Hello! My Name is Nick Watson, originally from Stevenage and at the age of 3 moved down to Torquay where I have lived the rest of my life. I work in the wonderful, socially active Exeter in Devon for a company called Optix Solutions as Head of Development. Here, I have helped turn companies from turning over a few hundred pounds to hundreds of thousands, and even millions through their e-commerce websites.
My primary role here at Optix involves coding in PHP and MySQL, but I aim to become more involved with the consulting processes of e-commerce as I have demonstrated excellence in this area, including the usability, marketing, experience and PCI compliancy. I hope this reflects well through my blog :)
A bit about my history – at the age of 15, I worked as a computer engineer and web developer for a small computer solutions company in Torquay, after I was head-hunted for being able to fix problems on friend’s computers that they could not solve. I had also established my own fan site for a popular computer game, Day of Defeat – which attracted around 80,000 unique visitors every day. In my spare time, as well as surfing, I created levels for the game too – some of my content was even included as part of the game.
By the age of 17 I was working at several night clubs and bars in Torquay as a DJ and Light Jockey. The main reason for this was to help fund becoming self-employed. I successfully started up as a computer engineer, freelancing repairs across the south west. I did this for one year before I decided more stable hours and a consistent income was more favourable.
I joined Optix Solutions in June 2006 and have worked here ever since. My objective in life was to become self employed, but at Optix I am given the flexibility and creative space to develop my own goals without pressure from the management, which enables me to use my skills to their full potential. I love doing what I do and I love E-commerce!