Daniel Richardson
Product engineer and fractional CTO. I build products from the first prototype, then shape them into systems that scale and a team can own.
/* By the numbers */
- 200k+
users on Addie, taken from concept to scale as co-founder and CTO
- £3M+
raised by the companies I have been CTO for
- 2020
co-founder and CTO of Gohesive since
- 6
products built or led, from first commit to production
- £45k
UK Fintech Challenge award won by Doqit
/* Featured Work */
-
Gohesive
Software and outreach systems for startups and growth-stage companies.
-
Doqit
Keeps important documents in one place and reminds you before they expire.
-
MindClass
A workplace mental health platform with courses and counsellor matching.
-
Addie
A productivity app for people with ADHD, built with clinicians, taken to 200,000+ users.
-
Jetpack
VC matchmaking for startup founders, from investor database to email outreach.
-
Toad Tutor
Custom Magic: The Gathering cards, decks and a table life counter.
/* Services */
Four ways to work together, from a first build to a platform that scales. Each one starts with a free intro call.
- 01Ongoing Fractional CTO I act as your CTO part-time, owning architecture, delivery and the technical roadmap alongside your team. Good fit if You have a product to build, or an MVP that needs to become a production system, and you are not ready to hire a full-time CTO. What you get A technical strategy tied to your commercial goalsHands-on architecture and deliveryHiring, mentoring and agile delivery for your engineersOne person accountable for getting releases out Book a free intro call
- 02Embedded Forward-deployed engineering I join your team hands-on to build and ship a specific feature, integration or AI capability inside your product. Good fit if You know what needs building and want a senior engineer to own it end to end, without a long hiring process. What you get Working code shipped in your codebase and environmentArchitecture and delivery handled end to endDocumentation and a handover your team can run with Book a free intro call
- 03One-off Technical audit A review of your codebase, architecture, security and technical roadmap, with risks ranked and a plan your team can act on. Good fit if You are preparing to raise, taking over a build from an agency, or unsure the current system will hold up as you grow. What you get A review of your code, architecture and infrastructureSecurity risks found and rankedA prioritised plan your team can act on Book a free intro call
- 04As needed Advisory calls Calls on a specific technical decision, booked when you need them. A direct answer before you commit budget. Good fit if You are weighing build or buy, a stack choice, a technical hire or a vendor proposal. What you get A direct answer before you commit budgetExperience from launches across SaaS, fintech, healthtech and productivity Book a free intro call
/* About */
I make products, from the first prototype to a system that scales.
I co-founded Gohesive in 2020 and have been its CTO since. Alongside it I work with founders as a fractional CTO, and I have led the technology at Doqit, Jetpack and MindClass. As co-founder and CTO of Addie, I took it from concept to 200,000+ users and a filed patent.
I care about the product as much as the code: what people need, what ships first, and what has to hold up later. Before startups I worked in research labs, building tracking software for neuroscience and VR teaching tools, after a degree in computer engineering and games at the University of Glasgow. I live in Tokyo and work with teams in London and across the UK.
/* My toolkit */
- Figma
- React
- TypeScript
- Node.js
- Python
- PostgreSQL
- Supabase
- AWS
- Azure
- Cloudflare
- GitHub
- Claude
Click anywhere once to hear the dock.
/* Records */
Recognition
- 2025Entrepreneurship World Cup, top 250Doqit, Global Entrepreneurship Network
- 2025UK StartUp Awards, South East shortlistDoqit
- 2024UK Fintech Challenge winner, £45,000 awardDoqit, Smart Data Foundry and FinTech Scotland
- 2016UWS Court Medal, most distinguished studentUniversity of the West of Scotland
- 2016Digital Futures: honourable mention, best project and keynote speaker
- 2015UWS Game Jam, first place
Writing and research
- 2023UK patent application GB2306330.8A computer-implemented AI integrated method of scheduling one or more tasks. Filed 28 April 2023.
- 2023Contribution to a Molecular Psychiatry paperAbraham lab, IISER Pune, where I built the testing apparatus and tracking tools. Molecular Psychiatry 28(11).
- 2020Textbooks for Education AIComputational Thinking, Mini Coders, Python Fundamentals, GCSE Computer Science, Web Design Fundamentals. Published 2020 to 2022. ISBN 978-1-8383308-5-9.
- 2020Tracking software contribution to a Journal of Anatomy publicationUniversity of Glasgow
Education
- 2016BSc (Hons) Computer Engineering and Games TechnologyUniversity of Glasgow
- 2019TEFL Master CertificationTEFL Academy
- NowJapanese, JLPT N4Basic level
/* Outside of work */
Home base
Tokyo
Living in Japan and learning the language (JLPT N4).
JST
Tokyo weather
At the table
Magic: The Gathering
My favourite commander, and the reason Toad Tutor exists. Tap to flip.
Toad Tutor case
On the bench
Hardware tinkering
Electronics, modding and building things.