About DUSC
A technical consultancy built by engineers who've spent their careers building and maintaining complex systems.
Senior engineers, close to the work
Four principles
we hold to
Senior engineers
Every engineer on your project has shipped systems older than most startups. You get 15+ years of experience from day one, which means you get it built right the first time.
Hands on
The person who sits down with you to scope the work is the same person building it. If something breaks or needs an answer, you're talking directly to the builder.
Built to hand over
We are not trying to become load-bearing. We document our work as we build it, and we step away as soon as your internal team is ready to take the reins.
Small, by design
There are four co-founders, and we staff for depth rather than headcount. If your project is a better fit for another team, we'll tell you upfront and point you to them.
The people behind DUSC
Dirk Kelly
Dirk has been building software professionally for over twenty years. He cut his teeth at TFG in Perth before relocating to New York, where he consulted for Pivotal on large-scale distributed systems. For the past fifteen years, he has led a single long-running engagement from greenfield inception through to continuous operational improvement, long enough to live with every decision he made. As a founding director, Dirk sets the technical direction and holds every engagement to the same hands-on standard that defined his own career. When Dirk’s not working on something digital, you will find him surrounded by nature, living a rural life with his beautiful family.
Dr. James Meneghello
James began his career alongside Dirk over twenty years ago, quickly developing a deep understanding of full-stack engineering. He went on to complete a PhD, bringing academic rigour to his approach to software design and problem-solving. After several years of successful independent consulting across Perth, James reconnected with the team that would become DUSC. His combination of research discipline and practical delivery experience means he takes on the complex, ambiguous problems that other consultancies tend to pass on. He’s also a quiet fixture in Perth’s food scene, and while he may not make a big deal of it, he is a very good cook.
Jordan Maguire
Jordan brings seventeen years of professional engineering experience to DUSC. He rose to lead engineer at TFG, where he was responsible for the architecture and delivery of their core platform until the company’s closure. He then joined Dirk on a long-running client engagement, eventually taking over as project lead, a role he continues today alongside other DUSC engagements. Jordan’s strength is taking ownership of complex systems and driving them forward with consistency and care, which is what long-running projects need most. At home, Jordan is happiest spending time with his three little girls, who seem to believe he is one of them and that mum is the only real adult in the house.
Kevin Jackson
Kevin has been writing software professionally for fifteen years. He trained at TFG, the same Perth firm that shaped several of the DUSC directors, before building a consulting practice of his own across a range of industries. Seven years ago he joined forces with Jordan and Dirk, becoming a founding member of DUSC. Kevin’s broad consulting background gives him an instinct for reading what a client actually needs and delivering something pragmatic, and he has been there since day one. Outside of work, he is kept busy by family, the gym, and a dog that may or may not be the least demanding member of the household.