Code meets curiosity.
Making software and hardware work for me and having fun while doing it. I explore new ideas, build things, write about them, and share what I learn along the way.
What I'm Sharing
For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.
"I had a fantastic time in London learning about, and drinking Japanese whiskey this weekend. Only commercially produced in 1923, Japanese whiskey has had a recent surge in popularity. Thanks to the efforts of Masataka Taketsuru, Japanese whiskey follows deep historical roots of Scottish whiskey in it's style and is largely produced by the Suntory and Nikka Whisky companies. If you're into whiskey, I'd recommend giving it a go."
London, United Kingdom
Feb 27, 2026
During my quest of having more non-cloud, local smart devices, I have been taking aim at my alarm system. These devices are usually shrouded in mystery and I've been able to reverse-engineer the UDP protocol it uses to write a local client. I hit a huge milestone this weekend as it now integrates with Home Assistant! More on this soon.
Back on the Bike
"I'm back on the bike after quite a hiatus! The garage has been a little cluttered lately with DIY projects and a re-structure and it's nice to finally clear a corner to jump back onto Zwift. I stream Zwift from my PC using Moonlight and Apollo and I couldn't be happier! I'll do a write-up on this soon."
Waterlooville, United Kingdom
Feb 20, 2026
Welcome!
After at least five years as a perpetual work in progress, my personal site is finally in a place I’m proud of. In this Megabyte, I reflect on my history with personal projects, my stance on AI, and the technical approach behind this build. Read on to see how I finally got there.
Read the full Megabyte →I'm finally getting around to launching this site! It has been sat on the bench for a while, but I spent a decent amount of time this weekend wrapping up the last few jobs. I'm really proud of what I have done and I look forward to sharing it!
About Me
Quick Stats
Beyond the keyboard
Hi, I'm Oli - a builder of teams, process, technology and slightly over-ambitious side projects. I live on the south coast in Waterlooville, England.
I enjoy a challenge in both my professional and personal life. I spent much of my early career in agency life, and now work in automotive finance, helping guide a major technology transformation.
Outside of work, I’ve taken on a variety of hobbies and experiments, including building a dedicated microbrewery. I dove deep into process automation using my own electronics and code, alongside water profiling and temperature control, to create (and drink) mostly IPAs with a very happy group of friends.
I’m neurodivergent and was diagnosed with ADHD at 35, which reframed how I see the world. I notice patterns quickly, connect ideas easily, and thrive in complex problem spaces.
To relax, I alternate between building and exploring, writing code late into the evening, listening to music, DJing (mostly EDM), or playing games. I also like to head out hiking with my wife, Mandy. We’ve taken many trips together, which you can read about on our travel site, welovetravel.in.
For a view of my life through a professional lens, you can visit my career page below.
My Professional Journey
Explore my career timeline, skills, and professional achievements