For those of you who don't already know because of the secret message boards that don't exist for members only.... I'm going to be joining Microsoft on April 2nd!
I'll be working on the Chakra Runtime team - that's Microsoft's JavaScript engine - as a Program Manager (http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2009/03/09.html). Pretty excited!
Sweet. When I visit Seattle this fall, we'll hang out. :)
(I *really* hope to visit Seattle, but it isn't 100% yet)
Cool! Definitely let me know.
Congrats!
Do you need someone to ensure the highest quality of beer is stocked and nonpoisonous for the company fridge? I only ask because I'll do it for a small fortune.
Quote from: MyndFyre on March 22, 2012, 08:11:46 PM
as a Program Manager (http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2009/03/09.html).
So just got around to reading the above link... and it only makes me want to leave the defense industry for the private sector/ commercial industry even more.
It would be unfair for me to portray all of the defense industry, or even all ACAT I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquisition_Category#Acquisition_Category_I_.28ACAT_I.29) programs as being this way, but a big reason I am unhappy with my job is exactly because of how program teams are organized/ lead. Often it's the opposite of this:
Quote
To make sure that the debate happens respectfully and on a rational basis of facts, it's absolutely critical that the program managers and developers be peers. If developers report to the program manager, at some point during the debate the program manager is going to get sick of the whole thing and just say, "OK, enough talking, now we do it my way." When they're peers, this can never happen. It's a little bit like courts of law: we don't allow a lawyer for one side to be the judge, and we work on the theory that the truth is most likely to be uncovered through a process of debate between equals. The debate can only be a fair one if neither side has an unfair advantage.
This is an important point, so if you were daydreaming about Sally in 11th grade, wondering where she is now, snap out of it. She's a biotherapist in Scottsdale, and a Republican. Now pay attention. Programmers can't report to program managers which means, among other things, that the development lead, or the CTO, or the CEO, can't be the person who writes the specs.
The number one mistake most companies make is having the manager of the programmers writing the specs and designing the product. This is a mistake because the design does not get a fair trial, and is not born out of conflict and debate, so it's not as good as it could be.
This is what has really disgruntled me about where I am at now. It's got to the point where I've stopped arguing and just either do as my "Program Manager" equivalent wants... despite knowing the design is poor or going to bite us in the ass down the road... there is little to no room for debate from me, the "peon"/ programmer.
Send me your resume! rob@robpaveza.net
Quote from: MyndFyre on April 05, 2012, 12:24:00 AM
Send me your resume! rob@robpaveza.net
Awesome, will do.
Legit!
I think my buddy has an internship out there this ... fall? He is CS PhD candidate @ Purdue. He keeps prolonging his graduation to do internships making bank, haha. He has an internship over the summer w/LivingSocial in D.C. and then the MS one in the fall................he gets married Labor Day weekend in Sept, and she will be staying in Indiana all that time........he'd better buy her expensive shit. lol.
They don't pay you that well as an intern. :P
Microsoft is something like 30-35/hour, living expenses, and maybe rental car.
LivingSocial is likely much worse than that.
So wait, Mynd, are you at MS' offices in Seattle/Redmond or somewhere in California?
Congrats! I don't live too far from Seattle.
Quote from: while1 on April 09, 2012, 06:11:15 PM
So wait, Mynd, are you at MS' offices in Seattle/Redmond or somewhere in California?
Not to hijack a question meant for him, but he's definitely in Seattle.
Quote from: Sidoh on April 09, 2012, 07:32:01 PM
Quote from: while1 on April 09, 2012, 06:11:15 PM
So wait, Mynd, are you at MS' offices in Seattle/Redmond or somewhere in California?
Not to hijack a question meant for him, but he's definitely in Seattle.
Yep! I'm living on the east side in Redmond.
I'm thinking of going to PAX prime (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Arcade_Expo#PAX_Prime_2012) this summer (the one in seattle) if I can get tickets. You should come Myndy :D
Quote from: Blaze on April 10, 2012, 01:01:54 AM
I'm thinking of going to PAX prime (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Arcade_Expo#PAX_Prime_2012) this summer (the one in seattle) if I can get tickets. You should come Myndy :D
That could be cool.
Quote from: MyndFyre on April 09, 2012, 11:54:37 PM
Quote from: Sidoh on April 09, 2012, 07:32:01 PM
Quote from: while1 on April 09, 2012, 06:11:15 PM
So wait, Mynd, are you at MS' offices in Seattle/Redmond or somewhere in California?
Not to hijack a question meant for him, but he's definitely in Seattle.
Yep! I'm living on the east side in Redmond.
Aight, cool, maybe we can meet up then. I'm booked to visit the area towards the end of the month (April 25 - 28), but I'm unsure of whether I'll like the area... I want to get a feel for the area before focusing on applying to jobs there.
Quote from: while1 on April 10, 2012, 10:34:51 PM
Aight, cool, maybe we can meet up then. I'm booked to visit the area towards the end of the month (April 25 - 28), but I'm unsure of whether I'll like the area... I want to get a feel for the area before focusing on applying to jobs there.
KK. I probably won't be able to show you around the Seattle area proper just yet... I don't know it very well! I'll say Redmond is a very sleepy area. Bellevue looks semi-urban though, and it's just across the way. We'll see! :)
BTW, I'm glad to see that you'll be here during some week days. You'll have to come by and visit me during work.
Quote from: MyndFyre on April 11, 2012, 11:51:10 PM
KK. I probably won't be able to show you around the Seattle area proper just yet... I don't know it very well! I'll say Redmond is a very sleepy area. Bellevue looks semi-urban though, and it's just across the way. We'll see! :)
BTW, I'm glad to see that you'll be here during some week days. You'll have to come by and visit me during work.
That's understandable since you've just relocated there, ;D. No worries, I've got a friend from college that I can use as a resource who has lived in Seattle for several years and works for Microsoft (I think he worked more in the business/ management side of things than technical, left the company, and is now back in a consulting capacity).
Good to know about Redmond/ Bellevue, makes sense looking at their proximity to Seattle. I'm more attuned to the idea of working in a suburb of Seattle anyways, at least compared to the say downtown Seattle, since I've never lived or worked in a city- open to the prospect though.
A visit to the Microsoft campus is on my TODO list for sure, and I'll definitely be dedicating a day of my trip to the Bellevue + Redmond area. It's the main reason I booked a rental car since Redmond is about 25 miles from my hotel/ SeaTac.
The way flight prices worked out, I pretty much will be in the area for
only the weekdays anyways, lol. I leave early Saturday morning. I kind of regret I won't be able to check out what weekend life in Seattle is like, but I'm trying not to use a lot of the paid time-off (PTO) I've accrued, so that when I leave my current employer all my unused PTO will be paid out in my last paycheck to the sum of an extra ~160 hours/1 month worth of salary ;D.
I'll definitely give you a holla as it gets closer to my arrival date. For the most part, I don't have planned any real itinerary besides reserving time to meet up with you and the friend from college.
Cool. I could probably give you a couple-three hours - I'm sure if I told my boss I was trying to recruit you she'd be OK with me taking an extended break. :)