Know Thyself
It was interesting to read Martin McKeay’s post today about stepping down as the Cobia Product Evangelist. It struck a chord with me because I’ve been recently looking at ways to improve my own career. Martin’s experience reminds me of a bit of ancient wisdom – Know thyself.
I know that personally I learn best from experience. Trying things is a great way to learn. You may learn more about a skill or technology, or you may learn you don’t want to do that job again. The important thing is that you learn from the experience. Far more learning happens in the deep end of the pool than the shallow end.
So kudos to Martin for trying something, for stepping out and going after an opportunity. And kudos to him for knowing when it’s time to try something else. You never truly know unless you try.
For me, I’m thrilled that 8 years ago I left a salaried position to start my own company. In the rougher times I contemplated shutting down and taking a job, but I know myself well enough to know that wouldn’t have been best. Sure a steady paycheck looks nice when things are tough, but it wouldn’t have lasted. The urge to roam would have come up as sure as tomorrow comes.
Looking forward, I am going to pursue more work in the realm of infrastructure. Many of the projects I’ve truly enjoyed have been around infrastructure so I will make a concerted effort to push in that direction. And if a little further down the line it’s not working, I’ll just look back at this post and think of trying something new. Whether it works or not, I should know myself a little better.