[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":877},["ShallowReactive",2],{"navigation":3,"index":42,"index-blogs":193},[4],{"title":5,"path":6,"stem":7,"children":8,"page":41},"Blog","\u002Fblog","blog",[9,13,17,21,25,29,33,37],{"title":10,"path":11,"stem":12},"Corporate Memories from the Early 2000s","\u002Fblog\u002F001-corporate-memories-from-2007","blog\u002F001-corporate-memories-from-2007",{"title":14,"path":15,"stem":16},"TextRoots: A New Root System for the Digital Individual","\u002Fblog\u002F501-a-new-root-system-for-the-digital-individual","blog\u002F501-a-new-root-system-for-the-digital-individual",{"title":18,"path":19,"stem":20},"TextRoots: Beyond the Editor: Anatomy of a Content OS","\u002Fblog\u002F502-beyond-the-editor","blog\u002F502-beyond-the-editor",{"title":22,"path":23,"stem":24},"TextRoots: Living Inside Your Tools: What Emacs Teaches Us About Software","\u002Fblog\u002F503-living-inside-your-tools-what-emacs-teaches-us","blog\u002F503-living-inside-your-tools-what-emacs-teaches-us",{"title":26,"path":27,"stem":28},"TextRoots: Management Committee Status Update for February 2026","\u002Fblog\u002F504-mc-status-update-feb-2026","blog\u002F504-mc-status-update-feb-2026",{"title":30,"path":31,"stem":32},"TextRoots: Management Committee Status Update for March 2026","\u002Fblog\u002F505-mc-status-update-mar-2026","blog\u002F505-mc-status-update-mar-2026",{"title":34,"path":35,"stem":36},"TextRoots: The Long Road to 'Just Text'","\u002Fblog\u002F506-the-long-road-to-just-text","blog\u002F506-the-long-road-to-just-text",{"title":38,"path":39,"stem":40},"TextRoots: What is TextRoots?","\u002Fblog\u002F507-the-elevator-pitch","blog\u002F507-the-elevator-pitch",false,{"id":43,"title":44,"about":45,"blog":48,"body":51,"description":52,"experience":53,"extension":88,"faq":89,"hero":128,"meta":160,"navigation":161,"path":162,"seo":163,"stem":166,"testimonials":167,"__hash__":192},"index\u002Findex.yml","I'm Simon Challinor ...",{"title":46,"description":47},"About Me","A quarter of a century of programming experience transitioning through many technologies and environments. Over a decade working with major finance and insurance coprorates in London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. I've managed my consultancy companies in London and Hong Kong and worked with companies big and small in China, Asia Pacific and across Europe.   \n",{"title":49,"description":50},"Latest Articles","Some of my recent thoughts",null,"a senior software engineer with over 25 years of technical knowledge and a huge range of geographical experience in corporate and non-corporate roles",{"title":54,"items":55},"Roles",[56,64,72,80,84],{"position":57,"date":58,"company":59},"MD at","2025 - Present",{"name":60,"logo":61,"url":62,"color":63},"Orbital Alchemists","i-simple-icons-nuxtdotjs","https:\u002F\u002Fnuxt.com","#00DC82",{"position":65,"date":66,"company":67},"Managing Director at","2022 - 2023",{"name":68,"logo":69,"url":70,"color":71},"TDR-encompass","i-simple-icons-raycast","https:\u002F\u002Fraycast.com","#FF6363",{"position":73,"date":74,"company":75},"Relationship Manager","2020 - 2021",{"name":76,"logo":77,"url":78,"color":79},"Aon Inpoint","i-simple-icons-linear","https:\u002F\u002Flinear.app","#5E6AD2",{"position":81,"date":74,"company":82},"Senior Project Manager",{"name":83,"logo":77,"url":78,"color":79},"HSBC",{"position":85,"date":74,"company":86},"Systems Analyst",{"name":87,"logo":77,"url":78,"color":79},"ABN Amro","yml",{"title":90,"description":91,"categories":92},"Frequently Asked Questions","Answers to common questions about my process and services.",[93,105,120],{"title":94,"questions":95},"Services & Process",[96,99,102],{"label":97,"content":98},"What services do you offer?","I specialize in UX\u002FUI design and front-end development. This includes user research, wireframing, interactive prototyping, creating intuitive user interfaces, building responsive websites and web applications (especially with Vue.js\u002FNuxt.js), and developing design systems. My goal is to create seamless digital experiences from concept to deployment.