The secret life of small systems
”The system is there to serve you. The moment it demands your obedience, it has become religion.” Unknown
Previously at the Volcano Base, I was unpacking why my secret venture is 16% more profitable (on average) than other businesses similar to it. Who knew there were so many Volcano Bases in my part of the world.
Since then, I’ve designed a system to save a client almost 1000 days of staff effort every year. The salary cost of those days is getting close to £200k pa. So, not to be sniffed at, as savings go. No, nobody's up for the chop. They'll spend their time doing things more valuable than admin.
Mission Briefing
The secret life of small systems
There’s a quiet revolution happening in the shadows of the enterprise cloud. Small businesses, the kind that actually do things, are quietly replacing vast, bloated software suites with lean systems that talk to each other. Not “seamlessly integrated via our proprietary platform,” but properly: through APIs, webhooks, and the occasional well-placed cron job.
This isn’t about being cheap. It’s about being free.
Enterprise software has perfected the velvet cage. It promises efficiency but delivers lock-in. Every new feature becomes a new dependency, every module a fresh invoice, every new employee a new subscription tier. You can’t simply leave; your data has to be escorted out by a certified consultant in a hi-vis jacket.
Meanwhile, the small-system builders are thriving. They assemble lightweight tools that cost less per year than a single enterprise onboarding fee. A scheduling app here, an automation script there, and suddenly you have a system that adapts faster than their roadmap meetings.
The brilliance of small systems is not just their cost; it’s their adaptability. You can swap out one tool without holding a stakeholder summit. You can link systems together like Lego rather than like nervous organs in a single massive organism that occasionally stops breathing during the operation.
The more you automate intelligently, linking modular tools that actually fit your workflow, the more human your business becomes. Less time lost to managing “solutions” and workarounds. More time spent solving actual problems.
The enterprises will tell you that integration is hard. It is, for them. You, however, can build something elegant with half a dozen APIs, a few well-crafted automations, and a studious distrust of any company whose homepage includes the phrase digital transformation. 🤢
Small systems don’t scale endlessly, but they don’t need to. They scale appropriately. That’s the difference between growth and bloat.
The next time an enterprise rep says, “We can do that for you,” ask yourself: could three small tools and a bit of scripting do it better and faster without the monthly ransom?
Classified Intel
Some interesting stuff I discovered on my adventures.
A clean, community-driven directory of open-source tools that replace the usual subscription suspects. Search for anything from design software to project management and find real alternatives, not rebranded clones.
Why it matters: Proof that software freedom does not have to look like a command-line manifesto.
An almost poetic act of defiance: an elegant, searchable database of open-source tools that replace big-brand SaaS products. Click, compare, and quietly unsubscribe from something expensive.
Why it matters: It turns curiosity into action. A map for anyone planning their jailbreak from the software cartel.
The classic directory for discovering alternatives to almost any app. It is not strictly anti-enterprise, but its community filters and license tags make it surprisingly effective at finding software that will not invoice you monthly.
Why it matters: A reminder that sometimes the best upgrade is simply switching sides.
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