Business systems and the people behind them

James began his career as a freelance web developer in the late 2000s, before establishing a digital agency and leading software development teams. His work focused on web-based business systems for companies across the UK.

He co-founded Si Novi with Martin Hicks in 2018. Today, he works directly with clients on application development and delivery, with a particular interest in replacing manual processes and improving the flow of information through a business.

Improving what a business already runs on

James has worked with the Yii PHP framework since 2010. That experience is useful both for new applications and for businesses with existing systems they need to maintain or modernise.

He began working with AWS in 2014 and builds across serverless services and managed hosting, including Lambda, DynamoDB, Elastic Beanstalk and EC2. Infrastructure as code is central to how he makes environments repeatable and easier to maintain.

Keeping delivery connected to the business

As a certified Scrum Product Owner, James brings product and delivery experience alongside his technical work. He helps clients prioritise changes, review progress and connect day-to-day development to their business goals.

Understanding human error

James studied Psychology at the University of Manchester, including human–machine interaction and human error. That background informs his approach to software: understanding where people make mistakes, how an interface contributes to them and how systems can make those mistakes less likely.

Away from the screen

James lives in Cumbria. Outside work, he enjoys hiking, mountaineering and rock climbing, and growing ingredients in his kitchen garden.