Build your own anything.
36 directions in five bands. Each is an editorial choice about what's worth owning; GitHub decides what fills it, by a ranking rule printed on every page.
36 of 36 directions
Deep substrate
The machine under the machine — languages, runtimes, kernels, the tools that build the tools.
8 directionsProgramming language
Every abstraction you depend on was once somebody's weekend language.
e.g. rust, zig, gleamBuild your own OS or distroOperating system
The kernel is the last landlord — own it and nothing above it can evict you.
e.g. linux, nixpkgs, serenityBuild your own compiler toolchainCompiler toolchain
Compilers turn intent into machine behavior; understanding one demystifies all of them.
e.g. llvm-project, binaryen, tinygoBuild your own runtimeRuntime
The runtime decides what your code is allowed to be.
e.g. node, deno, bunBuild your own browser engineBrowser engine
Two companies control how the web renders. Independent engines are the escape hatch.
e.g. servo, ladybirdBuild your own version controlVersion control
History is power. Whoever hosts your history holds it.
instead of Hosted-only forgesBuild your own package managerPackage manager
Dependency resolution is a supply chain. Supply chains are leverage.
e.g. pnpm, uv, nixBuild your own container runtimeContainer runtime
Containers made 'it works on my machine' portable. Own the box the code ships in.
e.g. moby, podman, containerdPersistence & retrieval
Where data lives and how you get it back — databases, search, vectors, pipelines.
6 directionsDatabase
Your data is your institution's memory. It should live somewhere you control.
instead of Proprietary managed databasesBuild your own search engineSearch engine
Search decides what exists. Run your own and you decide.
instead of Algolia, hosted searchBuild your own vector storeVector store
Embeddings are the new index — and they belong next to your data, not in someone's cloud.
instead of PineconeBuild your own retrieval systemRAG substrate
Retrieval is where AI answers come from. Own the retrieval and you own the provenance.
e.g. llama_index, haystack, ragflowBuild your own data layerORM & data access
The layer between code and data is where lock-in quietly hides.
e.g. drizzle-orm, prisma, sqlalchemyBuild your own data pipelineETL pipeline
Moving data is how organizations think. Don't rent your nervous system.
instead of FivetranSelf-host the SaaS
Every monthly subscription has an open-source replacement you can run yourself.
11 directionsWebsite builder
Don't settle for building websites when you can build the thing that builds them.
instead of Webflow, Squarespace, WixBuild your own identity providerIdentity provider
Whoever runs your login runs your users. The most underrated sovereignty move there is.
instead of Auth0, OktaBuild your own backend platformBackend-as-a-service
A whole backend in a box — and the box can live on your own server.
instead of FirebaseBuild your own CMSCMS
Content is the asset; the CMS is just plumbing. Own the plumbing.
instead of Contentful, hosted CMSsBuild your own deploy platformDeploy platform
Push-to-deploy was never magic — it's a few open-source pieces on a server you own.
instead of Heroku, Vercel, NetlifyBuild your own observability stackObservability
Seeing your own systems shouldn't cost per seat.
instead of Datadog, New RelicBuild your own feature-flag serviceFeature flags
Deciding who sees what is product strategy. Keep it in-house.
instead of LaunchDarklyBuild your own message queueMessage queue
Queues are how systems talk when nobody's watching.
e.g. nats-server, kafka, rabbitmq-serverBuild your own API gatewayAPI gateway
The front door to every service you run — and a natural place for vendors to set up a toll booth.
e.g. traefik, kong, apisixBuild your own private networkNetworking & tunnels
Your devices can talk to each other without asking a corporation's permission.
instead of Tailscale (hosted), ngrokBuild your own form engineForm engine
Forms are how the public talks to you. Don't route that conversation through an ad company.
instead of Typeform, Google FormsAuthoring & generation
Making things — sites, documents, images, games, notebooks, charts.
7 directionsStatic site generator
HTML files on a server are the most durable publishing format ever invented.
e.g. astro, hugo, eleventyBuild your own document engineDocument & PDF engine
Typesetting used to require a publisher. Now it's a CLI.
instead of InDesign for documents, WordBuild your own spreadsheetSpreadsheet & data grid
The spreadsheet is the world's most-used programming environment. It can be yours.
instead of Airtable, ExcelBuild your own notebook environmentNotebooks
Literate computing — code, prose, and output in one reproducible document.
e.g. jupyterlab, marimo, notebookBuild your own charting systemVisualization grammar
A chart is an argument. Own the grammar you argue in.
e.g. vega-lite, echarts, plotBuild your own creative suiteCreative suite
Paint, vector, photo, 3D — the whole creative stack now exists in the open.
instead of Adobe Creative CloudBuild your own game engineGame engine
When the engine changes its license terms, you'd better own the engine.
instead of UnityAI-native frontier
Agents, workflows, and models you run on your own terms.
4 directionsLocal AI
AI as a swappable layer: open weights on your own hardware, no API key required.
instead of Hosted-only model APIsBuild your own agentsAgent framework
Agents are just loops with tools. Write the loop yourself.
e.g. langgraph, autogen, crewAIMake your tools agent-callableMCP servers
One protocol and any agent can use your systems — without you handing them over.
e.g. servers, typescript-sdk, python-sdkBuild your own automation engineWorkflow engine
Automation glues an organization together. Don't pay per task to glue yourself.
instead of Zapier