About
Thanks for dropping in!
I'm Lindsay, a cloud engineer based in Melbourne who made the jump from disability support work to IT. Both Stacks is where I share everything I've picked up along the way.
I run Linux at home, work with Google Cloud professionally, and build side projects with AI tools like Claude and Gemini. This channel covers the full stack of my tech life.
Think of it as a mate showing you something cool, not a polished tech influencer.
I spent years as a behavioural therapist and disability support worker. Personal care, early intervention, the whole lot. I went from wiping bums to deploying cloud infrastructure. I'm being literal.
I got hired into a general ops role at a disability services organisation. Their tech fleet was a complete mess and nobody was fixing it. So I taught myself, rebuilt everything, and ended up running IT there for over four years.
The catalyst was a redundancy. NDIS funding tightened and my role was cut. I was at a crossroads: find another support role or commit to the terminal. I chose the terminal.
Now I lead IT for the Australian region of a national home healthcare organisation, supporting over 3,400 employees. And I build production AI systems on the side because apparently I don't know how to stop tinkering.
The soft skills from care work turned out to be superpowers. Staying calm in chaos, reading people fast, solving problems on the fly when nothing goes to plan. Turns out that's just IT.
What I Build
Recent Projects
The Crucible
Full-stack exam simulator with AI-generated questions, adaptive difficulty, and detailed explanations. Built on Cloud Run with Claude API, Firebase, and Vertex AI Discovery Engine. Fine-tuning pipeline planned for Vertex AI model customisation.
Iron and Engine
Fitness tracking app with AI-powered coaching, gamification, nutrition and keto tracking. Native Android app with Jetpack Compose. Gemini integration for personalised workout and recovery advice.
Content
What I Cover
Cloud Certification Study Guides
GCP, Snowflake, and CompTIA exam breakdowns. Study strategies, tips, and using AI tools to study smarter.
Tech & Hardware Reviews
Laptops, peripherals, and developer workstation builds. Honest reviews with a focus on value.
Dev Tooling & AI
Claude, Gemini, and AI-assisted development workflows. Building side projects with AI as the co-pilot.
Linux & Open Source
Distro reviews, FOSS alternatives, and daily driving Linux. From Nobara to Ubuntu and everything in between.
Career Change Stories
Transitioning from care work to IT. Certification journeys, timelines, and advice for career changers.
Latest Video
From Wiping Bums to Cloud Engineering
I spent years in disability support before falling sideways into IT. No degree, no bootcamp. This is that story.
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Workstation
The Setup
Desktop
Ryzen 5 7600, RX 6600 XT, 32GB DDR5. Nobara Linux because Fedora with gaming patches just works.
Laptops
ThinkPad P16s (Ryzen 5 6600, 32GB) for the heavy lifting. X1 Carbon Yoga Gen 8 (i7, 16GB) for commuting. Both on Ubuntu.
Cloud
Google Cloud Platform for everything production. Firebase for hosting, Cloud Run for APIs, Vertex AI for the fun stuff.
