I write about business & tech innovations that will help you survive and even thrive at work — while keeping your values intact.
You may be asking yourself, “what in hell is this site about, and why would I want to subscribe to your posts?” Good question. I hope that this post helps you make the decision that’s right for you.
Probably the best way that I can describe what the site is about is to describe why I write about the topics that I write about. Then, I think the decision to read or not read my posts as they come out will be easy.
Fundamentally, I write because others have written for me, and I believe in passing learning on to others.
So, what topics do I write about? It really depends on the day, but below are the topics that I mostly write about:
I write about the workplace because we spend so much damn time at work, and because so damn many of us are miserable there. This is not OK. And it doesn’t have to happen. There are specific, repeatable things that decent human beings can do to reduce workplace misery. I try to learn about as many of them as I can from the innovators I work with and share them as widely as I can. I fundamentally believe that the best workers have fun while they work. And I believe that you can work hard, create value, and not compromise your personal values while doing it.
I write about running because I learn so very much from running, especially as I age. Life is never easy; work is never easy. Neither is running. My races and adventure runs with my crazy friends inevitably teach me something that I need to learn about living and working in this spectacularly imperfect world, and sometimes I share that, too.
I never intended to write about open data or the ways that civic tech hackers are changing government in the 21st century. I never thought anyone would be interested, frankly. But somewhere along the line, I connected with some spectacular people who are changing the world through these things, people who convinced me that open data and civic hacking is important to everyone, and so now I sometimes write about those topics, too.
I write about technology innovation, not because I love technology so much (although I do love technology), but because I love what technology can do. I love how technology can save money; I love how it can free up time; I love how technology can reduce complexity; I love how it liberates. I do not love how it sometimes throws chains on us; I do not love how practitioners sometimes use it to belittle those who don’t understand; I do not love complexity for complexity’s sake.
In sum, I love technology when it enables us to be better humans. I have spent my entire working career (uncomfortably close to 30 years at this point) working to make technology serve the humans, and not the other way around. I write about future tech and where tech is going (e.g. cloud computing), because when we know where it’s going, it makes a favorable outcome for humans more certain. While my crystal ball isn’t perfect, my batting average is pretty good.
I write about startups because, although I have spent my career in large public and private organizations, I have learned so much from the startup world. Startups don’t just implement startup tech: they also implement startup workplace ideas. I have successfully implemented startup ideas in large organizations, and am excited about others doing that too.
Mostly, though, I write for readers: YOU. Brian, first a reader, now a friend that I have met in real life, wrote to me that I’m a “corporate CIO with startup values.” I try to live up to that. Carol, similarly, wrote to me that, as a business, tech, and people leader, I have a unique perspective on the relationship between people, work, tech, and the community, perhaps redefining what that relationship is or should be. I try to live up to that, too.
In short, through the topics and lessons that I explore, I hope to help readers to survive and thrive even in dysfunctional organizations (which are all-too-common). Many of the things that I explore are the things that have helped me to create great teams and results.
I hope you join me as I think out loud about the topics above, because I try to reach new insight not only for myself, but for you.
Reach out through the comments, or via Twitter, anytime.