We build tech.
For startups. For nonprofits. For good.
I'm Dan Rutledge. Bright City Labs is my independent invention lab for original products, ambitious experiments, and technology that helps people thrive.
I develop my own ideas here and partner with clients on theirs.
The goal isn't better technology. It's a better life.
We don't need another app designed to keep us glued to our phones. The best technology strengthens human connection, serves the common good, and gives people more freedom to create and build community in the real world. Let's get building.
Products
Products from the lab.
Some experiments become products. Here are two you can use today.
Meetify
Scheduling is easy until people need to meet somewhere.
Meetify helps schedule in-person meetings at coffee shops and restaurants with virtual options when needed.
meetify.com →
ShirtDroid
Personalized shirts for birthdays, weddings, pet lovers, inside jokes, and anything else requiring something delightfully ridiculous.
Choose a design, add a photo, and the droid handles the rest.
shirtdroid.com →Services
Bring it to the lab.
I work directly with clients on ideas that need building, workflows that need rethinking, and software that needs an experienced technical eye.
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AI product design & development
Strategy, architecture, UX, and full-stack development, from first prototype to secure, maintainable production.
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Vibe-coded project evaluation
A technical review of AI-built software for architecture, security, and code quality, with clear findings on what's solid, risky, and next.
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AI workflow strategy & integration
Finding where AI genuinely improves your workflows and where it just adds risk. When there's a fit, I build it.
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AI training & advising
Practical workshops and guidance built around real work in software, writing, audio, and video.
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AI-assisted media production
Commissioned video and social content combining AI generation, traditional editing, VFX, and repurposed brand assets.
Selected work
A few recent projects
I designed and built a security-focused video discipleship platform for an international Christian ministry serving workers in a restricted-access region.
A hidden sign-in flow conceals the entrance to protected content, while routeless navigation keeps user activity out of browser history. DRM streaming protects the video library, and resumable uploads keep large files moving when remote internet connections drop.
I taught a live webinar for more than 100 Christian Broadcasting Network producers joining from countries around the world.
Through practical workflows and examples from my own work, I demonstrated how AI can expand what producers can accomplish across writing, audio, and video.
I created commercials and social videos for a national leather-goods company using its existing product photography and archival footage, with no new shoot required.
AI supplied new scenes, music, and voice-over, while traditional editing blended everything into finished work where the original and generated footage are nearly impossible to tell apart.
I built an automated workflow that reads receipts sent to an email inbox, applies custom categorization instructions, matches each receipt to the correct QuickBooks transaction, and records the category.
It combines AI judgment with deterministic checks and scheduled processing to turn a repetitive bookkeeping task into a reliable system that runs on its own.
About Dan Rutledge
I'm an entrepreneur, technical product architect, and filmmaker whose work spans software, storytelling, and mission. I've co-founded two software companies and built both products from the ground up. I served as CEO and CTO at SignUpGenius as it grew from an idea into a platform serving more than 100 million people a year.
Today, I build original products and take on select client work through Bright City Labs. I combine full-stack technical expertise with creativity and joyful leadership to help teams solve hard problems with simple, powerful products that make the world better.
More about me at danrutledge.com →Get in touch
Bring me an idea.
Tell me what you're trying to build, fix, or make possible. I'll get back to you personally.
Thanks — your message is on its way.
I read every message myself and I'll get back to you soon.