I consider myself to be a Product Engineer. I love listening and speaking to users in order to properly understand their problems and collaborate with them to iterate on solutions.

I have worked in software delivery since 2010. I currently work as a Senior Software Engineer for Legl, a legal-tech startup that helps law firms digitise and automate core business operations like payments, onboarding and AML compliance.

Prior to this I have worked on learning management systems, renewable energy systems and veterinary practice management systems.

I live in rural South West Scotland, which has been home for almost all of my life. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

You can reach out to me on LinkedIn.

My values

To paraphrase Mark Manson, values are a belief that something is good or desirable and worth striving for, regardless of context or circumstance.

I recently embarked on a journey to define the values that I hold dear. This is a never-ending journey and these values are subject to review and change, but I have listed the things that are currently important to me. I plan to write about this in more detail in the near future.

Humility

Whilst I am all for celebrating success, I like to fully understand the true importance and value of something before doing this publicly and ensure that praise is shared fairly.

I am opinionated on certain topics but I don’t always assume that I am right and welcome challenge in order to validate my thoughts.

Empathy

I strive to see things from the perspective of others, particularly users of the software I help deliver.

I try to communicate in a way that is clear to all and adapt the details to my audience.

Collaboration

I love to collaborate with others and default to this way of working where it makes sense. I take careful consideration of the downstream effect of doing something in isolation.

Fairness

I value making space for diverse opinions and perspectives. I have lost count of the number of times a junior engineer has offered a counterpoint that has forced me to rethink my opinion.

The “Just Sharing” Principle

“Here’s what worked for us in our context, but I recognize that your context is different”

I first heard of the “Just Sharing” principle when listening to a talk by Woody Zuill and it really struck a chord with me.

Everything that I share on this site is based on my own experiences and context. I make no assumptions that the reader shares this or that the suggestions I make will work for everyone.

Interests

Whilst software delivery takes up a lot of my time, it doesn’t consume my entire life. My other interests include:

  • 👨‍👩‍👧 Spending time with my wife and daughter
  • 🎸 Playing guitar - I have previously played in “pub bands” but more recently I just play for my own benefit
  • 🎵 Going to gigs - I love listening to music at home but there’s nothing quite like watching a band at the top of their game in the flesh
  • ⚽ Football - I have played regularly my entire life but these days I am mostly consigned to watching on TV
  • 🐕 Walking Dusty, my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel