On possibly being sacked by Microsoft and then becoming a YouTube star: Andy Haslam - Leading Stories

Send a textAndy began his educational journey at Queen Mary’s Grammar School in Walsall. Despite not excelling academically, he managed to secure a place at Staffordshire Polytechnic (now Staffordshire University), where he studied Computer Science. His final year project, a route planner for Windows, marked the beginning of his tech career in 1992.Andy's first job in the industry was at a small software company in Cannock, which didn't turn out as expected, leading him to pivot to building PCs. In 1994, he joined Nextbase, the company behind Autoroute. This turned out to be a pivotal move, as Nextbase was acquired by Microsoft just three months after he joined. Andy seized the opportunity and relocated to Seattle in February 1995, shortly before getting married.At Microsoft, Andy spent eight years primarily developing in-car entertainment software, including notable projects like the Clarion Auto PC. In 2002, he left Microsoft to start his own company, Omega One, which achieved notable success with the No.1 selling mobile app for two consecutive years.After Omega One naturally concluded in 2007, Andy returned to Microsoft, experiencing both highs and lows. In 2015, his time at Microsoft ended, and he transitioned to INRIX, where he had the best professional experience of his career over two years.In 2017, Andy "retired" but soon felt the urge to embark on something creative. In early 2019, he launched his Big Car channel, and the journey has been incredible ever since.To learn more about David Porritt and Richard Human visit their LinkedIn pages.