Indie tool builder · UX-focused developer · Local-first enthusiast

I build software because I want it to exist.

Mostly tools, apps, and systems that value clarity, user control, and long-term usefulness over trends. I’m skeptical of SaaS-by-default, allergic to unnecessary accounts, and deeply interested in software that works offline, locally, and on the user’s terms.

By day I work in IT support at Elkjøp Halden.
By night I build things I wish already existed.

A completely free, local-first accounting-lite app.

• No accounts
• No cloud
• No SaaS
• Full data ownership

Send and manage invoices, track expenses, and keep control of your own data. Built for people who don’t want their finances trapped behind a login screen.

A modern file manager for Linux.

Focused on:

• clean, intentional UX
• speed and clarity over feature bloat
• small, tasteful AI assistance where it actually helps

Not trying to reinvent files. Just trying to make them less annoying.

A job application tool with responsible AI use.

• No auto-rejections
• No fake “AI decided” excuses
• Strong emphasis on human accountability and transparency

Built around the idea that applicants deserve to be treated like people, not spam.

A developer tool aimed at reducing terminal dependency.

Provides a sleek, organized UI for common workflows that normally live in shell commands. Designed to lower friction without hiding what’s actually happening.

A deliberately silly app that judges your repositories.

Repos are treated as dead or dying projects, complete with:

• autopsy reports
• personality-driven commentary
• varying degrees of brutality

Built mostly for fun. Surprisingly good at making people reflect on abandoned code.

A 2D game engine written in Rust.

• Engine core in place
• Editor in progress
• Long-term exploration project

Less about shipping a Unity killer, more about learning engine architecture the hard way.

• Tool-first, product-minded
• Strong UX bias
• Local-first and offline-capable by default
• Minimal magic, explicit behavior
• Software should respect the user’s time and data

I enjoy owning the whole thing: data model → logic → UI → packaging.

Frontend

• React, Vite, Next.js
• Tailwind CSS, Framer Motion

Backend

• Node.js, Express
• MySQL / MariaDB
• REST APIs, auth, background tasks

Desktop & tooling

• Electron, Tauri (case by case)
• Local storage, IndexedDB
• Cross-platform packaging

Infra

• Linux
• Apache
• DigitalOcean
• Git & GitHub Actions

GitHub is a mix of:

• portfolio
• product distribution
• open-source experiments

Some projects are public, some are private, and not everything I build lives here.

• 📧 Email: chris@madsens.dev
• 🌐 Website: https://madsens.dev
• 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoffer-madsen-47187814/

I build tools I’d want to keep using.