I help small teams build connected products.
I've spent 25+ years building products that sense, control, and talk to the cloud: embedded Linux systems, connected devices, and the cloud services behind them. I run BEC Systems, where I help ambitious small teams improve how they develop technology so they can ship sooner and keep shipping.
A small team has no business being slower than a big one. The difference is the foundation you choose and how you put it together:
- Borrow the process, not just the tool. A package is the visible artifact of maintainers, code review, CI, and security response. The biggest win is reusing that ongoing work.
- Release first. Shipping is a sustained capability. Decouple the pieces so each can move at its own pace, and keep releases flowing from day one.
- Platform thinking. Be intentional about what you build, what you reuse, and how it all fits together.
| Project | What it is |
|---|---|
| Yoe build | Next-generation build system for embedded Linux, with fast native builds and no cross-compiling headaches |
| Simple IoT | Cloud/edge application framework for connected devices, written in Go |
| GitPLM | Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with plain-text files in Git |
| linux-serial-test | Serial port testing tool for Linux, useful for validating UARTs on new hardware |
| brun | A simple way to run native workflows, no containers required |
- Blog: essays on building connected products, platform thinking, and developer workflow.
- Newsletter: what I'm learning as I build, delivered to your inbox.
- TMPDIR: a friendly community by engineers for engineers, with a podcast on embedded Linux, hardware, and tools.
The best way to reach me is cbrake@bec-systems.com. If your team is building a connected product and development feels harder than it should, I offer a free 30-minute workflow audit.