Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes...time to rearrange...my life!

Ok, this is SoftwareLand launch control...the code has been loaded and has passed all required security checks...3..2..1..Ship!!!!

...that's how my very first podcast (www.softwareland.org) started back on October 1, 2004.

Little did I know then that the rocket was indeed launching! I had just started working with Microsoft's new Software Factories vision and DSL toolkit and was just settling into my (then) relatively new position as Senior Consultant.

I've always had a penchant for working with not-quite-released technologies. You know, I'm the kind of guy that wants to be the first kid on the block with a new toy...It never mattered whether I got the toy from someone else or if I built it myself.

Since that very first podcast, I've now done over 100 shows, given part of a full-day tutorial at the OOPSLA conference in Vancouver, BC, written a bunch of cool proofs-of-concept, developed some internal tools and generally experienced what it's like to work for Microsoft. Prior to joining Microsoft I had been a consultant for almost all of the last 20 years, developer-architect-manager-for-hire, working for over 100 different clients. Since joining Microsoft I've had a chance to work with many of the internal product groups as well as customers who are using or considering building applications on the .Net platform.

Now, my vision of the future has changed once again, starting next month, I'll be moving to the Seattle area to begin my new position as a Technical Evangelist working for Jeff Sandquist (www.jeffsandquist.com). I'll be in the job described in the now legendary "eat-like-a-bird, poop-like-an-elephant" post (https://www.jeffsandquist.com/PermaLink,guid,f58bbef8-5268-4eb3-b96b-6df232c82513.aspx).

In my new role I'll be responsible for engaging a variety of constituencies including the .Net third-party-compiler developer community, the "MicroISV" (shareware and 1+ person shops) community as well as being deeply involved in community events (including blogging and podcasting) for the upcoming Professional Developers Conference to be held in Los Angeles this September (https://msdn.microsoft.com/events/pdc/), as well as a few other we're-not-ready-to-talk-about things....(of course!)

Jeff's post described it as a "dream job" and, in my case, it certainly is. I've been a compiler writer since the very early days of my career as well as an evangelist for software-tool automation since as far back as I can remember. In addition, I've discovered in recent years that I have a set of customer-facing skills I didn't even realize I had!; 20 years of consulting makes one very humble which is, at least in my case, a good thing, and it turns out a valuable set of skills.

I still have a few weeks of effort to transition out of my current position but I'm eager to get going on meeting everyone whose interest falls into my new areas of responsibility and equally eager to help you be successful as members of the Microsoft community.