Hi, I’m Michael 👋

I’m a Principal Software Engineer based in Ireland. I’ve spent 15+ years building software in fintech (investment banks, stock exchanges, B2B platforms).

I’ve progressed from junior developer to staff+ roles, mainly within feature and product teams, with some experience building and leading teams along the way. Currently, I work in an architecture team, which mostly means I get to see all the mistakes I make playing out at scale.

Why I write

I love mentoring because helping another developer have an “aha moment" makes the job worthwhile. I hope this platform enables me to do that beyond my immediate team. I share what I’ve learned, work through my understanding, and aim to help you avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made.

If you’re interested in real-world software engineering from someone who’s still figuring it out but has seen a few things, you might find something useful here.

When I’m not coding

I’m a father of three, which means I have approximately zero free time (and that’s precisely how it should be). When I do get a moment, I follow hurling, soccer, and rugby. I also play way too much pool and hate losing.

Let’s connect

I write to learn as much as to teach. If something here helps you, or if you think I got something wrong, I’d genuinely love to hear from you. Hit reply to any email.

Thanks for being here.

Michael