Hamza joined freetobook as a Summer Intern while studying at the University of Glasgow. Over a decade later, he’s a Senior Developer, leads our UX/UI design, and shapes our Summer Internship programme.  

We caught up with Hamza to hear how his career has developed, the project he’s most proud of, and what’s kept him at freetobook for more than a decade.  

Starting out as a Summer Intern  

“I joined freetobook as an intern back in 2015,” remembers Hamza. “I wanted real-world experience of the tech industry.” 

Over three months, Hamza worked with Craig, our co-Director, on a project from specification to development. 

“This gave me an idea of the whole software development cycle beyond coding – I think that’s what’s kept me interested in working here for so long.” 

After graduating, Hamza returned to freetobook as a full-time Software Developer.  

Growing into the role 

One of Hamza’s early projects was helping to design our Customer Service knowledge base, writing code and creating tests. Since then, it’s been used by our customers every day.  

“It’s rewarding to see the real-world impact that code can have.” 

Over time, Hamza’s interests expanded beyond development into User Experience/Interface (UX/UI) design. 

“As my role progressed, I started taking responsibility for the UX/UI side of things,” he says. “Iain, our co-Director, encouraged me to do a six-month diploma to help me understand our customers better.” 

This led Hamza to think more about how our customers actually use freetobook. 

“Often, customers find their own path through the freetobook system. They have a different way of using it than we initially intended.” 

Hamza likens this process to “desire paths”, when people create their own, quicker route instead of following the path laid out for them. His role now involves understanding why customers choose these paths and making them easier to follow. 

What does a Senior Developer actually do? 

Six years after returning as a full-time developer, Hamza is now a Senior Developer. His role combines software development with UX/UI research and design.  

His work goes beyond writing code to include identifying problems and finding solutions: “You’re given the opportunity here to see a problem, come up with a solution, then design and implement it,” he explains.

“I make sure the features we build address a real customer need.”  

This involves conducting user research, gathering data, and analysing how customers use the system. “I speak directly with customers and run usability tests with them.” 

Hamza is involved earlier in the development process too, helping to research, design, wireframe, and prototype projects rather than simply being given a set of instructions. This gives him a greater sense of ownership, from the initial idea through to the finished feature.  

He also helps shape our Summer Internship programme, supporting interns as they work on their own projects and experience the full development process.  

“We encourage all our interns to push software live before they leave!” 

A project Hamza is proud of  

One project Hamza is particularly proud of is our BloomPro booking pages, which gave him the opportunity to work across research, design, and development.  

“I helped redesign the original bloom booking pages,” explains Hamza. “When we analysed the data, we found some problems that could prevent guests from booking. I found ways to improve our customers’ conversion rates, like a smarter calendar that shows a property’s availability more clearly.” 

For Hamza, this is the most rewarding part of product development: being able to identify a problem, work on a solution, and see how it can benefit customers.  

“Our tech has the power to help people and make independent properties money.” 

Celebrating a decade at freetobook 

So, what’s made Hamza stay for more than a decade? 

“Honestly, I’m not sure how to answer that as I’ve only ever worked here!” he laughs. 

Being part of a small, independent business has been a big part of that. “I’ve been very lucky; it’s more collaborative.” 

Hamza also values having the time to do things properly. “It’s a friendly and stress-free environment,” he says. “One big thing is that we don’t have hard deadlines. That means we can take our time with our code.” 

“It’s obvious that everyone loves what they do here. That’s why we’re quite excited to come into work every day!” 

More than just work  

The office and the people around Hamza have also played an important role in his experience.  

Our gym and table tennis offer welcome screen breaks.

“Having a gym helps counteract the sedentary lifestyle,” says Hamza. “You literally have to walk past it to leave work – there’s no excuse!” 

Table tennis is another favourite, particularly when he needs a break from a tricky coding problem.  

“If you’re stuck on a coding problem, it helps to take a break and come back with a fresh perspective.” 

It’s also a great leveller: you could be standing across the table from an intern or Iain, our co-Director.

“At first, I let Iain win,” laughs Hamza, “but now I definitely don’t!” 

And then there’s the freetobe fund, an annual fund of £600 to spend on something for yourself. “I’m going to spend my freetobe on a set of golf clubs – I’m looking forward to next year’s already!” 

Advice for future software developers 

Having progressed from curious intern to Senior Developer, what’s Hamza’s advice for those starting their software development career? 

“We can already see that AI can write good code,” he says. “For someone starting out, I’d suggest seeing yourself as more than just a programmer. Focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Think about how technology could make your customers’ lives better.”

“Writing the code is the easy part – knowing what to build, and why, is where your  value is.”