Writing software professionally since I was sixteen.
I’m Ollie. I grew up in Suffolk, where the year runs on seasons and the land rewards the people who look after it. That way of thinking stuck. Good farmers prepare the ground before they plant, read the conditions instead of fighting them, and leave the soil richer than they found it. I build software the same way: strong foundations first, the right work at the right time, and code the next person is glad to inherit.
These days I live in Stockholm. By day I build the backend and frontend of the Kameo investment platform, and the rest of the time I’m giving Laravel meetup talks, working on the Swedish Laravel Association, or helping out at Aourly.
What I’m working on
Kameo
Laravel Sweden
Aourly
From Suffolk to Stockholm
Ten years of building software, from a Suffolk apprenticeship to fintech in Stockholm, mostly in PHP, Laravel and React.
- 2024-12 – now
Senior software developer · Kameo Sverige
In-house developer and AI lead since June 2026, after a year and a half on contract. Stockholm, on site.
- 2022-07 – 2026-06
Software developer · Techlove
Full-stack web developer producing software for a wide range of clients, needs and industries.
- 2023-05 – 2023-10
Software developer · Enkla Financial
Consultant developer: code standards, modernising the tech stack and feature development.
- 2022-05 – 2023-07
Web developer · Tommie Lagerroos AB
Full-time web developer for clients in many different industries.
- 2022-01 – 2022-05
Full-stack developer · Self-employed
Contract developer in the United Kingdom working for Tommie Lagerroos AB while waiting for a Swedish work visa.
- 2021-09 – 2021-12
Software developer · enable.services
Full-time developer in Martlesham Heath, Suffolk.
- 2018-09 – 2021-08
Youth minister · All Saints Church Kesgrave
Part-time role in Kesgrave, Suffolk, managing a team alongside my development work.
- 2016-07 – 2018-08
Apprentice, then junior software developer · Enable Technologies
Where it started, at 16: an apprentice help desk assistant for SugarCRM who was quickly moved over to development. Martlesham Heath, Suffolk.
Talks, meetups and the Swedish Laravel scene
I helped found the Swedish Laravel Association and sit on its board as a suppleant. We run meetups in Stockholm, Malmö and Norrköping, and I give talks there on what I’ve learned building Laravel apps in production.
Visit laravelsweden.orgLaravel Sweden meetups
My next talk will be announced soon. Until then, come and say hello at a meetup.
Learn it properly, then pass it on.
I started at sixteen, answering help desk tickets in Suffolk, and I’ve been writing software ever since. Ten years on, I lead AI work at Kameo and build across the backend and frontend of a platform people trust with their money.
I learn a framework by reading its source, not just its docs. It’s why I contribute to Laravel packages, why I give talks at meetups, and why I helped start Laravel Sweden. The fastest way to get better is to do the work in the open, alongside other people.
The road here hasn’t been a straight line, and I’m better for it. The help desk taught me to listen before I fix anything. Running mental health projects for teenagers taught me patience, and that people matter more than process. A theology degree taught me to read closely and argue fairly, and public speaking taught me to make complicated things simple. Building software for fintech, agencies and clients across all sorts of industries has taught me that every domain has its own language, and the job starts with learning it.
Away from the keyboard, you’ll find me out hiking, at the cinema, cheering on Eurovision, or sharing a pint with good company.