Into the Unknown · Monday, August 20, 2007

It was the summer of 1997. I was 17 years old, had a working knowledge of C, Pascal, and Java, and a massive chip on my shoulder. I ran Linux, frequented all the right IRC channels, and knew how to compile my own kernel. I thought I knew everything I needed to know to be a runaway success. Boy was I wrong.

“Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.” – Frank Herbert

During that summer, I started working for my girlfriend’s father at his software company, working on a suite of applications for the healthcare industry. There were no more than 5 people in the office at any time, including only one other programmer. Office politics were non-existent, there was no such thing as “product management,” and decisions were almost always made on the fly. I got to work with a crazy language called “Python”, which was then at version 1.4, and was given trust well beyond what was deserved by both of my superiors. I loved my job. Little did I know that I would have the pleasure of keeping that job for the better part of 10 years.

“You’ve got to go out on a limb sometimes because that is where the fruit is.” – Will Roger

Now, 10 years later, I love my job even more than I did back then. My then girlfriend is now my wife, the company has gone through one acquisition, and is preparing to go through another. I am challenged on a daily basis by interesting technical problems and get to work with an amazingly talented group of people. I still work mostly in Python, and am now leading teams of developers on new, interesting projects. My work is comfortable, familiar, and I can attack it with confidence. What more could a guy ask for?

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” – John F. Kennedy

August 24th will mark the conclusion of this 10 year journey. Its been a great ride, and I can say that the experiences I have had during this time have molded me into the man that I am today.

Starting next week, I will be working with my extremely talented sister and brother-in-law on a brand-new application for photography studios called ShootQ. For the first time in a long time, I have no idea what lies ahead, and I am loving every minute of it.