\n",{"label":100,"content":101},"What is your design process like?","My process is collaborative and iterative, typically involving stages like Discovery & Research, Ideation & Prototyping, User Testing, Visual Design, and close collaboration with development teams during implementation. I tailor the process based on project needs, always focusing on user-centered solutions.\n",{"label":103,"content":104},"Do you work with startups?","Absolutely! I enjoy working with startups to help shape their product vision and create user-friendly interfaces from the ground up. I can adapt my process to fit the fast-paced startup environment.\n",{"title":106,"questions":107},"Pricing & Timelines",[108,111,114,117],{"label":109,"content":110},"How much does a project typically cost?","Project costs vary based on scope, complexity, features, and timeline. For comprehensive UX\u002FUI design and front-end development projects, my engagements typically start around $5,000, with average projects ranging between $8,000 and $25,000. For consulting or specific design tasks, my day rate is $700.\n",{"label":112,"content":113},"What are your payment terms?","I generally require a 40% deposit to schedule the project and begin work, with the remaining 60% due upon successful project completion and delivery. I accept payments via bank transfer and Stripe.\n",{"label":115,"content":116},"How long does a typical project take?","Timelines depend heavily on the project's scope and complexity. Smaller projects might take 3-4 weeks, while larger, more involved projects can range from 2 to 4 months. I always provide a detailed timeline estimate after the initial discovery phase.\n",{"label":118,"content":119},"Do you offer retainers or ongoing support?","Yes, for clients needing ongoing design support, feature development, or maintenance, I offer monthly retainer options tailored to specific needs. Let's discuss if this is something you're interested in.\n",{"title":46,"questions":121},[122,125],{"label":123,"content":124},"What do you enjoy most about your work?","I love the challenge of solving complex problems through design and technology. It's incredibly rewarding to see people interact with something I've created and find it genuinely useful and easy to navigate. Bridging the gap between user needs and technical possibilities is what truly excites me.\n",{"label":126,"content":127},"What are your hobbies outside of work?","When I'm not designing or coding, I enjoy exploring Boston's neighborhoods, trying out new coffee shops, and hiking in the nearby reservations. I'm also passionate about photography and occasionally contribute to open-source projects.\n",{"links":129,"images":132},[130],{"label":5,"to":6,"color":131},"neutral",[133,136,139,142,145,148,151,154,157],{"src":134,"alt":135},"\u002Fhero\u002Fhk-in-2007.jpg","Hong Kong in 2007",{"src":137,"alt":138},"\u002Fhero\u002Fabn-amro-in-2007.jpg","ABN in Amsterdam 2007",{"src":140,"alt":141},"\u002Fhero\u002Fflying-vlm-in-2007.jpg","Flying VLM in 2007",{"src":143,"alt":144},"\u002Fhero\u002Fbishopsgate-in-2007.jpg","Bishopsgate London in 2007",{"src":146,"alt":147},"\u002Fhero\u002Fabn-amro-london-in-2007.jpg","ABN Amro London in 2007",{"src":149,"alt":150},"\u002Fhero\u002Fsimon-with-abn-in-2007.jpg","Simon with ABN in 2007",{"src":152,"alt":153},"\u002Fhero\u002Fsimon-with-abn-in-2007-item2.jpg","Simon with ABN Amro in 