Hi, I’m Tom.
Father of two. Builder of software.
Making things I want to exist.
I’m a father of two, a builder of software, and someone who finds it difficult to leave an interesting idea alone.
By day, I’m a Technical Product Manager at a global trading firm. Previously, I worked at Bloomberg, Broadway Technology, and MarketPrizm.
Outside work, I build software around things I want to use myself. Lately, that’s meant making a Linux desktop feel like home, giving coding agents clearer decisions to follow, and seeing how far an old iPad can be pushed.
AI has made more of those ideas possible. I’m interested in what happens after the first working demo: the details, the testing, and whether somebody else actually finds it useful.
This is my home on the web. The projects have their own portfolio; this is where the threads come together.
Selected work
Some things I’m building, and one I’m learning to put down.
Familiar Desktop ↗
It started with wanting my family to feel comfortable using Linux. A dock, familiar window controls, and a desktop they could use with a mouse.
Omarchy has since brought much of that experience into Core. I’ve ended Familiar’s feature development, with migration notes for existing users. The replacement’s availability depends on your Omarchy version and channel.
AsDecided ↗
Engineering decisions your agents can follow. A way to keep the reasoning attached to the code, so that a new conversation doesn’t mean starting from scratch.
iOMARCHY ↗
The ambition: a usable native Omarchy desktop on an iPad. The starting point: an iPad mini 4 and the work of getting Linux to boot. Still an experiment, with the limitations documented alongside the progress.
Tokyo Roadster ↗
Ten Roadster wallpapers, reimagined in Tokyo Night’s blue and violet. Open the desktop, pick a scene, and take it for a spin.
TRY THE DESKTOP For the Omarchy apps, plugins, themes and field notes, visit omarchy.tcballard.dev.
Writing
I write about what I’m making and what it’s teaching me. Sometimes that’s a practical guide. Sometimes it’s the less tidy business of getting attached to something you built.
MusingsPersonal essays on software, curiosity and community.Explore the notebook ↗- Explaining Omarchy
- Practical explanations for making the desktop your own.
- Today in Omarchy
- Notes on what changed, what shipped, and what I tried.
- Fixing Everything
- A longer look at the week’s work and the ideas behind it.
My personal essays have a home in Musings. I also share articles and shorter posts on X, as @tcballard.
Elsewhere
If something here interests you, follow along, try a project, or get in touch.