This is how the work is structured
Fix the API issues dragging your SaaS team down.
Start with a diagnostic, move into the highest-leverage fixes, or keep me close as an advisor while the team stabilises delivery.
The API Stability Framework
Diagnose. Stabilise. Scale.
I do not sell vague consulting. I help teams understand what is actually failing, fix the highest-impact issues, and leave with patterns they can keep using.
- 15+ years in software, spanning delivery, leadership, and developer education.
- 50K+ developers reached through practical content, workshops, and community work.
- 30+ talks delivered on APIs, architecture, and engineering effectiveness.
Clear offers
Three offers. No bloated menu. No guessing what happens next.
The right engagement depends on whether you need diagnosis, hands-on execution, or ongoing technical decision support.
Deep dive and action plan
API Audit
A focused diagnostic engagement for teams dealing with slow endpoints, confusing API behaviour, or repeated delivery friction.
Teams that know the platform is creating drag but need a precise diagnosis before they commit to change.
What is included
- A structured review of the API surface, instrumentation, reliability risks, and delivery bottlenecks.
- A prioritised action plan explaining what to fix first, what can wait, and where the biggest leverage sits.
- A leadership-ready summary you can use to align engineering effort with business urgency.
Outcome
Clarity. You know what is broken, why it is expensive, and what the next 30 to 60 days should look like.
Hands-on performance and reliability work
Fix & Optimisation
Execution support to remove avoidable instability, improve response times, and make shipping feel less risky.
Teams that do not need more recommendations. They need the right fixes landed and explained.
What is included
- Targeted work on the highest-impact API issues identified during discovery or already known by the team.
- Practical collaboration with engineers to improve contracts, debugging, observability, and delivery confidence.
- Clear documentation of what changed, why it mattered, and how the team can keep the gains.
Outcome
Calmer delivery. Fewer recurring incidents, better technical clarity, and a faster path to dependable releases.
Strategic support for senior teams
Ongoing Advisory
A retained advisory relationship for engineering leaders and senior ICs making difficult API and architecture decisions.
Leads and principals navigating scale, changing team shapes, or recurring uncertainty around API direction.
What is included
- Regular technical reviews, decision support, and external perspective on platform direction.
- Feedback on standards, team habits, reliability priorities, and the engineering trade-offs that keep resurfacing.
- A steady partner who can help sharpen strategy without adding management theatre.
Outcome
Better decisions with less drift. The team moves faster because the important technical calls get clearer.
API Audit
From £2k
For a focused diagnostic, findings, and action plan.
Fix Sprint
From £4k
For hands-on optimisation and reliability work scoped to the highest-impact fixes.
Advisory
Monthly
For ongoing strategic support, technical reviews, and decision-making help.
Process
People buy certainty. The process is intentionally simple.
We start by getting specific about the problem, then reduce risk with a clearer plan, and finally either fix the right things or support the team while it does.
Week 1: Diagnose
We get specific about the symptoms, constraints, and technical hotspots creating the most drag.
Week 2: Prioritise
I turn what we find into a clear order of operations so the team knows what matters most.
Week 3+: Fix or support
Depending on the engagement, I either help land the changes or stay involved as an advisor while the team executes.
What people say
Trust matters more when the work touches architecture, delivery pressure, and team confidence.
Trusted by teams
“Steve is one of the most thorough and thoughtful educators I've seen. He puts in a ton of effort and it clearly shows.”
Aaron Francis
Founder, Try Hard Studios
Trusted by teams
“Steve is the teacher you wish you had in school. He’s informative, entertaining, and passionate about what he does. I’m always excited to see more of Steve’s content!”
Alex Six
Senior Software Engineer, Zillow
Trusted by teams
“To me, there's one word that comes to mind: 'passion'. There are only a handful of people with the same passion for programming as Steve.”
Brent Roose
Developer Advocate, JetBrains
Action
If your API is already slowing the team down, the next step should feel obvious.
Send a little context on the current symptoms, what has already been tried, and what good looks like. I will tell you whether an audit, a fix sprint, or ongoing advisory is the right fit.