The Time Machine... (1997 - 1998)

You may be wondering about the title of this post. I came up with The Time Machine because looking back, I think I did travel back in time when I took my first corporate position in the real world. At least from a technology perspective... ;-)

I signed on to work at a company in Cincinnati, OH. Big company, big benefits, small cubicle. The good life. Long gone were my hacking college days on Sun Sparc Unix workstations with 19 inch displays. My days were now filled with IBM/Compaq machines and 14 inch monitors. I'm not talking new stuff either. Slow machines, slow corporate world and a reliable monthly paycheck. Perfect for raising a family. (I had to get out of there!)

I gave it a shot for my first year. Worked hard, won a few awards, learned all about corporate IT systems, ERP systems and office politics. I just knew it was not meant for me. Even during those days I had an entrepreneurial craving.

I remember starting my own web design company in my 500 sq ft apartment. I called it WebScape (should have registered that domain back then, would have been a good one!). I researched hundreds of local companies through the phone book, wrote actual snail mail letters to each and every one. I outlined why they should consider having a website and how it would benefit their business. I hand delivered each and every one and then sat back and waited for the flood of phone calls. No one called. I finally received ONE follow-up call about a month after my mass-mailing. A guy running a flower shop was curious why/what I could do for him. After talking for about 30 minutes, he came to the conclusion the web was a waste of time and decided against it.

This was back sometime in 1997-1998. WebScape officially closed down. That's when I received the call. Late one night at work (I cannot remember why I was there late), I received a call from a recruiter. They wanted to know if I was interested in making 3-4 times what I made now. Sure, I thought, whatever. Funny thing was, they were serious. I went in for an interview. Next thing I know they found me a gig and the rest is history... I packed my bags and left corporate america... as an employee at least... I was now an independent consultant.

Next post... The Big Idea...