You don’t need another advisor. You need someone who’ll get in the weeds, make decisions, and ship. That’s what I do.
I’d rather be honest upfront than waste your time.
What colleagues say. What I’ve shipped. What clients raised.
“His skills as a developer really are second to none. Always calm and collected, he could lead many different projects across several systems and languages with ease.”
— Anneka Nicholls, Digital Content Editor · 3 years at Wildgoose
[SEE IF WE’RE A FIT]Stabilised Hanover CRM through a CTO transition, rebuilt engineering ops, and set the AI-first product direction.
Current engagement · Hanover CRM
“There isn’t anything Steve cannot do. He has been a true MVP with leading tech & product.”
Eugene Luke, Marketing @ Asset Bank
raised by clients on products we shipped together
“He was indispensable. Always available for questions and code reviews, providing constructive feedback without hesitation.”
Roberto D’Amico, Senior Software Engineer @ Mindstep
When I’m embedded with a startup, this is the shape of it — three stages that move you from ‘we think we know what to build’ to ‘it’s shipped and the team can run it without me.’
Before any code, we get clear on what’s actually worth shipping. Product decisions, architecture calls, where AI fits and where it doesn’t. The fastest way to waste runway is building the wrong thing, so we don’t start until we know.
What that looks like: a roadmap and scope you can defend to your board, a technical direction that won’t need unpicking in six months, and a clear read on which AI bets are worth making.
I write code. Not just architecture diagrams. Production code, real products, shipped to real users — Rails, Phoenix, Next.js, React Native, Swift.
This is where SCAFFOLD comes in. It’s the AI-native infrastructure I’ve built over years of shipping startup products, and it’s how I move at the pace you need without cutting the corners that cost you later. Multi-tenant platforms, API-first design, compliance-aware systems — designed for what you need now and what you’ll need at 10x.
The goal isn’t for you to need me forever. Process documentation, technical specs, hiring support, pricing strategy, launch planning — I build the systems that let your team operate once I step back.
A good engagement ends with you shipping faster than you did before I arrived, and a team that doesn’t need me to keep doing it.
Built the entire SaaS platform from scratch: booking engine, operations system for high-growth during Covid, multiple consumer apps. Designed and shipping AI for automated event content generation.
Scaled to one of the UK’s largest learn-to-drive platforms. Revamped the iOS & Android apps into the sector’s leading products. Featured by BBC, TechCrunch, and the Guardian.
Brought in during major leadership upheaval. CTO leaving, team leads departing, business changing hands. Stabilised the team, rebuilt development operations, and now leading AI & product innovation in International Exchange.
A swamped founder with ideas everywhere and no structure. I helped shape the product roadmap, added process, reviewed code, refreshed the UI, and helped shape the v2 product.
Built the technical architecture, brought in an experienced AI developer to build the product, and now advise on product direction. I bring in product designers and engineers to build customer and marketing flows.
Scoped engagements with clear outcomes. No open-ended retainers.
One week embedded with your team. I audit what you’re building, identify where AI fits (and where it doesn’t), and ship at least one working proof-of-concept. You walk away with a clear technical direction and something already running.
I make technical and product decisions alongside you. Architecture, hiring, AI integration, and hands-on building when needed. Book a call and we’ll scope it together.
A specific product or feature, scoped and shipped. Fixed timeline. You get a finished product, not a handoff document.
From award-winning product studios to scaling SaaS platforms, I’ve spent my career embedded in startups, making the decisions, building the teams, and shipping the products. I take on a small number of clients at a time so each one gets real depth, not surface-level advice.
I also build and publish dev tools. It’s how I stay sharp, and I go deep so my clients don’t have to.
No pitch deck. No pressure. Just a chat about what you’re building — what’s hard, and whether I’m the right person to help.