Services
Overview
I help SMEs and start-ups building complex software systems make better technical decisions and avoid expensive mistakes.
I provide independent, experience-based judgement on architecture, delivery commitments, and technical risk - particularly where the consequences of getting it wrong are significant and on the kinds of problems that benefit from experience rather than headcount.
With 30 years’ experience across embedded systems, security-critical software, and large cross-platform applications, I have worked hands-on, led teams, and advised in environments where reliability, security, and long-term maintainability genuinely matter.
I work on short, clearly scoped advisory engagements rather than day-to-day delivery roles.
How I Help
Architecture & design reality checks
A pragmatic, experience-based view on whether an approach will hold up in practice - and where it may create problems later. I’m particularly interested in problems involving integration complexity, architectural clarity, and systems that have become difficult to reason about.
This often includes:
- Architectural clarity
- Maintainability
- Integration boundaries
- Operational complexity
- Long-term changeability
Credible estimates, options & trade-offs
Helping businesses understand what different technical approaches are likely to cost in engineering time, complexity, and risk - so commitments are made with open eyes rather than optimistic assumptions.
Technical risk & recovery
Rapid assessment of struggling projects to identify what is actually going wrong and what needs to change.
- Where complexity is accumulating
- Which assumptions are creating risk
- Which engineering challenges and behaviours are problemtatic
- What needs to change to restore delivery confidence
Review of AI generated architectures and software
AI is accelerating software development, but it isn’t replacing engineering judgement.
As more code is generated with the assistance of AI, organisations need confidence that designs remain coherent, assumptions are valid, and technical debt isn’t quietly accumulating.
I provide an independent review of AI-assisted development, helping teams identify architectural weaknesses, hidden complexity, and design decisions that deserve a second look before they become expensive to change.
Independent due diligence
Independent assessment of:
- Software suppliers
- Inherited systems
- Codebases
- Architectural approaches
- Technical delivery plans
Providing a clear, unbiased view of capability, maintainability, quality and risk.
Security fundamentals (TLS / PKI)
Guidance on authentication, encryption, certificate management, and secure communications - ensuring the basics are sound without unnecessary complexity.
Support for founders and non-technical stakeholders
Translating technical detail into clear business implications - risks, trade-offs, and likely outcomes. Helping translate ambiguous business goals into coherent technical direction and realistic delivery expectations.
Providing clarity
Helping organisations think clearly about difficult technical systems.
Typical Engagements
- 1–5 day architecture or system reviews
- Technical risk assessments
- Short advisory retainers (e.g. 1–2 days per month)
- Technical due diligence (pre- or post-investment)
- Mentoring for senior engineers or engineering managers
How I Work
I take on short, well-defined advisory engagements where independent judgement adds the most value. My role is to review, challenge, and advise - not to own delivery or become embedded long-term.
I focus on clarity, proportionate solutions, and helping teams make decisions they won’t regret later.
What Clients Value
- Calm, experience-based judgement
- Clear communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- A pragmatic focus on what matters now, not theoretical perfection
- Independent advice with no interest in empire-building or follow-on work
Availability
Short, occasional engagements by arrangement. UK-based, remote-first, with on-site work where it adds genuine value.