Jonathan Fielding
Principal Engineer at Spendesk, Speaker about software engineering, diversity in tech and hidden disabilities
Ashford, United Kingdom
Actions
Jonathan Fielding is a Principal Software Engineer at Legend, focused on building systems, tooling, and engineering practices that help teams scale as the business grows. He works primarily with TypeScript and Node.js, with experience across platform architecture, developer experience, and reliability. He often creates “golden paths” that make it easier for teams to ship safely and consistently.
Before Legend, Jonathan held a mix of individual contributor and leadership roles, including Staff Engineer at Spendesk, Tech Lead at RVU (money.co.uk) and Engineering Manager at Beamly. That blend gives him a broad perspective across both the technical and business sides of building products, whether that is modernising legacy systems, improving delivery, or guiding teams through change.
What drives Jonathan most is creating inclusive, empowered teams. He loves simplifying complex problems in ways that bring everyone along for the journey, and he is a strong advocate for accessibility and neurodiversity in tech. He has launched and led Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) across multiple companies to support underrepresented voices and build more connected workplaces. Jonathan is also active in the tech community and a frequent conference speaker, sharing practical lessons on engineering leadership, modern system design, and creating healthier, more inclusive tech cultures.
Links
Area of Expertise
Topics
Learning from my side project failures
As developers, we often have both the ideas and the skills to create amazing projects. Yet, many of our side projects remain unfinished, tucked away in the corners of our GitHub profiles. Why do so many promising ideas fizzle out?
In this humorous talk, I’ll share stories from my own collection of incomplete side projects. From the traps of perfectionism and scope creep to the paralysis of picking the “perfect” tech stack, I’ve stumbled through it all—and learned valuable lessons.
We’ll explore:
• Setting Clear Goals: Keeping projects focused and purposeful.
• Embracing Imperfection: Prioritizing progress over perfection.
• Avoiding Scope Creep: Preventing projects from becoming unmanageable.
• Choosing Practical Tools: Overcoming tech stack indecision.
• Effective Time Management: Balancing projects with life.
• Validating Ideas Early: Saving time and resources.
Embracing Neurodiversity in Tech: Building Empathy, Unveiling Strengths
Conferences have been key in discussing inclusion and diversity, yet there's a gap in understanding hidden disabilities. This talk aims to address this, focusing on neurodiversity, including ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Dyscalculia.
I'll share my experiences discovering my dyslexia, dyspraxia, and autism to foster empathy and understanding. We'll explore practical strategies for creating inclusive environments for those with hidden disabilities.
This session will provide insights for better allyship, management, and support, embracing neurodiversity's strengths and perspectives. Join this journey towards a more inclusive future.
Breaking barriers: Embracing neurodiversity in tech
Today, there still remains a significant knowledge gap in our community when it comes to working with, managing, and supporting colleagues with hidden disabilities.
In this talk, I will share insights into neurodiversity. As someone with dyslexia, dyspraxia, and autism, I’ll draw on personal experiences and lessons learned from running an employee resource group for individuals with disabilities.
We'll explore strategies for creating a more inclusive environment for those with hidden disabilities, providing actionable insights to help leaders become better allies, managers, and contributors in the journey toward embracing neurodiversity.
Key takeaways:
* An understanding of some of the more common neurodiverse conditions
* How you can empathize with and support your neurodiverse colleagues, either as their manager or as a co-worker
* How we can support these colleagues in the broader tech community
DevSum 2024 Sessionize Event
Jonathan Fielding
Principal Engineer at Spendesk, Speaker about software engineering, diversity in tech and hidden disabilities
Ashford, United Kingdom
Links
Actions
Please note that Sessionize is not responsible for the accuracy or validity of the data provided by speakers. If you suspect this profile to be fake or spam, please let us know.
Jump to top