From Windows Forms to Web: My First Contract and Tech Leadership Experience at Activus

From Windows Forms to Web: My First Contract and Tech Leadership Experience at Activus

When I took on my first contract role at Activus, I knew I was stepping into something different. Up until that point, my career had been shaped by permanent roles where I contributed as a developer; however, this was my first opportunity to operate independently as a limited company. The transition into contracting came with both freedom and responsibility, and the project at Activus provided the perfect proving ground.

Activus, a company focused on software solutions for the medical insurance industry, had an ageing VB6-based Windows Forms application that needed to be modernised. My remit was clear: support the migration of this monolithic application to a modern web interface using ASP.NET MVC and Razor. What unfolded was not just a technical challenge, but also a foundational experience in leadership and mentorship.

One of my early contributions was advocating for the adoption of Bootstrap for the UI layer. At the time, the design system was a mix of inconsistencies and legacy patterns. Integrating Bootstrap enabled us to establish consistency, responsiveness, and an accessible look and feel. Beyond the design, I took the lead in implementing a control layer using jQuery to enable rich UI features such as drag-and-drop components, which were essential to replicating the usability of the original WinForms app.

But the biggest challenge wasn’t the code. It was the people.

Much of the internal development team at Activus had little exposure to web development. Concepts like HTTP request/response cycles, statelessness, or even why using static classes in web apps was problematic - these were all new. Rather than simply focusing on delivery, I found myself stepping into a leadership role, mentoring other developers and even running training sessions to bring them up to speed with MVC and Web API fundamentals. That responsibility wasn’t formally assigned, but it emerged out of necessity - and it became a defining moment in my career.

It was at Activus that I realised I had more to offer than writing clean code. I could influence architecture, mentor teams, and foster a shared understanding of how to build scalable and maintainable software. The project pushed me to explain my decisions clearly, to justify architectural patterns, and to guide others through unfamiliar territory.

At the same time, this role marked my entry into the world of contracting as a limited company. Back then, IR35 was not the concern it is today. That setup came with its own set of hard lessons: missed VAT reservations, unexpected corporation tax, and the early warning signs of a debt cycle. It wasn’t until I moved to Nasa Accountancy that my accounts were properly sorted, but those early stumbles taught me a lot about the business side of being a contractor.

In hindsight, Activus was more than a contract - it was a career milestone. It taught me how to lead without authority, how to mentor under pressure, and how to balance technical strategy with financial and operational realities. Every contract since has built on the foundations laid there.

For anyone moving from employment into contracting, or transitioning from developer to tech leader, I’d say this: the first role matters. Choose one that stretches you technically, but also puts you in rooms where leadership emerges naturally. That’s where growth really happens.