Software Development Consulting

Drawing on over 20 years of experience in the software industry, Iain helps and runs teams that create robust, scalable, and flexible software. Iain first started coding in the mid-80's on the venerable Commodore 64, and still loves it to this day. He remains a hands-on hacker, developing the open-source Scheme for Max project as part of his ongoing PhD work on programming languages for music.

Iain's diverse development career has included running a startup as a CTO (through to acquisition); building custom booking, e-commerce, and fundraising software; managing internal tool development projects; consulting and custom programming for scientists; and even building software used on musical stages and art installations in NYC.

Iain is available in a leadership and consulting capacity to help teams design, manage, and implement custom software projects. He also teaches startups how to ensure they are positioned well for future investments and acquisitions through his Ready For Exit workshops. Additionally, he's available for specialized projects for scientists, academics, and artists, and collaborates on academic publications on computer music.

Skills & specialties:

  • Scalable, flexible, and sustainable software architecture
  • Web-based enterprise software in Python and JavaScript
  • Technical debt consultation and mitigation
  • Automated testing infrastructure and practices
  • Agile development practices with Kanban
  • Distributed system design
  • Internal tools development
  • Database development and migration
  • Data collection and IoT devices
  • Programming assistance for scientists and academics
  • Audio, media, and music systems (Python, C/C++, Scheme)
  • Domain-specific language development in Scheme

Some interesting previous projects:

  • Government of Canada, Forestry - R Studio plugin development in C++
  • University of Victoria / Environment Canada - scientific data collection tools
  • IRMACS at Simon Fraser University - research centre booking system
  • Delta Hospital Foundation - P2P fundraising system
  • Paul Waldt - Weeks Feel Like Days art installation
  • Matt Robertson - Live music software prototypes
  • Semaphore Solutions - lab management software
  • Expand Interactive - custom e-learning system