Hi, I'm Ahmad. I build things that try not to get in the way.
I'm an independent software developer working primarily on the Apple platforms. I design and ship native apps that are small, focused, and quietly useful — the kind of tools that earn a permanent spot in your menu bar by doing one thing well, every single day.
The short version
I've been writing software for most of my life, and shipping it under the aieltokhy name for the last few years. My work sits at the intersection of system-level engineering — screen capture, virtual cameras, system extensions — and the calm, considered side of interface design.
I prefer making small, paid products over chasing growth at any cost, and I'd rather have a thousand people who love an app than a million who barely use it.
The longer version
The studio started, like most things, by accident. I needed an app for myself — something to hide private windows when sharing my screen — and discovered the available options were either Electron monsters or hadn't been updated in years. So I built PrivacyStage.
I'm now turning that one-off into a small body of work: a handful of native apps that share a worldview about respect, privacy, and the quiet pleasure of using software that fits its platform.
What I value
Craft
Sweat the details that almost no-one will notice. The ones who do will tell their friends.
Privacy
Default to local. Default to silent. The user's data is the user's, not the product.
Honesty
Marketing should match the app. Bug reports should get real replies. Promises should be small enough to keep.
Restraint
The hardest thing in software is deciding what not to build. I make that decision deliberately, again and again.
Maintenance
Shipping is the beginning, not the end. An app that's still good in five years is the real flex.
Joy
Software should be a little bit fun to use. Tiny moments of motion, sound, and surprise pay long dividends.
A rough timeline
aieltokhy, full-time
Shipping PrivacyStage, starting a second product, taking on a small amount of carefully-chosen freelance work.
PrivacyStage v1.0
First public release. Virtual camera extension, OCR masking, stealth window hiding — all the original ideas finally in one app.
Going independent
Left full-time work to focus on building small, paid native apps and to take craft as seriously as it deserves.
Engineering roles
Years of writing production software across the stack — server, mobile, desktop. Learned what scales, what doesn't, and what's worth fighting for.
Side projects
A long string of weekend experiments, half-finished games, and command-line toys. None of them shipped. All of them taught something.
First lines of code
An old PC, a borrowed book, and the conviction that this is the most interesting thing a person can do with their time.