About Pete Williamson

Infrastructure pragmatist, content creator, and advocate for sensible Year 1 business decisions

Background

I've spent over two decades working with business technology — from enterprise IT infrastructure to hands-on development. I've seen organisations spend fortunes on infrastructure they didn't need, and I've seen startups crippled by trying to run before they could walk.

Strategic Servers exists because I believe Year 1 businesses deserve honest guidance — not upsells to enterprise solutions they can't afford, and not dismissive "just use Wix" advice that leaves them dependent on platforms they don't understand.

I work from a home office in Oxford, UK. I build streaming infrastructure, create educational content, and run my own self-hosted services. Everything I teach here, I use myself.

Experience

🖥️ IT Infrastructure

Enterprise server management, virtualisation, networking, and security across multiple industries

20+ years

💻 Development

PHP, JavaScript, Python, API integrations, database design, and system automation

15+ years

🎬 Streaming Tech

OBS optimisation, Apple Silicon encoding, Twitch/Kick API integration, 4K recording workflows

Active development

🔧 Self-Hosting

Home server infrastructure, control panels, SSL, DNS, and bandwidth-conscious deployments

Ongoing

"You're starting a business, not raising Series A. Get something live, learn the fundamentals, and focus on actually growing. Enterprise infrastructure is a Year 2 problem — if you're lucky enough to have that problem."

— The Year 1 philosophy

Related Projects

Why This Matters

I've watched too many people get talked into solutions they don't need. Cloud hosting providers promising "scale" to businesses that get ten visitors a day. Website builders charging monthly fees for something that could run on a Raspberry Pi.

The truth is: if you're working from home, your website can too. Not because home hosting is always the right answer — but because for Year 1, while you're figuring out if this business is even going to work, it's often the most sensible one.

When you outgrow it — when uptime genuinely matters, when you're processing real traffic — you'll know. And you'll have the knowledge to make an informed decision about what comes next.

Get in Touch

Questions, suggestions, or just want to follow along?