Own identity
Dedicated agent accounts
Agents and automations use their own accounts instead of reusing your personal account or login. They can act on your behalf without becoming indistinguishable from you.
Philipp Merkle, Independent Software Developer
Apps built for you, and your AI agents.
I build AI-friendly software products, designed to be as usable by AI as they are by humans. This helps AI agents assist you more effectively, while still providing a great experience when you use them without AI.
25+ Years developing software
20+ Years hosting web applications
Months building independently
Mission
Build for agents from day one.
AI agents are becoming part of how people work, plan, learn, and create, but most software wasn't built with them in mind. I build products where agents can safely act on your behalf, with limits on what they can touch and a clear trail of what they did.
Agents act, you stay in control
With dedicated agent accounts, scoped permissions, approval gates, and audit trails, you keep oversight and decide how much agents can do.
Scoped permissions
Agent-specific permissions
Permissions limit what an agent or automation can see and do. Blocking access to sensitive personal data is just one example.
Human in the loop
Approval gates
Sensitive agent actions can require review and approval before they happen. Agents can prepare the work, but you decide what gets done and when.
Auditability
Audit trails
Audit trails show which actions agents took and when. This helps you trace issues and recover from mistakes where possible.
Give agents a front door
Agents should not have to guess their way through screens. Built-in APIs give them a front door, and metadata gives them a place to leave context and make the product their own.
Automation ready
API access for every user
API access is built in, not reserved for higher pricing tiers. Agents, scripts, and workflow tools can use it to integrate, automate, and extend the product.
Agent context
Metadata that preserves meaning
Metadata lets agents document what led to a record, so future agents can pick up the context and extend the product with data it was not designed to hold.
About
Building independently,from idea to operation.
Hello, I'm Philipp, a software engineer based in Karlsruhe, Germany.
Since April 2026, I've been working independently as a solo developer.
Focus
I’m building my own products and not taking on freelance work for now. My aim is software I can own end-to-end: shaping the product, operating the system, and improving it over time.
How I work
I move between product, design, engineering, and operations, taking ideas from early shape to running systems. The breadth is demanding, but it keeps decisions close to implementation and makes learning part of the work.
Background
I started in academia in 2011 before leaving my PhD to work as a software performance consultant, then gradually moved into software engineering. I have spent seven years in senior engineering roles, including around two years as a technical lead.
Why now
Recent advances in AI make working as a solo developer more practical. My background is strongest in backend engineering and operations; coding agents help me move faster across frontend and design work. That gives me more room to focus on product direction, architecture, and the systems I operate.
Services
Client work is on pause.
No new client work
Software Development
After 25 years of providing occasional software development as a side business, I'm shifting my focus to building my own products.
I'm not taking on new client work for now.
Existing customers only
Web Hosting
For more than 20 years, I've provided web hosting as a side business to a select customer base. This service is no longer offered to new customers.
Existing customers can continue to rely on me.
Contact
Have an opportunity worth exploring?
I'm focused on my own products for now, but I'm always open to an interesting conversation.