PHP UK Conference 2026, London
February, 2026
PHP UK will be in London in February 2026. I'll be there to talk about the story behing everythingisshowbiz.com - the real-world lessons from a PHP + AI side project that got wildly out of hand!
Media
A collection of videos, articles, conference talks, and any other places I've been asked for a piece of my mind!
Upcoming Talks
ConFoo 2026, Montreal
February, 2026
In February 2026, I'll be speaking at ConFoo in Montreal, Canada. It'll be first time in Canada, and I'll be delivering two sessions. One covers ways for backend developers to optimise frontend speed on their websites without getting bogged down in frontend tools. The other is more backend-focused, talking about building more resilient APIs through use of idempotency.
Dutch PHP Conference 2026, Amsterdam
March, 2026
In March 2026, I'll be presenting at the Dutch PHP Conference in Amsterdam. My talk will be on modern PHP features you're probably not using yet (but should be!) - all the latest goodies in the PHP language which you might not have found time to play around with yet.
API Conference 2026, London
May, 2026
In May 2026, I'll be speaking at the API Conference in London. My talk will be all about making our APIs more resilient via the use of idempotency. What it is, how easy it is to add it, and how badly things can go wrong when we forget all about it!
phpday 2026, Verona
May, 2026
In May 2026, I'll be speaking at phpday in Verona, Italy. My talk will be all about making our APIs more resilient via the use of idempotency. What it is, how easy it is to add it, and how badly things can go wrong when we forget all about it!
PHPTek 2026, Chicago
May, 2026
I'll be in Chicago for the 19th edition of PHPTek in May. My talks will be on idempotency (what it is, why you need it, and how surprisingly easy it is to implement), and modern PHP features you're probably not using yet (but should be!) - all the latest goodies in the PHP language which you might not have found time to play around with yet.
International PHP Conference 2026, Berlin
June, 2026
In June 2026, I'll be speaking at the IPC in Berlin. My talks will be on modern PHP features you're probably not using yet (but should be!) - all the latest goodies in the PHP language which you might not have found time to play around with yet - and the back story to everythingisshowbiz.com, the PHP + AI side project that got wildly out of hand!
Articles
Safer Code with Modern PHP: Enums, Readonly & Match Explained
PHP Conference Blog
Silent failures, mystery boolean flags, and fragile switch statements are the ghosts of PHP versions past. Discover the small syntactic changes that deliver clearer intent, safer defaults, and a better quality of life for your entire development team.
Modern PHP Features You're Probably Not Using (But Should Be)
devm.io PHP Magazine
Silent failures, mystery boolean flags, and fragile switch statements are the ghosts of PHP versions past. Discover the small syntactic changes that deliver clearer intent, safer defaults, and a better quality of life for your entire development team.
The no-code/low-code revolution: Why it can't be ignored
SiliconRepublic.com
I've long been a sceptic of no-code/low-code tools, but the landscape has rapidly shifted in recent years, with far more capable tooling emerging. If you've not re-assessed these tools in a while, it's time to look again!
Retry Without Regret: Making APIs Idempotent by Design
devm.io PHP Magazine
Idempotency is a powerful concept that can help make your APIs more resilient and user-friendly. In this article, I explore the principles of idempotent design, practical implementation strategies, and real-world examples from industry leaders like Stripe and AWS.
Reflections on 30 Years of PHP
devm.io PHP Magazine
Following the IPC in Munich, I'm one of a number of people interviewed about the evolution of PHP over the past three decades, discussing its impact on web development and the community that has grown around it.
Backend to the Frontline: Speeding Up Your Web Pages with Minimal Effort
devm.io PHP Magazine
In this article, I explain various techniques for backend-focused developers to improve the frontend speed of their applications. And all without getting bogged down in npm version errors, compile issues, and other such frontend fun!
SCA explainer: The new PSD2 rules online retailers need to know
SiliconRepublic.com
Ahead of the rollout of Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) in Europe, I explained why it was needed, and the likely impact it would have on businesses and users across the continent.
Interviews & Podcasts
Vibe Coding vs. Engineering: Building AI Apps in PHP
January, 2026
Ahead of PHP UK 2026, I joined Dave Liddament to talk about AI-assisted development, vibe coding, and what actually happens when you try to build something non-trivial with LLMs rather than just demo it. We discussed where AI genuinely accelerates development, where it quietly introduces risk and technical debt, and why responsibility, judgement, and human oversight don't disappear just because the code was generated. We also touched on how AI lowers the barrier to experimenting with software - with real social benefits - even as it reshapes the day-to-day reality of professional developers.
