Calm, pragmatic, and useful — in that order.

Where I've come from.

My background spans software engineering, distributed systems, and the messier real-world fabric that holds them up: networks, identity, operational tooling, and the human practices that make all of it run.

I've worked across regulated sectors — legal, health and similar — where the "boring" parts (audit, access, data residency, change control) are the parts that actually decide whether a project ships.

Most recently, I spent several years as a software engineer at Microsoft Azure, working across cloud infrastructure, Kubernetes, AI, and architectural design — from large-scale platform engineering and PoC work through to accessibility initiatives and regulatory compliance programmes across Europe. Before that, I built and shipped across fintech-adjacent, legal, and health-adjacent environments. I also started out as an electrician's apprentice — which is probably why I still end up pulling cable when a fit-out needs it done right.

The work I enjoy most is the kind that gets handed over because there isn't a clear path through it yet. Some of that pattern is just experience; some of it is being dyslexic, which has always pushed me to think laterally and arrive at solutions that more conventional approaches tend to miss.

Outside the work itself: based in Dublin, mostly found tinkering with personal projects, electronics, and anything I can take apart and put back together better.

The full work history lives on my CV: cv.benjamin.ie. Notes and writing: blog.benjamin.ie.

A few ways we can work together.

Engagements are typically one of these — or a sensible combination. Pricing is either fixed-fee for a defined deliverable, a day-rate, or a retainer for ongoing advisory.