After my talk at Agile on the Beach 2026, a Software Engineer Leader from John Lewis & Partners came over with a question I wasn't expecting. He didn't ask which model we use, whether we prefer Cursor or Claude Code, or which MCP servers I'd recommend. He asked about the AI framework I'd mentioned almost in passing. Could I … Continue reading AI Needs Human Guardrails Too
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 … Continue reading Moving On: From TCG to Cognito
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 … Continue reading The Bowling Alley
Olly Brand 