Seven people who like shipping things

Patchwork started in 2017 when two developers got tired of handing over finished software nobody had tried yet. We’re still small on purpose, and still in Holbeck, a ten-minute walk from Leeds station.

How we got here

Tom and Priya met on a project for a regional bus operator that ran fourteen months late. The software was fine; the problem was that nobody outside the project team saw it until week fifty-eight. When they set up Patchwork, the first rule was that clients would get something working every single week.

The first office was a desk in a shared workshop above a bike repair shop. The first client was a podiatrist who needed online booking. Nine years later we have a proper studio, seven people, and that podiatrist is still a client.

We’ve chosen not to grow into an agency. Every person here writes code or designs interfaces for clients; nobody’s job is to sell. That keeps us to about six projects a year, which is the number we can do properly.

In numbers

2017
year we released our first Friday build
64
projects shipped to production
4.6 yrs
average length of a client relationship
431
Friday release notes sent so far

The team

These are the people you’ll speak to on your first call, and the same people who’ll build your product.

Tom Haverley

Co-founder, engineering lead

Wrote payment systems for a building society for eight years before deciding he wanted to meet the people using his software. Still reviews every pull request that touches money.

Since 2017

Priya Raman

Co-founder, product and design

Trained as an architect, switched to interfaces in 2012. Runs discovery on most projects and is the reason we sit at reception desks and in delivery vans.

Since 2017

Callum Breck

Senior engineer, mobile

Has shipped apps to both stores since the days of hand-signed certificates. Keeps a drawer of cheap Android phones for testing and knows each one by its quirks.

Since 2018

Ingrid Solberg

Senior engineer, backend

Moved from Bergen to Leeds for a PhD in databases and stayed for the curry. Ingrid leads our data migrations and has never lost a row in one.

Since 2019

Marcus Ade

Engineer, front end

Joined as our first apprentice and now leads our accessibility work. Tests everything with a screen reader before he’ll call it done.

Since 2020

Hana Kowalczyk

Product designer

Previously designed ticket machines for a rail operator, so she has strong opinions about buttons people press in the rain. Runs our user testing sessions.

Since 2022

Ruth Ellery

Studio manager

Keeps the projects, invoices and Friday notes on schedule. If you’re a client, Ruth is the person who knows when your next release is and what’s in it.

Since 2021

What our week looks like

  1. MondayPlanning

    Each project team agrees the week’s goal with the client in a 30-minute call. One goal, written down, visible to everyone.

  2. Tuesday to ThursdayMaking

    Building and testing. Wednesday afternoons are meeting-free across the studio, and we mean it.

  3. FridayRelease

    Every project ships to its client by 15:00, followed by the release note. Then we stop, and on the last Friday of the month we have lunch together.

Want to work here?

We’re hiring for three roles this autumn, including our first part-time delivery lead.

See open roles