Custom software & business automation
Custom software and complex business systems, led by the engineer who founded and sold Smoothbook, with experience delivering software for Universal Music Group and AllSaints.
AI and agentic tools accelerate the build. James brings the architecture, testing and human oversight that keep quality in step with speed — from the first requirements conversation to deployment and server management.
Founded, built and sold
120,000+ monthly bookings. Acquired by a US company in 2024.
Enterprise systems since 2021
Work on a deal-management and accounting platform processing over a billion transactions a month.
Lead front-end developer
E-commerce with 1M+ monthly visitors and sales days exceeding £1M.
Career experience of James Drummond, including work before Yellow Melon.
Two ways to work together
Software Engineering
Work directly with James on development, architecture, modernization or technical leadership. For CTOs, founders, agencies and technical teams.
Explore engineering →Business Solutions
Engage Yellow Melon to scope, build and deliver a complete solution. Automate manual processes, connect your systems and give your team better tools.
Explore business solutions →AI speed. Engineering discipline.
James uses AI and agentic tools to accelerate development, backed by the experience to architect complex systems, direct the work and take it through to production. Speed comes with clear requirements, testing and human judgment throughout.
Get the foundations right: system boundaries, data models, integrations and failure handling. Give agents a clear design to work within, so faster development produces a system you can maintain and extend.
One experienced lead across client discussions, requirements, architecture, development, QA, deployment and server management. Decisions account for how the software will run, as well as how it gets built.
Define acceptance criteria, test the logic and check real user journeys. Build human approval into consequential steps, and evaluate AI outputs where a passing unit test alone cannot establish quality.
Use agents where exploration and iteration help. Use deterministic code where rules must be repeatable, and human judgment where context and accountability matter. Set boundaries for what agents can do and when they must stop for review.
Meet the founder · James Drummond
James Drummond is a senior full-stack developer. He spent over ten years in fintech, previously security cleared, working on a product whose end clients included Credit Suisse, JP Morgan and UK government agencies. Since 2021 he has worked with Universal Music Group on a deal-management and accounting platform that processes over a billion transactions a month.
Along the way he was lead front-end developer at allsaints.com, built the front end of a card-trading game used by Premier League clubs with one of London's top design studios, and founded and sold his own SaaS product, Smoothbook. His current work spans agent-driven development workflows, AI testing and deployment infrastructure. He combines that hands-on experience with the judgment to set agent boundaries, build in human review and take software through to production. He completed Johns Hopkins University's Agentic Engineering program in 2026.
Start with an introductory call about your project or the process you want to improve. We’ll discuss the options and a sensible next step, with no obligation.
Working with teams across the US, Canada, UK and Europe
From the resource library
Buyer’s guide · 3 min read
Understand AI-assisted software development: where it saves time, its limitations, and the architecture, testing and human oversight buyers should expect.
Read the guide: AI-assisted software development: benefits, limitations and what buyers should expect →
Buyer’s guide · 3 min read
Compare AI agents and workflow automation with business examples, approval controls and a decision checklist. Choose the simplest approach that fits the task.
Read the guide: AI agents vs workflow automation: which does your business need? →
Buyer’s guide · 3 min read
Review an AI-built app before launch: architecture, permissions, data integrity, testing, deployment and recovery. Decide what to keep, repair or rebuild.
Read the guide: Is your AI-built prototype ready for production? A practical review checklist →