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Alex Hollyman

Technical lead and software engineer

Since 2008 I have designed, built and maintained web systems, in agencies and in-house teams, and I take ownership of the whole software lifecycle from concept to long-term maintenance.

View LinkedIn profile Read about my experience

Working with AI agents

I work primarily with AI code agents. I run multi-agent processes and manage token use across several models.

My grounding in a range of programming languages means I can use them confidently on unfamiliar frameworks and languages, and still understand and validate the work they produce.

How I work with agents

I remain responsible for the architecture, the technical decisions and the quality of the work I deliver.

The finished run: each task tested, reviewed and through the gates, then signed off by me.

Diagram of the process. A spec I have agreed becomes a plan, and the plan becomes tasks. An implementer agent works each task test-first on the files it owns, and a separate reviewer agent reads its diff. Approved tasks wait at the gates: type-check, build, tests and screenshots. The whole branch then gets a final review, and I sign it off.

Leadership and skills

How I lead, and the areas I work in.

  • Technical leadership

    I set development direction and advise managers and account teams on all things web and digital.

    Where I have led teams

  • Owning the whole lifecycle

    I take ownership of a system from the first concept through to long-term maintenance.

    A product I owned from concept to maintenance

  • Platforms and APIs

    I design and build APIs, the administration tools around them and the platforms they run on.

    More on platforms and APIs

  • Data and performance

    I handle large datasets and get every millisecond I can out of a query.

    More on data and performance

  • Interfaces

    I build accessible, frictionless interfaces and care about the small details in them.

    More on interfaces

  • Working with AI agents

    I work primarily with AI code agents, and remain responsible for the architecture and the quality of the result.

    How I work with agents

Read about my experience See what I work with

What I do

I am a full-stack software engineer and technical lead, building internal and client tools and maintaining web software systems.

Budget, time and quality

My background in agency work gives me a strong understanding of how to balance all three, and the skills to work with colleagues and stakeholders towards the best outcome and a system that lasts.

Alongside the engineering I advise senior management and account managers on all things web and digital.

I have managed conflicting feature requests from competing organisations on a shared platform, worked with client IT teams to reach security compliance, and kept a complex, growing codebase stable and maintainable throughout.

Balanced.

The project triangle. Budget, time and quality are the corners, and a point in the middle marks the balance between them. Moving the point towards one corner takes from the other two.

The right tool for the project

I have worked through every change the web has thrown at us, from cgi-bin scripts for contact forms to multi-language monoliths and micro-services. I choose languages, frameworks and design principles to suit a project's requirements and budget.

I work in TypeScript, Node.js and Vue.js as well as PHP and Laravel, and I am confident adapting to a new environment, having done so in my current role.

Whatever the tools, I think ahead when designing user-facing systems, APIs and data structures.

Small services with one job each. A queue holds the message until the email service is ready for it.

Outside work

Scouts

Since 2024 I have volunteered with my local Scout group, mainly in Cubs, and have helped cover Beavers and Scouts. I have had a hand in organising and running activity days, camps, kayaking trips and day-long hikes.

Outdoors

I am slowly ticking off the Wainwrights in the Lake District and exploring National Trust properties and countryside. I support the National Trust, RSPB and Woodland Trust because I believe our connection with the natural world matters, both to our wellbeing and to its long-term preservation.

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