Personal, Professional

Seattle: The Most Beautiful Place on Earth

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I’ve traveled around for most of my life, and I have yet to find a place as beautiful as Seattle is during the few months of the year when the sun goes up at 5AM and sets at 10PM.  The temperature is moderate, the greenery is plentiful, and the people all seem to have a sparkle in their eyes.  Last weekend, I witnessed the July 4th fireworks on Lake Union on a upscale houseboat and had an incredible time.  I did miss Mark and Erin who were my usual July 4th house boat buddies.  They were having their own fireworks with the birth of their son Chance!!

I’ve just finished up my first month at the Gates Foundation.  A couple of days ago, the company had a picnic and I was astounded at how small we are.  As an undergrad at the University of Texas, I had more people in most of my classes than employees at this company picnic.   It was a great experience to meet so many of my coworkers and their families.  The event was set up as a children’s paradise; there was a little train going around the facility, an “iron man” rubber jumping castle, an obstacle course with tons of slides and ropes, and dozens of little flotation devices in the waters near Vasa Park.  The highlight of the day was seeing Bill Gates Snr sing “Tiny Bubbles” in a wig while the executives blew bubbles in the background.  This was a great send-off for CEO Patty Stonsifier who was serenaded with a creative ballad celebrating her accomplishments.  What an amazing human being!

I’m starting to adjust to my project and my new life in Seattle.  Over the past two weeks, I’ve gone hiking and kayaking multiple times.  My workoutrageous competition is going well, and I have little to complain about these days…

Hobbies, Personal, Projects

The Burn of a New Workout Program

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Workoutrageous V4 begins tomorrow.  We have 17 participants!  For a lot of them, working out twice a day is no biggie.  They’ve always had a good regimen and all they have to do is post their workouts.  I would argue that they will have a more challenging time with this game.  When you build a habit and someone asks you to change it slightly, it can be hard to adjust your routine… I expect to see several good workouts get dismissed because of our strict logging rules.

For others, this is a chance to dive into a new workout program with the support of friends and a fun competition.  They’ve got two great motivations – get in shape and get a win.  I’ve been off a serious workout program for the past six months, and I’m ecstatic to jump back in.  It’s been my longest break in over 15 years!

Over the past few days, I’ve had a chance to measure my strength and monitor my cardiovascular conditioning.  I was at my peak an year ago while training for the Melbourne Marathon (which surprisingly had a positive impact on my weight training as well).  I’m nowhere close to feeling like I did back then.  However, it doesn’t take a very long time to recover muscle mass.  My conditioning should return as well in due time.

I’ve decided to focus on shorter runs and a decent weight training routine.  I don’t feel ready for another Boston Qualifier this year, and if I push my luck I may end up injured again like last year.  I’ve decided to include leg training as part of my workouts which hasn’t been part of my plan for many years.  Training my hamstrings, quads, and glutes has never been enjoyable.  While it took me a large amount of time to build my upper body, my lower body has always responded to workouts abnormally well.  This imbalance doesn’t include my calves… which would have been nice.

While I’m not a professional body builder, I’ve always taken a body builder’s attitude towards weight training.  It’s not just about strength; it’s about selecting what parts of the body need training to achieve your “look”.  While genes determine much of your physical build, there is tremendous potential to work within those limitations.  For me, the benefits are endless. .  The “look” makes me feel healthy and more confident.  Others may not notice it, but I’m sure that they can feel my pride when I have it.

It’s kind of like the “Magnum” in Zoolander…

Personal, Tech

eTrade Account minus PS3 = $4.32 and some Wisdom

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There are times when I think my life is a sitcom… not a sitcom that appeals to the masses like a Seinfeld or the Simpsons, but a comedy like Arrested Development – a critically appraised hit that never strikes it big and gets cancelled after four good seasons on Fox.

Right now, my life’s worth (in liquid assets) is $4.32.  I have an iPhone with a partially broken touch screen.  It’s good enough to play my music, but I can’t seem to dial any phone numbers that use 1,2,3,4,5, or 6.  I’ve “borrowed” a roll of toilet paper from the workplace.  I badly need a haircut, and some detergent would make my day.  Despite all of this and a lack of decent sleep, I’m feeling pretty cheerful.  How did I get here, and why do I think someone is laughing at me?  How I can prevent myself from being one of the smartest people ever to win a Darwin Award?

I am uniquely talented human being.  I have a rare gift that combines a startling lack of common sense, strange luck, and bizarre assumptions.  Give me a challenge and I will surprise you, but give me something “easy” and you’ll wonder how I make it through the day.  There’s a reason why I never tie my shoelaces in public 🙂  Why did velcro never catch on?

