Category: Life

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Apple Core Labs Business Development Indie iOS Life

Into the Fray

I Have Failed

Will code for...Back in June I decided I’d jump back out into the Freelance iOS world and make a go of it. I had a couple contracts lined up so it seemed like a good time to make another run at it. Boy, was I wrong. About that time a number of well known Indie software developers were writing about their experiences in the App Store. The market for Indie work has kind of collapsed and I can tell you the Freelance market has bottomed out in many ways. It’s difficult to get folks to understand a mobile application is a real application. I hope someone is studying the psychology surrounding this phenomenon. I know every freelance developer has experienced this in their field. You give an honest estimation of time and an associated dollar value, and you never hear from them again. I hear fellow developers saying “Yep, been there, done that.” It’s just how things work.

Some of the contract work I’ve taken over the past couple of months are jobs I should not have taken. The pay was substantially less than it should have been and at least one of the applications was so substantial in size I really should have walked away, but I didn’t. That’s a big mistake on my part, something I regret, and a mistake I cannot make again. I took the work because I needed it. It’s a horrible position to negotiate from. You have zero power.

I also had a contract that went about as sideways as one could go. That is a cautionary tale and one I hope to tell someday, but not now.

All of this is, of course, a self made disaster. I chose to take the work, it’s something I’ll have to struggle out of, in the meantime I’m back out on the market, looking for a full-time gig.

What Do I Offer?

I’m a seasoned developer. You can call me old, that’s fine, I am not a 20-something. I have a wealth of experience shipping software. I’ve lead teams of developers and I’ve been an individual contributor. I know how to ship software. I’ve been there many times.

Most of my experience lies on the client side of the world. Windows desktop and iOS primarily. I’ve written code in C, C++, Objective-C, and C#. I have had a couple of stints writing software that ran on the server; Paramount Farms and LEVEL Studios come to mind. Both times the server side code was developed using a full Microsoft stack; C#, .Net, and SQL Server.

I believe connected services are the obvious thing to be doing. Along those lines I have experience developing and consuming services. REST and JSON based services are where it’s at today, but I’ve also consumed SOAP/XML based services. It’s all data, but I really do like the simplicity of REST/JSON.

I still like writing software but I’d also be more than happy to take on a Development Lead or Program Manager role. My last full-time position, with Pelco, was leading a team of 8-12 folks (it fluctuated in size and I’m counting contracted developers) developing a C++ and C# SDK for use with the Pelco VMS and I really loved what I was doing. I didn’t leave because I was unhappy, I left because iOS was calling me.

I’d love to continue working on iOS Applications, if possible, but I’d be equally happy working on desktop or server side software. I will warn folks up front. My SQL skills are pretty crude, but doing application logic and user interface isn’t a problem and is something I quite enjoy.

Career Highlights

I’m not much of a salesman. I don’t interview well (Whiteboard code? Instant fail, test anxiety.) I say this because I’ve had some of these moments recently. That’s the bad side of me.

I thought I’d share some things I have done and are in use by millions of people worldwide.

  1. Visio – I worked on Visio for over 10-years. QA, Setup Developer, Developer Support, and Visio Engine Development. When I left in 2003 Visio was used by over 9-million people worldwide.
  2. Pelco Endura – I worked on the Pelco line of Decoders for five years. This included the Workstation, VCD, and our shared pipeline component framework; MPF (Media Processing Framework.)
  3. Pelco SDK – I worked with a talented group of folks to create a reimagined SDK. We were able to design a new object-oriented C++ and C# SDK. I love creating code for others to use.
  4. LEVEL Studios – While at level I contributed to web services used by a large Android handset manufacturer. At the time the project was handed off our client it was supporting over 8-million people worldwide.
  5. Freelance – While freelancing I helped with a few applications, some are no longer in the store, and I have created a couple apps of my own (both in desperate need of a facelift, I know.)

If I were to sum up what I can offer I’d say this. I know how to ship software, how to make those tough decisions, and I can see the big picture. I know, and understand, that business needs play a big role in product development. I can lead or follow.

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Life

Close to Home

NY Times: “PORTERVILLE, Calif. — After a nine-hour day working at a citrus packing plant, her body covered in a sheen of fruit wax and dust, there is nothing Angelica Gallegos wants more than a hot shower, with steam to help clear her throat and lungs.”

Porterville is not far from us. I’ve heard estimates of 60-days of water for Visalia residents.

It’s been a serious situation for a long time. It’s now escalated to dangerous.

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Life

California, times six?

89.3 KPCC: “The latest initiative to split up California is not the first. Or the 10th. Or even the 100th. There have been at least 220 efforts to hack California up into smaller states, with at least five just since 2000.”

I happened across this article on the Six Californias effort and appreciated the history lesson. The article goes on to outline a few of the prior efforts complete with maps representing the new states. I had no idea this has been attempted over 200 times. Wild.

Some articles on the subject are serious, others pretty funny.

