I’m Harry Bailey, a delivery consultant and technical leader based in Manchester. I help software and product teams, and the agencies that build for clients, get delivery back on track.
I’m a systems thinker. When delivery struggles, I look at how the work, the people and the decisions around them connect, rather than at one team or one process on its own. The cause of a problem is rarely where it shows up.
How I got here
Developer
I started building software in 2004. It taught me two things I still rely on: people engage with what’s simple and well made, and a small, well-placed change can remove a huge amount of manual effort. I still look for the small change before the big one.
Agency co-founder
In 2011 I co-founded Manchester software agency Tariff Street, later Human Software. Running it taught me that commercial awareness isn’t optional for strong teams: the best teams understand the cost and value of what they’re building, not just the build. It also showed me something I now see in many businesses. Growth doesn’t expose bad delivery so much as delivery that was only ever good because one or two people held it together by instinct.
Product and technology lead
For twelve years I led product and technology for The Changing Education Group, as a simple tool grew into a platform used by tens of thousands of students. Growth is when security and stability are most at risk, and when they matter most. The foundations have to be in place before you need them, which is why the platform ran at 99.99%+ uptime as it grew.
Coach
Since 2018 I’ve coached teams and leaders across agencies, SaaS companies and larger organisations. Every situation is different, because the people are different. And yet some approaches work almost everywhere. Knowing which is which is most of the job.
How I work
- Look at the whole system. Teams and the leaders who shape their work, together. Habits rarely change unless the decisions around them do.
- Small changes, tested quickly. Most improvement comes from a few changes made early. The rest takes longer and depends on buy-in.
- Leave you less dependent. The aim is a way of working that keeps going without me.
- Be straight with you. If I’m not the right next step for your team, I’ll say so.
Career at a glance
- Independent delivery consultant and technical leader · 2018–present
- North East Museums · Digital strategy and technical lead · 2019–present
- PagePlay Ltd · Founder and director · 2019–present
- Ada, the National College for Digital Skills · Lecturer · 2026–present
- Noisy Cricket · Non-executive director of product · 2019–2025
- Cognitran · Delivery consultant · 2022–2023
- The Changing Education Group · Product and technology lead · 2011–2023
- Human Software · Co-founder and director of product and delivery · 2016–2018
- Tariff Street · Co-founder and technical director · 2011–2016
- Modlia · Technology director · 2007–2016
- Freelance web developer · 2006–2011
- Via Studios · Developer · 2004–2006
Teaching and community
- Teaching: I lecture at Ada, the National College for Digital Skills, on UX design, accessibility, and entrepreneurship and innovation. Before that, I taught web design at The Manchester College.
- Noisy Cricket: six years as non-executive director of product at a Greater Manchester social enterprise that brings marginalised communities together with organisations to tackle social issues.
- Tech for Good Live: part of the podcast team since 2018.
- Writing and talks: I write for Manchester Digital, and give talks including “Agile doesn’t work here: lessons from project-led teams” and “Failure mapping: how slow starts foster better ends”.
I’m often found running or cycling, or out for the day with my family and our black Labrador.
Credentials
Get in touch
If something here sounds like your team, get in touch or find me on LinkedIn.