How I Work

Solution Before Technology

I don’t start with technology. I start with the problem.

Before I pick a tool, a platform, or a vendor, I want to know what actually needs solving. Sometimes the answer is a server setup or a web application. Sometimes it’s a decision about hardware, an interface, or simply how people work. Once the problem is clear, the solution is rarely hard to find. The hard part is getting the problem clear.

Free Software for Free People

Wherever I can, I use Free and Open Source Software. That’s a technical preference, but it’s also a personal conviction.

“Free Software for Free People” sums up what I care about: being able to see how a tool works, adapt it, and keep it running on my own terms. Open code is also reviewed by more eyes, which makes it a solid foundation for systems that need to last.

I’m not dogmatic about it, though. If a closed product clearly fits a requirement better, I’ll use it. Every option has costs — licences on one side, time and know-how on the other. The real question is whether a solution can be sustained and maintained, and whether it fits the job.

Plan, Build, Test, Reevaluate

Most of my work runs in a loop: understand, plan, build, test, look again.

It usually starts with notes, then sketches or diagrams until the structure becomes visible. Then I build, test, and take an honest look at what works, what doesn’t, and what could be better. And then the loop starts over, until the result is useful, reliable, and maintainable. Good solutions rarely appear in one go. They grow.

Good Work Includes the Right People

Being professional doesn’t mean doing everything yourself.

One of the most useful things I’ve learned is to recognise when someone else knows a field better than I do. If a specialist can solve part of a problem faster, better, or more economically, bringing them in isn’t a weakness. It’s good judgement.

So I listen to specialists, take other perspectives seriously, and make sure the people who know the subject are part of the process. That leads to better results than stubbornly going it alone.

Practical, Not Trend-Driven

I like new technology, but I don’t chase trends.

What counts is whether something helps in practice. Does it solve a real problem, improve a workflow, or make a system easier to understand and run? If not, being new isn’t enough.

I prefer solutions that are clear, dependable, and realistic. Hype fades; a system that works keeps working.