Senior technology direction, without the jargon or a full-time CTO.
I’m Daniel Nicolson, an independent technology consultant and AI advisor based in Liverpool. I work with founders and leadership teams on software, digital systems, AI and delivery, then stay close enough to help get the work done.
Technology consulting, fractional CTO support and practical AI.
You work directly with me on ongoing senior support, a defined technology project, practical AI advice or an in-person workshop. Start with the opportunity and we can work out the right shape together.
01Ongoing supportFractional CTO and Head of Tech
Bring in senior technology leadership for a period of change, a few days a month or a defined piece of work.
02Defined projectTechnology consulting
Audit systems, review software and suppliers, untangle platforms or help a project get over the line.
03Focused engagementAI consulting and automation
Find sensible uses for AI, compare tools and turn a useful idea into a small, practical first step.
Book now04One-off workshopAI awareness workshop
A focused, in-person 90-minute introduction to AI for people across a business, with practical examples and a clear next step.
A practical introduction to AI for your team.
The AI awareness workshop is a plain-English introduction to AI for people across a business. It connects the useful ideas to the work your people actually do.
It is for teams who may already dabble with ChatGPT or similar tools, but want a clearer sense of what they can do, where they can help and how to use them with good judgement.
Explore the workshop
AIThree steps, then you’re in the room.
- 01Free 15-minute call
Check whether the workshop is right for your team.
- 0260-minute discovery call
With a key stakeholder, understand your organisation and tailor the workshop.
- 0390-minute workshop
Delivered in person, with practical examples for your people.
Technology and digital advice that fits the business.
Dexal is a one-person consultancy. You get direct advice and hands-on support from me, Daniel, without layers of account management or a large team to coordinate.
I’m a full-stack web programmer by background and still get stuck in when it helps. I also co-founded and exited a web-based software business and have business interests outside the technology sector, so I understand that digital systems and technology have to work for the people, the operation and the numbers.
My job is to translate technology into plain English, help you make a decision you can stand behind and, where useful, help get the work over the line.
People work with people.
The technology matters, but so does the person helping you make sense of it.
I’m serious about the work and happy to get into the detail, but I’m also an ordinary person. I don’t believe technical language should be used to create distance or make a decision feel harder than it is. My job is to explain what is going on in plain English, break complicated issues into manageable parts and keep everyone involved in the room.
Life outside technology helps me keep the work grounded. I know what I’m doing, but I don’t think the conversation needs to be harder than it is.
What an engagement looks like.
The four services have different shapes. Here is what working together might involve, from ongoing senior support to a workshop you can book now.
Fractional CTO and Head of Tech
One day a week or another regular arrangement. Set technology priorities, review suppliers and systems, unblock decisions and keep important work moving.
Find out more 02Technology consulting
A defined review or project. Audit systems, compare platforms, review suppliers, map integrations or help get a stalled project over the line. The output is a clear decision and practical next steps.
Find out more 03AI consulting and automation
A focused piece of work with a leadership team or department. Look at current processes, identify where AI could help, compare tools and risks, and shape a sensible first implementation.
Find out more 04AI awareness workshop in Liverpool
A 90-minute in-person workshop for business teams in the Liverpool City Region, preceded by a short call and discovery session.
Find out moreA bit about me
I’m an independent technology consultant and AI advisor based in Liverpool, with more than 20 years of experience across software, digital systems, operations and delivery.
I’m a full-stack web programmer, but my role now is broader than writing code. I help founders and leadership teams decide what technology should do, what it should cost and what their people can realistically adopt.
I co-founded and exited an industry-leading web-based software business and I have interests outside the technology sector. That means I understand how the systems work, but I also understand the pressure to make good commercial and operational decisions.
My strength is translating technology-speak into plain English and staying close enough to the detail to be useful.
The things people usually want to know.
A little more about where I work, what I’m good at and how I tend to work with people.
Where do you work?
I’m based in Liverpool. Liverpool City Region and the wider North West of England are easiest for in-person work, although I’m happy to travel to London when it makes sense.
I also work remotely with an international company operating in more than ten territories, with periodic travel when the work calls for it.
What is your real speciality?
Web-based software development, and the wider technology decisions needed to make it work. I’ve got decades of experience building and running web applications.
Ruby on Rails is my passion, but I’m comfortable with PHP and front-end and server-side JavaScript frameworks such as AngularJS and Node.js. I’ve always thought good development means understanding the whole stack, because that’s what it takes to deliver a product that works. That full-stack understanding was important when the software business I co-founded was acquired.
Which companies do you work with?
As a matter of principle and respect for confidentiality, I don’t list companies publicly. Names and references can be shared as we get to know each other and where it is appropriate.
Do you work in particular sectors?
I’ve worked particularly closely with businesses in events and travel, where technology has to support customers, operations and changing demand. Those are areas where I can bring useful context from the start.
I don’t limit my work to those sectors, though. The same questions come up in many businesses: how to choose the right systems, make them work together and help people use them well.
When is a fractional arrangement useful?
It can work well when you need senior technology leadership for a period of change, a defined project or a few days a month. It can also cover a temporary gap while you recruit a permanent CTO or Head of Tech, during a handover or through a period of change.
What sort of work do you actually do?
I help founders and leadership teams make sense of software, digital systems, delivery and AI. That might mean setting priorities, reviewing a supplier, choosing a platform, unblocking a project or finding a sensible first use for automation.
The common thread is making a technology decision clearer and helping get the work moving.
How do we get started?
Send me an email with the decision, problem or opportunity you’re thinking about. I’ll help work out whether you need ongoing senior support, a defined review, practical AI help or a workshop.
Start with the opportunity.
Tell me what you’re trying to improve, decide or get moving. I’ll help work out whether you need ongoing senior support, a focused review, practical AI help or a workshop.