With a career spanning the military, policing, and major tech firms, John Gibbons has always been driven by data. Now, as the founder of his own data company (Data Simplicity), he helps businesses turn data into smarter decisions. In this interview, John shares insights on career shifts, community, and the true power of data.

Can you share a bit about your background?

I’ve had a varied career, 4 years military, 14 years police, 12 years private sector including with BT, Virgin Media, Amazon and Motorway. All in roles where data was at the centre of the decision making. Last year I branched out on my own, forming my own data company, specialising in helping businesses with their data issues.

Did you come up through a “traditional” techie route or has your career taken twists and turns along the way?

Many twists and turns! In every role, I was always the end user of the data. As such this led to a curiosity about how it could help and benefit my role and my team. I was always asking for better, more specific data. This encouraged me to learn more about the data and statistics, and what the data is actually telling us, which is not always what we expect!

Reflecting on your career, is there a specific moment that stands out as pivotal or defining?

A previous manager once said to me “Do your job properly, and the stats will look after themselves”. It may seem counterintuitive for someone that works in data, but the principle has stayed with me for 25 years. Data can guide decisions, but as long as the team performs their role as they should, then everything else falls into line, including the numbers.

What piece of advice would you give your younger self as you embarked on your professional journey?

Don’t worry about changing careers if you need to. It’s never too late to learn a new skill, and all those transferable skills from your early jobs will come in valuable when dealing with people later in life.

Looking ahead, what’s your big prediction for the tech landscape in 2025?

Change. It’s the only constant. There are new developments every week. Each new big thing is outdone a couple of weeks later. And despite it all, there will still be a huge need coders, project managers, developers, operations managers and more. We need to embrace and adapt.

Considering your involvement in Silicon Brighton and community-building, what does the concept of ‘community’ mean to you personally? How important is it in the tech industry?

It’s huge. It’s a sense of belonging. Of finding “your people”. No matter what you are working on, there will be people who, despite working on something similar or completely different, who are going through the same issues as you. Being in a space where you can connect and share these common experiences is vital. It can give you the encouragement to keep going, and to develop those human connections. After all, businesses don’t deal with businesses, it’s people who deal with people. So you never know where the next connection could lead to.

How do you balance staying updated with the latest industry trends while ensuring continuous personal and professional growth? Any specific resources or practices you find particularly valuable?

Speaking to people at the events. You can read all the articles, watch all the videos, but it’s only by speaking to the people who are actually involved that you can see first hand the impact the developments are having.

As someone who has contributed significantly to the community, how do you see mentorship playing a role in the development of the next generation of tech professionals?

It’s vital. The old adage of “If you can see it, you can be it” definitely applies to tech. As someone who as come from non-technical roles, (and even now who doesn’t see myself as someone who is as technical as most of the other people I’ve met), it’s great to help people see that you can still pivot at anytime.

Anything else you would like to promote to our community?

That data is not just numbers. It’s everything in your business, including the processes. Get a handle on the data, and it will show you where to focus, and guide the action you need to take.

Is there any additional wisdom, experience, or anecdotes you’d like to share with our audience?

Don’t be afraid to learn something new. Change in tech is constant, so embrace it.