Lesson of the day: when you use a virtual bank like eTrade, you’ll be fine 9 times out of 10.  On that rare occasion where you get a paper check instead of a direct deposit for your first pay period at a new job, you’ll wish you had a brick and mortar bank to go to.  Especially when it’s Thursday July 3rd and the next business day isn’t until Monday.  Especially when you’ve just purchased a Playstation 3 (on sale) that’s left you with exactly $4.32 in your account.  I don’t even have a TV.

My iPhone? My favorite gadget of all time has never let me down until now.  I’ve bashed it against tables to demonstrate its durability.  I’ve successfully used it as a weapon against a mugger in Melbourne.  It’s even survived a round in a washer/dryer combo.  And now my baby is broken… not the broken that makes you want to replace it with something new, but the partial kind that makes you think it’ll be fine after a few days of rehab.  Physically, it looks as good as new, but every time I press my finger on the alarm clock button (that woke me up every morning to Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal) to no avail, I realize that things will never be the same again.  

It’s been a long week, and I’m looking forward to the fireworks of this weekend.  July 4th rocks!  The weather in Seattle is sensational and I’ve been out running and kayaking.  Workoutrageous starts next week and I just gotten a new gym membership.  Currently, there are 14 quality people signed up.  It will be a spectacular competition!

Professional, Projects

3rd Week Struggles

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As a consultant, one of my challenges was always rolling onto a project and quickly learning enough to make a huge impact.  I expected to have a more normal pace of learning as a full time employee, but it’s been difficult to get away from the “consultant” mentality especially when surrounded by a group of elite consultants.  Unfortunately, I’m struggling with adjusting to the new job and understanding a complex system that is in the final stages of design.

So far, like the consultants, I’ve been focusing on the current project.  With my new role, that is a huge mistake.  At a consulting company, the overall informational sessions and training are usually optional.  I’m realizing that company meetings at the Foundation (which may have nothing to do with the current project) are a critical building block for my career and for the value I can bring to this team.  They are not optional.  I need to switch from concentrating on short-term deliverables to understanding the big picture by attending these larger Foundation meetings.  The people I meet there are the ones who will ultimately use our work.  Until I can truly understand what they want, I won’t be able to represent their unique perspectives with the consultants on our team.  My unique value-add needs to be my understanding of the Foundation, and my ability to rock the boat when I feel that a design decision conflicts with what our people need.

Our people… it’s interesting that I chose that wording.  Maybe it’s a step in the right direction to realize that I represent a different group now.  However, I cannot forget that everyone is driving towards the same goal and balkanizing the team would be detrimental.

In other news, Workoutrageous has about 8 people signed up right now.  I’m not sure if I was expecting more or less, but I’m disappointed at how “numbers-driven” I am.  Whether there are 8 people or 800 people, my goal for this first competition should be the user experience.  My mentor mentioned I should focus on quality and not quantity.  I may not have a great attitude about this competition yet, but I’m lucky to have a good mentor.

Hobbies, Projects, Tech

Workoutrageous Unleashed upon Unsuspecting Public!

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Workoutrageous Title Image

I can’t believe it! I’ve actually completed a personal project! It’s been in Beta for so long… 99% complete for almost forever. Now it’s going to get it’s first big test!

I built most of workoutrageous by handcoding. What I thought would be incredibly difficult took me 20% of my time. The other 90% was spent working on bugs with the integration of Phorum, a great open source forum software package. That adds up to 110%… and that’s how much I feel I gave this little gem.

The 90% problem was my fault though. Once again, I suffered from hubris after my brilliant 20% and did not look for free developer help on the Phorum forum. When I finally did, I got the response to my questions within 30-40 minutes. God bless you Maurice Makaay!

Hobbies, Professional

Starting Gates and Hitting the Wall at Camp Muir

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Starting GatesHow often can a person say that they started work at a company along with its future CEO?  “Starting Gates” is the official training program for the Gates Foundation.  It is a polished introduction to everything the Foundation works on and what its employees need to be aware of.  Its a lot of material for three days, and it’s admirable that it lives up to its mission.  Our group of 20 people also made pasta together at the Blue Ribbon Cooking School nearby, which was delicious and the event was a great team-building experience.  Highlights of the training were:

