2005

Mohawks to MeshNode, Punk to Purpose built punk-rock outdoor WiFi mesh. Spent revenue on hacker events, custom routers. Freedom over money. Provided WiFi for Linux expo, birthed MeshNode, hired first employee. Chose secure tech over chaos. Long-Version 2005 was my year of peak punk-rock mohawk. By year’s end, I was in a suit. Go figure. At 19, I was a real-life cyberpunk, living on curiosity and code. A year earlier, I’d registered my first company, swearing I’d never work for anyone else. That promise held. In 2005, I built my first outdoor WiFi mesh setup. No idea how to sell it, but it worked. For me, that was everything. Punk-rock WiFi, raw and unpolished, born from sleepless nights and homemade antennas. Networks weren’t just a hobby. They were my life. I poured my first revenue into hacker events like What the Hack in the Netherlands. The rest went to WiFi gear: custom routers, antennas, built from scratch under tarps and starry skies. That was freedom. Not money, but the thrill of creation, connection, and learning without limits. The goth phase—black eyeliner, bat-like vibes—started fading. Fun while it lasted, but closing deals meant trading torn sleeves for suits. Building real tech felt better than looking the part. I still hung with my hacker crew at meetups. We called ourselves Digital Rebelz, or “DigReb.” Cold pizza, shared code, and all-night talks about Linux and networks. No polish, just ideas. Then came the break: we provided WiFi for a major Linux exhibition. Our first “WiFi as a Service” gig, our first public win. We even had a booth, right next to Google and Debian. Picture that: a bunch of misfits holding their own among tech giants. Momentum hit hard. Industrial clients came knocking. I hired my first employee this year, and we started crafting rugged, waterproof routers for harsh environments. That’s when MeshNode was born. My hacker friends split paths—some went dark, chasing chaos. I chose different. I’d read Know Your Enemy, that old O’Reilly book, and it stuck. I wanted to build secure network tech, not break it. 2005 was the year I found my edge: creating systems that connect, endure, and protect. That punk-rock spirit still burns. It’s in every line of code, every router I build. Want to hear more about the early MeshNode days or the hacker life? Drop a comment. Let’s swap stories.