We build websites, apps,
and software worth shipping.
Rune is a Chico web design and development studio. Websites, e-commerce, mobile and desktop apps, and custom software, built by the people who actually write the code.
One studio for the whole product
From a one-page site to a cross-platform app with a custom backend, Rune designs, builds, and ships it.
Websites
Fast, modern marketing sites and web apps that load in a blink and rank well.
E-commerce
Storefronts that convert, with smooth checkout, payments, and subscriptions.
Mobile Apps
iOS and Android apps that feel native, from a single codebase or fully native.
Desktop Apps
Cross-platform desktop software for Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Custom Software
Internal tools, APIs, dashboards, and automations tailored to how you work.
Marketing & Growth
Brand, SEO, and analytics to turn a great product into a growing business.
Real products, live in the wild
A few things we have designed, built, and shipped. Every one is online right now, so go click around.
A build you can actually follow
No black boxes and no month-long silences. You see progress every step, and you own everything at the end.
Discover
We start with a conversation about your goals, users, and constraints, then map the fastest path to something real.
Design
You see the product before we build it: clickable designs, clear scope, and a fixed, honest quote.
Build
We ship in small, visible steps so you always know where things stand and can steer as we go.
Launch
We handle deployment, hand you the keys, and stick around for support. You own the code, always.
A studio that works the way you wish agencies did
Senior people, plain talk, fixed prices, and code that is yours to keep.
Senior, hands-on
You work directly with the people writing the code. No account managers, no handoffs, no telephone game.
Local to Chico
Based in Chico, California, and happy to meet in person. Also works great fully remote.
Modern, boring tech
A proven stack chosen for speed and longevity, not hype. Fast to build, cheap to run, easy to maintain.
Clear and honest
Fixed quotes, plain-English updates, and code you fully own. No lock-in, no surprises on the invoice.
Erik Mellum
Founder & Lead Engineer
Meet Erik
Raised in Chico, building serious software - now for local businesses.
Rune is run by Erik Mellum, a Chico local with a Computer Science degree from Chico State and over a decade building software at companies like Zoom. He also teaches Web Development and the Capstone course at Butte College - so the person building your site is the same one who trains new web developers.
That means you work directly with Erik from first sketch to launch. No account managers, no offshore handoff, no template farm - just senior work, done locally, that's yours to keep.
Erik is one of the best teachers I have had at this school. His teaching style takes the mystery out of programming and simplifies it in a way that makes me feel confident.
You have been such a rare combination of mentor, partner, and friend. You guided me through challenges, pushed me when I needed it, and supported me both professionally and personally.
Have something to build?
Tell us what you are dreaming up. You will get a real reply from a real engineer, and a clear idea of scope and cost.
Let us build the thing
Tell us a little about your project. No pitch decks required. We will follow up with next steps and an honest read on scope and cost.