Alright, this my small attempt at market research. As you can see, we now have a form. I kept it short. There are two text boxes so you can add more if you'd like. Basically I'm just trying to figure out if anybody really wants something like this and if so, would they be willing to pay for it.
Got started on the app today. I haven't come up with a good title yet. How about "You make the play!"? It's a work in progress. This project is going to have a fair amount of admin only stuff. That's not something I've built in the past so I've starting thinking more about that end of things. The admin (meaning me) is going to have to manage the different order states, the registered users and of course upload the finished product so that it's available for download.
Gotta start somewhere right? Now if you haven't already, fill out the form!
That my friends is the Natick Mall. I work at the mall! I worked at the mall today in fact.
Today was my first day as a junior developer at Barbershop Labs. They told us at Launch Academy that they were simulating an actual work environment, but they never covered anything quite like this.
So how did the first day go? Well Adam hasn't fired me yet, that's gotta be a good thing right? Actually I did what many people do on their first day - I listened a lot. I kept my mouth shut and tried not to sound stupid. I learned a long time ago on the radio that people have no idea how little you know unless you tell them.
It's been a strange four months. I can honestly say that the period of time since I quit my job has been nothing like I expected because I didn't really know what to expect. I still don't in many ways. It was nice to go to work today.
Next up - a project. We've already started planning. There will be a lot more about it in this space as I work through the development. In fact you'll probably be sick of it long before it's finished. To be completely honest it's Adam's idea, and when he tossed it out there I had no interest at all. It turns out what I did was 'grin fuck' him. Now those of you who know me know I rarely talk like that, let alone put words like that in print. That's a term Adam introduced me to today. I guess he's rubbing off on me already. Last week when I first met Adam and Matt in person Adam was explaining his idea while I just sat there, nodding my head and smiling while all the time thinking there's no way in hell I'm going to do that. I grin fucked him.
Turns out I am going to build his idea. The gist of it is you go to a website, enter some basic info and pay me. I take that info and create a customized play by play highlight featuring you or whoever you choose as the star. You could get it for your Dad for Christmas! I'll voice it and produce it and bang there you have it, ready for download. I think at some point soon I'll post a form here just to see if I can get a little feedback as I move along in process.
Day one done. Just remember, if your ever at the Natick Mall keep your eyes open. If you see three guys with computers looking a little too comfortable on the couches it's probably just another day at the office for Barbershop Labs.
So this is my first post. I haven't really determined what this blog will be all about. I imagine that some days it will be about work. Some days it will about about the things I'm stuck on and the things I'm learning. Other days it may be about my kids or who knows what. If you're looking for expertise you probably won't find it here. As a developer I'm at the tip of the iceberg. While there is a long way to go and it can be pretty scary to look down, it's a pretty exciting place to be.
My hope is to update this space regularly. Of course I've been down that road before and somehow always felt that I didn't have something important to say. This time the plan is to say it anyway, no matter how unimportant it may be.
Where have I been? What have I been doing? Well right now I'm watching the Red Sox and Yankees - listening to Joe and Dave of course! Although you may be surprised to know that I haven't been to Fenway since my last broadcast. I haven't watched or listened to that many games. I've been too busy and it's been ok. I miss my friends. I miss the people I worked with, but I haven't missed the job. I know that may sound strange to many, but it's true. Sure it seems like a dream job for some, but it wasn't for me. At least not anymore. I got as much out of that dream as I could.
A lot has happened since I was last in the public eye. I wish I could say it has all been great, but it hasn't. I have no regrets. I loved every minute of my broadcasting career and I firmly believe that this new direction is the right thing at the right time. Will it ultimately work? Technically I suppose time will tell, but in my mind the answer is yes. Why? Because I'm a stubborn son of a bitch. It'll happen because I'm persistent. There were plenty of talented broadcasters who never became broadcasters. They weren't willing to pay their dues, sacrifice and put up with all the bullshit. I was. All the way to the major leagues. Now I'm a web developer.