  • Bill Gates Snr. spoke to us about how the foundation was formed.  He was so casual about it… I was struck by how vibrant, pragmatic, and friendly he was.
  • Patty Stonesifier, the departing CEO, discussed her background with the Foundation and how she moved it from a focus on libraries to the biggest non-profit organization in the world.  I was moved by her tears during the presentation.  It was obvious that she has given her heart and soul to these efforts and that she fully expected us to continue her legacy.
  • Raj Shah talked about Global Development and I was stunned at both his presentation skills, his passion, and the depth of knowledge that he shared.  It’s the newest program in the Foundation and it has incredible potential. .  I’ve known that I wanted to be part of Global Development since I joined the foundation and I am more convinced than ever that I need to figure out how to get there as a program officer.
  • We had the pleasure of attending the three day training with Jeff Raikes, who is the future CEO, and his executive assistant.  They were asking so many of the questions we hear from our Subject Matter Experts at the foundation.  I’m certain that they will do an amazing job at the Foundation. 
  • Our start group was made up of some of the most remarkable people I have ever met.  They had such diverse backgrounds.  It’s likely I won’t see many of them again because of the broad spectrum of work here, but it’s good to know the Foundation is in good hands.
  • Finally, I learned about the “Boss”.  The Boss is all the disadvantaged people in the world who lack access to the basic building blocks of a good life.  At the Foundation, our mission is to do whatever it takes to ensure that all lives have equal value. It’s am ambitious challenge, but as long as we keep the Boss at the center of our decisions, we’ll move closer to our goals.

I was struck by how different this was from all the other orientations I’ve ever had in my life.  It wasn’t a socially driven experience.  There were no cheesy icebreakers or late-night binge drinking sessions.   You felt that the material was a snapshot of the company at a particular moment in time… that in a few months, the orientation would have different presentation all together as the game changed.   I had a great time!  It wasn’t the high I get from drinking company “kool-aid”, but the feeling that I was part of an amazing mission.

A Champion and a ChickenThe week began and ended with hikes.  I took a trip to Twin Falls with a few friends to reconnect.  I was surprised how much the event tired me out… it was great for socializing but my conditioning was off.  I should have realized it was an omen.  At the end of the sleepless tiring week, I went to Camp Muir with some champion hikers.  I’ve done this hike twice before.  The first time was challenging, but I made it up and down fairly well.  The second time was during my training for the Samsung Melbourne Marathon, and it felt easy.  This time, I hit a brick wall by the time we hit Pebble Creek about a third of the way in.  I was struggling and eventually I had to stop.  It was both painful and embarrassing.  The others were forced to cut the hike short.  I don’t know if the additional snow on the mountain was partially responsible for my breakdown, but its becoming clear that I can’t take my fitness level for granted anymore.

This makes the launch of Workoutrageous this week even more important for me.  I’m going to need a push to get back into shape.  I don’t know if many people will join in, but it’ll be a building block for everyone to build a good habit and support a great cause.

Professional

First Week of Saving the World

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an awesome annual volunteer event.  This year, I went with with the Gates Foundation so that I could meet up with some folks before I officially started that Monday.  If this experience is a microcosm of my future at the Foundation, I’m truly going to love it here.  

Sometimes people start a new job hoping for a clean slate – a new group of people to work with and tasks that are different from the previous job.  I certainly expected this with my move from consulting to a non-profit.  I was literally shocked when I realized that I would be working with the same consulting company again in a role fairly similar to what I had done when I had first joined THAT company.  The shock wore off when I realized who I’d be working with.  It wasn’t just random people, but many of my favorite colleagues on a short list of folks I could really relate too.  They were familiar faces that I knew had come here for a reason, and might stay here for a while if we could build something special.  A clean slate would have been great, but this is the best transition anyone could ever dream of.

The project we are working on has also allayed my fears of taking a step back with this job.  I may not be a famous scientist or economist, but I’m going to have a chance to make their lives easier and more efficient.  As a consultant, I would have been involved with only a small part of this monumental task.  As an FTE (Full Time Employee), I can truly invest myself in the future of this endeavor.  This may be the opportunity of a lifetime!

In short, I’m excited about my new job.  I’m not sure how long this honeymoon will last, but things are looking good.  I spend next week getting a more extensive look at how the Foundation operates.  This will be great for my new role and for my new career. 

This weekend will focus on launching workoutrageous.com and hiking.  The weather is finally looking phenomenal here in Seattle.  It’s about time!

Personal

New Job on Monday

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I can’t believe that I’m finally starting my new job at the Gates Foundation on Monday.  I feel a mixture of panic and euphoria.  After six months riding a roller coaster of uncertainty, I’m looking forward to some stability. 

I’m going to miss my old job.  I spent three years working with some of the most talented and creative people I’ve ever met.  I traveled around the world and learned new skills.  I grew from being a cocky Peace Corps volunteer into a confident business professional.  I learned how to carry myself with pride, but I also learned how to deal with humiliation.  I spent most of my time hating the job, but I have a hard time imagining myself doing anything else.  Consulting constantly stretched me to my limits and I’m not sure anything will be as sadomasochistically (is that a word?) satisfying.  I also used it as a crutch for so many of my personal shortcomings.  I’ll have to find something new to blame 🙂

Why am I moving on?  I don’t know.  Sometimes I feel like the carrots weren’t enough to keep me going, but deep down I know that’s not true.  It wasn’t until the past year that I truly appreciated what a career in consulting would bring, and I believe it is definitely worth it.  I think the answer lies in my definition of hapiness and satisfaction.  I think I was spending too much time trying to fit my work around these concepts without recognizing that it wasn’t the career that would deliver them to me. 

