Ben Vaughan, Principal Engineer at Plexure

From teaching himself BASIC at age seven to shaping the technical direction of a global platform, Ben Vaughan, Principal Engineer at Plexure, has spent his career turning curiosity into capability. Ten years on from joining Plexure, he now helps steer architectural decisions, mentor engineers, and explore emerging technologies to keep the company’s systems scalable and secure.

We caught up with Ben to hear how his early curiosity for computers evolved into a career in software engineering, what people often get wrong about his role, and his advice for staying ahead in a constantly changing industry. Thanks for sharing your story, Ben.

Firstly, how would you explain to a five year old what it is you do?

I make sure stuff works, and I make sure it works well. It’s a bit like organising a box of toys - if you just throw them at boxes, some miss entirely, you don’t get that many in each box, and you must spend more time organising all the boxes. Organising things neatly allows you to minimise your work to have more time doing things you like.

And for the adults, what does that translate to in regards to your day-to-day?

My daily work is split across multiple different areas, from looking at the technical strategy that we employ to determining future choke points in our existing systems before they become problems.

Day-to-day jobs involve assisting domain teams in making the best possible choices when designing solutions, working with solution architects on platform-wide architectural decisions, and exploring new technologies to determine where they can be used for the most benefit.

What are some of the common misconceptions about working in your role?

That Principal Engineers are purely technical and don’t need soft skills. The reality is that we succeed through influence rather than authority. The ability to persuade people and gain alignment across multiple teams and departments is critical.

Another misconception is that I own every decision. My role is to set direction and standards, mentor others, and only step in where architectural guardrails or strategic goals are at risk.

Was working in tech something you dreamed about doing as a kid? If not, what was?

Growing up in the 80s, tech was still in its infancy. While I did get my first computer when I was seven years old and taught myself BASIC, I never really saw it as a career back then - more of a fun project.

As I grew up, my ideal career went through many transitions - from being a share trader to a doctor, to an accountant, then a chemist. By the time I was in high school, Computer Science was a subject but not eligible for university entrance, so although I was interested in it, I didn’t get to study it until university. It was only then that I finally got to really get into it, and that led to where I am today.

Tell us a little bit more about your career journey and, ultimately, how you ended up working at Plexure.

While completing my postgraduate degree at university, I had the opportunity to work on the course management system, which provided grades and online tests - my first experience developing systems at scale.

Having finished my degree, I continued working there full-time before moving to a company that provided print management solutions to many of the largest companies in the world. While working there, I was part of the team that moved the solution from a CD-in-a-box product to a cloud-based SaaS solution, getting my first experience of what would become the future.

After a brief stint at a small New Zealand agritech startup, the opportunity at Plexure came up. It sounded interesting and used all the right tech. That was 10 years ago, and I haven’t looked back.

What is the best piece of career advice you have ever received?

Stay curious, keep learning. Technology is constantly evolving, and in order to make the best decisions, you have to keep up with it.

What are the core skills required to be good in your role?

• Logic – this is key to solving problems and devising solutions to complex requirements.
• Systems view – as systems grow and become more complex, it becomes important to understand the entire platform. Even a well-designed microcosm can cause problems if it is not well aligned with the system as a whole.
• Communication – communicating across teams and functions is essential. It’s important to take in many opinions and ideas to achieve alignment between product, architecture, and engineering. Be prepared to say “no” and defend against solutions that may introduce systemic problems.

Lastly, as Plexure continues to grow and evolve, what are the key traits and characteristics of people who will be well-placed to work there?

• Working well in a team and communicating effectively.
• Being willing to own what you build and always putting your best foot forward for the customer.
• Most importantly, staying curious — wanting to understand why a solution works or doesn’t work, and how it could be made better or more efficient.