Welcome to The Max Lab.
Max Ratchkauskas
Hi, I'm Max: a dad, a figurative travel photographer and a recovering software developer. These days I'm CTO and co-founder of Pharmalytiq, but in my spare time I still build small, free apps for the problems in my own life.
Why I build
Every app here started as a small itch in my own life. I build the fix for my family first, and I'm happy to share anything I build with the community, because if it helps us, it might help you too. They're passion projects made in spare time, and they'll stay free.
Apps
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Chess Kingdom
PlayA story-led chess game for kids ages 5–8. Owlbert the owl and the pieces talk them through each chapter, so they can play before they can read.
Why: I wanted my kids' first steps in chess to feel like a story, not a lesson.
chess-kingdom.themaxlab.app
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RailDash
OpenA faster, friendlier NJ Transit companion: live train tracking, track numbers, whole-station boards and a nudge when it's time to leave.
Why: I ride NJ Transit and wanted the answers I need on the platform at a glance.
raildash.app
Photography
Figurative travel photography.
MKAS Photography
My photographs come from years of travel. I tried to capture the essence of a place and its people in the moment, rather than finessing the image afterwards.
How I build
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Obvious without instructions
If it needs a manual, I'm not done yet.
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Free, with no ads, ever
No paywalls, no upsells, nothing fighting for your attention.
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Private by default
No accounts unless they're truly needed, nothing that follows you around, and your data stays on your device.
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Small and focused
Each app does one job well and says no to everything else.
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Born from a real need
I build what my family and I actually use, day to day.
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Always improving, in the open
Small, frequent updates, each with a version number you can see.
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Built with AI as a partner
AI coding tools let one person build polished apps in spare time. I steer, it helps.