2007",{"src":155,"alt":156},"\u002Fhero\u002Fsimon-with-hsbc-2008.jpg","Simon with HSBC in 2008",{"src":158,"alt":159},"\u002Fhero\u002Fhong-kong-feel-in-2007.jpg","Feeling of Hong Kong in 2007",{},true,"\u002F",{"title":164,"description":165},"Simon Challinor - Software Engineer","Welcome to my portfolio! I'm Simon Challinor, a veteran developer based in the UK and Hong Kong. I specialize in decentralized technologies and full stack architectures.","index",[168,176,184],{"quote":169,"author":170},"Emma's approach to UX design completely transformed our product. She has a rare ability to balance beautiful aesthetics with functional simplicity. The redesign not only looked better, but it reduced our customer support tickets by 40% and increased conversion rates across all key metrics.",{"name":171,"description":172,"avatar":173},"Sarah Chen","Product Director at Bloom Finance",{"src":174,"srcset":175},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1487412720507-e7ab37603c6f?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=facearea&facepad=2&w=40&h=40&q=80","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1487412720507-e7ab37603c6f?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=facearea&facepad=2&w=80&h=80&q=80 2x",{"quote":177,"author":178},"Working with Emma was the best decision we made for our startup. She didn't just deliver designs—she challenged our assumptions, conducted thorough user research, and created an experience that truly resonated with our audience. Her technical knowledge of front-end development meant the handoff to our engineering team was seamless.",{"name":179,"description":180,"avatar":181},"Michael Rodriguez","Co-founder of Wavelength Music",{"src":182,"srcset":183},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1472099645785-5658abf4ff4e?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=facearea&facepad=2&w=40&h=40&q=80","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1472099645785-5658abf4ff4e?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=facearea&facepad=2&w=80&h=80&q=80 2x",{"quote":185,"author":186},"Emma stands out in her ability to translate complex sustainability data into intuitive interfaces. Her work on EcoTrack wasn't just visually stunning—it fundamentally changed how our users interact with environmental information. She approaches each problem with both creativity and analytical rigor, which is exactly what we needed.",{"name":187,"description":188,"avatar":189},"Dr. Aisha Johnson","Chief Innovation Officer at GreenTech Solutions",{"src":190,"srcset":191},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1573497019940-1c28c88b4f3e?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=facearea&facepad=2&w=40&h=40&q=80","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1573497019940-1c28c88b4f3e?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=facearea&facepad=2&w=80&h=80&q=80 2x","morsMSDHGzM78aaYKeqkAG8V2PcOpHmWC-RwC_v9cmQ",[194,247,759],{"id":195,"title":38,"author":196,"body":200,"category":239,"date":240,"description":241,"extension":242,"image":243,"meta":244,"minRead":233,"navigation":161,"path":39,"seo":245,"stem":40,"__hash__":246},"blog\u002Fblog\u002F507-the-elevator-pitch.md",{"name":197,"avatar":198},"Simon Challinor",{"src":199,"alt":197},"\u002Fprofile\u002Fsimon-hk01-1000x1000.jpg",{"type":201,"value":202,"toc":231},"minimark",[203,208,212,215,219,222,224,228],[204,205,207],"h3",{"id":206},"the-elevator-pitch","The Elevator Pitch",[209,210,211],"p",{},"Your digital life is currently scattered across apps and \"clouds\" you don't control. If those companies change their rules or shut down, your notes and tasks can disappear or become trapped. TextRoots changes this by giving your information a home that exists wherever you want it to—on your