Speaking
Book Simon to speak.
From a Commons select committee to agile meetups: talks on AI, data and the business side of technical work, in plain English. His videos have been watched over 190,000 times.
What he talks about.
Every talk is built around the room. These are the areas Simon covers, with a few angles he's taken before.
Build the tech.
AI, data and new technology without the hype: what it's really good for, what it costs, and why so many projects shine in the demo and stall in real life. He's argued, for example, that AI is average by design, and that most AI strategies are press releases.
Survive the business.
Careers, hiring and leading technical people: how to hire without guesswork, how to grow people without pushing them into management, and what startups, big companies and fundraising are really like from the inside.
Speak both languages.
Why tech teams and the business talk past each other, and how to fix it from both sides: the business basics no one teaches engineers, and tech explained for everyone else.
And beyond work.
He's also spoken on data and democracy, from what polling can and can't tell us to briefing a Commons select committee on AI and democracy.
Any of it can be a keynote, a team session, a panel or a training series. Got a theme for your event? Say what it is, and Simon will suggest a talk to fit.
How booking works.
Tell Simon what you're after: a keynote, guest appearance, lecture, session, panel or training. Say how long you'd like him for, and where it is, or whether it's online.
Fees depend on the event and start at £750, plus travel and, where the timings need one, a hotel. Meetups and community events: ask.
Ask about a talk through Demonstrandum's contact page.
Need more than a talk? For hands-on help with data, technology and AI, Simon's consultancy is Demonstrandum.
Talks given.
Recordings and write-ups are linked, with press coverage and writing below.
| Date | Talk | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2026 | Unplugged: what AI is actually exposing | Let's Talk Agile |
| Nov 2025 | Why is polling broken, and can we fix it? | Discussing New Approaches |
| Jun 2025 | Using AI to strengthen democracy | Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee |
| Mar 2025 | Hearing beyond the loudest voices | University of Southampton, Centre for Democratic Futures |
| Dec 2023 | How do we make adtech accessible for SMEs? | Discussing New Approaches |
| Jun 2019 | Monty's wicket warnings: predicting the big plays | I-COM Data Creativity Awards |
| Jun 2018 | Leveraging quality big data for effective targeting | I-COM Data Creativity Awards |
| Jun 2018 | Quality big data Q&A | I-COM Global Summit |
Quoted in.
| Date | Headline | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | Suicide map reveals hidden mental health crisis in Manchester | ManchesterWorld |
| Nov 2025 | Tyneside area has highest estimated suicide risk in the UK | NewcastleWorld |
| Oct 2025 | AI could become CIOs' most dangerous form of tech debt | CIO.com |
| Mar 2025 | Political tech startup gains cross-party support while still in beta | Startups Magazine |
| Nov 2024 | Keir Starmer's constituency crime data raises questions | Daily Express |
| Nov 2024 | Rochdale ranks amongst lowest in the UK for median earnings | Roch Valley Radio |
Written.
| Date | Title | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | Estimating probable suicides across UK parliamentary constituencies | Suffrago |
| Jul 2025 | No homes, no progress: the UK's infrastructure problem | Suffrago |
| Feb 2025 | Potential impact of changes to inheritance tax | Suffrago, commissioned by a national newspaper |
| Feb 2025 | Exploratory impact assessment of an AI growth zone in North Yorkshire | Suffrago |
| Identifying audience targeting opportunities utilising behavioural data and third party segment membership | Academic publication | |
| Modelling neonatal electroencephalogram signals | Academic publication |