From Linux installations to a hosting service.
I began exploring Linux servers and installing software at 13. I started SpringRacks Hosting in 2021.
My work combined server operations with the website, customer support and business administration. I handled those responsibilities myself throughout my ownership.
Owning the machines.
At peak, I owned 15+ physical servers. All were colocated at Prime’s Round Table datacentres in Texas and at Hetzner facilities.
I managed these machines as assets: maintenance, motherboard replacement and other parts work were part of the job. Processor, memory and storage requirements also had to fit the workloads being hosted.
I used IPMI for remote management, working between the hardware’s management interface and the Linux installation. Physical maintenance and software operation were both part of looking after the fleet.
I started with a Linux terminal. I ended up responsible for the hardware, the customers and the bills.
Private links and public panels.
Colocation meant relying on datacentre power, cooling and connectivity while operating my own hardware. I coordinated with the providers as part of that work.
NetBird provided private networking between systems. I also worked with Cloudflare load balancing for panels hosted across multiple regions, with the aim of improving availability and reducing downtime risk.
Troubleshooting required checking the connection as well as the machine. A running server and a reachable customer panel were separate things to investigate.
The web systems I built and maintained.
I custom-built the SpringRacks website and ran web hosting on my own servers, using NGINX and web certificates.
Linux configuration, software dependencies, updates and access boundaries were recurring concerns. Public-facing services and private connections needed to be considered together when maintaining the systems.
Databases held customer and billing records. Handling that information gave me practical experience of data management as part of an operating service, alongside the security and maintenance work.
These are LIVE views of the SpringRacks website captured on 16 October 2026. They show the current site, rather than documenting its design during my 2021–2026 ownership. Visit springracks.com.
Customers, subscriptions and cash flow.
- Customers
- Support & communication
- Operations
- Billing & subscriptions
- Resources
- Maintenance & cash flow
I handled customer support directly: listening to the problem, investigating it and explaining the next step in clear language.
I managed billing and subscriptions alongside the costs of operating the service. Customer payments, ongoing expenses and the money available for maintenance had to be coordinated.
Hardware upkeep also affected cash flow. Replacement parts were an operational need and a business cost, so the financial and technical decisions met in the same work.
Handing over SpringRacks.
I sold the company at 18 in 2026, before university began in February. The work described here reflects my period as owner and operator, from the first service setup to the day-to-day administration.