Now01 / present
Independent product builder
Building practical web products after hours, then sharing the decisions, mistakes, and lessons through Old Stack Journal.
Dunedin / New Zealand · independent builder
Technical profile / personal systems
Lars
Jansen.
I build systems that make complicated things feel simple. Currently exploring calmer software, durable tools, and better ways for humans and machines to work together.
01
Think clearly
02
Build carefully
03
Ship usefully
04
Learn continuously
profile / 01
Human first.
Engineer second.
I’m a practical builder who likes turning rough ideas into useful tools people can understand and actually use.
Most of my work sits where software, publishing, SEO, automation, and AI meet. I care about simple stacks, clear language, fast feedback, and shipping things that solve a real problem without adding unnecessary complexity.
- Location
- Dunedin, NZ
- Role
- Independent builder
- Focus
- Practical web tools
- Mode
- Curious + pragmatic
sequence / 02
A short history.
Recently02 / return
A new building chapter
Returned seriously to software with AI-assisted development, shipping tools across search, automation, publishing, and operations.
Earlier03 / web
Websites, SEO & online business
Started in the AltaVista era, worked professionally in SEO, and built high-traffic sites including modpc.co.nz.
Alongside04 / construction
Construction & practical systems
Years in construction reinforced a simple approach: solve the real problem, work within constraints, and finish the job properly.
assemblies / 03
Currently building.
01 / productVisit ↗
Search Triage
A practical SEO and GEO platform that turns search data and site evidence into prioritised fixes, opportunities, and next steps.
02 / journalVisit ↗
Old Stack Journal
A practical journal about building software, testing AI tools, learning in public, and making useful products after work.
03 / systemVisit ↗
Automation Receipts
A lightweight audit trail for automation workflows, recording what ran, what was produced, reviewed, and what happened next.
04 / editorial systemVisit ↗
Beyond the News
An evidence-led editorial system that turns developing stories into deeper dossiers with sources, context, timelines, and review controls.
05 / club softwareComing soon
Football Club Manager
A practical club system for seasons, teams, coaching plans, player records, payments, appearances, and the people who keep a football club running.
06 / media toolVisit ↗
TextToDeck
A text-to-video tool that turns written content into ready-to-render visual decks using reusable templates and automated production. No AI involved, just a good old LAMP stack.
capabilities / 04
What I’m good at.
01 / coreProduct
Product building
Turning rough ideas into useful working products through clear scope, practical decisions, and steady iteration.
02 / coreSearch
SEO & GEO
Finding search opportunities and helping useful content become easier for both people and AI systems to discover.
03 / coreWeb
Practical web development
Building straightforward PHP and LAMP applications that favour clarity, ownership, and maintainability over needless complexity.
04 / coreSystems
Systems & automation
Connecting tools, data, and workflows so repetitive work becomes easier to track, review, and improve.
latest writing / 05
On my mind.
OSJ-01
Why Does Google Search Console Say “URL Is on Google” and “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed”?
1 Aug 2026 ↗ OSJ-02What’s It Actually Like Building a Football Club Manager With Codex?
27 Jul 2026 ↗ OSJ-03Who Pays for the Information Behind AI Answers?
25 Jul 2026 ↗ OSJ-04What Is a Website For When People Stop Visiting It for Information?
25 Jul 2026 ↗connection / 06
Let’s make something useful.
I’m always happy to talk about good problems, thoughtful products, or the strange little details that make software feel great.