If you run a business and every software decision lands on your desk, you're in the right place.

I'm John Rake. I've been building software since 2017: my own startups, SaaS products, client work, and years inside the BetaBlox ecosystem mentoring founders who needed someone to translate the technical side into plain decisions. This site is where I put that work in one place.

What I do here

I partner with non-technical founders as a long-term technical owner, not a one-off vendor. That usually means two phases.

Launch is getting from an idea to something real in the market. We cut scope to what matters, build fast, and put a working product in front of actual customers.

Orbit is what comes after you're live: a steady rhythm of roadmap, features, fixes, and keeping the product healthy while you focus on customers and growth.

Along the way I build web and mobile apps, internal tools, AI integrations that earn their keep, and custom systems when off-the-shelf software does not fit.

What you'll find on this site

The homepage lays out how I work, who I've helped, and how to book a call. This blog is the other half: essays on the questions founders actually ask. How to know if you need custom software. What an MVP should cost. How to hire when you do not speak the language. What's real and what's hype with AI.

I'm writing for people who want to make better decisions, not become developers.

What's next

New essays will land here regularly. I'll link them from LinkedIn and the newsletter as they publish. If a topic would help you right now, book a call and tell me. Otherwise, start with the site tour on the homepage and come back when something here matches the decision you're sitting on.