Colin O'Brien – Independent Technology Consultant in Brussels, Belgium
Help for European businesses and organisations with their software transitions. Usually by moving to platforms they control or can leave easily.
Hello, I’m Colin.
Like me, you've probably noticed that the dominant software platforms are easy to enter and hard to leave. That's by design.
Economists call this lock-in.
I believe lock-in should be treated as a strategic risk, not just an inconvenience. A choice you can’t get out of isn’t really a choice.
I believe your data is yours. It should always be available to you in a format you can use, and stored under laws you have a say in.
I believe the software we depend on is typically better when there’s a community behind it rather than just shareholders.
I believe in local over distant, open over closed, and boring over exciting. Not as dogma, but as direction.
I believe the cost of escape is fixed at signature and discovered on exit, when you have the least leverage and the most to lose.
And I believe that autonomy (some call it digital sovereignty) comes from decisions made early, while they're still cheap, and from taking the boring parts seriously.
That's what I care about, and that's what I do. I work with European organisations at the point when they're choosing or changing their software platforms. And before I recommend anything, I use the software, test the support, and try the exits.
Read my mind
I send out a short daily email with my thoughts on making better software decisions, ethics in tech, digital autonomy, and related subjects. It’s the quickest way to get to know how I think.
Yes, it really is daily and, yes, people stick around. No pressure, though.My latest email: No exit
If you're facing a decision right now, book a 30 minute discovery call, tell me what you're dealing with, and I'll tell you honestly if I can help or not.
If you prefer email, contact me with your questions. I usually respond within a day.
And if you're still getting your bearings, start with what I do, maybe how I do it, or even how I got here.
Wondering where you stand digital-autonomy-wise? I built a scanner that sweeps your website and gives you a score based on how European your online presence is. Give it a try.