After years of building software quietly in the background — shipping bike shop management platforms, drug-test randomizers, iOS consignment apps, and full-stack booking systems — we decided it was time to start talking about the work.
This blog is where we'll share what we're learning, what we're building, and the opinions we've formed along the way.
What to expect here
We're not interested in thought-leadership fluff. Expect posts about:
- AI tools we're actually using — what works, what doesn't, and what's overhyped
- Privacy-first development — building software that respects users without sacrificing features
- Productivity software design — the opinionated choices behind our Windows and iOS apps
- Full-stack war stories — Next.js, Sanity, Square, Vercel patterns from real client projects
- Open source releases — tools we build for ourselves that might help you too
A bit about us
Random Llama Software is a one-person shop founded by Robert Hattala in Richmond, TX. Before this, I spent years in logistics writing routing software that saved about $5M in operational costs. That obsession with efficiency — finding the waste, cutting it out — shapes everything we build.
Every product we ship started as a personal pain point. The Random Llama Randomizer came from working with small businesses that needed compliant drug-test selection without a bloated HR platform. ConsignMate came from watching a reseller friend manage inventory in a Google Sheet.
We collect zero personal data — ever. Not because it's easy, but because it's right.
The stack
If you're curious about the technical side, we work primarily in:
- Rust and C# for native Windows apps
- Swift/SwiftUI for iOS
- Next.js 15, React 19, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS for the web
- Sanity CMS, Postgres, Vercel for full-stack client projects
We'll be going deep on all of these. Subscribe to the RSS feed, bookmark the blog, or just check back when curiosity strikes.
Welcome to the llama barn.