independent ai consultancy

start with the outcome. then make it real.

ai strategy, working mvps, and products built for daily use.

a few outcomes.

and how we got there.

truheenergy bills to customs paperwork.prepared privately on your device. works offline.

energy bills to customs paperwork.

electricity bills become calculated refunds and completed paperwork for customs. the bills and calculations stay on the person’s device.

explore truhe

how it works

inputelectricity billsread the invoices
processdefined rulescalculate the refund
outcomecustoms paperworkprepare the documents

working backwards

begin with the paperwork someone needs to check and submit to customs. read the invoices, apply explicit calculation rules, then prepare the documents, supporting-record list, and next steps.

context & precision

extracted invoice data stays connected to versioned rules and reproducible calculations. uncertainty is shown for confirmation. a person or tax advisor reviews and submits.

design & engineering

an offline, installable web app. invoice reading, local records, calculations, and generated files stay on the device. a separate backend handles purchase and licensing.

stack

browser javascript modules · service worker · pdf.js · xml readers · indexeddb · pdfmake. separate licensing backend: cloudflare workers · d1 · r2. checked with node and browser tests.

unterlagencustomer replies, prepared.eu-owned infrastructure, hosted in the eu.

customer replies, prepared.

the incoming email is handled in the background. a complete reply arrives with its attachments and the evidence behind it. approve, edit, or reject.

past build · no longer running

how it works

inputincoming emailunderstand the request
processrecords + checksfind evidence and apply rules
outcomereply + attachmentsprepare one review package

working backwards

the outcome was a decision, with the preparation already done. interpret the request, find the records, check the facts, and assemble the complete response.

voice & context

the organisation’s exact instructions guide the reply. order and carrier records, supporting documents, and the evidence behind the answer stay together through review.

design & engineering

one finished review package. ai interprets, defined rules check and calculate, a person decides before anything is sent.

infrastructure

linux servers on hetzner, a european-owned provider, hosted in the eu. a past build, no longer running.

luwhome energy savings, shown.based on measured device use and alternative schedules.

home energy savings, shown.

measured energy use becomes one explainable assessment. what your devices could save together, with the assumptions included.

explore luw

how it works

inputdevice measurementsread actual energy use
processalternative schedulescompare within the constraints
outcomesavings assessmentshow the assumptions

working backwards

begin with the decision a household needs to make. discover devices, collect measurements, then compare today’s use with alternative schedules.

context & constraints

charging needs, physical limits, comfort, battery losses, and wear shape the wider modelling engine. the assessment keeps its evidence, assumptions, and excluded devices visible.

design & engineering

the homey beta reads measurements and produces an assessment. it does not control devices. understand the opportunity before changing how the home runs.

stack

beta: typescript · cloudflare workers · homey oauth · durable objects · sqlite. wider engine: python · highs constrained optimisation. checked with vitest and contract tests.

staedywebsite content, ready.pages, copy and code, ready for your review.

website content, ready.

an unanswered guest question becomes a finished change to the hotel’s website. the page, the words, and the code, ready for review.

explore staedy

how it works

inputa guest questionfind the missing information
processwebsite + evidenceprepare the change
outcomepage, copy + codeready for the hotel’s review

working backwards

start with the information a guest needs. find the gap, prepare the change, and give the hotel complete files with a clear place to put them.

voice & context

the existing website, source evidence, and the guest’s question shape the result. placement, implementation instructions, and checks travel with the finished work.

design & engineering

a small interface for the hotel. portable pages and copy, with a preview for approval. the public demo uses sample hotel details.

stack

html · css · javascript · typescript · cloudflare workers · d1 · workers ai / llama 3.1 · mollie. checked with vitest and typescript.

answreveryday answers, explained.ask by voice or text. read or listen to the answer.

everyday answers, explained.

a question becomes a clear explanation. spoken or typed, read or listened to. a small app for being interested in the world.

explore answr

how it works

inputa questionspoken or typed
processa clear explanationwith uncertainty acknowledged
outcomeread or listenfollow your curiosity

working backwards

the job was understanding. the product brings asking, reading, listening, and following a curiosity into one quiet experience. concept to release in 30 days, built solo.

voice & context

curious, plainspoken explanations, with uncertainty acknowledged. each question stands on its own. saved history stays on the device; it is not a profile or a conversation memory.

design & engineering

a native ios and ipad app, with spoken answers, daily curiosities, and english and german support. cloudflare routes requests to the model.

stack

native ios · cloudflare · openai gpt-5-mini. built with claude code and codex.

~/build

start with
what matters.

before i decide what to build, i try to understand what someone should no longer have to do.

outcome
understand
remove
build
test
handoff

understand the work first.

01 / understand

understand the work.

i start with the outcome and work backwards. what needs to happen? what information is needed? where does a person need to make a decision?

inside a company, that means understanding the people, the systems they already use, and the exceptions that never made it into a process document. the way work actually happens matters more than the diagram.

before i automate anything, i ask whether it needs to happen at all. a process can exist simply to keep another process moving. making it faster is only useful if the work still matters.

