About Paul Cobley

AI builder.
Product engineer.

I'm Paul Cobley. I use AI and hands-on engineering to help non-technical founders turn ideas, prototypes and existing software into products they can build a business on.

I've spent 30 years building products, teams and businesses across software, sports, gambling, media and fintech. I've worked as an engineer, architect, product leader, CTO and founder. That experience shapes how I build with AI today.

Connect with me on LinkedIn ↗
Paul Cobley
Paul Cobley / VibeOn

Hands-on AI expertise

AI in the build.
Experience in the decisions.

I work with AI throughout product delivery, from making requirements clear and breaking work into manageable tasks to writing code, reviewing changes and checking the result. My approach comes from using these tools to do the work, then improving how that work gets done.

AI makes it easier to produce software. It still takes judgement to decide what to build, understand the risks and know whether the result is ready for customers. I bring that judgement to the build, with testing, documentation and delivery practices that fit the product's stage.

I also write about how AI is changing software delivery, including requirements, engineering roles and the difference between producing more code and making useful progress.

Read my writing on LinkedIn ↗

The experience behind the work

I've built it.
And run it.

01 / Taking startup ventures into production

Matulo

I founded Matulo, where we ran multiple startup ventures from ideation through to production. We took ideas through product development and into working software.

Working across those ventures gave me valuable hands-on experience across multiple disciplines, connecting product decisions, technical delivery and the practical work of getting a startup into production.

02 / Building from an idea

Shiggle

Shiggle was my first full-scale product as a founder: a social, peer-to-peer betting platform built from scratch. I built the software alongside the deployment processes, onboarding workflows and operating documentation needed to run it.

Regulatory barriers limited the original business. Its ideas, technology and systems became the foundation for PickGuru. It taught me that building the product and making the business work need attention together.

03 / Building, adapting and exiting

PickGuru

As a co-founder of PickGuru, I worked across product, technology and delivery. I helped raise £3.5M and led the move from a direct-to-consumer prediction product to a white-label B2B platform for sports and media partners.

That meant changing the product, commercial model and ways of working together. Projects included work with the Daily Mail and IMG Arena, including games for The Open and The Players Championship. PickGuru was acquired by Dizplai in 2024.

04 / Helping founders build stronger businesses

Scale Or Sell

Through Scale Or Sell, I advise founders whose businesses have customers and a team, but still depend on them for difficult decisions and delivery problems. The work covers product, technology and operations, with clearer ownership and practical changes the team can use.

I've been that bottleneck myself. That experience helps me see where a founder needs hands-on delivery, where the team needs support and where the way the business works needs to change.

Testimonials

Working with Paul.

Work with Paul

Bring what
you've got.

Tell me what you're building and where you're stuck. We'll work out a useful next step together.

Book a call with Paul