I want to help people.  I don’t want to care about profit or anything else.  I want to feel like my work is directly impacting people in a positive way.  This is not really an altruistic need, it’s a selfish desire to always feel like the world is a better place with me in it.  I’m not going to be a total dipshit and say consulting doesn’t do this – often, our projects assist millions of customers.  In a big company, every project has the potential to do this and the measurable impacts of our work may be greater than what most non-profits could ever hope to accomplish.  So what’s my problem?  I suppose it lies in the motive… our benefits are a side effect of the desire for higher shareholder returns.  That taint is what hurts me most.  When I tell people that I’m an IT consultant, it doesn’t reflect my passions.  It sounds like I’m a proud member of the rat race, and I hate that.

What am I hoping for with my new job?  I’m looking forward to working with a large non-profit.  I want to feel a more regular feeling of satisfaction, instead of settling for the status quo until it becomes a distant memory.  Maybe my daily grind will no longer feel like a grind, and even if it does, I look forward to having more time to spend on my side interests.  Am I blowing my expectations out of proportion?  Probably… but I’m sure this was a risk worth taking. 

Tech

eBay Rule Changes: Screwing the Seller

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So, I’m selling a few items on eBay this week, and I remember that eBay implemented a few changes this month. The one that affects me the most is the fact that I can no longer give negative feedback to buyers. You live and die by your feedback on eBay.

I’m not going to lie to you. eBay has long been seller-friendly. Most sellers would not provide positive feedback unless the buyer did the same thing. In the good old days, the seller would provide feedback immediately after a person paid for their item. However, this became stupid when eBay went mainstream. There were far too many idiot buyers who would complain about inane problems with their items and retaliate with negative feedback. The system evolved and people only provided mutually negative or positive feedback after they discussed their issues. Sellers would not provide positive feedback unless the buyer had done the same.

Starting this month, sellers can no longer provide negative feedback to buyers. Moreover, only the last twelve months of feedback are counted in your rating. Suddenly, the sellers are screwed. I’ve got 200 positive transactions on eBay and no negatives. However, this does not mean that I wasn’t threatened by a number of douchebags who wanted to slander me. Without the threat of negative feedback, buyers can walk all over sellers. Our feedback is no longer sacred.

I wonder why they are trying to break a working system? My only assumption is that they found a new criteria to indicate that there was a problem. I think the criteria is the buyer growth of eBay. eBay is a healthy community when everyone has positive feedback, but negative feedback would destroy a new buyer. While sellers are an important part of the eBay community, the buyers are what drives growth. . After all, if sellers feel screwed, where else can they go to sell? eBay is a monopoly. There’s no doubt that I could get a higher price on my goods there than anywhere else.

If only a site like craigslist would implement an auction/feedback system. I suddenly feel very afraid for my perfect feedback rating on eBay and I shouldn’t 🙁

Hobbies, Personal

Biggest Data Migration Project Ever!

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As a consultant for Accenture, one of my specialities was Data Migration – the process of moving old content into a new system.  It’s always easier to start with just new information, but the old data is the pride and joy of clients.  The challenge of making the old data fit into new rules is both a technical process of transforming old data and a customer-focused assessment of whether they will agree with how the data looks in the new system.  I’m very good at this.

I just had to update my old 2001 static website to a 2008 cutting edge blog.  I am both the customer and the consultant.  It was the toughest data migration job ever… I never knew I was such a pain in the ass. .  Check out my final decisions here.

It’s interesting to assess myself based on the site I created in late 2001.  Was I:

  • a self-absorbed nut case who had to create his very own fan site with an excessive amount of information?
  • so frightened after 9/11 that I wanted to post everything I had about myself in case something happened to me during my Peace Corps stint?
  • so caffeinated and manic during the 72 straight hours I spent building the site that it blurred my idea of what’s appropriate on a personal web page?

It was probably a combination of all three.  Have I changed much? 🙂

I was proud of that 2001 site so I brought everything over.  However, not much since I built that site is appropriate for a blog without major editing.  As a client, I’ve had to make a major decision between moving forward or continuing data migration.  Since I’m over budget on time, data migration is over!

Now that I’m done, there is only one thing left to figure out.  What will I write about and will anyone care?

Sandeep Koorse's Blog