99.9% uptime still allows about 10 minutes of downtime every week. Most SaaS teams I've looked after plan for zero, then skip maintenance because there's never a good time, which is how servers fall behind on patches. A 5 minute window every week still leaves you at 99.95%.
Chris Davidson · 19 years in IT · UK
Linux servers.
Niche sites & SaaS.
I run Bobble Solutions, looking after Linux servers for UK agencies and software teams. I also build niche sites and small SaaS with AI agents.
I've worked in IT for 19 years, most of it keeping other people's Linux servers up to date, secure and backed up. Today that's 300+ servers for agencies and software teams, and my longest-standing client has been with me for 8 years.
I also build my own things: niche sites that earn from ads and affiliates, and small SaaS products, using Claude Code and AI agents. Knowing the server side already helps a lot.
I write here about both: keeping servers boring, and what I'm learning building with AI. Real numbers where I can share them.
I'm based in Nottinghamshire.
How I work
- Production should be boring.
- A backup only counts once you've restored from it.
- Patch regularly: 5 minutes of downtime a week is still 99.95% uptime.
- Most exploited flaws aren't "critical", so patch by what's being used.
- Answer first, then the detail.
- Documentation is king.
- If I wouldn't accept it on my own server, I won't leave it on yours.
- Build small, ship, look at the numbers, iterate.
Latest writing
Coming soon...