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Andrew Eells
Seasoned Engineer / Consultant / Advisor. Very focused, Ops-friendly, hands-on leader with a track record of delivery.
Professional Background
Andrew Eells is a committed, delivery-focused, and detail-oriented technologist with over 13 years of extensive experience in designing and building greenfield database-driven web applications. His career has been marked by a hands-on approach to technology, with strong technical skills forming a cornerstone of his professional identity. Rather than pursuing traditional management roles, Andrew has embraced a philosophy of collective ownership and dissolved responsibility in his position as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). This unique perspective allows him to prioritize team dynamics, structure, adaptive leadership, and the emergence of thought leaders within the software delivery environment.
Andrew believes that the success rates of software projects do not solely hinge on technology but significantly rest on the individuals involved and their interactions. This understanding fosters his deep interest in creating an environment conducive to collaboration and innovation within his teams. He enjoys engaging directly with business stakeholders to challenge assumptions and extract true value-add solutions related to technology integration. His commitment to high-quality work reflects the value he places on craftsmanship, which he strives to instill among his team members and colleagues.
The breadth of Andrew’s experience also includes significant roles in various organizations where he has tackled diverse challenges and contributed to numerous successful projects. His work within both contract and permanent positions illustrates his adaptability and technical proficiency in multiple contexts, showcasing his expertise in software engineering, team leadership, and technical consultancy.
Education and Achievements
Andrew Eells began his academic journey at Bishop Wordsworth’s Grammar School, laying a strong foundational knowledge that he later expanded upon at the University of Bath. Here, he studied for his BSc. Hons in Physics, graduating with a 2(i), a noteworthy achievement that speaks to his analytical and problem-solving capabilities. This educational background not only equipped him with essential technical knowledge but also honed his ability to think critically and approach complex issues with a scientific mindset.
Over the years, Andrew has accumulated a wealth of practical expertise across numerous roles within the tech industry. As a former Tech Lead at 101 Ways and a Principal Technical Consultant at Contino, he has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead high-performing teams while ensuring the successful delivery of complex projects. His earlier experience as a Software Engineer at Barclays and a Software Development Lead at Lloyds Banking Group further underscores his comprehensive knowledge of the software lifecycle and his ability to drive successful outcomes.
Andrew’s previous stint as a Trooper in the Honourable Artillery Company highlights his commitment to discipline and teamwork, which he has brought over into his technology career. Additionally, as a Round the World Yacht Racer during a career sabbatical, he exhibited his adventurous spirit and tenacity, qualities that shine through in his professional endeavors. He has also contributed to the technical landscape as a Java Developer at various esteemed organizations, including Prudential and Virtue Fusion.
Notable Achievements
Andrew's career achievements are a testament to his skills and dedication to the field of technology. At QMetric / Policy Expert, where he served as Engineer, CTO, and Co-founder, he played a pivotal role in shaping the company's technical vision and directing its successful growth. His work at TUI UK as a Web Development Team Lead allowed him to consolidate a wealth of knowledge in project management and the crucial intersection of technology and user experience.
Through his various roles, Andrew has continually focused on the importance of craftsmanship in software development. He has worked tirelessly to foster a culture of quality assurance, leveraging practices that ensure technical excellence in every project he undertakes—a philosophy he consistently shares and promotes within his teams.
In summary, Andrew Eells is a seasoned technologist with a passion for high-quality software development and an unwavering commitment to team success. He combines deep technical expertise with exceptional communication skills, making him an influential leader in the technology sector. His hands-on approach to development and focus on team dynamics set him apart as a genuine craftsman in the tech industry. As he continues to grow in his career, Andrew remains dedicated to delivering value and excellence in all aspects of software delivery.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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