Wednesday, August 02, 2006

1 year in review

Today was my 1 year anniversary at my new job. It is amazing what can happen in a year and how much I have had the opportunity to learn. In retrospect, I am still glad for the decision that I made to come out here.

The primary reason for leaving my last job was for a better opportunity. There is only so much you can do with software in a metal bending company. They don't see it as an opportunity to gain new avenues of cash flow. They see it only as a necessary evil and cost to run the machinery. I wanted to experience what happens when software is the primary driver of cash. In this case, the software enables the sale of goods, but that is a heck of a lot closer.

Another main reason for leaving my last job, was two of main thought leaders (imho) left the company. They were the reason I was still there that long. Some may say that is loyalty to your boss/boss's which leads being trapped in a position or stagnation. In this case, these two exemplified true leadership. The kind that creates a vision of what needs to get done and infects those around them with the desire to carry that vision to. Beyond that, they did what they said. Simply that.

So they left, and I did too. That is not to say that all the people I respected left. In fact there are still some very brilliant people there that I wish I could steal away!

Besides changing employers and regions, which I must say the Pacific Northwest is gorgeous minus the horrific traffic flow design, our family expanded. That just adds to the joy of things and the new learnings there. It is quite the perspective changer. It also brings a little more worry to my life, but we try our best.

So what do I have? I job I enjoy and am learning from. New, brilliant people I get to work with. A gorgeous daughter, I get to spoil. A new area to explore.

Brilliant!

miranda smiles

5 comments:

Unknown said...

You forgot some of the best things about the northwest:

- 9 months of that Matrix scene where Morpheus shows the scorched sky
- Just one good pizza joint (kudos to you for finding it)
- Just one good steak joint (kudos to me for finding)
- not a single road goes straight for more than a quarter mile
- every road is a number followed by st or ave and a direction
- Monday night football starts at 6pm
- College football games start at 9am

and the best things about software at amazon:
- Standards? What standards?
- Just deploy it, baby... and carry this pager
- We can build THAT ourselves!
- File a Sev2


Congrats on making it a year!

Unknown said...

I think the curvy road is really only a benefit for those with Audi's :)

My truck... not so much fun.

Good catch on the other positives!

J. Heuer said...

You also forgot to mention that the team you left is bleeding because of it. In my mind, there is a reciprocal relationship between team members. When that starts to crumble, new connections need to be made. You did the right thing, and I wish I could have made software more central to our old companies theme... maybe in another life :-D I would hire you in the morning.

John Knight said...

Ah, it seems like only yesterday... ag that's bull. We miss ya.
Tis true what Dr. Heuer says though, new connections must be made. Although I believe the team to have been bleeding for much longer...
Having been the one to leave others behind (many, many times), this is another of life's opportunities for me to see things from yet another perspective; the arse end as it were ;)
Be well my friend and Peace be with you! Congratulations on one year out West.

Anonymous said...

andy's (belated) caption:

"All new Amazon hires are issued one standard regulation baby! (Like this one!) You must learn to properly handle, clean, care for, and fire your baby! Anyone found with an improperly maintained baby will get KP for a month! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

"YESSIR!"