Hi! I’m Clinton and I like to take things apart. From early childhood, my happiness didn’t come from unwrapping the new toy but from revealing its hidden secrets with a screwdriver. The desire to understand how things work at a deep level has animated me through a 20-year career in software building, engineering leadership, consulting, and technology storytelling. I’m thrilled to bring that curiosity to Forrester in my new role as Principal Analyst for Software Development Services And Developer Organizational Change.
Where Have You Been?
I started my career in 2004 as a freelance full-stack web developer in the nonprofit advocacy space, building hundreds of websites and (later) mobile applications for worthy causes. I also learned a great deal about Linux, object-oriented PHP (still the breakfast of champions!), and IE6 CSS hacks along the way. What fascinated me most of all was the complex alchemy of translating human-facing requirements into machine-readable code — still a vexing problem even in the age of agile, DevOps, and LLMs.
After a career break (during which I pursued a PhD in philosophy and discovered a joy for classroom teaching and deconstructing big ideas), I spent several years in engineering management for a small systems integrator building cloud-native applications for public-sector clients. This role gave me invaluable experience with how organizational challenges (like Conway’s Law, yak shaving, and the project management triangle — just to name a few of my favorites!) present themselves at scale, and how emergent complexity causes undesired outcomes to result from even seemingly well-understood systems.
Most recently, I spent six years as Field CTO at Snyk — a leader in the application security space — where I owned strategic vision and thought leadership on the evolving relationship between developer experience, software risk, and AI. I had the privilege of advising executives at Fortune 50 clients and partners on secure modern application development. In the process, I have been a frequent conference speaker on the future of software craft.
What Brought You To Forrester?
The through line in my career has been building compelling narratives about technology and its intersection with people. Stories are what bring us together, and there has never been a more critical time for new concepts to help us understand the rapidly changing landscape.
What Will Be Your Research Area?
In my role at Forrester I’ll be focusing on:
- Modern software services, including systems integrators, consultancies, and custom application development and delivery.
- Long-term software accountability, including technical debt management, application risk mitigation, and assurance-based pricing.
- Reimagining engineering organizational structure and management techniques for the new world of agentic building.
- The future role and career progression of the software developer in a landscape of commoditized code generation.
Who Are You Really, Though?
When not at work, I’m a proud Luddite and prefer surrounding myself with analog technologies like books, vinyl records, film cameras, typewriters, and other vintage finds (that often demand some attention from the aforementioned screwdriver). An avid DIYer, cook, and maker, I still find time to read philosophy and think critically about the impact of tech and AI on human society. I live deep in the woods of the Berkshires in western Massachusetts with my loyal rescue beagle (and retired professional foxhunter) Mr. Burt.
Should We Talk?
Yes! Especially if you are a software engineering leader interested in the evolution of developer experience, the new value proposition of accountability-centered software services, engineering career trajectory, or the shifting risk/responsibility model of modern development teams in the agentic AI world — or if you just want to geek out over information theory or complex systems design! Let’s connect:
