Hi, I’m Tanner Marlar.
A software developer, builder, and lifelong learner with a passion for combining technology and practical skills to help people become more self-sufficient.
For more than a decade I’ve worked professionally designing and building software systems — from enterprise document automation and database architecture to modern web applications, AI integrations, and cloud infrastructure. Along the way I’ve also spent countless evenings and weekends learning electronics, welding, fabrication, automation, 3D printing, robotics, and CAD design — simply because I enjoy understanding how things work.
Somewhere along the way I realized something: technology shouldn’t only make our phones smarter. It should make people more capable. That realization became the foundation for Stay Active · Live Free.
“How can technology help ordinary people become more capable, more self-reliant, and less dependent on fragile systems?”
I believe the future isn’t about abandoning modern technology — it’s about using it wisely to help ordinary people grow food, build useful things, manage land responsibly, become healthier, learn practical skills, and create stronger communities. I’m also a husband and father, and that perspective influences nearly everything I build.
The journey
- A decade+Software
Professional software: document automation, database architecture, web applications, and cloud infrastructure.
- Recent yearsAI
AI assistants that teach and augment people instead of replacing them — the idea behind Sage.
- Evenings & weekendsFabrication
Electronics, welding, fabrication, automation, 3D printing, robotics, and CAD — learned hands-on.
- NowSelf-sustainability
Gardens and greenhouses, water collection, ponds and filtration, renewable energy, and resilient living.
What I’m building next
Most of what you’ll find here isn’t theoretical — many are projects I’m actively building, experimenting with, or documenting as I learn. Some work exactly as planned. Some fail spectacularly. Both are worth sharing.