Talk about long and stressful days - we would get to the office at 7:30 AM and leave at 7:00 PM for dinner where work was discussed further.
The new org. is highly matrixed. This is how we were organized in Portland so I am used to that. Time will tell how it works on a much larger distributed scale.
I did get to go water skiing with some of my work friends one day - that was cool. Although it highlighted the point that I am indeed completely washed up (as if that was still a question) as I couldn't get up on one. I tried 4 times before I through in the towel and went with two.
The new CIO is pretty innovative. He has embraced distributed development and Open Source Software. My new job is leading the charge on OSS within our division. This marks my departure from a "Technologist" into management. This should be very interesting work. I will be working like a dog, however (not really a new thing sadly). I will be hiring a small senior team to get this organization off the ground. I have to put the job reqs together this week and will post links once they are available. But if you have a *passion* for OSS and live in Portland, Indianapolis, IN, or Wausau, WI and want to drive OSS adoption/contribution within a large company, let me know. For this initial round of hiring I am looking for stone killers with demonstrable OSS experience. As usual, communication skills are fairly crucial. If you can't collaborate and communicate effectively, your technical skills are useless to me.
Also, since we are now a distributed organization, there are some more jobs open in Portland, OR. Basically, going forward, most jobs that are open in Indianapolis will be open for staffing in Portland, OR. The opposite will be true for projects based in Portland, OR for Indianapolis and other cities. There are pros and cons to distributed development. It is the way the world is going, however. Our CIO is putting the right infrastructure in place to make this model work. The transition will no doubt take some time, but I am optimistic.
This list will be growing the next few months, but here is a list of the current open jobs (search for Information Technology).
3 comments:
So, Neo, you chose the red pill
LOL - yes, it would appear that I did. I plan to still slang code by keeping the team small and hiring people that play nice in the sandbox together and are smart. But I have seen many managers become terrible at both managing and coding by trying to do both. So, I must choose. I will only "reward" myself with slanging code when all management type tasks are complete. I wouldn't do this unless it was a rare opportunity like I think this one is. Wish me luck (says the sell out).
This doesn't mean that I will stay in management land forever ... but I do have some questions that need answering once and for all. So, I must take the red pill.
To quote the matrix:
Morpheus: The Matrix is everywhere, it is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window, or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, or when go to church or when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Morpheus: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage, born inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A prison for your mind. (long pause, sighs) Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself. This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back.
(In his left hand, Morpheus shows a blue pill.)
Morpheus: You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. (a red pill is shown in his other hand) You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes. (Long pause; Neo begins to reach for the red pill) Remember -- all I am offering is the truth, nothing more.
(Neo takes the red pill and swallows it with a glass of water)
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. I too once went over to the dark side.
But hey good luck anyway with the management role. :)
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