The scenic route.
No computer science degree. No Silicon Valley origin story. Just years of learning by doing—solving real problems at every level of the stack.
Started answering phones
Help desk. First lesson learned fast: tech is about people. Nobody cares how clever your fix is—they just want their problem gone. I learned to listen, explain without jargon, and stay calm when everyone else is panicking.
Became the translator
Business analyst role. The person bridging 'what they want' and 'what's actually possible.' Got good at spotting when the stated problem isn't the real problem. That skill still saves me daily.
Finally got to build things
Developer at last. Immediately understood why developers hate vague requirements. Realised code is just communication—you're writing for the next person who has to understand your thinking.
Started making the big calls
Senior developer. Architecture decisions. Tech debt trade-offs. Mentoring juniors. The realisation hit: senior doesn't mean knowing everything. It means asking better questions.
Stopped building, started solving
Product mindset. Stopped asking 'what should we build?' and started asking 'what problem are we actually solving?' Learned to kill good ideas that weren't the right ideas.
Led the whole thing
Tech lead. Hiring, culture, process. Technical leadership is 80% people, 20% technology. The most elegant architecture means nothing if your team can't ship.
So what does that mean for you?
I can talk to your engineers, your executives, and your frustrated customers—because I've done all three jobs. I spot project disasters before they become disasters because I've been burned enough to recognise the patterns.
Most people specialise early and go deep. I wandered first, went wide. Turns out that's become my edge.
What I work with
Platforms
Salesforce
Zendesk
Celigo
Shopify
Languages & Frameworks
Node.js
React
TypeScript
APIs & Integration
Approach
System Design
Process Automation
Technical Architecture
Team Building
Right now
Working on an MSt in Entrepreneurship at Cambridge. Not for the letters after my name—for the frameworks, the thinking, and the people.
Still chasing the same thing I always have: hard problems and sharp people.
Questions? I'm happy to chat.