About
Who I am
I’m Thomas — Enterprise Architect and self-confessed maker from the Rhine-Main region of Germany. During the day I work on AI architecture, cloud systems, and the challenge of making complex regulatory requirements and modern technology work together. In the evenings, the 3D printer is running, a Raspberry Pi is blinking somewhere, and there’s a local language model I’m currently putting through its paces.
Born in 1977 near Frankfurt. Computer Science degree from Hochschule Darmstadt. Over 20 years in IT since then — and the curiosity hasn’t diminished.
What drives me professionally
My focus is at the intersection of AI, software architecture, and regulatory requirements. What interests me isn’t the buzzword bingo, but the concrete questions: How do you build LLM-based systems that actually work and deliver real value — rather than running AI projects simply because that’s what everyone does? How do you navigate the EU AI Act when you also need to ship? Where do RAG architectures genuinely help, and where does a simpler solution do the job?
I work hands-on with Claude Code, LangGraph, agentic workflows, and RAG — and try to keep things as simple as possible. Overengineering is the most common disease in AI projects.
Beyond that, I’m interested in cloud architecture in the broader sense: self-hosting as a deliberate choice, Docker and CI/CD as everyday craft, and the question of how to build systems you’ll still understand two years from now.
The maker side
Outside of software, I’m a maker. That means a 3D printer in the basement, Raspberry Pis on the desk, and a healthy enthusiasm for anything you can build, repair, or improve yourself. If you’ve ever printed and installed a replacement sensor for your smoker rather than buying one, you know what I mean.
The maker mindset isn’t a hobby in the conventional sense — it’s a way of thinking. Understanding things by taking them apart. Solving problems by building rather than buying. Getting to know materials by testing them under real conditions. This attitude shapes how I design software and systems too.
Why this blog
codecrafter.cloud is my place to write down things I’ve learned — and things I wish I’d known earlier.
No marketing. No sponsored content. No clickbait headlines. Just honest, practical experience reports: what worked, what didn’t, and why.
The topics come directly from my work and my projects:
- AI Architecture — from local LLMs on a Raspberry Pi to enterprise systems under the EU AI Act
- Software Engineering — self-hosting, CI/CD, Docker, Gitea, and the tools I use every day
- Maker & 3D Printing — materials, tools, functional parts, and honest test results
What you won’t find here: advertising banners, tracking pixels, cookie consent forms with 47 options, or articles that are really product recommendations in disguise. That’s a deliberate decision — out of conviction, not by accident.
Why self-hosted
This blog runs on a Raspberry Pi in my home network. Not because it’s easier — it isn’t. But because it’s the right thing to do. And because — let’s be honest — “can I run that on a Pi?” is never a rhetorical question for me. (And of course, because it works 😉)
Self-hosting means control. Over the data, over the infrastructure, over what happens and what doesn’t. No external CMS that doubles its prices tomorrow. No CDN selling user data on the side. No hosting provider quietly changing its terms of service.
At the same time, this setup is a living example of what I write about here — every article about self-hosting, CI/CD, or Raspberry Pi is created on exactly the infrastructure being described. That feels more honest than writing about self-hosting from the cloud.
Get in touch
Questions, feedback, or just want to say hello — the contact form is here. I reply personally.
“Space: the final frontier.” — but until then, a Raspberry Pi will do just fine. 🖖