Zachary Fouts

Principal Technology Architect // Hacker

Build, Hack, Repeat

// Disciplines

What I Work On

M&A Technology

Due Diligence
Finding what's really under the hood
Risk Assessment
Surfacing the things that will cost you later
Integration & Separation
Merging systems or cleanly pulling them apart
Dependency Mapping
Knowing what connects to what before you touch anything

Infrastructure & Operations

Cloud Architecture
Scalable, cost-effective infrastructure
Security Engineering
Defense in depth, not security theater
Operational Efficiency
Eliminating toil, automating the boring stuff
Observability
Knowing what's happening before users tell you

// Field Notes

Things This Work Has Taught Me

Acquisition Readiness

Clean documentation, architecture, and licensing pay off long before anyone is buying.

Integration Pitfalls

Undisclosed debt and knowledge that lives only in people's heads derail integrations. The technology rarely does.

Divestiture Reality

Separating shared infrastructure is harder than merging it. Entangled data and shared identity are why.

// Hobbies

Outside of Work

  • Making cool things
  • Hacking hardware
  • Enjoyer of the outdoors

// Projects

Things I Build

watip.io
The fastest, cleanest way to check your IP address. No ads, no tracking.
reliefkit
Printable 3D terrain models from public-domain elevation data.
meshbot.py
A bot framework for your own MeshCore radios: commands, cogs, and extensions over MQTT.
external-dns-nextdns-webhook
An ExternalDNS webhook provider for NextDNS.
Silicon Hustle
A browser game in the Dope Wars mold, trading volatile digital assets across tech hub cities.
Gastro Hustle
Travel the world, trade rare ingredients, crush your rivals.

// Signal

Let's Connect

Say hello if you want to talk about hardware, infrastructure, or open source.

Not currently seeking consulting engagements, but always open to a conversation.