are designed for:
- Individual operators (developers, homeowners)
- Household-level use
- Small organizational units (small teams, contractors, small businesses)
Implementation Nature
All systems are:
- Open source and modifiable
- Designed for independent deployment, operation, and adaptation
Method
My work follows a simple iterative lifecycle:
- Model
- Build
- Validate
- Refine
This process is used to keep systems grounded in real-world behavior rather than assumptions. It allows development to remain flexible, while containing and correcting errors through repeated iteration. The goal is not a static solution, but a system that can evolve as conditions change.
Tradeoffs
This approach involves explicit tradeoffs.
I do not optimize for:
- Polished or consumer-grade user experience
- Enterprise-scale reliability guarantees
- Lowest upfront convenience or zero learning curve
Instead, priority is placed on systems that are understandable, modifiable, and durable over time, even if that comes at the cost of immediate ease of use.
Direction
My current focus is on:
- Home energy usage optimization and independence
- Software-based systems for resource awareness and control
Over time, this will expand into:
- Broader household and homesteading systems
- Integration of hardware and physical infrastructure where necessary