About
Hi, I'm Theo Marsh. Online I usually go by rassol, which is also where this little corner of the internet gets its name. I'm a backend developer in my early thirties, and most of my days are spent somewhere between databases, build scripts, and the occasional argument with a YAML file.
This isn't a polished publication. Think of it more as a digital garden — a place where I plant half-formed thoughts and let them grow (or quietly die). Some posts are tidy little guides; others are just me thinking out loud and hoping it makes sense later. I write in first person, informally, mostly so future-me can remember why past-me did something weird.
What I write about
- Command-line tools and small side projects — the kind of things I build on a weekend and then can't stop fiddling with.
- Backend bits and pieces — patterns that worked, ones that didn't, and the occasional debugging story with a happy ending.
- Coffee — I've over-invested in home espresso to a degree that's hard to defend. Expect grind settings, water temperatures, and far too many shots pulled before breakfast.
- Books — I read a lot, across fiction and non-fiction, and I like jotting down what stuck.
- Slow travel — when I can get away, I prefer staying somewhere long enough to find the good bakery rather than racing through a checklist.
Why "rassol"?
It started as a throwaway username years ago and just stuck. I've stopped trying to explain it and started leaning into it. At this point it's less a brand and more a comfortable old hoodie.
Get in touch
I'm happy to hear from people — corrections, recommendations, a better espresso recipe, or just to say hello. The easiest way is email: hello@rassol.sh. I read everything, though I'm slow to reply (see: slow travel, above). No newsletter, no tracking, no comment section to moderate — just me, writing things down and occasionally looking back to see how wrong I was.