Where have I been and what have I been doing? Damn good question.
The past few years have been among the most tumultuous of my life. Personal and business challenges have stressed me nearly to the breaking point, and amazing events have rocked my world and the world at large.
I’ve questioned (literally) the mental health of my fellow Americans who re-elected the most corrupt government we’ve ever had. My disgust with the whole thing crushed my spirit and clouded my view of the future. Closer to home, I faced a tremendous crisis of confidence regarding my worth as a person, my ability to provide for myself and my family, and my ability (and desire) to continue writing my book.
The world around me seemed to have gone mad; or maybe it was me?
20% Annual Return – Guaranteed!
The absolute stupid excesses of the housing market finally hit the wall of reality, and in spite of the pain this caused many (me included) I’m glad it happened. The fraud of the whole system has been obvious to me for years, and I’m hopeful that the crash will restore some small semblance of sanity. Of course, before we get the benefits from our more prudent outlook, we have to bear the consequences of our collective folly.
Change or Die
For me, these consequences piled on top of the already difficult conditions at my company, Wired Inc. For years we had designed and manufactured professional MPEG encoders for video professionals. They enjoyed a great reputation and became the best selling product of their kind. But starting about three years ago, the market began to change; we were hit by the double-whammy of the increasing speed & quality of cheap software-based systems and the saturation of the market for DVD creation tools. Realizing that the end was near for hardware-based MPEG encoders, we began work on an ambitious new product, to be called the Mason IP. It would be a revolutionary tool for companies involved in the creation of DVD and Bluray discs. We estimated it would take a year to develop and that the sales of our traditional products should last long enough to fund its development.
Unfortunately, our estimates were off by a factor of three and sales dried up much faster than anticipated. Still, we were not deterred. We believed in the product and kept pouring money into its development. When cash stopped flowing, we cut salaries; first by half, then by three quarters and then to zero. My partner and I burned through our reserves and still it wasn’t enough. We kept it up as long as possible, but after more than two years of no income, with the mortgage due and no products to sell, we realized something had to give.
For the first time in many years, we each had to find an alternative source of income, commonly known as a job.
Getting Out the Rolodex
As I often did in my years as a consultant, I turned to my contact database and started calling and emailing everyone I knew. Typically I am a very optimistic person, but the past couple years had taken their toll, and I was filled with doubts. Who out there could possibly use my odd blend of marketing genius* and technical skills? Was there really anyone out there who would find my experiences from Astarte and Apple and Wired a good fit for their business? Could I find something that would solve the short term problem and hopefully develop into something with a future? I called and wrote and waited and worried. Day and night the hollow sound of my empty bank account rang in my ears.
Impressive German Engineering
But then, there came a much more pleasant ringing sound: a phone call from an old friend and former client who just happen to need some help with a project that just happen to match my qualifications. The caller was Dr Markus Fest of Elgato. Markus is the original creator of Toast, the best-selling disc burning software, now sold by Roxio. In the early days, Toast was marketed by Astarte and I managed the US portion of that arrangement. Later, when Markus sold Toast to Adaptec, I worked for him again, writing user manuals and managing production. And again when Markus’s company was busy creating drivers for USB floppy drives and for the first FireWire hardrives, we worked together.
Suffice it to say, Markus knew my work (and my limitations) and I knew his. It took only a few days for us to agree to a trial engagement. It was a small project, managing the launch of a minor product, but it helped to reverse my negative cash flow and left me some time to continue to work on my Wired project.
This was about two and a half years ago, about the same time I pretty much vanished from this website and most other non-essential pursuits. There was so much to do, and Elgato had so many interesting projects underway, that it wasn’t too long before Markus and I agreed it should be a full-time deal.
And so it has been. I am officially the EyeTV Evangelist, helping to spread the word about one of the coolest Mac-related product lines on the planet. I work on the user forum, handle training for the Apple retails stores and am part of the marketing team. It’s an awesome company, and I feel privileged to work with such a talented group of people.
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Three months before I hooked up with Elgato, I had another life-altering experience: I became a grandfather! My eldest son had a son, named Jack. Unlike turning fifty and other recent ‘mileposts’ of getting older, which tend to get me down, becoming a grandpa is a totally wonderful and amazing thing. Whenever I get to spend time with Jack I feel completely recharged. For those of you who have yet to be grandparents, I can recommend it without reservation.
The Book Really Stalls
As you might expect, my new-found work with Elgato and being a grandpa keeps me very busy; finding time to work on the book is difficult. But there was another much larger factor that basically stopped it in its tracks: Steve Job’s life-threatening illness. Once it became public that he was sick, and the morbid curiosities of every hack on the planet were played out on the world wide web stage, I felt very uncomfortable with the idea of working on my fluffy little pamphlet. And what if he died? From a business point of view, I knew it would be the perfect time to have a book ready, but the thought of it disgusted me.
It seemed the less real news there was about Steve’s condition, the worse it got. People who had obviously never worked with him, or even met him, were writing stories about every aspect of his existence. Much of it was heartless, some if it appeared to be fabricated (or at best highly embellished), and almost none of it actually added anything to the world’s understanding of this unique person. I just didn’t want to be part of that.
What’s This Thing All About?
Besides those reservations, I found myself struggling with the basic concept of the book. I named it ‘Jobs I’ve Known’ because I intended the book be about my whole career, and how my many jobs and seemingly random decisions over the course of many years resulted in my working at Apple and getting to work with Mr Jobs. But it became pretty clear from my work on this blog that all anyone really wanted to know about was Steve Jobs. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I have enough real experience with him to make a whole book out of just that.
Inspiration Returns
Three things happened recently that make be want to get back to work on the book. First, the fascists were run out of Washington. Hope has been restored.
Second, I bought an ebook reader (the Sony, in case you wonder). It has brought me back to reading again, after far too long an absence. This joy of reading seems to be sort of spilling over and motivating me to write again.
Third, Steve Jobs returned to Apple. While it’s clear from his appearance that he’s not out of the woods yet, his reemergence into the public eye makes me a little more comfortable writing about him again.
I Get a Hat
As part of my newly invigorated self-image, brought on by my fantastic family and matchless colleagues, I’ve decided to start a campaign to bring back hats. If you’ve ever watched a classic movie from the forties or fifties or flipped through an old magazine, you’ll realize the world was a much more civilized place when everyone wore hats.
To kick off the campaign, I bought a nifty Panama hat from a street vendor in New Orleans. Then last month in Munich, I picked up a classic felt Fedora to wear to Oktoberfest. Now it’s your turn to go out and get a hat. I’ll wait here.
*Your opinion may vary.
Interesting read.
It’s good to see you back here on your blog again.
Thanks.
Welcome back to the blogging world. I’ve often found your insights very interesting.
Very positive thinking, anyway.
The Panama looks great!