Bio
For founders building something meaningful who need both technical excellence and trusted counsel on the human side of scaling.
Choose the bio length that best fits your needs:
50 Words
James partners with values-driven founders who refuse to build another exploitative tech company. Physics background, serial founder, fractional CTO. Equally comfortable architecting distributed systems or navigating team dynamics. If you’re building something meaningful and need someone who gets both the code and the humans, let’s talk.
100 Words
James works with bold founders building ethical, world-changing companies. As a serial technical founder and fractional CTO, he brings rare depth across domains: from architecting Datomic systems processing millions of events to coaching teams through cultural transformations. His clients describe him as “trusted wise counsel” who provides gentle challenges while helping them find their own solutions. Physics background, high emotional intelligence, and a low tolerance for bullshit. If you’re isolated at the top, facing technical inflection points, or need someone who truly gets both systems and souls, James delivers results while keeping you grounded.
150 Words
James partners with contrarian founders who believe business can be a force for good. A serial technical founder turned fractional CTO and coach, he’s built platforms from first line of code through successful exits—but that’s table stakes.
What sets him apart: the ability to see patterns others miss, navigate both technical architecture and human psychology, and serve as philosophical sparring partner while shipping production code. Recent work includes architecting Huddles’ entire backend in Clojure, scaling Drest’s team 5x, and helping isolated founders answer questions like “What’s my purpose?” alongside “How do we handle 10x growth?”
Clients value his ability to self-manage, find elegant solutions to unsolved problems, and bring empathy to organizational change. Physics background, startup-to-enterprise experience, and what one client called “conversational vodka”—powerful insights with lingering effects. For leaders building something they’ll be proud of.
250 Words (Full Version)
James works with a specific type of leader: curious, creative, driven people building companies that matter. The ones who stay up thinking about both system architecture and organizational culture. Who want to be proud of what they build and how they built it.
As a serial technical founder and fractional CTO, James brings unusual range. Yes, he’s architected platforms processing millions of events (Listora’s Datomic system ran for a decade). Yes, he’s scaled teams 5x while shipping to major brands (Drest). Yes, he’s built entire backends from scratch, deployed infrastructure, and designed hiring processes (Huddles).
But what clients actually value: his ability to be simultaneously strategic advisor and hands-on builder. To see patterns others miss. To bring psychological insight to technical problems and technical rigor to human ones. One founder called him “a trusted stagecoach companion” for the journey west—someone to discuss everything from rations to raids.
Recent engagements span helping less-technical CTOs with infrastructure and security, mediating between warring team members, and serving as sounding board for isolated leaders. He brings a psychology-driven approach to change, helping people flourish while delivering results.
Physics background. Clifton Strengths that read like a fractional CTO wishlist: Strategic, Learner, Achiever, Individualisation. Comfortable with ambiguity, allergic to waste, and committed to work that matters.
If you’re building something ambitious and ethical, facing technical or organizational inflection points, and need someone who’ll challenge you while having your back—let’s talk.