PechaKucha

My name’s Jack, an Aquarius born in the Year of the Rabbit. I share the same middle name as my Dad, though when I asked where it came from, he said he hadn’t a clue. This picture was taken on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, but everyone knows Glasgow’s the better city.

I spent the first twenty-five years of my life in Greenock, a small coastal town in Scotland’s central-west (55.950N, 4.765W). When it’s not raining, which is rare, the seaside views are genuinely beautiful.

A photo of my mum and dad, you know, the guy with my middle name. Plenty of highs and lows but constant unwavering support throughout. Pretty much everything that follows can be traced back to these two. Thank you x

Weimaraners are part of the family. We’ve had five in total, plus a litter of pups. There was only a twelve-week period in my entire life where one wasn't present in the house. Fun fact: they love a good party.

Il Divin Codino. Roberto Baggio was my childhood hero, part footballing god, part Jedi Knight with his ponytail. He made me fall in love with football. He also missed the decisive penalty in the 1994 World Cup. I cried that evening and I'm not sure I’ve stopped.

As a kid, I thought computers were only good for one thing... video games. This one, Championship Manager 01/02, became an obsession. I’ve probably spent more hours managing Chelsea here than doing anything else in real life.

Friday nights meant Robot Wars on BBC Two. To this day, I still think about Razer more than a grown adult probably should. It’s permanently welded into my brain. It's thirty years old and still looks like an alien piece of technology.

My favourite film. Fun fact: you don’t actually see the shark until minute eighty-one, yet its presence is felt the whole time. When it finally appears, that synonymous two note sequence created by John Williams is nowhere to be heard.

20 March 2002. Fifteen-year-old me went to my first big concert: Travis at Glasgow’s SECC. Doves supported and became one of my favourite bands. I even gelled my hair into a Fran Healy-style mohawk for the occasion. Regrets? None.

Outwith my parents, two people have helped shape my life and career more than anyone. This is my Aunty Betty. She left Scotland in the ’60s for America, giving me the chance to visit in the summers and glimpse a world far bigger than my own. Thanks, Aunty B.

School wasn’t really my thing. I was one of the youngest in my year, not exactly book smart, and taking classes that never clicked. We didn’t even have a computer department! Then came dial-up internet, Napster, and MySpace. The latter introducing me to CSS... suddenly things were starting to click.

By sheer stubbornness, I scraped through school, college and finally on to university with a Multimedia Technology degree. The grade wasn’t headline-worthy, although my parents would say otherwise, but it'd be the key piece that could unlock my American Dream.

This company shaped my early career and lit the spark that’s never really gone out. They gave me my first real shot, and their ethos still guides how I work today. If I ever build my own company it'll likely be something like theirs. Once a Hobo, always a Hobo.

After a few stops along the way, 2012 marked my next big leap — joining Foursquare, an internet darling at the time riding the wave of location tech. I was brought in to help shape their web experience used by millions. No pressure.

That new job unlocked the big move. I landed in New York on April Fools’ Day 2014... fitting, really. From the plane window you could see both neighbourhoods I’ve called home since arriving.

I came for the job but I stayed for the pizza. So much to eat, so little time. Rubirosa, Lucali, Roberta’s, Joe’s, Di Fara, L&B Spumoni Gardens, John’s, Bleeker, Prince, Lombardi’s… it’s basically a to-do list that never ends.

Speaking of undying love, I’m rarely without a cup of tea. English Breakfast, splash of milk, no sugar — firmly on the brown end of the colour chart. Five cups a day, minimum. Don’t judge.

My kryptonite: overpaying on vinyl records from my youth. Moving apartments is now a full-body workout, which is why I've only moved twice. Those little plastic circles get dangerously heavy once you’ve collected more than a handful.

I’ve been going to Chelsea games since I was ten. Back home, Dad and I went whenever we could; now we’re lucky if it’s once a season. This shot’s from Munich, the night Chelsea won their first Champions League in 2012. If you know, you know.

Speaking of my Dad, if you ask him what I do, he’ll still say I ‘make wee websites.’ I’ve long since stopped correcting him. Deep down, part of me wishes I was still that kid just starting out again.