I build the systems money runs on.

I am a software engineer who grew into running the people and the direction, not just the code. Today I am CTO at 80eight, a fintech business in Johannesburg, where most of my day goes to questions that have no commit attached to them: are we allowed to build this, is it the right thing for the business, and what do we take on if we ship it.

Before this seat I led the engineering team at Linum Labs building 80eight, from inside the work rather than above it. Nearly twelve years with my hands on the keyboard taught me how software actually gets made, which is most of why I now spend my time making sure the people who are better than me at it have nothing in their way.

I write here for two reasons. The first is selfish in the good way: writing is how I think, and putting a year of hard-won lessons on the page makes them sharper than they ever are in my head. The second is that the work taught me things I would have wanted to read a step earlier, so I am leaving an honest record for whoever is a step behind.

No schedule, no filler. New writing when it is worth your time. If something here lands, the best thing you can do is subscribe or reply and tell me where I am wrong.