Don’t let the title throw you off. Technical Rex is not a new business. It has been around since 2007 and I started it with two goals in mind:
- Turn my ideas into real software.
- Support Goal 1 by helping local businesses develop their software.
After seven years I have learned that these goals do not complement each other very well. I spent all of my time focusing on work contracts and putting my business on the back burner. Sure, I started some projects, but I never really followed through on any of them. Thankfully I have never given up on those ideas. Instead, I have reflected on and learned from them. This year, I finally have the opportunity to update those goals and have guaranteed time to focus on them.
The company where I held my longest contract, Vertafore Inc., has supported me immensely over the years and the new VP of Product Development totally blew me away while negotiating my switch from contract developer to employee. I told her about wanting to spend more time focusing on my business. She didn’t just sympathize with me, she made it happen! I have transitioned into a part-time position at Vertafore where I will be a technical lead and developer that bridges the gap between the new architecture and new development teams. We’re working on hot stuff and I am excited to be a part of this fundamental change in how the company builds software. So… that’s what I will be working on four out of five days a week.
On that remaining day I will be dedicating my time squarely on my own business. I have already transitioned the old cookie-cutter web site away from Yola to WordPress.com so I can offer regular updates in the form of blog posts. I have also spent some time getting better (and funner) art. I love dinosaurs.
With this new opportunity I have decided to revise my goals. Here they are:
- Share as much as possible with as many people as possible.
- Take my ideas and turn them into real software.
It has occurred to me that I have learned a lot since college yet I have not really offered up much of that knowledge to more than my immediate coworkers. I have also spent a considerable amount of time researching all aspects of my business, be it bending QuickBooks to my will or figuring out how to get Jersey, Jackson, and Spring to be besties. It’s time for this to change.
Offering some business transparency and knowledge sharing to anyone who might be interested may not get me closer to implementing my ideas, but it just might help others with theirs. It helps me give something back to Vertafore too. That is important to me because they are not only providing me with this opportunity, they are also continuing to help me grow as a developer.
Now I just have to dig in and start knocking those ideas out of the park!
