About Tech Simpld
Making technology accessible for the hobbyist and non-power user.
The Mission
I started Tech Simpld because I noticed a massive gap in the tech community: there simply aren't enough tutorials speaking directly to the hobbyist or the non-power user. Far too often, guides are written with the assumption that you already have years of IT experience under your belt.
My goal is to break down those barriers. I create step-by-step, easy-to-follow content that helps everyday users to take control of their digital lives, without needing a computer science degree to do it.
My Background & Philosophy
I have worked professionally in the IT industry for over 20 years. I hold a Microsoft Certified Server Admin (MCSA) certification and currently work as a Systems Engineer. In my day job, I manage virtual machines and enterprise storage architecture across five different data centers for a Biomedical Research Company.
Outside of the day job, I run my own Proxmox home lab. Originally, I built it as a sandbox to learn new enterprise technologies for my career. Over time, it evolved into an essential environment for both continuing education and securely hosting the personal productivity tools I rely on daily.
I firmly believe that your data belongs to you and no one else. Technology is an incredibly powerful tool, but it needs to be used in the correct ways to serve you, rather than the other way around. Self-hosting and privacy-first tools are a big part of that philosophy.
What is Next for Tech Simpld
My complete vision for this site is to run alongside the Tech Simpld YouTube channel to build a thriving community of like-minded hobbyists. Whether you are just getting started with Docker or trying to optimize a complex Proxmox cluster, I want this to be your go-to resource for clear, reliable guides.
The Tech Simpld Lab Infrastructure
Every architecture recommendation and tutorial on this site runs directly in our physical testing lab. The environment is built to mirror enterprise-grade reliability while remaining accessible and budget-conscious for home labbers:
- Compute Nodes: 3-Node Proxmox VE 9.2 High-Availability (HA) cluster (
proxmox01,proxmox02,proxmox03) built from refurbished Dell OptiPlex 9020 hosts, each equipped with an Intel Core i7-4770 CPU @ 3.40 GHz (4 cores / 8 threads) and 32 GB of DDR3 memory (96 GB total cluster RAM). - Storage & Backups: Distributed Ceph storage pools backed by local SSDs across all three nodes, paired with a dedicated Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) running automated nightly deduplicated snapshots.
- Networking & Security: 1 GbE VLAN-segmented managed switching (isolating home LAN traffic, lab VMs/LXCs on VLAN 100, and Ceph replication traffic on VLAN 200), redundant Pi-hole and AdGuard Home LXC DNS sinks, and encrypted Cloudflare Zero Trust Tunnels with zero open inbound ports.
Editorial Ethics & Testing Standards
In an era of generic, hallucinated AI content, Tech Simpld holds a strict standard for technical publication:
- 100% Lab Validated: Every single command block, Docker Compose file, and configuration file published on this site has been executed and stress-tested in the physical lab.
- No Theoretical Fluff: If a command doesn't work out of the box or requires nuanced Linux kernel permissions (like rootless Podman or Proxmox unprivileged LXCs), the exact fix is documented directly in the guide.
- Privacy & Data Sovereignty First: We actively test and promote local-first, self-hosted alternatives to intrusive subscription models. Your notes, family archives, and private metrics belong to you.
Beyond the Keyboard
When I'm not in front of a screen or tinkering with servers, you can usually find me working on my latest 3D printing project or out riding my motorcycle.
I'm also a massive fan of the Legend of Zelda series, in fact, it's actually how I met my wife!