Lession #1: KniselyKnows that time flies!

Really... over a month? It's been that long??!!!

Yes, I hear you my throngs of fans waiting on my every word.  I've let you down.  In my defense, I never said I was going to be all that good at blogging.  Hey, I'm just starting out!

The joys of parenthood, summer sun, agony of work, and a myriad of other things have distracted me from the very important task of sharing my technical insight, however myopic, with the world.  Here's a shot at sharing where my mind has been recently.

I recall a lesson shared by Admiral Jim Stockdale regarding what it took to survive an incredibly challenging time, in his case being tortured as a POW.  He said that you should not be an optimist, setting arbitrary time lines of hope.  He said that when those goals come and go it can crush your spirit.  Instead, embrace your current situation in all the reality of it... even those dark scary things.  Once you have that reality, look for the little wins to let you get though the day.  It's those little wins that will keep your spirit up helping you to press on. 

Now, I'm not equating my situation with that of Admiral Stockdale, but I don't want to allow myself to get all rosy glasses either.  Here's the connection:

I recently attended a conference where I received a vendor branded snuggie (http://yfrog.com/izrmmj).  That in itself would have been worth the trip, but it was great sitting with others discussing strategy in our market.  It is interesting being the equivalent of a late teenager in this market.  I see how we're still making some stupid choices, but we're also able to share our wisdom with the adolescents in the market too.  It was great fun, and I feel like my organization can really come of age soon.  Like all that graduate into adulthood, I'm sure that harsh realities are around the corner too, and it's in this where Stockdale's message echoes in my mind.

 My organization has been going though a lot of turmoil lately.  From trying to re-invent ourselves, to having a half dozen leadership changes over 5 years... it's been tough, and there's one thing that I can say with almost complete certainty:  We have not yet completely surveyed our situation.  Those dark scary things, while known to exist have not been clearly studied and understood.

We all know that we have deficiencies, but it's not until we explore those deficiencies that we truly understand the depth and impact.  With the most recent shakeup today, I'm hopeful that we are started on that path.