I'm not a developer who learned business—I'm a business operator who architects technology. With formal Business Analyst training and experience running all business functions, I understand your P&L constraints, hiring challenges, and operational bottlenecks before designing solutions.
Managed sales, payroll, recruitment—I understand operational reality
BCS qualified Business Analyst with ITSM service delivery background
6 years e-commerce using Node.js, React, Liquid, Replit
Business operations experience + formal BA training + technical capability = why I'm top 3%
Professional Business Analysis Qualification
BCS (British Computer Society) qualified Business Analyst with formal training in requirements gathering, process analysis, and stakeholder management. IT Management for Business degree. This BA foundation shapes how I approach technical architecture—business outcomes first, technology second.
Multi-Department Management
Operated and ran a business across all functions: sales, payroll, recruitment, operations. ITSM (IT Service Management) background. I understand the operational constraints, budget pressures, and hiring challenges you face—because I've managed them.
Elite E-commerce Talent Network
Accepted into Storetasker's exclusive network after rigorous vetting. They review 15,000+ applicants annually and accept only 2-3%. Selected for combination of technical expertise and business collaboration skills.
Platform Expertise & Partnership
Six years focused on e-commerce technical architecture. Shopify Select Partner with deep Liquid templating, custom app development, and complex integration experience. Daily toolset: Node.js, React, JavaScript, Liquid, Replit.
Track Record: Specific project numbers, client value metrics, and success rates available upon request. All case studies represent real client engagements with verified outcomes.
Strategic systems thinking that aligns technology with business objectives
Technology exists to serve business goals, not the reverse. I start every engagement by understanding your business model, growth trajectory, competitive positioning, and operational challenges before evaluating technical solutions. Before recommending any platform or architecture, I map your customer journey, identify conversion bottlenecks, and understand where technology can create competitive advantage versus where it's table stakes.
Not every problem needs a custom solution. I evaluate whether to build, buy, or integrate based on competitive advantage, time-to-market, total cost of ownership, and strategic flexibility. This analysis often reveals that investing in core differentiators while leveraging SaaS for commodity functionality delivers better ROI than building everything custom.
Design today for tomorrow's scale. I architect systems that can handle 10x growth without fundamental redesign—considering data volume, traffic patterns, team scaling, and operational complexity. This includes event-driven architectures with queue-based processing, horizontal scaling patterns, and degradation strategies that maintain core functionality under load.
Innovation without stability is chaos. I balance cutting-edge capabilities with operational reliability—using proven patterns for mission-critical paths while innovating at the edges. Techniques include strangler fig pattern for legacy migration, feature flags for progressive rollout, and comprehensive monitoring before optimization.
The best architecture is one your team can operate. I design systems that match your team's capabilities while creating growth paths, with clear documentation and knowledge transfer. This includes architectural decision records (ADRs), runbooks for common scenarios, and training that turns operators into owners.
Define success metrics before implementation. I establish clear KPIs for every architectural decision—from performance benchmarks to business impact—and instrument for continuous measurement. This includes pre-implementation baselines, post-implementation validation, and ongoing monitoring dashboards that tie technical metrics to business outcomes.
Architectural leadership that drives business transformation
Unified Customer Experience Across 5 Independent Brands
Multi-brand retailer facing scalability crisis with fragmented customer data across 5 independent Shopify instances. Support team manually context-switching between systems, no unified customer view, 2-day average response times threatening brand reputation. Planning acquisition of 6th brand but infrastructure couldn't support additional complexity.
Evaluation: Conducted build-vs-buy analysis comparing unified platform migration (significant cost and extended timeline) versus integration architecture approach (faster implementation with lower investment).
Solution: Designed event-driven architecture leveraging Zendesk as system of record while maintaining Shopify as transaction layer. Webhook-based bidirectional sync with intelligent fallback mechanisms and eventual consistency patterns.
Technical Leadership: Led vendor evaluation, designed data flow architecture, specified integration contracts, and established monitoring/alerting framework.
Technology Strategy for Rapid Revenue Scaling
Rapidly scaling DTC brand with support infrastructure buckling under growth. Manual processes failing at scale, customer data fragmented across multiple systems, support team couldn't hire fast enough. Technology becoming growth bottleneck rather than enabler.
Strategic Analysis: Conducted capacity planning showing 18-month runway before complete operational breakdown. Recommended automation-first approach over team expansion.
Architecture: Designed intelligent automation layer within Gorgias with deep Shopify integration. Workflow engine for common queries, ML-assisted routing, automated order updates, unified customer timeline. Built for substantial team expansion without requiring architectural change.
Implementation Strategy: Phased rollout starting with highest-volume use cases. Measured automation quality before expanding scope. Continuous optimization based on support team feedback.
Bespoke Reservation System Processing Hundreds of Monthly Bookings
Hawaii golf course operator needed a custom tee time booking system integrated with their existing operations. Standard booking platforms lacked the flexibility for their specific pricing rules, member management, and operational workflows. Required solution that could handle hundreds of bookings per month while integrating with on-site operations.
Requirements Analysis: Applied formal BA methodology to understand booking workflows, pricing structures, member hierarchies, and operational constraints. Documented requirements with stakeholders before writing code.
Custom Development: Built bespoke booking application using Node.js and React. Real-time availability management, dynamic pricing engine, member authentication, and integrated payment processing. Designed for operational staff usability, not just customer-facing features.
Business Operations Focus: Because I've managed business operations, I understood the importance of admin workflows, reporting for accounting, and staff training. Built operational dashboards and documentation that matched how the business actually worked.
