Software engineering Forward deployed engineering in Lusaka, Zambia

A lot of failed software does what it was built to do and still fails, because it solves the wrong problem or doesn't fit how people work.

So before any code I map the requirements, the users and their workflows, including who does what, in what order, with what information, and what happens when a step fails.

Frameworks change every few years. Data structures, how the web works, how databases store and query data and how version control works change very little.

Engineers who know the fundamentals learn new tools quickly and can tell when a new tool isn't needed.

I split code into clear modules with well-defined APIs, move slow work into background jobs and design the data model around the business. Products that serve many organisations need strict separation between each customer's data.

Good architecture makes the next change cheap. A well-designed system can grow for years without a rewrite.

Automated tests, code review and continuous integration catch problems before users see them. Every change runs through the same checks.

I write tests with each change, so quality work happens throughout the project.

Security means least-privilege access, up-to-date dependencies, patching and monitoring. A site that was secure on launch day can become exposed when someone finds a vulnerability in the software it runs on.

Many organisations launch a system and then leave it alone. Someone has to keep it secure for as long as it runs.

I set clear priorities, give honest estimates, release small changes often and write documentation for the people who will maintain the system.

Training and handover matter as much as the code. A client should be able to change a label without calling me.

Listening to users, explaining trade-offs to managers who are not engineers and teaching others are core engineering skills.

I work every day with teams in Europe and Africa across time zones.