phone, your laptop, or your own private storage. It’s a system designed to pass the \"100-year test\": because your thoughts are kept in simple, open files that aren't tied to any single company or server, they will remain readable for decades to come, regardless of what happens to the tech industry. You are building a private digital estate that belongs only to you. It’s as simple as a notebook, but as powerful as a modern computer.",[213,214],"hr",{},[204,216,218],{"id":217},"the-refined-pitch-freedom-from-lock-in","The Refined Pitch: Freedom from Lock-In",[209,220,221],{},"Most software today quietly locks you into its way of working. Your notes, tasks, and ideas live inside systems you can’t fully control, and leaving often means starting over. TextRoots takes a different approach. It keeps your information in simple, open formats that work across tools, devices, and storage options—so you’re never tied to a single app or provider. You can switch interfaces, move your data, or change how your system works without losing anything. It’s built on the idea that your digital life should adapt to you—not the other way around.",[213,223],{},[204,225,227],{"id":226},"the-refined-pitch-beyond-a-single-tool","The Refined Pitch: Beyond a Single Tool",[209,229,230],{},"Most software tries to be the one tool that does everything. But your digital life isn’t one thing—it’s writing, planning, organising, exploring, and more. TextRoots isn’t a single app trying to replace them all. It’s a flexible ecosystem of simple tools that work together around your data. You can use different interfaces for different tasks, swap parts in and out, and shape the system to fit how you think and work. Instead of forcing everything into one rigid tool, TextRoots gives you a set of building blocks that grow with you over time.",{"title":232,"searchDepth":233,"depth":233,"links":234},"",2,[235,237,238],{"id":206,"depth":236,"text":207},3,{"id":217,"depth":236,"text":218},{"id":226,"depth":236,"text":227},"textroots","2026-04-27","Ok so here's the Elevator Pitch ... give me just 2 minutes","md","\u002Fimages\u002Farticle-501-tr-pcos-01.png",{},{"title":38,"description":241},"4F7ZWZjyRddVJK3A_GZovvICpc0XjIGOzeM-kHhyhmA",{"id":248,"title":34,"author":249,"body":251,"category":239,"date":755,"description":259,"extension":242,"image":243,"meta":756,"minRead":233,"navigation":161,"path":35,"seo":757,"stem":36,"__hash__":758},"blog\u002Fblog\u002F506-the-long-road-to-just-text.md",{"name":197,"avatar":250},{"src":199,"alt":197},{"type":201,"value":252,"toc":744},[253,257,260,267,282,286,289,292,308,311,314,317,326,336,339,345,348,356,360,363,366,369,380,383,398,401,404,408,411,414,419,422,436,439,442,447,450,463,466,470,473,476,479,482,485,499,502,505,516,528,532,535,538,545,548,565,568,579,582,586,589,594,608,611,618,621,624,630,634,637,643,650,653,667,670,684,687,692,696,699,719,722,725,728,731,734,737,742],[204,254,256],{"id":255},"the-long-road-to-just-text","The Long Road to “Just Text”",[209,258,259],{},"For many years now I’ve kept digital notes.",[209,261,262,263,266],{},"And for most of those years, I’ve had the same quiet frustration:",[264,265],"br",{},"\nthere must be a better way to manage all of this.",[209,268,269,270,272,273,277,278,281],{},"Not more features. Not more AI.",[264,271],{},"\nJust something ",[274,275,276],"em",{},"more flexible",". More ",[274,279,280],{},"mine",".",[204,283,285],{"id":284},"the-illusion-of-the-tool","The Illusion of the Tool",[209,287,288],{},"Around 2010, I started using Evernote.",[209,290,291],{},"At the time, it felt like magic.",[293,294,295,299,302,305],"ul",{},[296,297,298],"li",{},"Desktop and web apps",[296,300,301],{},"Seamless syncing",[296,303,304],{},"Notes available