Where
Find me at upcoming events and conferences
Beyond the Code: Designing Services That Stand the Test of Time
As software engineers, it's easy to get lost in the excitement of implementing clever business logic: the algorithms, the workflows, the elegant domain models. But the success (or failure) of a service rarely hinges on its core logic alone. What really separates a fragile prototype from a resilient, scalable system is everything that happens around that logic: the invisible scaffolding that shapes how a service behaves, communicates, and recovers when things go wrong.In this session I'll explore the often-overlooked aspects of building robust services. The decisions that make the difference between smooth operations and painful refactors months down the line. I'll unpack how thoughtful design choices early on can pay dividends in maintainability, observability, and security later. Whether you're building your first microservice or managing an ecosystem of services, you'll leave with practical ideas for designing services.Key Takeaways:
- Why the non-domain aspects of a service are often what determine its long-term success
- How to think holistically about design, structure, and reliability
- Strategies for evolving your services without introducing chaos
Coding Dojo: Let's do some TDD!
A coding practice session focused on Test Driven Development skills. Participants work in groups, pairs, or solo using their preferred programming language and editor. All experience levels welcome. Pizza and drinks provided, sponsored by Codurance.
AI: Assisted Ignorance with Dom Davis (Online)
What is AI actually doing to our industry? Rather than assuming AI removes the need for human developers, Dom questions whether these tools truly deliver on their promises or contribute to professional exhaustion. This talk examines the reality of AI in software development, and the very real dangers it poses.Dom DavisDom is a developer and DevOps professional based in Norfolk with decades of coding experience. He's known for combining sarcasm and humour when discussing complex technical topics.
Context switching and how to survive it, with Emily Delva
Context switching is unavoidable in the tech industry, but unmanaged it quietly destroys focus, productivity, and decision quality across teams (as well as morale!).
This talk breaks down the real cost of constant interruptions and gives practical, tested strategies to protect deep work, structure workflows, and stay effective in high-interruption environments. Also we’ll learn how to say “no” more.
Not everyone’s brain is the same, and this is taken into account when providing new habit suggestions.
To AI or Not to AI with Kicki Frisch
How do you use AI as a new tool in a healthy way to improve engineers' lives, without burning out in the process? This talk isn't about agentic AI or prompting techniques. Instead, it examines developer psychology and behavioural patterns to help teams leverage AI effectively while managing cognitive load.Kicki FrischKicki is a senior engineering manager in Investment Risk at a global asset management company in London. Her technical background spans C++, C#, .Net, and Python development, with experience across FinTech, medical devices, and structural engineering. She specialises in enabling high-functioning agile teams to deliver quality products.Kicki's LinkedIn
nor(DEV): The Summer Hotfix
Join us at the Eagle Pub in Norwich for an evening of good vibes and learning together. This isn't your typical corporate mixer; it's a chance for the whole community to get together, from seasoned professionals and entrepreneurs to students and tech enthusiasts.
Beyond the Code: Designing Services That Stand the Test of Time
As software engineers, it's easy to get lost in the excitement of implementing clever business logic: the algorithms, the workflows, the elegant domain models. But the success (or failure) of a service rarely hinges on its core logic alone. What really separates a fragile prototype from a resilient, scalable system is everything that happens around that logic: the invisible scaffolding that shapes how a service behaves, communicates, and recovers when things go wrong.In this session I'll explore the often-overlooked aspects of building robust services. The decisions that make the difference between smooth operations and painful refactors months down the line. I'll unpack how thoughtful design choices early on can pay dividends in maintainability, observability, and security later. Whether you're building your first microservice or managing an ecosystem of services, you'll leave with practical ideas for designing services.Key Takeaways:
- Why the non-domain aspects of a service are often what determine its long-term success
- How to think holistically about design, structure, and reliability
- Strategies for evolving your services without introducing chaos
Estimates are lies, and that's ok, with Emily Delva
Why do estimates so often miss the mark? What can we do about it, and why isn't it the end of the world? Emily explores why estimates frequently fall short, strategies for improving them, and why this reality isn't catastrophic.Emily DelvaEmily is an Operations Manager with seven years in the technology sector. She studied wildlife conservation and metagenomics before transitioning into digital product and SaaS environments.Emily's LinkedIn
Past Events
The Future of Technology in Travel & Leisure
An executive lunch and industry roundtable hosted by One Beyond, bringing together senior technology and digital leaders from across the travel and leisure sector.
