At Naimuri, our people are at the heart of everything we do, delivering meaningful, high-impact technology solutions across the UK.
Today, we’re sitting down with Chris Sampson, one of our Principal Engineers and founding team members of Naimuri, to chat about his journey into tech, day-to-day life at Naimuri, and his thoughts on the future of AI.
Getting to know Chris…
Q:To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about your journey into tech? How did you end up on this career path?
Chris: I’ve been interested in IT and computers from an early age, mostly sparked by having to fix my older brother’s computers after breaking them!
Later on, completing a degree in Physics with Astrophysics cemented my desire to pursue a technical career. My love for computers naturally led me to give Software Engineering a shot, and I haven't looked back since.
Q: What’s your non-negotiable morning ritual before tackling the workday?
Chris: Coffee and exercise, without fail! Whether that’s doing the school walk or cycling into the office, it gets me in the right frame of mind.
Q: If your workday had a soundtrack, what’s track #1, and what mood does it set?
Chris: Enter Sandman by Metallica. It gets me energised and completely ready to tackle the early-morning to-do list!
Life at Naimuri
Q: You’re a founding team member here at Naimuri. What made you want to start and work for the company?
Chris: We wanted to deliver meaningful, exciting technologies and solutions to customers for real, wide-ranging benefit. Being part of an organisation that delivers such a broad spectrum of solutions, all of which have a genuine impact on the UK, is a huge draw for me.
Q: What is life like day-to-day in your role as Principal Engineer?
Chris: No two days are ever the same. I’m regularly involved in multiple projects, initiatives, and technical discussions. I usually start by reviewing my tasks, prioritising helping others, writing up outcomes from recent events, and securing focus time for deep project work.
- In the office: It’s all about collaboration. Being available for people to ask questions or simply overhearing a problem and offering guidance is exhilarating and a fantastic source of new ideas.
- At home: It’s great for deep focus on complex tasks with fewer distractions. Even then, staying connected with the team on emails and video calls is key to sharing knowledge.
Q: Speaking of tools, what’s the single most important software you use daily?
Chris: Collaboration tools are key. Between and across teams is everything in engineering, and collaboration tools keeps those lines of communication open seamlessly.
Industry insights & facing challenges
Q: What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role or across the industry?
Chris: Sometimes the sheer volume of tasks can be overwhelming, so learning to delegate and find the right people to help is essential (though not always easy!).
Another challenge is helping customers navigate modern ways of working. Guiding them on how to best collaborate with us to deliver real benefit can sometimes lead to tricky, but necessary, conversations.
Q: How has the tech industry changed since you first started?
Chris: The advent of AI and intelligent technologies has completely shifted how we think, allowing us to achieve far more at a much faster pace. Additionally, there’s a much stronger push for agility in delivery now. Helping customers see actual mission benefits sooner is far more rewarding than long-winded projects that cost a lot and deliver little.
Q: What excites and scares you most about these tech developments?
Chris: Honestly, AI and AI! The possibilities for positive impact are incredibly exciting, but the potential for misuse, whether by malicious actors or simply unexpected oversights - is equally scary.
Inspiration & Advice
Q: What or who inspires you?
Chris: It might sound a bit cheesy, but seeing and helping people progress in their own careers by tackling tough problems together has always been my main source of inspiration.
Q: How do you keep yourself ahead of technological advancements?
Chris: A mix of keeping up with general tech news, attending industry conferences and events, and reading quick-digest summaries like TL;DR.
Q: What advice would you give to anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
Chris: New technologies and tools can always be learned on the job. Focus on developing strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and give yourself room to be creative. That’s the real secret to delivering meaningful, timely solutions.
Q: Any final words of wisdom to leave us with?
Chris:
"Always ask questions, don't be afraid to ask for help, and contribute whatever you can to help others."