everywhere",[296,306,307],{},"Fast, reliable, polished",[209,309,310],{},"I even paid for it.",[209,312,313],{},"And for a while, it genuinely improved how I worked.",[209,315,316],{},"But slowly, something became clear:",[318,319,320],"blockquote",{},[209,321,322,323,325],{},"The value wasn’t in the software.",[264,324],{},"\nThe value was in my notes.",[209,327,328,329,332,333,335],{},"Evernote didn’t ",[274,330,331],{},"create"," anything for me.",[264,334],{},"\nIt just made my own thoughts more accessible.",[209,337,338],{},"And once I saw that, it was hard to unsee.",[209,340,341,342,344],{},"Because if that’s true…",[264,343],{},"\nthen what am I really paying for?",[209,346,347],{},"At some point, a simple idea took hold:",[318,349,350],{},[209,351,352,353,355],{},"I could probably get most of this from a folder of text files",[264,354],{},"\nand a decent editor.",[204,357,359],{"id":358},"back-to-simplicity","Back to Simplicity",[209,361,362],{},"That realization pulled me in a different direction.",[209,364,365],{},"I started spending more time in the terminal.",[209,367,368],{},"There’s something grounding about the CLI:",[293,370,371,374,377],{},[296,372,373],{},"no distractions",[296,375,376],{},"no hidden layers",[296,378,379],{},"no ambiguity",[209,381,382],{},"You always know where you are.",[209,384,385,386,388,389,393,394,397],{},"I explored Linux more deeply.",[264,387],{},"\nI used tools like ",[390,391,392],"code",{},"vim",", ",[390,395,396],{},"nano",", and other terminal editors.",[209,399,400],{},"It felt… honest.",[209,402,403],{},"But still, something was missing.",[204,405,407],{"id":406},"the-emacs-moment","The Emacs Moment",[209,409,410],{},"Then I discovered Emacs.",[209,412,413],{},"And for a while, I thought:",[318,415,416],{},[209,417,418],{},"This is it. This is the answer.",[209,420,421],{},"The power was unbelievable.",[293,423,424,427,430,433],{},[296,425,426],{},"Fully programmable",[296,428,429],{},"Deeply customizable",[296,431,432],{},"Keyboard-driven everything",[296,434,435],{},"Org-mode for tasks, notes, calendars, planning",[209,437,438],{},"No mouse. No friction. Total control.",[209,440,441],{},"And the most surprising part?",[318,443,444],{},[209,445,446],{},"This problem had already been solved… in the 1980s.",[209,448,449],{},"I spent weeks configuring it.",[209,451,452,453,455,456,458,459,462],{},"Tweaking keybindings.",[264,454],{},"\nLearning bits of Lisp.",[264,457],{},"\nBuilding what felt like a ",[274,460,461],{},"personal operating system"," for my life.",[209,464,465],{},"It was incredible.",[204,467,469],{"id":468},"the-reality-check","The Reality Check",[209,471,472],{},"But then reality set in.",[209,474,475],{},"I still love Emacs.",[209,477,478],{},"But…",[209,480,481],{},"It’s just too complicated.",[209,483,484],{},"Every time I come back to it, there’s a ramp-up cost:",[293,486,487,490,493,496],{},[296,488,489],{},"forgotten keybindings",[296,491,492],{},"obscure commands",[296,494,495],{},"config drift",[296,497,498],{},"“how did I set this up again?”",[209,500,501],{},"It’s powerful—but fragile.",[209,503,504],{},"And beyond that:",[293,506,507,510,513],{},[296,508,509],{},"It’s not designed for multiple devices",[296,511,512],{},"It’s not built for mobile",[296,514,515],{},"Syncing feels bolted on, not native",[209,517,518,519,522,524,525,281],{},"It started to feel less like a tool I could ",[274,520,521],{},"live in",[264,523],{},"\nand more like a system I had to constantly ",[274,526,527],{},"maintain",[204,529,531],{"id":530},"the-missing-piece","The Missing Piece",[209,533,534],{},"That’s when the real gap became obvious.",[209,536,537],{},"There wasn’t a single tool missing.",[209,539,540,541,544],{},"There was an entire ",[274,542,543],{},"ecosystem"," missing.",[209,546,547],{},"What