Project Yellow Brick Road: Creative, Practical, and Unconventional Engineering
January, 2026
I had a great time with Warren Parad on the Adventures in DevOps podcast to swap stories about scrapers, bots, caching pitfalls, and other real-world engineering problems where “best practice” isn't always the best answer. We talked about flipping attacker incentives, shipping under tight constraints, and a few lessons learned the hard way!
The Evervault Decrypt Development Podcast
September, 2023
I joined Liz Moy on Evervault's Decrypt podcast to talk about the importance of developing empathy for our users, managing competing demands on product roadmaps, and notable issues when trying to integrate AI tooling into development workflows. We also talked about a number of the struggles I had when moving from a developer role to a leadership one - changes in the types of feedback you get, different ways of measuring your own impact, and how best to enable your team to grow and shine.
Drive revenue with a better payments experience
November, 2022
After Stripe's report on the state of European checkouts in 2022, I was one of the speakers at a webinar discussing the findings. We spoke about common checkout mistakes, how to fix them, the rise of new payment methods, and best practices to prepare for international expansion.
Previous Talks
Stripe Dublin Developers Meet-up
January, 2026
I had a great time at the Stripe Developers Meet-up in January 2026, at the Stripe offices in Dublin. My talk was "Stripe Is My DNS Provider Now: When Good APIs Meet Bad Ideas" - a light-hearted look at unconventional ways to use Stripe's APIs, and the lessons learned along the way. It was a fun session with a mix of technical insights and practical advice, and hopefully a few laughs along the way!
Build Stuff Conference 2025, Vilnius
December, 2025
I'd a great time at Build Stuff in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 2025. My talk covered real-world examples of unconventional ways to stop scrapers, phishers, and content thieves. From selling 10 Downing St, to moving the Eiffel Tower to Dublin, this talk was filled with practical insights to protect assets, outsmart bad actors, and avoid the mistakes we made along the way!
International PHP Conference 2025, Munich
October, 2025
I presented "Modern PHP Features You're Probably Not Using (But Should Be)" at IPC Munich, in October 2025. We covered some of the latest features in PHP that can help you write cleaner, more efficient code, and how to leverage them in your projects.
International PHP Conference 2025, Berlin
June, 2025
In June 2025, I spoke about idempotency at the International PHP Conference in Berlin. We covered what it is, why it’s so useful, and how big players like Stripe and AWS leverage it in production. It was a great event, with some super participant questions, and a fun trip around the city to boot!
CyberWiseCon 2025
May, 2025
In May 2025, I spoke at the CyberWiseCon / DevDays Europe event in Vilnius, Lithuania. From selling 10 Downing St, to moving the Eiffel Tower to Dublin, this talk covered real-world examples of unconventional ways to stop scrapers, phishers, and content thieves. It's filled with practical insights to protect assets, outsmart bad actors, and avoid the mistakes we made along the way!
Dutch PHP Conference 2025, Amsterdam
March, 2025
In March 2025, at the Dutch PHP Conference in Amsterdam, I presented on the importance of idempotency – what it is, why it’s so useful, and how big players like Stripe and AWS leverage it in production.
International PHP Conference 2024, Munich
November, 2024
In November 2024, I spoke at the International PHP Conference in Munich, Germany. I spoke about page speed wins available for backend developers, while also covering the times when it's better to have your team snowboarding instead of coding, challenges of policing dangerous drivers, and the impact of TV graphics on web design. A great conference, with lots of interesting take-aways!
PHPers Summit 2024, Poznan
June, 2024
In June 2024, I spoke at the PHPers Summit in Poznan, Poland, about the quick wins available for backend developers to improve front-end page speed. Eco-friendly badges, compelling talks, famous pastries and Lego history lessons - this event had it all!
PHP UK Conference 2024, London
February, 2024
In February 2024, I gave a talk at the PHP UK Conference in London, England. I covered the quick wins available to backend developers asked to deal with frontend speed issues. There are a number of fast and easy changes which can be made to load images, videos, and fonts, without getting bogged down in the complexities of frontend development tooling!
Resilience and efficiency in today's environment
March, 2023
At the first of the Stripe Snacks sessions in the Dublin office, I was part of a panel where we had an enjoyable discussion about resilience and efficiency in today's environment. As a panel we discussed the challenges that come from scaling a business against challenging macroeconomic headwinds, and practical solutions.
The benefits of Stripe Training & Certification
July, 2022
As a Stripe Partner, we at Square1 need to ensure that our team are capable of consistently delivering high quality implementations. I spoke with Stripe's Head of Global Training and Certification Aarti Kumar about how Stripe's Training and Certification programme helps us to do this.
E-commerce website checklist
September, 2020
When Covid hit in 2019, a lot of businesses underwent a rapid digital transformation. In Square1, we've worked with many businesses adapting to the new normal. In this video, I put together a number of tips based on our experience, to help businesses ensure their online presence is set up for success!