Software EngineerSoftware ArchitectSoftware Consultant
I am a principal software engineer, software architect, and consultant with 25+ years of experience, helping companies and engineering teams design better systems, make high-quality technical decisions, improve developer productivity, and adopt AI responsibly.
About
I work at the intersection of software architecture, product engineering, AI adoption, and engineering leadership.
Over the course of my career I have helped companies design systems that scale, adopt AI tools responsibly, build strong engineering cultures, and move from vague technical challenges to clear decisions and executable plans.
I care about pragmatic engineering — solutions that work in practice, not just on whiteboards. I value maintainability, developer experience, and business outcomes equally.
I can go deep technically when needed, and communicate clearly with founders, executives, and cross-functional teams.
Pragmatic by nature
I favour solutions that are correct, maintainable, and proportional to the problem — not the most sophisticated approach available.
Business-oriented thinking
Good engineering decisions are also good business decisions. I keep outcomes and trade-offs in view at every layer.
Clear communication
I translate technical complexity into clear language for founders, investors, and leadership — and back again for engineering teams.
Services
Six focused areas where I provide senior technical expertise.
Software Architecture Review
I review architecture, codebases, infrastructure, and engineering practices to identify risks, simplify complexity, and create a practical improvement roadmap.
Software Architecture Review
- System design review
- Scalability assessment
- Technical debt prioritisation
- Cloud cost review
- CI/CD and testing review
- Reliability and observability
Startup & Product Development
I help founders and teams take an idea from concept to a working, shippable product — full-stack software and application development with startup speed, and long-term maintainability in mind.
Startup & Product Development
- Idea-to-MVP development
- Full-stack web and mobile application development
- Startup technical co-founder support
- Rapid prototyping
- Launch and iteration support
- Scaling from MVP to production
Fractional Principal Engineer / CTO Advisory
I provide senior technical leadership for companies that need experienced guidance without hiring a full-time executive or principal engineer.
Fractional Principal Engineer / CTO Advisory
- Technical strategy
- Architecture direction
- Engineering roadmap support
- Vendor and tooling decisions
- Executive technical communication
- Engineering process improvements
Technical Hiring & Team Building
I help companies build and scale engineering teams — designing hiring processes, running technical assessments, and structuring teams so they keep performing well as they grow.
Technical Hiring & Team Building
- Technical interview process design
- Candidate technical evaluation
- Engineering team structure and org design
- Onboarding process design
- Building a strong engineering culture
- Compensation and leveling guidance
Mentoring & Coaching
I mentor individual engineers, technical leads, and founders — helping them grow technically, make better decisions, and build the confidence to tackle complex problems on their own.
Mentoring & Coaching
- One-on-one engineering mentoring
- Career growth guidance for engineers
- Founder technical mentoring
- Code review and feedback coaching
- Interview and technical communication coaching
- Leadership development for senior engineers
AI Engineering & Adoption
I help teams identify practical AI use cases, evaluate model and tooling options, design AI workflows, and adopt AI tools effectively — from architecture down to daily engineering practice — while protecting quality, security, and long-term maintainability.
AI Engineering & Adoption
- AI opportunity audits
- LLM application & RAG architecture
- AI coding assistant & workflow automation
- Model and vendor selection
- Secure AI adoption & data governance
- Production-readiness reviews
How I Work
A clear, collaborative process from first conversation to lasting improvement.
Discover
I start by understanding your context — the business goals, the technical landscape, the team, and the specific challenges you are facing.
Assess
I review your systems, architecture, code, processes, and decisions to identify the real issues — not just the visible symptoms.
Design
I produce clear recommendations, architecture proposals, or decision frameworks tailored to your situation and constraints.
Implement or Guide
Depending on the engagement, I either build alongside your team or guide your engineers through implementation with ongoing support.
Review & Improve
I review outcomes, refine the approach, and help establish processes that sustain improvement beyond the engagement.
Problems I Can Help With
If any of these sound familiar, let's talk.
Our architecture is slowing us down.
We need senior technical judgment but are not ready to hire full-time.
We need to reduce technical debt without stopping product delivery.
We need an independent review of our platform.
We need better engineering processes and decision-making.
We want to use AI but do not know where to start.
Our prototype works, but we do not know how to productionise it.
Our engineering team is using AI tools inconsistently.
We are evaluating an AI startup or technical acquisition.