There’s something uniquely fulfilling about building technology — the architecture, the logic, the clarity of creation. But if you ask me what I’m really proud of in my career as a CTO, it’s not a product or a platform. It’s the people.
It’s the teams I’ve helped shape. The engineers who stayed long after I left. The leaders who didn’t need me anymore.
When I reflect on what matters in this business — especially in freight, supply chain, and ESG — it’s not just about delivering code or hitting sprint goals. It’s about building something that lives on once your Slack handle goes dark.
Building Teams > Building Software
I’ve spent years in freight tech, ESG platforms, and SaaS product environments. One consistent truth? Great software comes from great teams. Not the other way around.
You can architect the perfect system, plan the cleanest roadmap, and lay out the most beautiful documentation — but without a team that understands, believes in, and contributes to the mission, it won’t last.
That’s why I put team-building at the centre of every project I lead. Not as a side effect of delivery, but as the core product.
Whether I’m stepping in as a fractional CTO or scaling a team from the ground up, my goal is the same: build a self-sufficient, high-performing team that doesn’t need me in six months.
Legacy Isn’t Loud
One of the quieter joys in tech leadership is watching a team take full ownership of a product and run with it.
You sit back — not because you’re checked out, but because they’ve got it. They’ve got the standards. The autonomy. The decision-making confidence. The technical foundations.
You leave, and the team doesn’t fall apart. The work carries on. The culture lives.
That’s the legacy I’m interested in. Not the one with my name in the commit history — but the one built into the habits, rituals and mindset of the team itself.
Empowerment Over Heroics
In fast-paced sectors like logistics or ESG, it’s easy to fall into firefighting mode. Be the hero. Solve the crisis. Rewrite the module. Take the late call.
But leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about building a room full of people who don’t need you to solve everything.
My approach is simple:
- Hire well.
- Set a clear technical vision.
- Share context, not just commands.
- Prioritise documentation over dependency.
- Teach problem-solving, not just answers.
I don’t want a team that looks to me for every decision. I want a team that says, “We’ve got this — here’s what we’re thinking.”
That’s when you know you’ve done your job right.
The Joy Is In the Craft — But Also the Culture
Sure, I love designing systems. Building scalable APIs. Creating real-time visibility tools for global freight. Working on ESG platforms that track carbon emissions down to the container.
But the real reward? Watching a junior developer grow into a team lead. Seeing a team ship confidently without handholding. Hearing a product manager say, “This just works.”
The culture you create through tech leadership is what shapes the next generation of builders. When engineers know they’re trusted, respected, and expected to own their domain — that’s when the magic happens.
And that’s where legacy becomes real.
Leaving Well
Leaving a company, a project, or a team isn’t always easy. Especially when you’ve helped build the foundations. But here’s something I’ve learned:
The real test of your leadership is what happens after you leave.
Does the team flounder or flourish?
Are you missed because you were essential — or because you were empowering?
Is your legacy a bottleneck or a blueprint?
I’ve left teams where I knew, with quiet pride, they were in a better place than when I arrived. They had systems. Structure. Shared language. A rhythm. And, most importantly, they had belief in themselves.
That’s not an accident. That’s design.
Freight, ESG, and the Real-World Impact
In the sectors I work in — freight forwarding, supply chain management, ESG — tech isn’t just a digital layer. It’s infrastructure. It’s business-critical.
These industries are evolving fast, but they don’t always have the luxury of well-resourced in-house tech teams. That’s where I come in — helping companies build that capability, not just ship code.
What gets me excited is helping a freight business transform from paper-led to platform-led. Or watching an ESG platform I’ve helped shape get adopted across new regions. Not because I’m still there, but because the team is driving it forward.
That’s the reward. That’s the legacy.
Final Thoughts
There’s a quiet kind of happiness that comes from building tech teams the right way. Not with noise, ego or constant intervention — but with clarity, trust and strong foundations.
I don’t build teams to be dependent on me. I build them to outgrow me.
So if you’re in the freight, logistics or ESG space and you’re building something meaningful — I’d love to help you do the same. Build the team. Create the structure. Leave a legacy.
Because in the end, great code fades. But great culture lasts.
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