James Henderson

Observer
DISC Type : ic

XTDB Head of Engineering at Grid Dynamics

Hatfield Peverel, England, United Kingdom

Overview

James Henderson is the Head of Engineering for XTDB at Grid Dynamics, leveraging a Master of Engineering degree from Imperial College London. He is a technical leader with deep expertise in database technology, particularly bitemporal and data-centric systems, and has a background that includes roles at JUXT and WeShop.

Outside of his direct management responsibilities, James is intellectually passionate about the craft of software development. He engages in discussions about engineering practices, such as the importance of deep work, and holds strong opinions on the philosophical and practical aspects of programming languages and tools.

He believes no other programming language has come close to the feeling of writing Clojure for its ability to express and iterate on ideas.

Personality Overview

Value Driven

Curious

Example Seeker

They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing.  They often ask many questions and rely heavily on information and documentation. They are generally strong communicators and are not easy to convince.

Topics They Care About

XTDB & Bitemporality
As the Head of Engineering for XTDB, he frequently gives public talks about building the database, its bitemporal capabilities, and SQL compatibility.
Clojure Programming
Expresses a deep personal and professional passion for the Clojure language, valuing its precision, flexibility, and low overhead for iterating on ideas.
Data-Centric Principles
Publicly endorsed the "Data-Centric Manifesto, " signaling a core belief in prioritizing data consistency, accessibility, and ownership over application-specific logic.

Media Appearances

James has no verified media appearances

Work History

9-2024
XTDB Head of Engineering at Grid Dynamics
1-2023
XTDB Head of Engineering at JUXT (juxt.pro)
11-2019 - 12-2022
XTDB (formerly Crux) Engineering Manager at JUXT (juxt.pro)
7-2018 - 11-2019
Head Of Technology at WeShop
1-2015 - 11-2019
Lead Clojure Developer at WeShop

Education

2007 - 2011
MEng (First Class Honours) from Imperial College London
2000 - 2007
Education details unavailable from King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, Essex

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 14 Location : Hatfield Peverel, England, United Kingdom Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : XTDB Head of Engineering at Grid Dynamics
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Insights For Selling To James

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Be prepared for a lot of questions, answer them objectively
  • Use phrases like ‘clear proof that’, ‘data shows’ etc.
  • Help them understand the risk aspect fully while inspiring confidence

DONT's

  • Avoid making offhand commitments
  • Don’t rely excessively on your relationship with them to win the deal
  • Don’t brush off any concerns, take all questions seriously

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with James is

  • Clear proof of product value matters to them, followed by others' testimonials and rapport.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from James

  • They are practical yet friendly, don’t expect a clear no very often.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will James move?

  • They like to analyze well and then make their decisions.
  • Can James take some risk or not?

  • They systematically evaluate all decisions and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And James

Personality Compatibility


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