Specialist generalist
Technical consultancy for difficult, cross-boundary problems
Some problems cannot be handed neatly to a security consultant, software developer, IT provider or management adviser. I work across those boundaries to establish what is really happening, make the options clear and help carry the chosen course through. I lead the engagement personally; Dead Simple Computing Ltd contracts the work.
What I can help with
Cost and commercial decisions
Technology spend, licensing, cloud and supplier costs; make, buy or replace decisions; proposal scrutiny; and technical evidence for investment or acquisition decisions.
Security, resilience and risk
Security architecture, control design, incident planning, recovery, risk treatment and an independent view when evidence or advice is contested.
Architecture, systems and delivery
Infrastructure, networks, software, integrations and automation; diagnosing failure, reviewing architecture and defining a credible recovery or change plan.
Teams, suppliers and ownership
Roles, capability gaps, hiring, technical leadership, supplier challenge and making clear who has authority for consequential decisions.
AI and automation
Opportunity assessment, product and vendor choices, workflow automation, architecture, data exposure, governance and delivery oversight.
SEO and generative-search visibility
Technical SEO, information architecture, structured data and expert content that can be understood and cited in conventional and generative search. I treat AEO and GEO as part of sound search and content engineering, not a separate set of shortcuts.
A good fit for this work
- The problem touches several systems, suppliers or areas of the organisation.
- The normal support route has treated symptoms without resolving the cause.
- You need an evidence-led second opinion before committing money, signing a contract or changing direction.
- The question is sensitive and needs a small reporting line with clearly controlled access.
- You need advice from someone able to inspect the detail and still explain the decision plainly to a board, owner or investor.
What the engagement produces
The output follows the decision rather than a standard template. It may be a concise technical review, a costed set of options, an architecture and delivery plan, a decision note for a board, or hands-on leadership through a difficult piece of work.
Whatever the form, evidence, assumptions and limitations are kept separate. The recommended route is recorded, the person with authority to choose it is clear, and any implementation or handover is scoped explicitly.
DSC contracting and independent judgement
I founded and remain involved in Dead Simple Computing. Every engagement from this route is contracted and invoiced by DSC, and delivered within its applicable insurance and governance controls. I personally scope, lead and substantially deliver the distinct advisory work.
Any commercial interest or potential conflict relevant to your question is raised before the remit is agreed, and a recommendation is not conditional on buying implementation from me or DSC.
Generic IT or security audits, company incident response, technology due diligence, managed IT, formal Cyber Essentials or Defence Cyber Certification work, and engagements needing a standing delivery team remain DSC company services. This route is for a focused cross-boundary investigation, second opinion or leadership question.
How it starts
- Send the short version. State what is happening, the outcome or decision required and why the existing route has not resolved it.
- Test the fit. I identify the likely question, what access would be needed, and whether I or a different specialist is appropriate.
- Agree the remit. Scope, authority, reporting, confidentiality and fees are recorded in a DSC services agreement before substantive work begins.
The person you contact does the work
This is work led personally by me, not passed to a junior consultancy team. Where a narrower specialist is required, I say so and agree their role with you rather than quietly stretching beyond the evidence.
Fees are separately scoped to reflect direct senior involvement, complexity, discretion, limited capacity and the bespoke responsibility agreed for the work.
Describe the problem, not a procurement category
Give me the short version and the outcome you need. I will tell you whether I am a good fit and what the first useful step would be.