Things worth writing down
Notes on technology leadership, architecture decisions and what contracting is actually like. Written while doing the work rather than afterwards.
Technology governance for non-technical leaders: a practical framework
19 May 2026
Technology governance fails not because non-technical leaders lack information, but because the information is framed in the wrong language. A practical
From kickoff to working proof of concept in a week with Claude Code
14 May 2026
Greenfield discovery used to mean weeks of read-only research before anything ran. With Claude Code feeding off the kickoff transcript and a deliberately
Fractional CTO Insights
The question "build vs buy" is becoming obsolete
12 May 2026
For decades, businesses have agonised over whether to build custom software or buy an off-the-shelf product. That decision is becoming irrelevant. Here is why
Verify, do not trust: a working rule for AI-assisted development
7 May 2026
Every AI output is a draft. Every AI session needs a brief and a verifier, defined before you start. If you cannot describe the verifier, do not start.
Fractional CTO Insights
When to hire a fractional CTO: the decision guide for growing businesses
5 May 2026
A practical decision guide for founders wondering whether to hire a fractional CTO. The triggers that signal you need one, the situations where you don't, and
Fractional CTO Insights
Real-Time AI Interview Assistants: What Every Hiring Manager Needs to Know
29 Apr 2026
There is now software that listens to interview questions, generates answers using AI, and displays them invisibly on the candidate's screen. Your screen
Fractional CTO Insights
Three clients. Three lessons. One uncomfortable truth about AI adoption.
27 Apr 2026
Gartner reports that only 22% of organisations are getting significant value from AI. After working inside organisations on both sides of that number, the gap
Fractional CTO Insights
Gartner says 22% of organisations are getting real value from AI. Here's what the other 78% are missing.
13 Apr 2026
Analysts have confirmed what many of us suspected. Most organisations are not getting meaningful returns from their AI investments. The reasons are not
Fractional CTO Insights
The real cost of a fractional CTO vs hiring full-time
30 Mar 2026
What does a fractional CTO actually cost in the UK, and how does it compare to hiring a full-time CTO? A transparent breakdown of salaries, employer on-costs,
Compliance due diligence: what CTOs need to know about GDPR, SOC 2, and PCI DSS
26 Mar 2026
A practical guide to GDPR, SOC 2, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001 — what each requires technically, how to assess readiness, and the common gaps found during technical
Fractional CTO Insights
When AI helps and when it hinders your development team
23 Mar 2026
AI development productivity is not what the headlines suggest. The METR study found experienced developers were 19% slower with AI, yet believed they were
Red flags in technical due diligence: what experienced assessors look for
16 Mar 2026
Every technical due diligence assessment tells a story. The red flags that matter most are rarely the obvious ones - they are the architectural decisions,
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