LanceTek

One person, the whole line

LanceTek isn't a front for a team. The person on the first call writes the code, runs the servers and answers the support email.

I'm a software engineer who works directly with small businesses: the kind that are too small for an agency's minimum spend, and too busy to manage a freelancer who disappears after launch.

Most of what I build replaces something held together by goodwill: a booking spreadsheet only one person understands, an inbox that doubles as a job list, a server under a desk nobody has logged into for two years. My job is to turn that into something boring and dependable, and then leave you able to run it without me.

Being one person has limits, and I'd rather you heard them from me. I take on two or three clients at a time. I don't offer overnight cover. If your project needs a team, I'll tell you on the first call rather than three months in.

How I work

Four rules that shape every job, set out here so you can hold me to them.

  1. You own everything from day one

    Code goes in a repository in your name. Domains, hosting accounts and hardware are registered to you. If we stop working together, nothing needs handing back.

  2. Fixed prices, written down

    A short written scope says what will be built and what won't. Changes are priced before they're made, never discovered on an invoice.

  3. Boring technology on purpose

    I choose tools with long track records and good documentation, so that another engineer could pick up the work if they ever needed to.

  4. AI where it's checked

    I use AI models in client systems and in my own work. Anything a model produces that reaches your customers or your money passes a person first.

The homelab behind the work

Client work is built and tested on hardware I run myself before it goes anywhere near yours. It is also where every Journal review starts.

Homelab line diagram The internet connection passes through a firewall to a core switch. From the switch, branches lead to two virtualisation hosts (one for client staging, one for builds and source control) and a storage server. The storage server sends encrypted backups to an off-site copy. A UPS powers everything. Internet fibre line Firewall OPNsense, VLANs Core switch interchange Host A: client staging Proxmox VE, one VM per client Host B: build and source Forgejo, CI runners, local models Storage server ZFS mirror, nightly snapshots Off site encrypted, restic All on one UPS, with a clean shutdown on power loss
  1. InInternetFibre line
  2. 1FirewallOPNsense, separate VLANs for clients and the house
  3. 2Core switchWhere the lines divide
  4. 3aHost A: client stagingProxmox VE, one VM per client
  5. 3bHost B: build and sourceForgejo, CI runners, local models
  6. 3cStorage serverZFS mirror, nightly snapshots
  7. OutOff siteEncrypted backups with restic. Everything runs on one UPS.
Fig. 2Illustrative diagram of the homelab's layout. Software names are accurate to how I work; hardware details are left out on purpose.

The stack

What I reach for first, as of November 2026. None of it is a rule: if your business already runs on something sound, I'll work with it.

LayerUsuallyWhy
ApplicationsPython with Django; TypeScript where a screen needs to feel quickMature, well documented and easy to hire for later.
DataPostgreSQLOne dependable database covers nearly every small-business need.
AI and agentsClaude and other hosted models via their APIs; small local models via OllamaHosted for quality, local where data must stay on your premises.
Running itDocker Compose on Debian; Proxmox VE for virtual machinesFew moving parts. A runbook fits on two pages.
Source and buildsGit, hosted on Forgejo or your own GitHub accountYour code lives where you can see it.
AccessTailscale or WireGuardRemote access without opening ports to the internet.
Watching itUptime Kuma, Grafana, plain email alertsYou hear about problems before your customers do.
Backupsrestic and ZFS snapshots, with a second siteRestores are rehearsed, not assumed.

If that sounds like the way you'd like to work, let's talk.

A 30-minute call, free, with the person who would do the work.

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