This is my first blog post. I don’t know how these will evolve or if anyone will read them. My aim is to get my thoughts down about all things data, share preview features, document personal projects, and track my journey as a founder and entrepreneur. I want to keep these posts short(ish) and avoid going too deep into technical detail. I will also have case studies and technical guides here. I’m not trying to become a content creator who churns out videos or writes LinkedIn posts just for impressions. I’m building a portfolio of thoughts and projects here, and I’ll share them on LinkedIn when it makes sense.
If you’re reading this, thank you and hello. Feel free to explore my website to learn more about me and the services I offer. This post isn’t about my experience or trying to promote myself. It’s about why I’ve decided to become an independent data consultant and what I want to achieve over the next few years.
A couple of years ago, I crossed a busy road in London when there was a clear gap in the traffic, but then stood around for another minute or two waiting for the lights to change so my girlfriend – and the ten other people on the pavement – would cross. A thought came into my head, and I’ve carried it with me ever since.
Don’t Wait for the Green Man.
If you believe a decision is the right one, make it. Don’t wait for permission or approval. This isn’t about being reckless. It’s about weighing up your options, doing your research, and speaking to people you trust. Then, once you’ve thought it through, you act because you know it’s the right move.
Too many people hold back from what they really want to do because they’re afraid of failing or worried about how others will judge them. Don’t Wait for the Green Man means none of that matters. With the information you have, you’re confident this is the best decision for you.
I searched online to see if anyone else uses this phrase. I found a blog about the traits of people who cross the road before the green light. Strangely, those traits resonated with me more than I expected:
- Impulsive Risk-Takers
- High-speed Decision Makers
- Independent Thinkers
- Confident and Self-Assured
- Comfortable with Uncertainty
- Mindful Observers
- Adaptive and Flexible
Within three years of starting my career straight out of university, I was Head of Data Engineering for a national healthcare company (CHEC) with over 700 employees, 30 hospitals and nine-figure annual revenue.
I gained experience quickly, worked on influential projects, and pushed myself to learn and deliver. I owe a lot to my first job at Makutu, where I was given real responsibility and mentorship. I learned how to build technical solutions that actually solve problems, while staying approachable and able to engage with stakeholders of all levels. That’s a rare skill in data: understanding the problem, solving it efficiently, and delivering more than expected. I think it’s what sets me apart from many highly technical professionals.
At CHEC, I built a greenfield Fabric deployment and a single source of truth for the company’s data in my first year. It transformed the business. The architecture, frameworks and foundations are in place, and while it’s far from complete, my successor and the team will be able to run with it. Over time, I found myself maintaining and tweaking rather than building. Every department – clinical, operations, marketing, finance – relied on me and my team. The pressure was constant, and I could feel burnout creeping in. I want to solve big problems, not refactor logic because a contract changed slightly or grab some ad-hoc data.
I also felt stuck in the corporate cycle, chasing promotions and pay rises, driven more by status than the passion that got me into data in the first place. I love empowering businesses to use their data well. That spark was fading.
I regularly go to meetups in Manchester and follow the latest features in Fabric and Databricks. But I didn’t have time to experiment or implement anything new. I started to feel jealous that others were able to implement the newest tech, and I was worried that I would be left behind. My work was focused on mirroring more of the business’s processes using the same techniques and code, not innovating. That kind of work is necessary, and I’m not pretending I’ll never have to do that kind of work again. But it’s not what excites me. I want to build tools that automate entire workflows, not just patch them.
I want to attend national and international meetups like FabCon Europe, experiment with cutting-edge tech, and collaborate with people who are just as obsessed with data. I want to feel that spark again – the moment when I demo a new feature and see a department light up because I’ve just saved them a couple of days a month.
So I spoke to a lot of people (thanks to Simon, Dan, Johnny, Lewis, Jord, Martin, Claire and so many more), and handed in my six-month notice. I founded Wolf Innovations Limited. I’ve been spending evenings and weekends building this website, creating branding, designing personal projects (coming soon), and learning what it takes to become a business owner and independent consultant.
I know I’m relatively young, but I’ve already built a strong track record and delivered real results. I’m passionate about data, and I’ve got the experience to back it up. This isn’t a leap of blind optimism – it’s a calculated move based on everything I’ve learned so far and how I want to take control of my work and life.
Where do I want Wolf Innovations to go?
Honestly, I just want to enjoy my work. I want to throw myself into meaningful, exciting projects and engage with the data and consulting community. I want to work across sectors and technologies, like I did when I first started. For now, Wolf Innovations and Ben Wolfenden are the same thing. One day, I’d like to build a team of like-minded people who can make a bigger impact than I could alone.
That’s a long way off. For now, I want to work hard, build cool solutions, and have fun.
Don’t Wait for the Green Man.
BW