Every project is a chance to learn something new, solve a real problem, and leave the world a little better than I found it.
Photographed by DMSaur Hidden Lake • Glacier National Park • Montana
Featured projects
Every project starts with a problem worth solving and becomes an opportunity to learn something new.
Know before you plug it in.
Generator Power Advisor helps campers, RV owners, homeowners, and outdoor enthusiasts quickly determine whether their portable generator can safely power their appliances using real-world operating conditions.
Plan the adventure.
Discover trails, plan adventures, and explore the outdoors through a growing collection of hiking resources and planning tools.
On the horizon
Not every project is finished. Some are just getting started.
Estimate Starlink Mini runtime using real-world battery performance.
Compare portable batteries and estimate runtime for camping and emergency backup.
There are always new ideas waiting for the next adventure.
Mission
DMSaur exists to build practical software that helps people spend less time guessing and more time enjoying life.
The journey so far
Nothing here happened in one leap. It was a string of small, stubborn steps — each one teaching me a little more about the difference between an idea and something that ships.
A real outage, a generator, and a question I couldn't answer with confidence. So I started sketching the math on paper.
The first version was ugly and personal — just enough to answer my own question. But it worked, and that changed everything.
Numbers weren't enough. People need a verdict and a next step, so I rebuilt it around a clear "safe / near / too much" answer.
I added a generator database and a way to log combinations that actually work, so the advice leans on real results, not just theory.
An honest tool should feel trustworthy. I built a calm, consistent visual identity and a full icon set, and cut every bit of clutter.
I wrapped it as a native iOS app, wrote a real privacy policy and support page, and sweated the details reviewers care about.
The iPhone app is live on the Apple App Store — the moment an idea stopped being mine alone and became something others can actually use.
What I'm learning
A finished thing in someone's hands teaches more in a day than a perfect thing in my head teaches in a month.
If a tool feels trustworthy and calm, people believe its answers. Clarity isn't decoration — it's part of the function.
Keyboard focus, contrast, reduced motion, honest labels. Building it in from day one is far easier than bolting it on later.
No frameworks, no tracking, works offline. Tight limits force honest decisions and leave less to break.
An estimate should say it's an estimate. Trust comes from telling people what a tool can't promise, not just what it can.
Privacy pages, edge cases, the boring polish before release — that unglamorous stretch is usually where "done" actually lives.
Things I'm exploring
Honest about what's ongoing — these are directions I'm poking at, not finished products or promises.
Tools that stay useful with no signal — because the moments you need them most are often the moments you're off the grid.
Taking a well-built web app and giving it a proper home on the phone, without throwing away what already works.
Using AI as a genuine collaborator in the craft — faster iterations, sharper reviews, still with my hands on the wheel.
Wiring up the small systems that quietly run in the background, and learning what it takes to keep them dependable.
About
I'm a builder at heart. I like taking a real, everyday problem and working at it until there's something practical to show for it — something that holds up when a real person actually uses it. A lot of my ideas start outdoors, where the difference between a good plan and a working one tends to matter most.
I'd rather ship a small, honest tool than sit on a big, perfect one. The satisfying part isn't the idea; it's the long, unglamorous stretch of getting it out the door — and then watching it be useful to someone else.
Because I wanted to leave the world a little better than I found it.
I build practical software that solves real-world problems.
Most of my ideas don't start behind a desk—they start while hiking trails, traveling, or simply noticing everyday problems that could be solved a little better.
People occasionally ask where the name DMSaur came from.
The answer is simple.
The “DM” honors my two children, Dylan and McKenna.
DMSaur began as a personal project and has grown into a place where I build practical software that helps people solve real-world problems. As the projects continue to evolve, the name serves as a daily reminder of what matters most to me.
I hope every project I build leaves the world a little better than I found it.
Contact
Building something, curious about a project, or just want to say hello? The best way to reach me is email — I read everything that comes in.
Email support@dmsaur.com