“It just doesn’t seem fair,” San Anselmo’s Johnny Colla, a member of Huey Lewis and the News, emails from a tour stop on the East Coast. “When Draper got the map and the magic marker out and started carving up the state like a second-grader, why didn’t he include our county in the little empire he wants to call ‘Silicon Valley’? I mean, we’re affluent, opinionated and self-centered just like the ‘young Turks’ down there in the South Bay. And, shoot, I want to be a part of what would be the state with the highest per capita income in the nation, don’t you?”

On the serious side of the fence. I live in what is known as the Central Valley. It would become Central California in this scheme and would instantly become one of the poorest states in the union.

The gaps are underscored in California’s non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s analysis of the proposal. According to the report, the new state of Silicon Valley, which would encompass most of the Bay Area, Santa Clara County and parts of the Central Coast, would have the highest per capita income in the nation, out-ranking Connecticut (funny coincidence that Draper happens to reside here). Meanwhile, the neighboring state of Central California, encompassing mostly poor agricultural counties in the Central Valley, would be at the very bottom in per capita income, behind Mississippi.

The arguments for it claim it will make Government more accessible and more efficient. I doubt it, and I doubt we’ll see this effort succeed. It is, after all, the 220th attempt. Guess we’ll find out in 2016.

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Life

D&D

20140720-212226-76946260.jpgThe New Yorker: “For much of its existence, D. & D. has attracted ridicule, fear, and threats of censorship from those who don’t play or understand the game. It is surrounded by a fog of negative connotations.”

As teens my brothers and I played a metric ton of D&D with our friends. It wasn’t uncommon for our Mom to find us crashed on the floor in the morning after a long nigh of campaigning.

It’s been years and years since we’ve played but it’s something I will never forget, not to mention something that shaped my early teenage years.

Every once in a while I think about the game and the great times we had as teenagers and wish we could experience it again.

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Life Uncategorized

Day One, by Bloom Built

Day One App IconI’ve been using Day One, from Bloom Built, for a few weeks now. It is quite possibly the best pure writing tool I’ve used to date.

The UI is the thing I find most compelling. They’ve kept it simple. In both apps you add a new post by tapping, or clicking, a plus button, write what you are thinking, and hit Done. It’s that simple.

Another nice thing: your writing is kept in sync between the Mac and iOS clients using iCloud or DropBox. I’m using iCloud and it’s been flawless.

If you are a Mac user and would like a place to write, that isn’t public, and you like the experience of a nicely designed native client, consider Day One.

Bloom is one of those companies, on a very short list, I’d work for (not that I’m good enough to work there.) I know that probably doesn’t mean much, but I tend to really love or hate software. When I love it, I want to work for the company. When I hate it? Well… I could care less. The list of companies I’d love to work for is very short. Bloom Built just joined that list.

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Life

Larger Phones

Jerry Fahrni: “The size. I’m not a fan of large smartphones. The Moto X has a 4.7-inch screen while the S5 has a 5.1-inch screen. This is more personal preference than anything else. It’s all about how well it fits in the left front pocket of my jeans.”

My brother recently had to replace his Moto X. He chose a Samsung S5 because, apparently, the Moto X is no longer available. It’s a really nice device, but like him I’m not a fan of larger devices. It really comes down to fitting in my pocket and how it feels in one hand.

I’m happy with the 4-inch screen on my iPhone 5C, and I could see going as large as 4.7-inch, Jay’s Moto X felt great in hand, but over 5-inches? Now we are approaching tablet size.

If you pay attention to Apple rumors, which I don’t, you’d hear talk of Apple releasing a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch device. This definitely doesn’t sound like something Apple would do, but Apple has been doing very un-Apple like stuff recently.

My hope? I hope they don’t go to a 5.5-inch device. That is extremely large. If you want something that big, buy an iPad Mini, it’s only 7.9-inches.

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Life

Traveling Companions

While on our cross country trip I was alone in a moving van. It wasn’t bad, I was able to think about a lot of things, but more on that later, maybe.

I use my old iPhone 4 as an iPod. It doesn’t have an always on connection, but the WiFi is fine and I have a nice collection of music to help pass the time, if I feel like listening to music.

This trip was a prime time to listen to Podcasts, so that’s what I did for a majority of it. Here are the Podcasts that kept me company.

A cute little monkey.Yes, I listened to a lot of podcasts.

I hope to write a summary post about our trip. It was very tiring, but a complete blast, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. After I recover from this one.

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Life

Home Sweet Home

The final leg of the trip went a lot faster than I expected. We’re all in good health, extremely tired, but in good health.

Couple days of relaxation and back to the grind we go.

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Life

The Push Home

We’re on the final leg home.

Kingman, Arizona to Visalia, California. It’s been a lot of fun, but I’m ready to be home.

We found a nice little coffee roaster here in Kingman.

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Life

Arrived Kingman, Arizona

The drive out of Albuquerque was really beautiful. Red sands and lots of tabletop mesas. The American Southwest is really amazing, but you have to appreciate deserts to understand what I’m saying. Color me impressed.

Tomorrow, the push home, Visalia, California. Then, rest for a couple days. I’m exhausted.

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