Zachary Fouts

Principal Technology Architect // Hacker

Zachary Fouts

Build, Hack, Repeat

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

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

hello@fouts.dev GitHub

// 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

// Projects

Things I Build

  • watip.io

    Live

    The fastest, cleanest way to check your IP address. No ads, no tracking.

  • reliefkit

    Repo

    Printable 3D terrain models from public-domain elevation data.

  • Liberty Hill Mesh

    Live

    A free, community-owned MeshCore radio network for Liberty Hill, Texas. Text when the towers are down.

  • txmesh

    Live

    A hosted bot service for Texas MeshCore networks: commands, alerts, and a live map of who is on the air.

  • meshbot.py

    Repo

    A bot framework for your own MeshCore radios: commands, cogs, and extensions over MQTT.

  • openhop-txmesh-plugin

    Repo

    The node side of txme.sh, packaged as an openHop Repeater plugin. Turns a node you already run into a gateway.

  • external-dns-nextdns-webhook

    Repo

    An ExternalDNS webhook provider for NextDNS.

  • Silicon Hustle

    Repo

    A browser game in the Dope Wars mold, trading volatile digital assets across tech hub cities.

  • Gastro Hustle

    Repo

    Travel the world, trade rare ingredients, crush your rivals.

// 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