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AI at Collecting Cars, AMA Replay
The Agile On The Beach replays are live! Since speaking, I’ve had time to reflect on what’s changed, what I got wrong, and how fast AI-first software engineering is evolving. The replay of my AI at Collecting Cars AMA is here… What I Got Wrong On stage, I implied I didn’t trust or use agents.…
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Moving On: From TCG to Cognito
Around the 1st of September I usually reflect on my year. It’s a natural time in the UK for reflection, the end of summer, start of the new school year. This time, it’s a month late, because… After 3 years and 1 month, it’s time to move on from The Collecting Group [TCG]. I’ve had…
Posted in Tech -
Not all experiments succeed
Building on my gambler or scientist post… One of the most rewarding parts of leadership is carrying the accountability for your team’s work. Accountability isn’t good or bad, it’s simply the responsibility for outcomes; the wins and the losses. On balance, it’s hugely rewarding. But it also means you’re the one delivering bad news to the…
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The Bowling Alley
The Bowling Alley One of my strongest beliefs as a leader is that I want to create an environment where everyone has the chance to excel. Over the years, the best way I’ve found to explain this is through the bowling alley analogy. This is one of two analogies I’ve come to depend upon, the…
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Agile on the Beach 2025
It had been a while since I last went to a tech conference, and within minutes of the opening keynote (which included washing potatoes in a washing machine), I regretted the time away. I’d forgotten how good these events can be. Conferences create space. Space to think, to hear new perspectives & ideas, to learn,…
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How We Think About AI at The Collecting Group
I recently joined the team at Hypr Live for a conversation about how we’re using AI in engineering at Collecting Cars and The Collecting Group. It was great to dig into how AI is evolving, and how we’re evolving with it. You can watch the full episode here: Here are three takeaways from the discussion,…
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Evolving Our Tech Strategy: Singer to Raptor
In early 2024, I likened our platform and Tech Strategy at The Collecting Group to a Singer 911. It made sense at the time: take a solid base (the Porsche 964), iterate on it with care and craft, and transform it into something beautiful, powerful, exclusive, and meticulously engineered. Something rare. A halo product. A…
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What’s it like to drive the radical Alpine A110R
A road-legal track machine that embodies Alpine’s racing spirit. The A110R takes everything great about the A110 and sharpens it; stripping weight, adding aero, and cranking up the focus. I had the chance to drive one on real-world roads, and even on cold, damp Cornish roads, it delivered a connected, intense experience few modern cars…
Posted in Cars -
Shipping Icebergs: The Quiet Triumph of User Merging
I’ll admit to overusing two analogies: bowling alleys (a post for another day) and icebergs. Tech initiatives, especially the ones I refer to as Momentum Builders, Debt Paydowns, and Risk Reducers (see: Gambler or Scientist), often resemble icebergs. Only the part above the waterline is visible to the business. This makes selling and celebrating them…
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Gambler or Scientist
Win or lose? I prefer experiment and learn. 3 things occurred: 1. CTO Coachings on “Bets” – Learning to break work into plays (business cases) that I can sell to the business. Every initiative falls into one (or more) of four categories: 2. David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) tweeted: “Enjoy being at the table” 3. I…
Olly Brand 