The Short Version
I am a self-taught software developer, entrepreneur and consultant who has been writing code since the age of 12. I have bootstrapped multiple businesses from scratch, architected Dynamics 365 solutions for household names, co founded a property SaaS used by the second largest estate agent in the UK (exited), and I am currently involved in Lavida, CampSuite and Crocodile. I am also writing a book called The 28 Day Startup. When I am not doing any of that, I am probably in a motorhome somewhere, pretending the wifi counts as an office.
The Longer Version
I taught myself to code at the age of 12 and never really stopped. What started as a curiosity turned into a career that has taken me from government departments to utility companies, from VC funded startups to one of the UK's largest housing associations. Along the way I have built my own businesses, led development teams, worked at board level and been offered permanent CTO and Head of Development roles more than once.
The thread that runs through everything I do is building things. I love taking a problem, figuring out the simplest way to solve it and then actually building the solution. Not talking about it in meetings for six months. Building it. That mindset is what led me to bootstrap my own companies rather than waiting for permission or funding.
On the consulting side, I specialise in Microsoft Dynamics 365. I have been a Technical Architect at Wessex Water (YTL Group), a Solution Architect at Gridserve, and delivered D365 implementations across utilities, financial services, telecoms and the public sector. I have rescued projects that went sideways, migrated legacy systems that nobody else wanted to touch and built integration architectures handling thousands of transactions daily.
I also have a genuine love for entrepreneurship. I co founded RealCube, a SaaS platform for estate agents that ended up being used by the second largest estate agent in the UK, handling over 1,000 daily users across 204 offices. I exited the business in 2013 to pursue new ventures, leaving a capable team in place to keep things running. The system still operates today. Since then I have founded Crocodile (HR software for SMEs) and built CampSuite (campsite management software for the outdoor hospitality industry), both bootstrapped from nothing. I am also an advisor and minority stakeholder in Lavida, an overseas property buying service.
I believe the best technology solves real problems for real people. If it does not do that, it is just expensive noise.Rob Heeley
Beyond the Code
I am passionate about business and politics. I find the mechanics of how organisations work, how decisions get made, and how technology shapes both, genuinely fascinating. It is the kind of thing I would talk about at a dinner party (which is probably why I do not get invited to many dinner parties).
My other passion is motorhome travel. There is something brilliant about packing up and heading somewhere new with everything you need on four wheels. I have been documenting our trips and adventures, partly because I enjoy writing about them and partly so I remember where the good campsites are.
I am also writing The 28 Day Startup, a practical guide for anyone who wants to go from idea to launch in less than a month. It is not a motivational book full of inspirational quotes. It is a step by step playbook based on what I have actually done, businesses I have actually built and mistakes I have actually made.