I actually wanted was something like this:",[293,549,550,553,556,559,562],{},[296,551,552],{},"Seamless sync across devices",[296,554,555],{},"Works offline and online",[296,557,558],{},"Multiple storage options (local, cloud, decentralized)",[296,560,561],{},"Multiple interfaces (CLI, desktop, mobile, web)",[296,563,564],{},"Modular, extensible, adaptable",[209,566,567],{},"But most importantly:",[318,569,570],{},[209,571,572,573,575,576,578],{},"No proprietary formats",[264,574],{},"\nNo vendor lock-in",[264,577],{},"\nNo hidden constraints",[209,580,581],{},"Just text.",[204,583,585],{"id":584},"everything-is-text","Everything is Text",[209,587,588],{},"At the core of it all is a very simple idea:",[318,590,591],{},[209,592,593],{},"Everything is just text.",[293,595,596,599,602,605],{},[296,597,598],{},"Your notes → text",[296,600,601],{},"Your tasks → text",[296,603,604],{},"Your configuration → text",[296,606,607],{},"Your system → text",[209,609,610],{},"The system doesn’t need to “understand” your data in a proprietary way.",[209,612,613,614,281],{},"It just needs to ",[615,616,617],"strong",{},"orchestrate it",[209,619,620],{},"That’s the shift.",[209,622,623],{},"Not from one app to another…",[209,625,626,627],{},"…but from ",[615,628,629],{},"apps → systems",[204,631,633],{"id":632},"enter-textroots","Enter TextRoots",[209,635,636],{},"TextRoots comes from that exact realization.",[209,638,639,640,642],{},"Not as “another editor”",[264,641],{},"\n—but as something closer to a:",[318,644,645],{},[209,646,647],{},[615,648,649],{},"Personal Content Operating System",[209,651,652],{},"A system where:",[293,654,655,658,661,664],{},[296,656,657],{},"content is modular",[296,659,660],{},"storage is interchangeable",[296,662,663],{},"interfaces are flexible",[296,665,666],{},"and everything flows through simple text",[209,668,669],{},"Where you can:",[293,671,672,675,678,681],{},[296,673,674],{},"edit locally",[296,676,677],{},"sync globally",[296,679,680],{},"switch interfaces",[296,682,683],{},"compose your own workflows",[209,685,686],{},"And most importantly:",[318,688,689],{},[209,690,691],{},"You own your data. Completely.",[204,693,695],{"id":694},"closing-thought","Closing Thought",[209,697,698],{},"Looking back, the journey makes sense:",[293,700,701,707,713],{},[296,702,703,704],{},"Evernote showed the ",[274,705,706],{},"convenience",[296,708,709,710],{},"The CLI showed the ",[274,711,712],{},"simplicity",[296,714,715,716],{},"Emacs showed the ",[274,717,718],{},"power",[209,720,721],{},"But none of them combined all three.",[209,723,724],{},"That’s the gap TextRoots is trying to fill.",[209,726,727],{},"Not by replacing everything…",[209,729,730],{},"…but by sitting underneath it all.",[209,732,733],{},"Quietly.",[209,735,736],{},"As the system that lets you finally feel like:",[318,738,739],{},[209,740,741],{},"your thoughts are truly yours again.",[213,743],{},{"title":232,"searchDepth":233,"depth":233,"links":745},[746,747,748,749,750,751,752,753,754],{"id":255,"depth":236,"text":256},{"id":284,"depth":236,"text":285},{"id":358,"depth":236,"text":359},{"id":406,"depth":236,"text":407},{"id":468,"depth":236,"text":469},{"id":530,"depth":236,"text":531},{"id":584,"depth":236,"text":585},{"id":632,"depth":236,"text":633},{"id":694,"depth":236,"text":695},"2026-04-23",{},{"title":34,"description":259},"Pyozj4D9DKpa0aI4NqI2Yvo_dOn1ks6AGA2mSQ14RVw",{"id":760,"title":10,"author":761,"body":763,"category":869,"date":870,"description":871,"extension":242,"image":872,"meta":873,"minRead":874,"navigation":161,"path":11,"seo":875,"stem":12,"__hash__":876},"blog\u002Fblog\u002F001-corporate-memories-from-2007.md",{"name":197,"avatar":762},{"src":199,"alt":197},{"type":201,"value":764,"toc":861},[765,768,771,776,781,784,790,794,797,802,805,810,814,817,823,828,832,835,842,846,849,855],[209,766,767],{},"I've many fond memories of my early career in the corporate world but it also provided a dose of realism regarding unchecked capatalism that led to my ethos in later life.  