Tom Nixon / Director

Hello, it's Tom here, I'm one of the directors at NixonMcInnes. I spend most of my time working with clients and partners to figure out how we might be able to work together. I also have overall responsibility for the production team. I'm passionate about democratic business based on openness, trust and participation, so building an amazing team and company culture is really important to me. More about this stuff on my blog: www.tomnixon.co.uk

I love...

Sunny mornings; scuba diving; running; Japanese food; democracy; sustainability; happiness.

I hate...

Accepting the status quo.

How I ended up doing this

I started out as one of the techies. I just about made it through a Computer Science degree at Cardiff University (nobody warned me there would be so much maths) then moved to Brighton in 1999 and worked as a web developer during the first dotcom boom. This gave me a valuable, if slightly topsy turvy education in business (I learnt lots about how things shouldn’t be done, and have since tried to do the opposite). Eventually I’d had enough working in an environment where things weren’t done sensibly, so I decided to give it go on my own. So in late 2000 I handed in my notice and formed a company called Aim23 Ltd. Under the Aim23 banner I worked on an Internet kiosk network and some recruitment websites for the NHS. My role evolved over time and I moved away from hands-on techie work and instead began to assemble teams of other freelancers for projects. And so a fledgling web agency began to take shape. In 2002, a bloke called Will took a desk space in the office that I was working from in the Brighton Media Centre. Over a greasy breakfast that summer, we shared our plans for building our own companies, and we decided we’d be better off working together than going it alone. Right from the start we knew we wanted to be a web agency that was all about business results - more than just nice graphics and technology. Six months later, we had become Nixon McInnes.

Outside work

To stop me from getting too wrapped up in work, I volunteer for Age Concern on their excellent advocacy service which is so rewarding, and puts you in interesting situations that teach you a lot about what makes people tick. I’m also a board member of Sussex Community Internet Project (SCIP) and I work as a business mentor for the Prince’s Trust.

My favourite books about business, software and web development

Corporate Canaries. A quick read about how to avoid common business disasters. Read my blog post about this book.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This book has spawned so many business cliches (’proactive’, ‘win/win’, ’synergise’), but something only becomes a cliche when it is so over-used that the original meaning is lost. If you only read one book off this list, make it The 7 Habits.
Good to Great. What is it that sets truly great companies apart from the rest of the pack?
The Cluetrain Manifesto. Inspiring, revolutionary guide to how the web has changed business for ever. I lost my inhibitions about being myself in business after reading this book.
Don’t Make Me Think. A beautifully simple introduction to usability. You can read it in a few hours and it’ll have you thinking in new ways about what makes a good design for a website.
Peopleware. All about the human factors in software development teams, this has been hugely influential in developing our working practices and working environment.
Death March. I highly recommend this book for anyone involved in project management. It’s a pragmatic approach to project management, which accepts the realiity that all software projects are a nightmare to complete successfully.
Maverick. Massively inspiring book about creating a company culture based on freedom and trust. We have used the principles in this book to develop our own unique culture here at NM.
The Elements of User Experience. A simple introduction to the different layers that make up an effective user experience on the web.
Crucial Confrontations. No, it’s not a book about how to win arguments, but it is a great guide to dealing with delicate issues sensitvely but assertively.
Information Architecture - Blueprints for the Web. A great introduction to this important discipline.
Small Pieces, Loosely Joined. A thoughtful, human and philosophical look at what the Internet is. Ignore the bad Amazon reviews.
The Tipping Point. One of the most interesting non-fiction books out there I reckon. It’s all about how ideas spread.

What are your favourite books? I’d love to know. I build my own reading list based on recommendations.

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