AI in the Homelab, with Ben Thomas

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:53:32 +1000

Series two has mostly stayed away from AI and that was deliberate, I wanted to talk about the backup stack, the origin story, my wife’s ongoing tolerance of my cupboard full of gear. Then I got Ben Thomas on for this episode and he dragged me straight back into it, and honestly I’m glad he did. We recorded this one in a hotel lobby in Sydney, which is roughly the safe middle ground between Perth and Christchurch, so if you can hear a bit of background noise on the episode then that’s why.

The Homelab That Made My Career

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 20:57:47 +0800

I’ve told the “homelab made my career” story plenty of times. I’ve told it to junior colleagues, I’ve referenced it in previous episodes, I’ve told it to anyone who’d listen, really. But I’ve always told it from my side of the desk, the learning, the certifications, the late nights rebuilding broken clusters and figuring out what went wrong. What I’ve never done is hand the mic to the person who’s actually had to live with it all. My wife, is back on the podcast, she joined me for episode five’s parenting conversation, and this time we’re talking about the homelab. What it’s been like sharing a house with near-production-grade networking gear, what’s genuinely driven her up the wall over the years, and whether, after all the dollars and weekends spent on it, the whole thing has actually been worth it. For both of us.

Guest on HomelabPro Blog

AI in the Homelab, with Ben Thomas

The Homelab That Made My Career