It began, as many good stories do, with a pint in Soho.

“I’d been working in the Mac tech industry for a couple of years,” recalls Daniel Bangs, now Chief Innovation Officer but formerly LeftBrain’s founding CEO. “I started in a local repair shop, fixing Macs with tables full of hundreds of screws, before moving into onsite work. I found I was good at interfacing with clients… but I didn’t feel like I was in an environment where people like me could thrive.”

In that earlier role, Daniel interviewed Michael Jin for a job. “I decided he was good enough,” Daniel grins. Michael became employee number three at that company. “I liked Michael,” Daniel admits, “but I didn’t like the job. So eventually, I decided to start my own thing and do things a little differently.”

Building something different

In 2009, LeftBrain was born. Daniel set out to serve Mac-native, digital-first teams: creative startups, production companies, and businesses doing interesting work. “As much as it’s about the tech for me,” he says, “it’s about going into an office with a good atmosphere, nice people, and feeling like you’re part of something great.”

Michael (COO) remembers the early days of joining LeftBrain as “really intense, long hours, high energy. When you’re young, you have just enough naivety to keep driving forward without overthinking things. Daniel and I had a shared vision and complementary skills, which made a big difference.”

One of the earliest signs they were onto something was clients from their previous jobs quietly reaching out, waiting until contractual restrictions expired so they could sign with LeftBrain. “That was validating,” Michael says. “It proved people believed in what we were building.”

What’s in a name

The name LeftBrain emerged after days of brainstorming “terrible ideas,” Daniel laughs. “I went back over my notes and found it. The idea was that we help creative people, who are using the right side of their brain, by taking the left side and making it perfect so they can focus on what they’re good at.”

From the outset, they made decisions that still define the company today. “The biggest thing we did differently was hiring interesting people,” Daniel says. “Yes, you need technical skills, but we looked for people our clients would like, with similar attitudes. Our first hire, Adrian, was a musician and illustrator. That ethos, hiring people who are a bit different from the stereotypical IT guy, has helped us think differently as a company.”

Michael agrees: “The key to scaling without losing quality is the people. We hire for passion and attention to detail, and that’s what’s helped us stand out.”

Evolving into a strategic security partner

Over time, LeftBrain’s work shifted from pure Mac technology support into security-led strategy. “Security is the bedrock of all the other stuff,” says Daniel. “If something isn’t secure, there’s no point using it. My vision has always been about bringing order to scattered systems. What Charlie Naughton-Rumbo (now CEO) brought is doing that with security as the focus.”

Michael frames the change in industry terms: “Regulations have tightened. Certifications like Cyber Essentials and ISO 27001, once optional, are now expected. Hardware is commoditised, software is in the cloud, and the old IT support model is no longer fit for the future. Many companies need CISO-level leadership but cannot justify a full-time hire. Charlie’s expertise gave us the strategy to deliver that virtually.”

Looking ahead

Today, Daniel’s role as Chief Innovation Officer gives him space to explore what’s next. “It’s a privilege to work without a fixed brief, just staying ahead of the market. AI will play a huge part in our lives, but for us, it’s not about cutting costs. It’s about how humans and technology can collaborate to create something better. My focus is finding ways to use these tools to improve our service and open up new security-focused opportunities.”

Michael’s advice for today’s founders is simple but hard-earned: “Invest in people and relationships, with your team and your clients. We hire for mindset and purpose as much as skill, because everything else can be developed. Everything LeftBrain has achieved has come from building a team that shares belief, value, and vision.”

From a pint in Soho to a trusted strategic partner for global Mac-first teams, LeftBrain’s story is one of shared vision, carefully chosen people, and an evolving understanding of what technology, and the people who use it, really need.