Third Rock Analytics started as a side project a couple of years ago. This year, it's the main thing. This is the first post in Field notes, so it makes sense to start with the basics: what this practice does, why it's structured the way it is, and how the back office is set up.
My background is in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Ohio State, with a Master's in Geoinformatics from UTSA. The years since have been a mix of academic, energy, and engineering work, and the through-line has been consistent: take messy spatial data, figure out what it actually means, then make a map or a model that helps someone act on it. GIS is one of the few fields where the data work, the analysis, and the visual output all live in the same toolbox, and I like having all three in front of me at once.
The business is veteran-owned and based in Tacoma, Washington. Being a solo practice shapes how the work gets done: no handoffs, no committees, and a scope that has to be honest about what one person can deliver well. I'd rather quote a smaller project I can do right than over-promise a larger one.
Why one person
A lot of GIS work falls into the gap between "I can do this in QGIS over the weekend" and "we need to hire a full-time analyst." That gap is where most small organizations, land managers, and non-GIS-native teams actually live. A solo practice fits it well: less overhead, faster turnaround, and one person who has actually looked at the data and remembers what's in it.
The trade-off is that I can't be everywhere. So the services list stays narrow on purpose: cartography, spatial analysis, and web mapping. If a project is bigger than that, I'll say so and point you somewhere that fits better.
How the shop is wired up
The setup that keeps the practice running day to day:
- Files and comms. Microsoft 365 for email, file storage, and collaboration. Every working folder lives in OneDrive, so there's one source of truth and offline access for fieldwork.
- Billing. Stripe for invoices, payment links, and receipts. Low overhead and no monthly seat fees.
- Desktop GIS. ArcGIS Pro and QGIS, depending on the client and the task. Both have their place.
- Scripting and analysis. Python for processing pipelines, batch geoprocessing, and anything that needs to run on more than one file. Google Earth Engine when the data already lives there.
- Web mapping. JavaScript, mostly with libraries like Mapbox GL JS or Leaflet. Tiles served from wherever fits the basemap budget.
- This website. Plain HTML and CSS, hosted on GitHub Pages. No build step, no framework, no CMS. Editable from any text editor.
None of it is unusual, and that's the point. I wanted tools I could keep using for years without having to switch stacks.
What "Field notes" will be
The blog index already outlines what to expect, but for the record: this is where the actual problems get written down. What the client needed, what went wrong along the way, how it got fixed, and what I'd do differently next time. The format is short essay rather than tutorial, though there will be code where code is the answer.
Posting cadence is irregular. I'd rather publish a handful of useful writeups a year than a steady stream of filler.
Open for work
If you have a spatial problem and you're not sure who to send it to, send it here. Maps, analysis, web tools, advice on what to use — all of it is on the table. Email is contact@thirdrockanalytics.com, or the contact form on the home page goes to the same inbox.
The next post will come from inside an active project.