This is what's scary...

about working at
Microsoft. Well not scary, really, but... there are so many people here that feel
the way I do, that fun and making a difference are what's inportant, that sometimes
I wonder if I've really just drunk the koolaid. But I know that's not it. Tonight
my partner and I bought a lottery ticket, and played what if... While she would quit
"working" as soon as she could (and switch to her real love, politics, where it's
almost impossible to make a living), I realized that I would keep working. For me,
it's not about money (or not just about the money), and I'm not rich by any means.
I watched my options at Borland crest and fall, cashing out only enough for a new
TV and VCR. And I've left several jobs when there was still a hope of being rich,
but if it's not fun any more, it's not worth another day of my time. Life is too danged
short. Robert Scoble is one of those people that I've read for a while. One of the
reasons, strangely, that I thought working at MSDN would be cool. One of the "names".
Like Chris Sells and Tim
Ewald. One time when Scoble posted his IM address, I added it to my list just
to see if it was real. And it was, and I debated a bunch about whether to IM him.
I mean he's obviously working on PDC (just like I am!) and probably really busy. I
did IM him, though, and was surprised (I don't know why) at his friendliness. And
since I now work at MSDN, I've met Chris and Tim,
of course, and guess what? They're real people. (Well yeah, of course, they're amazing
too, but still real.) That's what will be great about PDC, I think, that more than
ever before developers, PMs, and just about every other kind of Microsoftie will be
there to interact with developers -- not just to speak, but to speak and then stay
and listen. To get our stuff in front of them and hear what they think about it. Who
wouldn't think this was fun?