Hello, I'm

Mike Fairbrother

I tinker. I build. I fix. I write.

Product Owner by day. Charity founder. School Governor. Mental wellbeing advocate. Fascinated by human behaviour. Always helping others. Author of Things I Learnt on a Wednesday.

About Me

A conversation about who I am and what I do.

MF
Mike Fairbrother Online
Mike has joined the conversation
Hey! So what do you actually do?
2:30 PM
Product Owner by day - not a software engineer, but I'd call myself a well-rounded IT professional. Over 19 years in IT now. I tinker, I build, I fix things.
2:31 PM
That's quite a career. What kind of tech background?
2:32 PM
A bit of everything, really. Started in support, worked my way through infrastructure - Windows, Linux, Azure cloud. Built web platforms, managed data migrations. Led teams, managed projects.
2:33 PM
What else fills your time outside of work?
2:34 PM
Quite a bit! I founded a charity called Teesside at Christmas - we support families in our community during the holiday season. I'm also a school governor now, which I really enjoy.
2:35 PM
That's impressive! What drives you to do all that?
2:36 PM
Helping people, honestly - sometimes to my own detriment. I trained as a crisis counsellor with SHOUT, and I'm a big advocate for mental wellbeing in the workplace. I find human behaviour fascinating.
2:37 PM
And you mentioned a book?
2:38 PM
It's out! Things I Learnt on a Wednesday — a memoir-style book about grief, healing, and what life teaches through struggle. It's been quite a journey writing it, and the response has been humbling.
2:39 PM
I heard you are a huge fan of Florida!
2:40 PM
Yes! Florida is our happy place. We'd move there if we could! But we love visiting Florida, the USA and the parks, of course. Disney and Universal are our favourite places in the world.
2:41 PM
How do you balance it all with such a big move coming up?
2:42 PM
Family comes first - my wife and kids keep me grounded. They're my anchor through all of it. Everything else just... falls into place around them.
2:43 PM

Projects

A selection of work that showcases my approach to solving problems.

Data Import Pipeline

A flexible, configuration-driven data import system handling complex transformations, validation, and error recovery for enterprise-scale datasets.

PHP PostgreSQL Queue Workers

Real-time Mapping Platform

Interactive mapping solution with live vehicle tracking, geofencing, and route optimisation for transport management.

JavaScript Google Maps WebSockets PHP

Newsletter System

Custom newsletter management with drag-and-drop editing, template system, and delivery tracking.

PHP JavaScript SMTP

Writing

Thoughts on wellbeing, human behaviour, and making sense of it all.

Loading latest articles...

The Book

A memoir-style non-fiction book about what it means to be human — and what we learn on the days that change us.

Things I Learnt on a Wednesday by Mike Fairbrother — book cover
Book 1 of 3

The "Things I Learnt" Trilogy

Things I Learnt on a Wednesday

Realisations, reminders, and raw truths about being human

Sometimes the most important lessons arrive on the most ordinary days.

A memoir-style non-fiction book exploring grief, healing, self-worth, anxiety, love, shame, courage, time, sleep, stress, burnout, boundaries, purpose and other fundamental human experiences. Written in plain language, it sits with difficult emotions and offers reflections on what life teaches through struggle and recovery.

There was a season when I nearly left this world. Rebuilding was slow and quiet and real. I started writing each week to tell the truth about pain and to share the small things that helped me stay. One day a message arrived that said my words had saved a life. That is when I understood — writing is not just expression, it is a responsibility.

The Trilogy

Available Now

Book 1

Things I Learnt on a Wednesday

Realisations, reminders, and raw truths about being human

"Sometimes the most important lessons arrive on the most ordinary days."

Buy on Amazon
Coming Soon

Book 2

Things I Kept Learning After Wednesday

More lessons for the road that keeps going

"You did the work. Then life asked for more."

Coming Later

Book 3

Things I'll Never Finish Learning

The long view, the lessons that circle back, and what you carry forward

"Some lessons take years to arrive. Others take a lifetime to understand."

Games

A growing collection of browser-based games, built for fun and to sharpen my craft.

Highlights

Now

Product Owner, writing a book, advocating for mental wellbeing

Ongoing

Charity founder and school governor - giving back where I can

Always

IT professional, tinkerer, builder, fixer - curious about everything

What I'm Working On

  • Published my first book — Things I Learnt on a Wednesday
  • Advocating for mental wellbeing in the workplace
  • Building a collection of browser-based games
  • Tinkering with tech projects and building things
  • Charity work and school governance

Updated March 2026

Get In Touch

I'm always open to discussing new opportunities, interesting projects, or just having a chat about technology.