Kyle Welsby

The problem: Platform treated debt cases as binary (open/closed), obscuring the actual journey complexity. Business logic was buried in code that couldn't support AI-first operations.

What I did: Conducted stakeholder interviews and deep code investigation to map hidden state complexity. Identified multiple intermediate states and terminal outcomes. Advocated for build-over-buy on communications, recognising AI-first systems need internal data access. Led 8-week intensive build phase with cross-functional team of 10.

Outcome: Platform now supports millions of debt cases and hundreds of thousands of AI-mediated interactions across 7 European markets. Discovery work became the foundation for the company's core pivot to AI-first operations.

The problem: Checkout performance at Shopify's scale: millions of merchants, production constraints, high stakes.

What I did: Led technical delivery for team of 6. Owned scope and sequencing for shipping platform optimisations. Used data to reframe approach when unforeseen production constraints emerged. Maintained team morale through project uncertainty.

Outcome: Achieved ~2% checkout performance improvement at scale. Delivered quality work despite project eventually being stopped due to external unknowns.

The problem: Code review processes often lack clarity on severity, and junior engineers need structured support to grow quickly.

What I did: Created Traffic Light Code Review System: Red Square (critical blockers), Amber Triangle (improvements, can proceed), Green Circle (minor nits). Addresses cognitive load and colour-blind accessibility through shape differentiation. Mentored George Holborn from Software Engineer to Senior in under 2 years through pairing and psychological safety.

Outcome: Traffic Light system adopted organically across teams. George later joined another company at Senior level with confidence. Led two non-English speaking engineers, supporting technical growth and communication confidence.

The problem: Building platforms where correctness, security and cost matter across fintech, government and e-commerce domains.

What I did: Open Banking integrations at FreeAgent (2019). Government digital services at Department for Education / GOV.UK (2020-2021). Real-time systems with WebSockets and Server-Sent Events. Payment integrations across fintech and e-commerce. CTO experience at Universal Data Management LLC (2016-2018).

Outcome: Deep expertise in regulated systems, state-driven architectures, and platforms that pass audits by design.