My New Gig: Helping Reelect the President
So my buddy, Harper is currently serving as the CTO for the 2012 Obama Campaign. This spring, he told me I should interview to join his team. However, after taking the 5 hour commute and a couple other minor details into consideration, I declined.
… and regretted it immediately. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, working on technology for our president with a team of baller engineers. There would've been a lot of sacrifice, but the experience and knowledge I could've gained would have been completely insane.
So fast forward a few weeks... I began talking with Harper and his team again.
Today, I accepted an offer with Obama for America - so did my friend, Nick.
Most of you probably know that I'm not a very political dude. I mean... I did just vote for the first time in 2008. However, I do enjoy having Obama in office much, much more than our previous president... and I'd really like to build innovative tools to help see what he could do with another four years.
SO, for the next 15 months, I'll be spending a lot of time in Chicago building awesome things to power Obama's campaign. It's going to be awesome.
I'm kinda looking at this as a mixture of going off to grad school and working for a slightly less risky startup… I'll be away from family, stressed, learning a ton, working long hours, and be completely enamored in my work. I'll probably even have to go buy a crappy bed and desk to put into some apartment that I share with people I don't know, heh. (P.S. if you or any of your friends need a roommate or 2, I know of a couple great guys that will need a place to sleep).
Which brings me to the absolute worst part about this new gig… I'm going to be spending a LOT of time away from Kari, which is going to be really rough. However, it'll also be the second time we've done the long distance thing... so we know how to work it. I'm gonna commute back to Des Moines as much as possible, and there are some potential opportunities for me to work at home from time to time.
So yea. That's the big new thing in my life.
I fully anticipate this being the longest 15 months of my marriage and the hardest 15 months of my career… but I also have a feeling it will be absolutely worth it.
I'm totally excited for this gig - and for the person I will be in December 2012.
Please come visit me when I'm in Chicago. And if you're coming from Des Moines, you better let my wife ride along.
… and regretted it immediately. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, working on technology for our president with a team of baller engineers. There would've been a lot of sacrifice, but the experience and knowledge I could've gained would have been completely insane.
So fast forward a few weeks... I began talking with Harper and his team again.
Today, I accepted an offer with Obama for America - so did my friend, Nick.
Most of you probably know that I'm not a very political dude. I mean... I did just vote for the first time in 2008. However, I do enjoy having Obama in office much, much more than our previous president... and I'd really like to build innovative tools to help see what he could do with another four years.
SO, for the next 15 months, I'll be spending a lot of time in Chicago building awesome things to power Obama's campaign. It's going to be awesome.
I'm kinda looking at this as a mixture of going off to grad school and working for a slightly less risky startup… I'll be away from family, stressed, learning a ton, working long hours, and be completely enamored in my work. I'll probably even have to go buy a crappy bed and desk to put into some apartment that I share with people I don't know, heh. (P.S. if you or any of your friends need a roommate or 2, I know of a couple great guys that will need a place to sleep).
Which brings me to the absolute worst part about this new gig… I'm going to be spending a LOT of time away from Kari, which is going to be really rough. However, it'll also be the second time we've done the long distance thing... so we know how to work it. I'm gonna commute back to Des Moines as much as possible, and there are some potential opportunities for me to work at home from time to time.
So yea. That's the big new thing in my life.
I fully anticipate this being the longest 15 months of my marriage and the hardest 15 months of my career… but I also have a feeling it will be absolutely worth it.
I'm totally excited for this gig - and for the person I will be in December 2012.
Please come visit me when I'm in Chicago. And if you're coming from Des Moines, you better let my wife ride along.