I was indeed given fantasic opportunities to travel and to meet talented colleagues in diverse parts of the world and I'm greatful for those chapters.",[209,769,770],{},"In this article, I walk through some of my career and what was happening on the global stage at the time.  This story, I believe, shaped who I am and what I stand for now, as a software engineer and developer, with a hope that technology can be used to impact lives in positive ways.",[318,772,773],{},[209,774,775],{},"\"One of my bosses once called me a Cororate Backpacker, I've always taken it as a compliment but I'm not sure if it was meant as one at the time\"",[777,778,780],"h2",{"id":779},"abn-amro-london-and-amsterdam","ABN Amro, London and Amsterdam",[209,782,783],{},"I worked at ABN AMRO from 2003 to 2007 and I wrote software that helped the bank produce Management Information \u002F Analytics at all levels.  It was a period defined by the abundant liquidity and supreme confidence of the pre-crisis era. I took the photo below of the ABN Amsterdam office in Amsterdam South just before I left in 2007. By that time, the first cracks were already forming in the machinery of modern finance, though the prevailing optimism had not yet broken. It is a striking irony that a bank which had thrived so thoroughly during the credit boom became part of a transaction that amplified exposure just as the cycle turned: the massive consortium takeover where Fortis, RBS, and Santander each took pieces of ABN AMRO, a deal that would soon be remembered as one of the most ill-timed in banking history.",[209,785,786],{},[787,788],"img",{"alt":789,"src":137,"title":789},"ABN Amro, Amsterdam in 2007",[204,791,793],{"id":792},"hsbc-hong-kong","HSBC, Hong Kong",[209,795,796],{},"I joined HSBC in Hong Kong writing software to help measure capital adequacy and report this to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), at a time when the city was riding a powerful wave of growth and reintegration with mainland China. The post-SARS rebound had given way to renewed confidence, capital was flowing freely, and Hong Kong’s role as a gateway to China was becoming more entrenched by the year. Beneath that momentum, though, regulators were steadily sharpening their focus, aligning with Basel frameworks and paying closer attention to the resilience of banks in an increasingly interconnected system — a quiet acknowledgement that the calm conditions of the mid-2000s might not last forever.",[209,798,799],{},[787,800],{"alt":801,"src":155,"title":801},"Simon, with HSBC, Hong Kong in 2007",[209,803,804],{},"The skyline looked very different in 2007, far less cramped than it is today. Although from this photo you can see the International Finance Centre (IFC2), which stood as the undisputed tallest building in the city at that time. It wouldn't be eclipsed until 2010, when the International Commerce Centre (ICC) was completed across the water in West Kowloon. Standing at 484 metres, the ICC finally shifted the skyline’s center of gravity, but in 2007, the view was still dominated by the sheer verticality of the IFC2—a perfect glass-and-steel symbol of the pre-crisis peak.",[209,806,807],{},[787,808],{"alt":809,"src":134,"title":809},"Hong Kong, Admiralty in 2007",[204,811,813],{"id":812},"aon-asia-hong-kong","Aon Asia, Hong Kong",[209,815,816],{},"The Global Financial Crisis had reshaped the entire financial services landscape by the time I joined Aon in 2010. Insurance — long seen as the quieter, more conservative cousin of