Life
A collection of 12 posts
I Would Love to Work With You
Like so many, I was laid off from Microsoft on May 13, 2025. Never good news, but life moves on and I'm still fired up to do fun things with the right group of people.
Following Your Imagination
I learned to play ice hockey when I was 11 and, as a kid from Southern California, it wasn't easy. I learned how to skate and how to play the game at the same time, all while going through a massive growth spurt. My sister once called me a "baby giraffe on a frozen lake". Nice.
Embracing Mediocrity
AI returns mediocre results by definition - so what do you do to make things better? And why is this "by definition"?
✈️ What's Your Exit Plan?
Retirement is one thing, being where you want to be and doing what you want to do when your current job is finished in another thing entirely. What’s your exit strategy?
🥷🏽 Self Sabotage: The Good Parts
Personal growth books claim self-sabotage holds us back. Business hustle books frame it as a necessary thing. Which is it?
😳 Allowing Yourself to Screw Up
I managed to screw a few things up this weekend and I want to believe it's OK. I like screwing up... it means I'm trying. Failure is the best teacher, after all. Then again...
The First Draft of Anything Is Shit
I'm allergic to crappy, non-sensical, faked up demos that try to convey highly technical concepts. Yet I find myself falling into that lazy trap constantly. This requires intervention.
The Importance of Knowing Your Numbers
As programmers we tend to think of reports after the fact, often when it's too late. I learned this the hard way over the last few days.
Get Involved!
In this feature-length production, Scott Hanselman and Rob Conery offer suggestions and advice on how you can get out there, and get involved. Blogging, Twitter, Github, StackOverflow, User Groups and Conferences: get out there!
Why Blogs Make Outstanding Books
Can a blog be turned into a book? Yes! But it can't be just any old blog - the writer has to have something to say and no fear of saying it... like Troy Hunt. Here's the story of how I turned his blog into a book.
Losing Yourself
The hardest thing anyone can do is break down their own mental constructs, realizing they're toxic and destroy relationships. It's part of the journey.
Just Paddle
I really think too much. I have a lot of fear in me that keeps me from doing things I love to do. It's unhealthy and also self-obsessive (there are 3 "I's" and 2 "me's" above). I really need to stop thinking and just... do...