Building my own infrastructure when free is costing more than you think

Description:

Why build your own infrastructure when there are existing SaaS products out there? While many “free” tools exist, they often come with hidden costs: accepting third-party cookies, having your data used for training, or paying for essential powerful features.

In this talk, Mariatta walks through the creation of her “secret codes”—a suite of open-source Python web apps built on Django, including a QR code generator, scheduling calendar, community feedback surveys, and an expense tracker. This session explores why building custom tools can be a superior alternative to SaaS, focusing on how ownership of data and code provides a level of convenience, privacy, and trust that is worth the initial effort.

Project URL: https://secretcodes.dev

Target Audience: