FocusWithRome
The Operator Stack
The tools I run my companies on, in two layers: an offline lab that does the thinking, and a content machine that does the heavy lifting. One tip each, so you skip my mistakes.
Off the grid
The offline lab
A few beefy Linux machines running Ollama and local AI, a handful of Raspberry Pis cooking up some n8n automation sorcery. All offline, all under my control. Some people play with technology. I make it work for me. 🥶
Ollama(opens in a new tab)
Local AI: the brain
Runs open-source AI models on a few beefy Linux machines, so private work stays private. No API keys, no data leaving the building.
Tip Start with a small model that runs fast. For everyday tasks, speed beats size.
n8n(opens in a new tab)
Automation: the hands
The automation engine. On the Pis it runs offline workflows around the clock; on the main host it moves leads and posts between apps.
Tip Automate a task only after you have done it by hand enough times to know every step.
Raspberry Pi 4 & 5(opens in a new tab)
Edge nodes: always on
A handful of Pi 4s and Pi 5s cooking up n8n automation sorcery. Low power, always on, all offline, all under my control.
Tip Boot from an SSD, not an SD card. Faster, and it lasts.
Linux(opens in a new tab)
The foundation
Runs the AI machines, the Pis and the automation host. Stable, scriptable, and nobody else's subscription.
Tip If you type it twice, script it.
Online
The content machine
The lab thinks. This layer ships. Alerts spot the story, n8n turns it into drafts, Higgsfield puts my face on it, OneDrive keeps every file, and ManyChat works the DMs. Every bot runs on its own account, never mine. I show up. The machine does the heavy lifting. 🎤
Google Alerts(opens in a new tab)
The radar
Watches the topics I teach and drops fresh headlines into the pipeline every morning. The story finds me.
Tip Track ten sharp phrases, not fifty broad ones. Quiet radar, better signal.
Higgsfield(opens in a new tab)
The face
Turns scripts into avatar scenes and short videos, so every post has a face without a film crew.
Tip Lock one character reference and reuse it, so every post looks like the same person.
OneDrive(opens in a new tab)
The vault
Every draft, render and final lands in one folder system. Automations drop files in, I approve, nothing gets lost.
Tip Folders by stage: Inbox, Drafts, Approved, Posted. The folder name is the status.
ManyChat(opens in a new tab)
The DM desk
Answers keyword comments and DMs in seconds, day or night, then hands the conversation to email.
Tip Ask for an email in the first exchange. Instagram's reply window closes; your inbox doesn't.
Service accounts
Least privilege
Every bot logs in with its own dedicated account, never mine. If one ever gets compromised, it hits a wall, not my life.
Tip One login per bot, only the access it needs. Nothing more.
Get what I learn next
Operator Notes: one email a week on what I'm building, what's working and what I'd skip. Plain English.