December 10, 2023
A further (probably not final) thought on coworking spaces
In my last article about coworking I said that coworking spaces enable freelancers to work together based around projects rather than combining into one company which is continually under pressure to find projects to "feed the machine". I referred to...
ReadNovember 8, 2023
Bye bye WeWork, hello coworking
So it finally happened. Like the baddy’s car tumbling interminably down a cliff in a crime drama, WeWork finally hit the bottom of the ravine and exploded. There’s no need to cover Adam Newman’s epic failure here as it has been serialised in...
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July 4, 2023
Letter From America
It’s the 4th o July an it’s dinging doon ootside. Ootside being New York. It’s their big day, but it looks like the traditional barbecues will be a wash out. It’s sair dingin doon, but that hasn’t quelled the 30C temperatures at all. Impossible humidity will follow a break in the thunder and rain. The neighbour’s garden has a freshly fallen tree branch in it ‘resting’ on a skew-whiff trellis. The rain has been accompanied by thunder and lightning and I can’t tell if the branch was cut from the tree as a preventative measure or if it was caused by a lightning strike.
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October 5, 2020
TechBrew podcast 10 years on. Who survived?
I used to record a podcast with my partner in crime, Andrew Matheson. We both lived in Brussels at the time and kept a close eye on the Belgian tech startup scene. We liked what we saw and wanted to showcase some of the startups we encountered to the wider English-speaking world. That's how we became amateur podcasters and friends. That was nearly 10 years ago and I thought now would be good time to look back and see which companies had survived, which had thrived and which had fallen by the wayside. For 3 years we interviewed founders and created 37 episodes, most of which are available in my Dropbox. We gave the website, the Apple podcast listing and the domain name a digital funeral last year, but you'll find the link to the recordings at the end of this article.
ReadJanuary 8, 2019
How to be A Better Software Developer
"Better". It's such a subjective term. Let me define the term as I see it. To me, "better", in modern parlance means impactful. Someone who scores a point or two for humanity before slipping off this mortal coil. I offer theses tips as a developer...
ReadAugust 4, 2014
A Tale Of Two Coworking Spaces
Well, 5 spaces actually, but why ruin a good title. So this week is global Coworking Week 2014 and I’m spending my day back at my coworking alma mater, Betacowork. These days, I’m not...
Read the articleJune 21, 2014
Creating Value Is Not So Difficult
Tech startups have often been accused of creating products that nobody wants or needs. It’s a consequence of product focussed teams in love with their technology and product. But we see less...
Read the articleNovember 25, 2013
Startup Events: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
I don’t really go to startup events any more and neither should you, probably. Here’s why. My customers and partners aren’t startups. And neither are yours probably. Always have a...
Read the articleDecember 18, 2012
Looking for Problems
As startup founders you’re always reminded that the road to success is to solve a real problem. If a never ending stream of ideas aren’t the thing that keeps you awake at night, but...
Read the articleAugust 27, 2012
The Magic of Coworking
I’ve been wanting to write an article about the “magic of coworking” for a while now. I feel it every day, I really do, but whenever I go to write something about coworking it just...
Read the articleMarch 5, 2012
Are you a five dimensional designer?
Web design can be a complex business that requires a team of skilled designers, engineers and content creators at the helm if it’s going to be done well. You need to assemble at team that can cover what I call the five dimensions. Budgets don’t always allow for that, so if you have to cut corners, at least make sure your thinking like a five dimensional designer. So what are the five dimensions?
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