Profile

Jean.

Started from zero knowledge. Lines of code made the hairs on my neck stand up, I didn't even know what Git was. Today I build tools when something's missing, run a homelab, write up what works. The best investment of time I've ever made.

  • 0+ Hours building with AI
  • 0+ n8n workflows shipped
  • 0+ Self-hosted services running
  • 0 own VPS stacks set up and hardened

What came out of it

  • Bildgenie.ai — my own SaaS platform for AI images and videos
  • aj-printstudios.de — client site, built and self-hosted
  • NADOVO — AI-compliance brand, design and advisory during build-up
  • pdf-renamer — open-source tool, runs locally with Ollama
  • DWD — digital rights initiative, volunteer work
Jean, the person behind LAIER8

Layer 8

In IT slang, Layer 8 is the human between chair and keyboard. The spot where things get stuck when tech doesn’t do what it’s supposed to.

The seven OSI layers describe technology: hardware, protocols, sessions, applications. When something breaks, you look for the bug in there. When you can’t find it, you say: Layer 8.

LAIER8 flips that. The name has AI baked into it, and the AI isn’t here for its own sake. It’s supposed to help Layer 8, not replace it. Tech without the human it’s made for is pointless. AI that only thinks in layers 1 through 7 is broken, no matter how elegantly it runs.

What that means in practice

AI is everywhere. Tools, models, workflows. Something new lands every week. That gets overwhelming fast, and that’s where I come in.

I’m not the consultant who throws tools at you and hopes for the best. I’m also not the guy who clicks together an n8n workflow and disappears. My vision is to figure out, together with you, where AI actually helps you, how it fits your day-to-day, and what stays in your hands while you use it.

I know the path because I walked it myself. Zero knowledge to start with, then built things with AI, tried, failed, kept going. I pass that on.

Three lines I work along:

  • Privacy first. AI must not come at the cost of your sovereignty.
  • Self-hosting. You stay in control of the machine, not the other way around.
  • Sheltered spaces. There are areas where automated analysis has no business being.

What you’ll find here

What I actually do is under Projects. Videos, notes, experiments. If something resonates or you have a similar task: drop a line.