Christopher James Austin

Chris Austin is a software developer with nearly 40 years of experience, from the early days of home computers to building systems for some of the world's largest financial institutions.

He has spent much of his career working on business software, particularly in financial services, where he has seen how apparently simple requirements can become surprisingly complicated systems. His interests include software design, relational databases, transactions, and how small teams can build and maintain useful software without unnecessary complexity.

Chris writes at Business Software Is Hard, exploring the gap between what we know about good software design and what we actually do in practice. His writing draws on decades of experience, the work of earlier generations of software thinkers, and a conviction that many of the problems we face today have simpler solutions than we are often led to believe.

He lives in South East London with his wife and three children.