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Call me, IrvineGeek

Published by LagunaGeek on July 22, 2019

After leaving DealerSocket, I focused on spending more time with family and friends as well as integrating healthier eating and exercise habits into my daily routine. I also decided I needed to take extra care in selecting my next challenge. And, after some extended deliberation, I decided it was time to step back into a more of a leadership role like those I had at 2Advanced and Bad Juju Games.

Irvine Company

I decided that my next role should continue to be focused on Mobile Software development, which has been a central theme of my career for the past decade. But, I didn’t want to focus on a single application or product. I was extremely fortunate that my search coincided with an opening at Irvine Company. Their position aligned perfectly with the kinds of challenges that I relish.

The Solutions Architect role in their Applied Innovation group allows me to continue to be heavily involved in the constantly evolving field of mobile application development. However, it also gives me to opportunity to work with other evolving technologies like Robotics, Machine Learning, Internet Of Things and any many others. I am also able to get hands on and continue to contribute code from time to time.

Being in charge of the mobile applications for most of the markets (Apartments, Office, and Retail) that Irvine Company is a market leader in really allows me to pull from all the skill sets that I have learned in my career. I am able to bring the UI/UX expertise from my years of running a world class Design Studio as well as my experience in developing Enterprise level front and back end code from my time at DealerSocket.

I am excited to have this opportunity with The Irvine Company to continue to evolve my skills as a Bespoke Solutions Architect.

Time for a new challenge

Published by LagunaGeek on February 22, 2019
Wild Ride

My time at DealerSocket has been quite the wild ride! Within my first few months at the company I was able to convince the CTO to create a team dedicated exclusively to their Mobile efforts and give me the Scrum Master responsibilities. Fast forward to today and that team is still going full steam ahead, creating the next generation of their Mobile applications using Native toolkits (Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android) from a complete rewrite using Clean Code and the very latest best practices.

However it has become more and more apparent over time that in order to move my career forward, it is time to look for new challenges outside of DealerSocket. While I love the team I have worked so closely with (as well as all the other talented and exceptional people I have had the joy to work with over the last four years) there are no available opportunities within DealerSocket that will allow me to continue to innovate in the hands-on role that best aligns with my “Maker” sensibilities.

I’m not exactly sure what that next challenge will entail, as I am getting multiple inquiries daily and it will take some time to find that next perfect challenge. Some of the more interesting ones center around using Machine Learning or continuing to grow my Android development skills. However, I am sure that whatever I do finally decide on – it will be something that challenges and excites me!

I am… Automotive

Published by LagunaGeek on February 15, 2015

DealerSocketSo, after taking some much needed time to spend time with family and friends, I kicked off my job search at the start of the New Year. And, after considering all my options I have chosen to accept a Developer role at DealerSocket located in beautiful San Clemente, CA. The Bonus is that I won’t need to leave South Orange County, where I have lived and worked for the last 25+ years. I will also be working in a more hands-on role. Something that was a critical factor in my decision to accept the offer. Over the last decade or so, my day-to-day role has been much more managerial than hands-on. And, I’ve really missed the challenge of creating the code to bring an idea from a raw concept to a fully working product. Plus, I will be able to leverage my experience with C#, Flex and MS-SQL – which have always been my core competencies.

With the recent capital infusion from Vista Equity Partners, DealerSocket is going to be growing massively. Already a strong player in the competitive automotive industry, they are kicking off an aggressive expansion effort. This is a company to watch, and I am excited to be a part of this innovative company.

Time to find what I love

Published by LagunaGeek on June 1, 2014

Lately I have been putting a lot of thought into a quote from Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement address at Stanford University.

“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Full Transcript Here

If I am completely honest with myself, when I ask myself that same question lately the answer has regrettably been “No”. And it has been that way for quite a while. So, it is with a heavy heart that I have decided it is time to move on to a new chapter in my life. The biggest change being that it is time to leave behind the companies that I co-founded with my close personal friends Tony Novak and Eric Jordan, and move on to the next challenge. While both 2Advanced Studios and Bad Juju Games are still going strong, and have a wonderful team of talented people who I helped in part to assemble; those companies are no longer where my heart lies.

Over the past decade and a half the industry has been transformed, for better or worse. While innovation abounds, the standard client service nature of an agency really prevents one from being allowed the freedom to truly innovate. Profit margins are too slim, and clients want it their way; and of course they want it yesterday. And in the interim I have poured all my energy into the companies, to the exclusion of all else. Just ask my ex-wife, or my friends and family whom I barely ever see. I’ve lost my spark, and it’s time to find it again.

So, it’s time for some honest “me” time. It’s time to see my friends and family who I have ignored. It’s time to leave the iPhone and MacBook at home, and spend a day at the beach – or the mountains – or anywhere else inspiring and beautiful. It’s time to discover who I really am, possibly for the first time in my life.

Filling the void

Published by LagunaGeek on June 15, 2011

Well, it’s been over a year and a half since my last post — and it’s been a super busy time for me. I can now reveal that the major project that has consumed most of my time has finally been announced by Activision Publishing. Call of Duty®: Elite will be launching its public beta test within the next month, and I think that most of you that play or have played any of the games in this world record setting franchise will be extremely excited.

There has been a lot of confusion about what this project really is, and while I know a bit more about what the long term plans are. Your best resource for finding out about the service would be to check out Dan Amrich’s constantly updated FAQ about Elite at http://bit.ly/codelite.

I look forward to possibly sharing some tips and tricks about the service once the public beta has officially started, however in the meantime — it’s time to get pumped!

Heading back to 2Advanced

Published by LagunaGeek on January 1, 2010

After taking a working sabbatical to recharge my creative energies and renew my hands-on experience with current web technologies, I am happy to announce my return to 2Advanced Studios!  My focus will be on building a new business unit to act as an incubator for new web/mobile opportunities.  I will also be acting as needed to assist with the normal ongoing business activities of the Studio.  I am most looking forward to working with the awesome team we have assembled at 2Advanced, as well as my close personal friends and co-founders Tony Novak and Eric Jordan.  Keep an eye out for some of the new exciting initiatives 2Advanced will be launching in the next year!