02 / ask less

ask less of the person.

i want to work through the email, calendars and systems people already use. no extra dashboard to remember. no new routine just to keep the software informed.

that takes an understanding of the organisation: its people, permissions, information, decisions and exceptions. the architecture should carry the coordination quietly, and bring someone in with the context they need when judgement is required.

03 / build and learn

build a little. learn a little.

i make a working version, test the assumptions behind it, and refine what does not hold up. i check the parts together, because a good interface cannot compensate for a system that gets the answer wrong.

then i keep paying attention. does this help? is it understandable? did it take something off someone's plate, or quietly add another thing?

those are the questions i want the work on this site to answer.

04 / take responsibility

follow it all the way through.

i work across design, architecture and development. how something feels is connected to how it is built, and both are connected to the problem it is meant to solve.

i use ai throughout that process, from exploring an idea to writing and reviewing code. it helps me move between the parts, but the choices and the responsibility remain mine.

05 / finish the handoff

finish the handoff.

staedy takes an unanswered guest question through to the website change that answers it. the result is complete pages, copy or code, with source evidence, exact placement and the checks needed to implement it within the hotel’s existing site.

the handoff needs to be usable. finished files, a clear implementation brief and a preview for approval. the example here uses fictional hotel details, but its html and css are complete and downloadable.

start small. build on evidence.

01 / strategy

find the opportunity.

we map the work, identify where ai can help, and agree how to measure success.

you leave with

opportunities worth pursuing
a measure of success
a practical first step

02 / prototype

test the idea.

we build the smallest working version that can test the idea with real users.

you leave with

a working first version
feedback from real users
your code and a clear next decision

03 / product

build for daily use.

i build out the tested version, connect your systems, and make it ready for everyday use.

you leave with

a working product for your team
checks for reliable operation
a handover or ongoing support

your voice. your rules. your data.

ai interprets.

rules calculate.

people decide.

ai can interpret. rules can calculate. people decide. each part needs a clear job.

your voice.: language that sounds like your business.
your rules.: ai interprets. explicit rules calculate and check.
your data.: eu-owned infrastructure, or sensitive processing on your device.

~/about

a little more room
for life.

i build things that give us time back. for me. for us. more room to be human.

roux du toit · ai strategy, design & engineering

quiet, by design.

time is a piece of someone's life. every form, notification and repeated task asks for some of it. i want to be careful about what i ask.

software today demands more. more tools, more dashboards, more workflows, more engagement. more of our time.

what for? to what end? if being more productive means doing more harm to our planet, i think we need to question what we're calling progress.

software should handle the ordinary things quietly. when a decision needs a person, it should arrive with the context that person needs. then it should get out of the way again.

i don't believe we're here to spend our lives behind screens. we're here to live in the natural world, together. enjoying, experiencing.

understanding before control.

understanding what is happening should be a smaller decision than handing over control. a clearer picture can be useful before anything changes.

that boundary matters to me. observing a system and acting on it ask for different kinds of trust.

i keep those decisions separate. first, give someone a clearer picture. let them decide what happens next.

judgment is human.

a machine works with the information available to it. a person lives in the world that information is trying to describe.

we bring experience, emotion, relationships and an understanding of what a decision might mean to someone else. we can also get things wrong. that is why i care about making the context visible, and keeping room for someone to question the answer.

our mothership, earth.

i'm a solarpunk. i believe we are smart enough to live in harmony with the world that sustains us, and that our role is to care for it and all the life we share it with.

i hope for a future where our value has less to do with how much work we can perform, and more to do with how well we care for one another.

building software is one small way i can work towards that. taking an unnecessary task away gives someone a little time back. what they do with that time should be theirs to decide.

yes, this is ideological. but you need the dream to make it real.

the person behind this.

i'm roux. i've founded companies and led one as coo. today i work across product design, system architecture and development, building with ai and taking responsibility for what i put into the world.

this site is a place to share that work and the thinking behind it. some ideas are finished. others are still becoming. i'll keep learning as i go.

background.

now: ai strategy & execution
2024–25: coo · bodyfast
2023–24: ceo · combyne (exit)
earlier: founder · willy wonka (exit)
co-founder · moola.africa (regulatory closure)
analyst · bloomberg

start with the outcome. then make it real.start with the outcome.start with the outcome.then make it awesome.then make it real.

how it works

working backwards

context & precision

design & engineering

how it works

working backwards

voice & context

design & engineering

infrastructure

how it works

working backwards

context & constraints

design & engineering

how it works

working backwards

voice & context

design & engineering

how it works

working backwards

voice & context

design & engineering

understand the work first.

understand the work.

ask less of the person.

build a little. learn a little.

follow it all the way through.

finish the handoff.

start small. build on evidence.

find the opportunity.

test the idea.

build for daily use.

your voice. your rules. your data.

quiet, by design.

understanding before control.

judgment is human.

our mothership, earth.

the person behind this.

background.

start with the outcome. then make it real.