Fire Up Your Tech—We Specialize in Cold Starts.
Ready to ditch paperwork, outdated tools, or just feeling stuck with tech? Cold Start Lab guides your journey from confusion to confident solutions—so you can focus on what matters.
Serving El Dorado and Placer Counties (Georgetown, Cool, Auburn, Placerville, Cameron Park, Loomis, Garden Valley) with local consultations and remote support available nationwide.
What do you want to achieve?
Does This Sound Familiar?
If you nodded at any of these, you're in the right place.
Paper-to-Digital Transformations
Everything's on paper and it's becoming unsustainable
Manual processes eating hours every week
Need to track information but spreadsheets aren't cutting it
Want to go digital but overwhelmed by where to start
DIY Tech Struggles
Tried building with AI tools—got excited, then stuck halfway
Started a website/system but can't get past [specific obstacle]
Too many tool choices—analysis paralysis
Tutorial hell—nothing fits my exact situation
System Replacement
Current software doesn't fit how we actually work
Paying for features we don't need, missing ones we do
Old system creating more problems than it solves
Vendor lock-in making us nervous about the future
Technology Should Reduce Stress—Not Add To It
The Cost of Staying Stuck
- Hours lost to manual work that could be automated
- Paying monthly fees for software that doesn't fit your workflow
- Missed opportunities while competitors move faster
- Technical debt from DIY solutions held together with hope
- Constant stress from systems that might break any time
What Changes When It Works
- Time back for work that actually matters
- Systems you control without vendor lock-in
- Streamlined operations that reduce daily stress
- Technology that fits your process, not the other way around
- Confidence to focus on growth instead of fighting tools
Technical Credibility
20+ Years
Hands-on experience, starting with computers at age 12
Already Done the Research
I run about 70 self-hosted tools at home—file storage, automation, monitoring, databases—and have tested hundreds more. When you ask "what should I use for X?", I've probably already broken it and know if it's worth your time.
Process Modernization
Helped people move from paper to digital, replace archaic systems with modern equivalents, and get unstuck when starting from nothing
AI Where Valuable
Used only when it solves real problems and can be controlled
Fully Documented
Systems built for clean handoffs
Fair Pricing
Transparent costs, no hidden fees
Example Capabilities
Whether you're starting from scratch or replacing something that isn't working, these are areas where I help people get unstuck. Every project is different—these examples show what's possible, not what you're limited to.
Transformation Examples
Real projects showing the journey from stuck to running smoothly:
Website Launch for First-Time Business Owner
Spent weeks trying to build a website with AI tools—excited at first, then completely stuck on product images and tool choices.
Clear guidance on tool selection, custom templates that worked, and launched with confidence. Professional site they can maintain themselves.
Invoice System Modernization
Using ChatGPT to manually generate invoices—sometimes worked, sometimes wrong. 30+ minutes per invoice double-checking everything.
Reliable open-source invoicing platform generating accurate invoices in under 2 minutes. No more math anxiety or manual checking.
Manufacturing Workflow Digitization
Paper-based R&D documentation slowing iterations. Manually recording measurements, then manually entering into CAM software.
Scanner integrated with CAM software. Measurements flow automatically from physical parts to digital design. Cycles cut in half.
Self-Hosted File Storage
Paying $50/month for cloud storage, constantly worried about price increases and losing access to their own data.
Own hardware, own data, one-time cost. Storage that works like cloud services but without monthly fees or vendor control.
What Happens Next
No pressure, no sales pitch—just clarity about whether this makes sense for you.
Initial Conversation
15-30 minutes
- Quick discussion about your situation and what you're trying to accomplish
- No tech jargon—just understanding your actual problem
Honest Assessment
No timeframe—just honesty
- I'll tell you if I'm the right fit—or if you'd be better served by a different approach
- If it doesn't make sense to work together, I'll say so
Clear Next Steps
Your choice, your pace
- Whether that's a proposal to work together, or pointing you toward resources that better fit your situation
- No ongoing contracts, no pressure—just a clear path forward
That's it. Simple, transparent, and designed to help you make the right decision for your situation.
Ready to discuss your situation?