Me

I'm Lee.
I'm a software developer living in the U.K.

I've been building software for more than 20 years. I work primarily with Ruby and Elixir. I'm also excited about new technology and programming languages like Rust and Swift.

I'm particularly fond of working on web-based products with an emphasis on customer satisfaction and straightforward user experience. I also care about working on projects that have a positive impact on the planet.

I have a keen interest in management and leadership roles and like to work on improving processes and organisational planning. I also enjoy coaching and mentoring other developers.

I co-founded Spark Real Estate Software and previously worked as VP of Engineering at Loco2.

Work

Spark

In 2010, I co-founded Vancouver based real estate software company Spark.

Spark brings modern software to real estate developers. With custom tools built especially for modern home builders, Spark makes inventory and lead management a breeze.

I helped take Spark from an idea to a fully-fledged CRM with many paying customers. As one of two full-time developers, I worked across the entire tech stack, and was jointly responsible for the smooth running of the application 24/7.

Spark was built at an incredible pace. With fast changing requirements and bespoke feature requests, the team were required to work in an ultra agile and adaptable environment. Eventually we recruited more developers and I helped to onboard and mentor them.

Loco2

I joined Loco2 in 2013. As an avid traveller, Loco2's purpose really resonated with me: to provide a single place to book European train journeys, with no booking fees, as simply as possible.

My journey started as the third full-time software developer. My responsibilities varied, but given the small size of the tech team, we worked across the stack and were jointly involved in creating anything from customer facing JavaScript-heavy user experiences to complex backend features. I took part in the on-call rota and dealt with some tricky DevOps issues out of working hours.

In 2018 I was promoted to VP of Engineering. My first task was to scale up the tech team to meet the increasing needs of the organisation after being acquired by SNCF. My duties included:

  • Leading technical development
  • Recruiting new developers; from triaging applications and interviews to salary negotiation and onboarding
  • Organising team structure and planning contingencies
  • Budget management
  • Managing security and compliance processes
  • One-to-one's with developers
  • Performance and salary reviews
  • much more...

I learned a considerable amount at Loco2, both technical and otherwise. The company has created a truly great working culture and has reshaped the way I approach my working environment.

I left the company in September 2019.

Future

Interested in discussing an opportunity to work together and not a recruitment agency? Get in touch.