Platform-agnostic architectural capability across the e-commerce technology stack
Custom app development, theme architecture, API integrations, multi-store implementations, headless commerce
JAMstack architecture, React/Next.js frontends, API-first design, progressive enhancement
Bespoke e-commerce platforms, marketplace architecture, B2B/wholesale systems
RESTful architecture, GraphQL, webhook orchestration, rate limiting, versioning strategies
Message queues, pub/sub patterns, eventual consistency, saga orchestration
Real-time sync, conflict resolution, data reconciliation, state management
Custom integrations, workflow automation, app development, data architecture
Shopify deep integration, automation rules, macro development, analytics
Bespoke ticketing systems, chatbot architecture, sentiment analysis integration
AWS services (Lambda, ECS, RDS, S3), serverless patterns, CDN strategies, infrastructure as code
GitHub Actions, deployment automation, blue-green deployments, rollback procedures
Application monitoring, error tracking, performance optimization, alerting strategies
PostgreSQL, Redis, data modeling, migration strategies, backup/recovery
Segment integration, data pipelines, identity resolution, GDPR compliance
Google Analytics, custom dashboards, reporting automation, KPI instrumentation
Authentication/authorization, API security, secrets management, penetration testing coordination
PCI DSS considerations, GDPR implementation, data protection strategies, audit trails
Threat modeling, security reviews, incident response planning
I deliberately keep my stack focused. Deep expertise in fewer tools beats surface knowledge of many.
These are the tools I use daily—not a comprehensive list of everything I've ever touched. Real expertise comes from depth, not breadth.
Strategic technology partnership tailored to your business needs
Advisory & Architecture Review
Technical advisory for critical decisions: platform selection, build-vs-buy analysis, technology stack evaluation, M&A technical due diligence.
Comprehensive technical assessment, strategic recommendations, architecture documentation, roadmap with priorities and estimated effort.
End-to-End Delivery
Complete project delivery from architecture design through implementation and launch. I lead technical strategy while partnering with Cliency development team for execution.
Architecture design, technical specifications, implementation, testing, deployment, documentation, team training, 30-day post-launch support.
Ongoing Advisory
Embedded technical leadership for growing teams. Regular architecture reviews, technical decision support, team mentoring, and strategic technology guidance.
Monthly architecture reviews, technical decision records, team training sessions, priority recommendations, ongoing Slack/email access.
30-45 minute discussion about your challenges, goals, and current state. I'll give you honest assessment of fit and potential approach.
Deep dive into your systems, documenting architecture, identifying opportunities and risks. Comprehensive assessment document with recommendations.
Detailed proposal with architecture approach, implementation roadmap, clear deliverables, timeline, and investment. You'll know exactly what you're getting.
Regular updates, transparent progress tracking, collaborative decision-making. You're involved as much or as little as you want.
Comprehensive documentation, team training, smooth handoff. 30-day support included to ensure successful operation.
I'm Pete Baston, but I'm not your typical technical architect. I'm a BCS qualified Business Analyst who ran a business across all departments—then became a technical architect. This unconventional path is exactly why I'm in Storetasker's top 3%.
Most e-commerce developers follow the traditional path: learn to code, build things, eventually try to understand business. I went the opposite direction.
I started as a Business Analyst. BCS (British Computer Society) qualification. IT Management for Business degree. ITSM (IT Service Management) background. I learned requirements gathering, stakeholder management, process analysis—understanding what businesses actually need before discussing solutions.
Then I operated a business. Not as a consultant—as an operator. I managed sales, handled payroll, dealt with recruitment, ran day-to-day operations. I've sat in the seat you're sitting in now. I know what it's like when cash flow is tight, when you can't hire fast enough, when customers are unhappy but you don't have budget to fix everything at once.
Then I became a technical architect. Six years in e-commerce, specializing in Shopify. Shopify Select Partner. But here's the difference: when I design technical solutions, I understand your P&L constraints, your hiring challenges, your operational bottlenecks—because I've managed them myself.
When you hire most technical consultants, they understand the technology but have to learn your business. When you hire me, I already understand your business—I just happen to also architect technology. I don't need to be taught that budget constraints are real, that hiring takes time, that every technical decision has operational implications.
This is why Storetasker accepted me into their top 3%. It's not just technical skills—it's the combination of business operations experience, formal BA training, and technical capability. They vet for "soft skills" and "collaboration"—but what that really means is understanding how businesses actually work.
I'm a partner at Cliency, a UK-based e-commerce agency. This partnership enables me to maintain strategic architecture focus while having access to a skilled development team for larger implementations. For complex projects, you get my architectural leadership with Cliency's execution capacity. For strategic consulting, you work directly with me.
Outside of architecture and technology, I'm an avid sailor (hence the navigation theme you'll spot throughout this site). There's a surprising overlap between sailing and technical leadership: both require strategic planning, risk assessment, and adapting to changing conditions while maintaining your ultimate heading.
I'm also chronically unable to start my day without excellent coffee—single-origin pour-over, for the record—and enjoy explaining to non-technical family members what exactly I do for work (still working on the elevator pitch).
Schedule a conversation to explore how strategic technology leadership can accelerate your growth
Tell me about your technical challenges and business goals
British timezone, British business hours
Available for global projectsAfter you reach out, I'll respond within 4 hours with initial thoughts and either schedule a discovery call or request additional context. The discovery conversation is always free and no-obligation—if I'm not the right fit, I'll tell you honestly and suggest better options.