‘10 in 10’ Phill Midwinter

Phill Midwinter, chief technology officer of Leeds-based AI and ML brand Third Foundation, is the latest regional business professional in the hot seat as The Yorkshire Times gives him just 10 minutes to answer our 10 burning questions.

What does a typical working day for you involve?

I’m online from around 7.30am most days and will work through until at least 6pm in my study. I believe that having the time and space to put together ideas on your own – before you take them to collaboration with others – is something of a lost art in the modern office setting. So, we very much take advantage of both our own spaces and our city centre office to do that.

I’ll talk to other team members through video chat and we see each other’s work directly online – which is a massive time-saver when we need to figure out a problem. I’ll find time to run or exercise somewhere in that too, which I think is very important given the sedentary nature of most days on the job.

If I’m working with clients or on the business on a given day, I’ll completely avoid computers as much as possible and use the time to really look at the problems in front of me with paper, pen and communication.

What makes your company special?

Third Foundation is clearly special because of some of the surface-level things such as working in Machine Learning (ML) and with AI – that’s not something everyone gets to do. We’re special because we run on legacy-less infrastructure that will never hold us back. We’re also big on remote working and giving people the personal responsibility that they deserve.
All of these things are special but really, it’s that we are real believers in human ingenuity – and we allow that to thrive for ourselves and clients.

Do you have any business rules that you swear by?

Not really. Third Foundation has a mission and a vision to get there and we hold true to that and use it to check our course regularly. A business is just a reason for a group of people to work together because it’s more productive. If we stopped being productive as a group, then we’d not be a proper business.

Do you dress up or down for work?

I dress comfortably I suppose. I think it’s important to put a good face on and be presentable, but a full suit doesn’t do much for productivity.

What piece of advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?

Like most 18-year-olds, I made a lot of mistakes but if I gave myself advice, I probably would’ve ignored it. I might be best off not giving myself any advice!

What’s your favourite Yorkshire venue for an event or team away day?

I like the outdoors and I think there’s a lot to learn out there. I would probably say to go up Ingleborough. It’s a great walk and opportunity to do something different.
How do you prefer to travel for business?
I like the train. I don’t like delays but – when it’s running well – it’s a great way to travel.

What’s your favourite place in Yorkshire to relax?


Blue Lagoon in Leeds. Though I’ve not been in sometime, is a great place to do some open water swimming. It’ll be a while until the water is warm enough for a regular swim but it’s a lovely location.

Where is your favourite place to eat in Yorkshire, and what dish do you recommend?

Okay, so there’s a sushi restaurant in Chapel Allerton in Leeds that I think is probably my favourite place in the UK right now. So much so that I feel slightly bad whenever I recommend it – purely for selfish reasons! It’s called HanaMatsuri and is absolutely amazing. The chef prepares everything in front of you and you eat whatever he recommends.

What do you miss most about Yorkshire when you are away?

Probably my dog. If the dog is with us though, then I would say the range of activity and entertainment you’re able to do here at a world-class level – and the people who make that possible.