Railgun Labs is an independent software company founded by myself in 2024. At the time of this writing, I’ve shipped five software products with more on the way. The company represents the culmination of several years of work and, given that this is my personal website, I wanted to share some of the history and philosophy behind the company.

Products First, Business Second#

I’m a passion-driven software developer so I pick projects that I think are “interesting” rather than what will maximize profits. Put another way, I’m a product guy first and foremost. I love to build things. To me, money is a tool at best and an obstacle at worst.

My business strategy is to create products that I think are interesting because if I have a use for them, then I believe others will too. I understand this approach might yield fewer sales, so I keep my expenditures low. I view it as an acceptable tradeoff as it allows me to feel more connected to my work.

Naming the Company#

I named the company “Railgun” after my favorite gun from Quake II. I grew up playing old-school first person shooters and the railgun always stood out as a unique weapon to me.

I added “Labs” after my love of early Hollywood Mad Scientist tropes (see the original Dr. Frankenstein in the 1931 movie “Frankenstein”).

As a name, I think “Railgun Labs” is fun! It conveys high velocity with experimentation which, I think, is perfect for a small scrappy tech startup.

Designing the Website#

When designing the company website, I wanted to balance fun with professionalism. I opted for a minimalistic, flat art style to give that professional feel. I injected “fun” by choosing vibrant colors.

Early Designs#

I was initially conflicted on how to create the balance I was looking for. My early designs, I think, went a touch too far:

In this early design, I had mostly finalized the home page layout and logo design, but the colors scheme was completely different from the final version. In the final design, the colors are vibrant and professional and there’s a bit more humor injected. For example, the “goto” in “GOTO Products” is a reference to the goto statement.

Websites are always an ongoing project. I anticipate that I will refresh the design from time-to-time.

Designing a Mascot#

Not too many tech companies have a mascot. The choice to have one was motivated by my desire to create a strong brand identity as well as a sense of playfulness.

The mascot was initially based on the appearance of Doctor Tomoe from the anime Sailor Moon. I wasn’t too big of an anime fan when I was younger. My viewing was limited to Pokémon and whatever aired on Toonami, but the design of Doctor Tomoe always stuck with me.

My initial design of the mascot was very reminiscent of Doctor Tomoe. I think the influence is fairly obvious, once pointed out.

As I iterated on the design, I toned it down, along with the website, to present the more professional look I was after. As I approached the final design, I gave the mascot a name: Dr. Chip Codewell. He represents my commitment to innovation.

Like the website, I expect Chip to continue to undergo refreshes from time-to-time.

Product Pricing#

When it comes to pricing my products and services, I wish I could say there was some master strategy or scientific equation I used, but I mostly just reviewed what competitors in the same space were offering and based my prices on theirs. I also gauged how “expensive” it would be to replicate my work and set my prices lower to make my offerings more appealing.

Marketing#

I’m not a big social media person, but for marketing I’m relying on it. I am tentatively planning to attend various, in-person venues in the future. And my direct outreach to various tech companies has begun.

My post announcing Unicorn reached the front page of Hacker News. I attribute the success to when I posted: I made the announcement early-mid December when, I think, a non-negligible amount of people were out on vacation for the Holidays and new content was slow thereby making it “easier” for me to get noticed.

An Ongoing Adventure#

Railgun Labs is an ongoing venture for me. I’m not sure where it will lead, but I don’t regret the decision to quit my job to pursue it. I plan to continue posting meta updates here as well as other insights as I continue this journey.