Since before I can remember I have had an connection with technology and loved problem solving. While growing up, with my father, a mechanical and electronic engineer by trade, would encourage me to fix my toys as and when they broke rather than simply purchase a new one. Although often my father and I knew we were unlikely to be able to fix the toy, we or I would still dis-assemble the toy to gain an understand how it worked, how it ultimately broke and finally discuss how it could be designed better so it would last longer.
This process has instilled a passion to understand how things work and how they could be improved. I apply this engineering and innovative approach to all aspects of my life.
I studied Mechanical Engineering at both College and University, with a strong personal interest in computing. After university I started my own business www.finitesolutions.co.uk, along with two of my friends (Oliver Lisles & Simon Mathieson), designing and installing home cinema & automation systems within clients homes. I came up with name “Finite Solutions” having studied the Mechanical Engineering degree module “finite element analysis”, of which is a process of computational analysis where all know specifications of a material are used, to provide the optimal mechanical design. So my thinking was that once we knew all the requirements of a client, such as number of rooms, number of users, technical know how, appreciation of quality, aesthetically desires, times scales, budget, etc. we could design and create the optimised perfect solution, the “finite solution”. Finite Solutions has continued thrive to win awards for our level of expertise and extensive project portfolio.
After about 3/4 years of building Finite Solutions from “3 lads in a van” to one of the most well respected custom installers in the UK, I decided I wanted to broaden my horizons and pursue my interest in web development. Then, being foot loose and fancy free, I relocated to Hyderabad, India, as this was the up and coming location for software development. Prior to flying out to Hyderabad I had been liaising with a Ruby on Rails developer “Dilip”, who upon my arrival boldly took a leap of faith and quit his job to assist me in creating my new company BarkEng Mad Ltd. Over the course of 2 years I took the business from 2 (Dilip & I) to a 12 strong team of part and full time web designers, developers & SEO analysts.
During 2009, the UK credit crunch was well underway and the work was drying up. Although we were able to take on the required work to maintain stability, our clients wouldn’t allocate the budgets to enable us to be technically creative and push the boundaries, like they had done prior to “The Credit Crunch”. This provided me with the opportunity to take a good look at what I was doing and exactly why we were working so hard to do it.
Over the course of a year I made the strategic decision to downsize my web develop company to the core and utilise the contacts I had created while in Hyderabad, to giving me the flexibility to take on the work, because we wanted to, not because we had to. Now having a little more time to think and do what I enjoyed, I realised I missed the hands on side of custom installation and was once again engaging in music reproduction & high end hi fi.
In September of 2010 I rejoined the Finite Solutions team for a few days a week, to satisfy that hands on need, get back into the industry and provide me a great balance between web development, SEO and custom installation.
I created and maintain this Blog to allow me to honestly share my expertise, thoughts, questions, opinions, ideas & skills with all that wish to read them.
This blog is apart of the learning curve of life and will have content that you may agree or disagree with, of which I encourage and welcome your feedback & discussion, so we can perhaps learn something new. Every day is (or atleast should be) a school day…
Enjoy, engage & share.
Morgan Barke.