Interviewing myself for Shane & Peter
Posted Fri, Dec 7, 2007 in:I found these interview questions from Shane & Peter via Jarkko Laine. I just realized I haven’t introduced myself very well, and that these questions might help to do that at least a little bit.
What’s your personal mission statement?
My personal mission is to work toward owning my own successful company which allows me to be my own boss, work on projects that I enjoy using as well as selling, and to be independently wealthy.
I’ll be building this company myself, with no external funding, because as stated above, I want to actually own the company, not just run it.
In the meantime, my mission is to bring everything I can to my current job, to help this company to be as innovative and productive as possible. It feels good that I get to create software which is being used by thousands of people. I wouldn’t want to work at a place where I get absolutely no input into what I am helping to create, and I don’t want to be building something boring that nobody would ever really see. My current job fulfills my job requirements pretty well, and keeps me fed while I work my way toward my long-term goals.
Yeah, that was more of a “mission babble” than a “mission statement” but this is my blog, so nyeah!
What’s the biggest mess you’ve dealt with this year?
At home, one of my cats overate a bit too much. Thank goodness for tile floors.
At work, I checked in some code which had a teensy bug in it which may have taken some sites down for a short period of time. Whoops.
What current entrepreneurial efforts consume your time?
Well, I’m starting with this blog to introduce myself to the internet community and to get to know some others, as well as to have a place to showcase my ideas and projects.
There are also some top-secret projects which I can’t reveal until it’s Alpha or Beta time.
Why do you do what you do? What inspires you? When do you get most excited?
I love the idea of doing something new. Something that nobody has ever done or seen before. Also exciting is doing something that makes people go “Wow! That’s awesome!” When I’m creating things, it’s also exciting when I can imagine myself actually using it. There’s nothing worse than making something you know that neither you nor anyone else will ever even use.
Boxers or Briefs? or as Naomi says, Bikini or Thong, duh?!?
The ever popular hybrid/mutant boxer-briefs.
What do you do when you’re not [designing | programming | managing | writing | toiling for the wo/man]?
I like to hang out with my wife, Angie, and our three cats, Kitty, Cisco, and Ninja.
What one thing made the biggest difference when getting started?
Well, I’m just barely getting started, but I could never even think of getting started without the support of my wife. We have precious little free time together and I won’t cut into any of that without first getting an okay from her.
In return, I’ll make sure that I have plans for the future to increase the amount of free time that we have to spend together. I suppose having that plan should go into my personal mission statement as well.
I want do well enough with my business that I can increase the amount of time I get to spend with my family (Angie and the cats, that is)
What’s your exit strategy?
Well, I’ll keep a helicopter parked on the roof and an underground tunnel/escape chute, just in case.
Well, honestly I don’t know. I’m still working on my entrance strategy, really. Once I’ve got that all worked out, I’ll get back to you about the exit strategy.
What is the last thing that made you belly laugh?
Someone at work, I’m sure. That is one good thing about working with a room full of other developers…we all have compatible senses of humor.
Two seconds ago: “Why is there a bomb on Pavan’s desk?”
Ahh, inside jokes.
Two more seconds ago (about a new Macbook Pro): “This is what it’s like when somebody brings a baby into an office full of women.”
Have you ever been in business before?
Not my own business, no.
At what point do you consider yourself successful?
When I can wake up in the morning and go to work by walking into my office and sitting down. At that point, I will consider myself successful in my own business.
Right now I consider myself successful already since I am living comfortably and working toward the future which I want.
What was your first experience with a computer?
It’s a toss-up between a really, really old DOS machine and the Apple Macintosh plus that my family got when I was in grade school.
My first experience programming was in Hypercard on that old Mac. My first real experience programming was in QBasic from DOS on a 486DX2.
Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates in a jello wrestling match, where’s your money?
I’m not giving any of my money to either of them. Did I mention that I’m strictly a Linux user?
Where do you do your best thinking?
Usually when I’m in the shower or exercising, or some other place when I don’t have access to a pen and paper.
Sometimes it’s when I’m torturing Angie with an explanation of my latest Idea in far too much technical detail.
What does your average daily work / life balance look like? How much time do you work, play and sleep?
Currently I work from 9-6. In the evenings, if Angie is home, I usually hang out with her, and we do errands or watch some TV shows, or just hang out.
If Angie is not home (she works too), I generally will work on one of my “top-secret” projects.
If I could introduce you to anyone, who would it be?
Someone who is living comfortably on their own personal business, and knows how they managed to get there.
Other than that, somebody with similar interests who would like to hang out and talk geek talk.
What stops you from giving up when you are frustrated?
A strong desire to never leave anything incomplete. I suppose that’s a nice way of saying “OCD”.
Of course, this also sometimes stops me from starting something when I think I might not have enough time to finish it in one sitting.
If Chuck Norris and Steven Hawking had a baby (hey it’s my damn interview), would you vote for her for president?
That would depend on her platform and fiscal policy.
Of course, I’m not completely sure either of their wives would approve.