In September we celebrate Developers Day, the perfect excuse to spotlight the brilliant minds building the digital experiences we all rely on. At Webcentral, our developers are a crucial part in shaping the way businesses show up online. To celebrate, we caught up with senior software developer Paul Livingstone for a behind-the-scenes look at his day-to-day and his thoughts on the dev world.
Morning rituals: powered by tea
When it comes to starting the day, Paul skips the coffee hype. “I’m definitely a tea drinker, can’t stand coffee. If I have the time I might make a Masala Chai Tea.” His mornings kick off with Teams to say hello to the crew, followed by emails, GitLab checks, and then straight into his editor.
Busting a big myth about developers
Paul wants to clear up one of the biggest misconceptions: “That to be a good developer you need to contribute to Open Source projects, or that if you don’t have a fully green GitHub contribution graph you won’t get a job.” At Webcentral, collaboration and problem-solving on live projects matter far more than public contributions. As Paul puts it, his GitHub graph is nearly empty, and yet he’s thriving in his career.
Projects that make an impact
Recently, Paul worked on the locale href lang project with switcher and locale auto-detection, helping websites automatically adapt for different regions. Smart, practical work like this means users get a smoother experience, and businesses reach wider audiences.
Coding with a soundtrack
When it’s time to focus, Paul tunes into the radio. Music helps him get in the zone while balancing the technical challenges of his work.
The essentials of a developer’s toolkit
For Paul, it’s not about a single tool but the combination: editor + source control. Without both, he says, the work simply doesn’t get done.
Staying sharp without burning out
Paul keeps his skills fresh by staying plugged into dev conversations on X and Bluesky, and watching development-focused videos on YouTube. It’s all about continuous learning — without letting it take over life outside work.
The cost of coding
One thing Paul would change? “I would love it if having a developer hobby was a bit more affordable. It can get quite expensive with all the different subscriptions you need for a lot of things.” Much like streaming services, the costs add up fast.
Reset button: another brew
When screen fatigue hits, Paul has a simple fix: “Make another brew, solves all problems.” A refresh, a reset, and he’s back at it.
Celebrating Developers Day
At Webcentral, we know developers like Paul are the backbone of the internet. They’re not just solving problems, they’re building smarter, faster, and more inclusive online experiences every day. Developers Day is a chance to highlight their craft, their dedication, and yes, their many cups of tea.
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