the best time to get started was yesterday

2018-08-12

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~3 min read

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458 words

The next best time is now. I’ve been dying to get back to this blog for months but this week two things gave me the push I needed:

  1. First was finding Martin Fowler’s blog and specifically seeing his tags. Martin Fowler's blog post history For those counting at home, that’s 22 years of blogging. Whenever I see a log like this I feel a tinge of sadness. Then I remind myself of the quote I used to title this post.
  2. Des Traynor was recently on the Indie Hackers podcast discussing Intercom’s development. It’s great listen and Des delivers nugget after nugget. The Path from Minimum Viable Product to $50M a Year with Des Traynor of Intercom - The Indie Hackers Podcast

In talking about the importance of managing a firm’s brand, Des talks about how they used their blog in pursuit of their mission to make business personal.

Together those were the nudges I needed.

Why I’m back

I’ve been tossing around the idea of a career shift for several years, but this summer I finally took the plunge to pursue it full time. I wish I could go back to ’95 and tell my younger self to think more seriously about computers.

I missed that chance to plant that seed, so here I am trying to catch up. I do not have the hours at the keyboard that a programmer my age normally would or could if they started earlier, but I have several years of experience in learning how to learn. I fully intend to catch up to my peers and contribute as an equal member in short order.

In order to do that though, I have a lot to learn. That’s where this blog and site come in.

What you can expect

I’ll continue to explore topics like Made Time, but I won’t limit myself to self-improvement. There are too many resources out there for that and I have too many interests. So, in addition to figuring out ways to work smarter, I’ll be tracking resources I find helpful, new concepts I’ve learned, and exploring ideas through my writing.

Frankly, from an editorial perspective and publication side, I don’t know what this will look like yet, but at a minimum, I plan on publishing learnings of the week every Sunday.

Bottom line

I wish I’d started 20 years ago. I would be in a much better position today if I had. Unfortunately, until time travel becomes possible, I’ll have to resolve to be better now. Better means a greater focus on the things that will really push me forward (98% chance that I’ll be wrong on what those things are, so feel free to nudge me toward better decisions).



Hi there and thanks for reading! My name's Stephen. I live in Chicago with my wife, Kate, and dog, Finn. Want more? See about and get in touch!