Category: personal

So not only is the end of 2019 quickly approaching, but so is the end of a decade. The 2010s are drawing to a close. An entire decade is over, and we're just about to enter the 2020s. What an amazing time to be alive. I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on the past year…

Recently I was a guest on freeCodeCamp's Podcast! I had a lot of fun chatting with Abbey, the host, who asked wonderful questions that let me talk at length about my career. There's a wonderful blog post up about the contents of the episode if you want to read the cliff notes…

2018 was quite the year for me. The biggest and most obvious change was becoming a parent. That was far and above the highlight of the year. Not only was was becoming a father the highlight of the year but it was also a big influence on my music listening behavior. Namely, it put…

On April 7th, 2018, my son was born and I became a father. His birth turned me into a father. A dad. His daddy. Someone who will always be there for him, no matter what. I've long wanted to be a father, to have a child. It's something I've wanted for as long as I can remember…

2017 was a year in which many of my current favorite artists put out new albums. Going into the year I was super excited and impatient to get my hands on their newest creations. If I liked what they made before, surely I'll like what they make today? Sadly that didn't turn out to…

Last month I had the pleasure to attend MongoDB World 2017. It was my first time attending a conference as an organizer rather than an attendee. It was a lot of fun seeing behind the scenes. Getting a feel for all the work that is required to run a successful conference was a…

2016 was a damn good year for music. Great albums were released by established and new artists alike. My favorite moments this year were when I tried a new album from an established artist and found myself appreciating their new sound and style. Two marquee moments this year were…

For a long time the main way I listened to music was as an album. I would get an album and listen to it in its entirety, from start to finish. All my opinions and feelings about those tracks would be heavily shaped within the context of the album. Occasionally I'd hear a song on…

Music. In 2014. God, how can I even begin? 2014 wasn't even a year of music for me, it was a year of growth with Rachel and starting a whole new chapter in my life. The marriage was what consumed the entire year, with everything else just a blur in the background. Yet the music…

A little while ago we released our Paid Content product after two consecutive six week sprints. The first six weeks were spent creating the MVP, and the second six weeks were spent polishing it up. This is the breathless tale of those first six weeks. Part 1: Research This whole…

What a year for music. Seriously, this year has been just a whopper for music, something that I could not have even tried to predict. When 2010 was just peaking it’s head around the corner I was honestly a little bummed. I looked at the music that had come out in 2009 and was…