When Kent Pigott launched Potato Soft, it was less about starting from scratch and more about extending a career that’s been evolving since 1999. “I’ve been a software developer for over 20 years,” he says. “I worked with a contracting company in Calgary, left for a while, and then went back. Because the work is contract-based, I’ve had the flexibility to take on my own projects alongside that.” That flexibility has allowed him to deliver impactful solutions across industries and organizations, both big and small.
Four years ago, Kent and his partner made the decision to leave Calgary and start fresh in Whitehorse. “At the end of COVID, we wanted out of the big city,” he explains. “We were debating between Whitehorse and Yellowknife. A blog I read put it this way: people move to Whitehorse because they want to, and to Yellowknife because they have to. So we chose Whitehorse.” Originally from Saskatchewan, Kent found the Yukon to be a great fit both personally and professionally.
At Potato Soft, Kent specializes in C# development, but his toolkit is broad: Python, JavaScript, Angular, SQL, Power BI, and database systems. While he’s capable of front-end development, his real passion lies in backend and business logic. A standout project was during the pandemic, when he helped KAIROS Canada digitize its Indigenous Blanket Exercise, a powerful educational tool for learning about Indigenous history and relationships. “They couldn’t do it in person anymore, so we built the virtual portal for them. It was a meaningful project to work on.”
Kent says his favorite moments as a developer are when clients come back with gratitude for the work. “It doesn’t happen often for contractors, but when it does, it really sticks with you.” That sense of purpose also shapes how he approaches client relationships. His advice to developers working with non-technical stakeholders?
“Communication is essential. Don’t make assumptions. Start with a smaller prototype, and show them that you understand what they want.”
Like many in the field, Kent has been reflecting on the role of AI in software development. He views it as a tool: useful, but not magical. “Often it doesn’t work at first. You have to tweak it, understand what it’s doing, and verify its output. It’s like managing an employee, sometimes it’s efficient, sometimes it’s messy, and you need oversight.”
Kent joined Tech Yukon before the launch of the AI series, which he says he thoroughly enjoyed. While he hasn’t been as active in the community since, he’s looking forward to more opportunities to explore emerging technologies. “As an individual, it’s hard to access experts who can teach you new platforms and tools. An organization like Tech Yukon can bring that knowledge to us and make it more accessible.”
To connect with Kent, visit his LinkedIn profile.
