Self-hosting offers significant value and problem-solving capabilities by allowing individuals and businesses to customize and control their software environments. The author recounts their first experience with self-hosting BugTracker.NET in 2009, which addressed a critical need for a bug/feature tracking system without incurring additional costs. Despite the challenges of setup and configuration, self-hosting provided immense business value and became a preferred solution. The advent of Docker simplified the self-hosting process, enabling the author to experiment with various applications. The text also highlights the introduction of self-hosted Earthly Satellites, which offer enhanced security, customizable performance, and seamless integration with Earthly Cloud, allowing users to manage their infrastructure while maintaining consistent build processes. The ability to utilize cloud vendor credits and maintain full control over maintenance schedules further underscores the benefits of self-hosting.