Built for fun. Funded in public.
I build software almost every day—usually for several hours, and usually because I cannot leave a good idea alone. Launchboard is one attempt to let that habit help pay for itself.
What I’m keeping alive right now
Launchboard is one part of a small, homegrown fleet. These are the other projects currently blinking away in the rack.
There have been a few more over the years. Some are offline now—not because I ran out of ideas, but because free projects still create very real hosting bills and I cannot maintain everything forever. The code that is public lives in my GitHub repositories.
The honest origin story
I started Launchboard in a hype-fueled moment. That is not normally how I choose what to build, but the idea was simple, fun, and refreshingly honest about money. Rather than pretend there is a grander origin story, I decided to ship it and see what happens.
The expensive hobby problem
I run most of my apps for free, but servers, storage, networking gear, and the hardware needed to keep those projects alive are definitely not free. I recently spent a small fortune building my dream homelab. At some point, one of these projects has to volunteer to support the others.
So, where does the money go?
If Launchboard is the slightly cheeky shortcut that helps fund this costly building habit, why not? Money earned here goes back into the projects, infrastructure, and hardware that keep them running. It lets me continue coding, experimenting, and releasing things without turning every useful little app into a subscription.
The Marvel clause
I promise to recycle your money into code and computers—with one modest exception for the occasional trip to the movie theater when a new Marvel movie comes out. Even homelabs need scheduled maintenance windows.
What a claim buys
A claim buys a sponsored rank, not a promise of clicks, customers, or fame. The price is public, the placement is labeled, and the board moves when someone makes a higher claim. Simple on purpose.