Beyond the Code: Designing Services That Stand the Test of Time
As software engineers, it's easy to get lost in the excitement of implementing clever business logic: the algorithms, the workflows, the elegant domain models. But the success (or failure) of a service rarely hinges on its core logic alone. What really separates a fragile prototype from a resilient, scalable system is everything that happens around that logic: the invisible scaffolding that shapes how a service behaves, communicates, and recovers when things go wrong.In this session I'll explore the often-overlooked aspects of building robust services. The decisions that make the difference between smooth operations and painful refactors months down the line. I'll unpack how thoughtful design choices early on can pay dividends in maintainability, observability, and security later. Whether you're building your first microservice or managing an ecosystem of services, you'll leave with practical ideas for designing services.Key Takeaways:
- Why the non-domain aspects of a service are often what determine its long-term success
- How to think holistically about design, structure, and reliability
- Strategies for evolving your services without introducing chaos
Claude Code: Field Notes with Steve Cresswell
Claude Code is changing the way many of us write software, but the experience is uneven. Some developers report dramatic gains in productivity, while others find it underwhelming and even dangerous. Much of the difference appears to come down to how the tools are used and how development workflows adapt around them.In this talk Steve Cresswell will share practical field notes from using Claude Code in day-to-day development, covering local setup, supporting tools, and the workflows that make the interaction with Claude productive rather than chaotic. He will also discuss how requirements and documentation influence outcomes, how to steer or constrain the model when necessary, and how these approaches begin to scale beyond an individual developer into team usage.Steve CresswellStephen Cresswell is Head of Engineering at Haven, the UK's largest holiday park operator, where he leads teams responsible for building and operating the digital systems that power the company's sales and booking platforms. He has over twenty-five years' experience in software engineering across sectors including utilities, insurance, media and education. His career spans roles from graduate developer to CTO and co-founder of the consultancy GuideSmiths. Stephen holds a first-class honours degree in Computer Science and an MBA from the Open University. He contributes to a number of open source projects, including several widely used Node.js libraries such as amqplib and Rascal.Steve's LinkedIn
So you think you can lead a team? - Revisited
Software engineering is hard, and leading a team as an engineer can be even harder. Many of us feel more comfortable writing code than working with people, and we often believe our value lies solely in our technical output. But when you step into team leading, the balance shifts: there are more people than code, and your value changes and, often, grows.Over the last 25 years I was dropped into team leading several times without warning, but three and a half years ago I chose to do it deliberately. It still took more than a year before I realised I was only just beginning to understand what leading a software team really involves.This revised and updated version of my talk - now expanded to better reflect the ideas in my book So You Think You Can Lead a Team? - shares the highs, lows, surprises, and lessons learned along the way. I can't promise a magic formula (I'm still learning every day), but I hope to help you avoid some of the mistakes I made and find your own path to becoming a better team lead.
[nor(DEV):con] Beyond the Code: Designing Services That Stand the Test of Time
As software engineers, it's easy to get lost in the excitement of implementing clever business logic: the algorithms, the workflows, the elegant domain models. But the success (or failure) of a service rarely hinges on its core logic alone. What really separates a fragile prototype from a resilient, scalable system is everything that happens around that logic: the invisible scaffolding that shapes how a service behaves, communicates, and recovers when things go wrong.In this session I'll explore the often-overlooked aspects of building robust services. The decisions that make the difference between smooth operations and painful refactors months down the line. I'll unpack how thoughtful design choices early on can pay dividends in maintainability, observability, and security later. Whether you're building your first microservice or managing an ecosystem of services, you'll leave with practical ideas for designing services.Key Takeaways:
- Why the non-domain aspects of a service are often what determine its long-term success
- How to think holistically about design, structure, and reliability
- Strategies for evolving your services without introducing chaos
![[nor(DEV):con] Leadership: Carrots, Sticks, and Slack Panel](/img/audience-f817e8b7.jpg)
[nor(DEV):con] Leadership: Carrots, Sticks, and Slack Panel
What truly separates a ‘good’ leader from a ‘great’ one? Join our panel as we consider the realities of leading modern software teams in a world that has gone hybrid. We will talk about the technical and cultural hurdles of managing remote developers and how to keep your team happy when high-salary remote roles are just a click away.Furthermore, we want to get practical about the human side of the job: how do you challenge someone to grow while making sure they feel valued? Whether you are just stepping into management or you have been leading for years, come along for some honest conversation and good vibes. Let’s consider how we build loyal, high-performing teams together.
So you think you can lead a team? - Revisited
Software engineering is hard, and leading a team as an engineer can be even harder. Many of us feel more comfortable writing code than working with people, and we often believe our value lies solely in our technical output. But when you step into team leading, the balance shifts: there are more people than code, and your value changes and, often, grows.Over the last 25 years I was dropped into team leading several times without warning, but three and a half years ago I chose to do it deliberately. It still took more than a year before I realised I was only just beginning to understand what leading a software team really involves.This revised and updated version of my talk - now expanded to better reflect the ideas in my book So You Think You Can Lead a Team? - shares the highs, lows, surprises, and lessons learned along the way. I can't promise a magic formula (I'm still learning every day), but I hope to help you avoid some of the mistakes I made and find your own path to becoming a better team lead.
Beyond the Code: Designing Services That Stand the Test of Time
As software engineers, it's easy to get lost in the excitement of implementing clever business logic: the algorithms, the workflows, the elegant domain models. But the success (or failure) of a service rarely hinges on its core logic alone. What really separates a fragile prototype from a resilient, scalable system is everything that happens around that logic: the invisible scaffolding that shapes how a service behaves, communicates, and recovers when things go wrong.In this session I'll explore the often-overlooked aspects of building robust services. The decisions that make the difference between smooth operations and painful refactors months down the line. I'll unpack how thoughtful design choices early on can pay dividends in maintainability, observability, and security later. Whether you're building your first microservice or managing an ecosystem of services, you'll leave with practical ideas for designing services.Key Takeaways:
- Why the non-domain aspects of a service are often what determine its long-term success
- How to think holistically about design, structure, and reliability
- Strategies for evolving your services without introducing chaos
ACCU Cambridge: So you think you can lead a team? & From Zero to Deployed - Double Header
A double-header evening with two talks by Paul Grenyer.18:30 - So you think you can lead a team?This presentation explores the challenges engineers face when transitioning to team leadership roles. Drawing from 25 years of career progression, Paul shares lessons about shifting from code-focused work to people management, covering both successes and mistakes encountered over time.19:45 - From Zero to Deployed: Building & Shipping an AWS Lambda with TypeScript, Terraform & GitHub ActionsA practical demonstration on building serverless functions using AWS Lambda with TypeScript, Terraform, and GitHub Actions. Topics include writing Lambda functions, provisioning infrastructure through code, automating deployments, and lessons from serverless implementations.Free pizza and beer provided, with book signing available.