banking — had been thrust into the spotlight. AIG's near-collapse had made clear that the industry was far more entangled with systemic risk than anyone had comfortably admitted. It was against this backdrop that I arrived at Aon, then the world's largest insurance brokerage, tasked once again with improving reporting and analytics. The brief was familiar: make sense of the data, build the tools, surface the insights. I set to work writing the software.",[209,818,819],{},[787,820],{"alt":821,"src":822,"title":821},"Simon, with Aon Asia in Hong Kong 2012","\u002Fimages\u002Fsimon-Aon-China-2012.jpg",[209,824,825],{},[787,826],{"alt":821,"src":827,"title":821},"\u002Fimages\u002Fsimon-Aon-China-2012-(2).jpg",[204,829,831],{"id":830},"aon-global-risk-insights-asia-pacific-syndney-australia","Aon Global Risk Insights, Asia Pacific, Syndney Australia",[209,833,834],{},"In 2013, Aon gave me the opportunity to work with their Australian Global Risk Insights team in Sydney. It felt like a pivot in every sense: a new city, a different rhythm, and a front-row seat to how “risk” looks when you zoom out beyond one balance sheet or one market. I built databases and delivered a heavy lift of reporting and analytics for Aon’s strategic insurance partners at the time—turning messy, fragmented information into something you could actually use in conversations about exposure, resilience, and where the next shock might come from. And 2013 had no shortage of reminders, from major floods and severe storms to the growing realisation that business interruption and supply chains were becoming board-level risks, not operational footnotes.",[209,836,837],{},[787,838],{"alt":839,"src":840,"title":841},"My Desk, with Aon Australia 2013","\u002Fimages\u002Fmy-desk-aon-syndney.jpg","My Desk, with Aon Australia in 2013",[204,843,845],{"id":844},"aon-inpoint-asia-pacific-hong-kong-syndney-and-singapore","Aon Inpoint, Asia Pacific, Hong Kong, Syndney and Singapore",[209,847,848],{},"I had missed Hong Kong while I was in Australia—the density, the pace, the sense that everything important seemed to pass through the city at some point. In 2014, Aon gave me the chance to return in a consultancy role within Aon Inpoint, based back in Hong Kong but travelling frequently to Sydney and Singapore. It was a period of quiet geographic shift in the insurance world, with more activity and decision-making gradually moving toward Singapore, drawn by its regulatory clarity and growing status as a regional hub. My work followed that flow: airports, hotel lobbies, and client offices becoming a kind of extended workplace, the same conversations about risk and analytics playing out across different cities and contexts. There were moments of contrast too—flying in from Hong Kong’s vertical intensity to Singapore’s more ordered calm, and staying in places like the Fullerton, where the pace slowed just enough to take stock before the next meeting or the next flight.",[209,850,851],{},[787,852],{"alt":853,"src":854,"title":853},"Singapore, with Aon Inpoint 2014","\u002Fimages\u002Fsingapore-with-aon-01.jpg",[209,856,857],{},[787,858],{"alt":859,"src":860,"title":859},"Living in Hong Kong, 2014","\u002Fimages\u002Fliving-in-hk-2014.jpg",{"title":232,"searchDepth":233,"depth":233,"links":862},[863],{"id":779,"depth":233,"text":780,"children":864},[865,866,867,868],{"id":792,"depth":236,"text":793},{"id":812,"depth":236,"text":813},{"id":830,"depth":236,"text":831},{"id":844,"depth":236,"text":845},"sdc","2026-04-20","After finding a stash of old photos I was inspired to reminisce on the nostagia of corporate life at the turn of the century.","\u002Fimages\u002Fhk-skyline-in-2007.jpg",{},4,{"title":10,"description":871},"a4COcuwp3frCoMLglCkaY8iBWBbILsI4zGcKXflmJsQ",1783786189726]