Blog

2017 Highlights

09 Jan 2018

At the start of 2017, I wrote:

The world feels different. It’s hard not to fret, but I hope we can all be optimistic and continue to work to make the world a better place.

I took a long break from social media and focused most of the year on my work. While I didn’t announce Faculty until December, I spent all year getting it off the ground.

My biggest client had me traveling so much in the first quarter that I matched the pace of Hillary Clinton’s travel when she was serving as Secretary of State, including half a dozen trips to Korea. On the plus side, I now have Global Services status.

Below are some additional highlights.

January

I was interviewed by Ed Wassermann for his podcast Between Screens. We mostly talked about Brooklyn Beta.

The day after the inauguration, the Women’s March gave us our spirit back. It was the largest protest in American history and a good reminder that the world is full of good people who are willing to fight. My wife and eldest daughter marched, and I was so proud of them.

February

I hosted an important workshop at Roost for some of my colleagues, and we did some good work together designing an API for global online commerce.

March

I started working with Frank on the Faculty brand.

April

I got to see the Indigo Girls at CU, where they recorded an album with the CU Symphony Orchestra.

May

I took the whole family to Salt Lake City and attended Front, a conference created by some fine people, including Ben Peck, who once wrote some really nice things about Brooklyn Beta.

While I was there, I was able to make time for lunch with Bryce, one of the few investors I admire.

June

For the second year in a row, we spent a month back in Brooklyn as a family. It still feels like home, but less so than last year. I mostly remember enjoying unreasonably-long lunches with Frank and playing soccer in the park with my old crew.

July

We returned to Boulder in time for me to attend an office warming party for Emerson Stone. Boulder’s budding creative community is growing stronger, and I’m proud of the role Roost is playing in that.

August

I led two more spectacular Backcountry Club trips. The first trip was to Indian Peaks, which was particularly special, thanks to the solar eclipse. We experienced it from one of my favorite places, an alpine meadow just west of Buchanan Pass.

The second trip was to Maroon Bells. The Four-Pass Loop is often described as the best backpacking loop in the lower 48, and it surpassed all expectations. Many of the photos I’m using on this site were taken from that trip.

September

I got to see the Indigo Girls again. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen them live, but every time feels like such a privilege.

I finally launched a website for Roost. It was an especially fun project, because the members of Roost collaborated on the design and build, notably TNKR and Jesse Litton.

October

I went to Greenville for Greenville Grok, one of my favorite homegrown events. Less than a month later, Chris Merritt would join Faculty.

November

Officially welcomed Chris Merritt and Doug Wilson to Faculty.

I was lucky enough to meet Conrad Anker and listen to him talk about his many adventures over the years. Pretty inspiring.

I took the whole family to Breckenridge for a short getaway, which was nice. What a beautiful little mountain town.

December

On December 11th, we hosted an unforgettable launch dinner for Faculty. Several people came to Boulder to help us celebrate, including Sean and Nick, who would be officially joining Faculty in January.

For posterity, here is the guest list:

The day after, we announced Faculty to the world. I made the announcement on my spiffy new website.

2018

Years ago, I tried to start a blogging revival called Ideas of March. It was great while it lasted, but it didn’t last. Maybe the timing wasn’t right.

This year feels different. I’m slowly regaining my love of technology, and I think getting back into blogging (and bookmarking) will help. I’m not alone. RSS Club, Newwwyear, friends redesigning their personal websites, etc. Something’s in the air, and I’m glad to be a part of it. Let’s bring blogging back, and the open web with it.

Have a fantastic 2018, and thanks for reading.