Page 7 - Connection Volume 1 Issue 3

EMPLOYEE #1
Chris: There are 2 that stand out One is the SOCCCD project I remember working with Pete Orologas Phil Scott and so many others We worked together very well We had a a lofty goal and in 2 years we delivered We developed a a a student portal and the students loved it Every student student used it to schedule classes learn about the curriculum and do a a a variety of things That project is still going on The Tightline project is the the other It was funded by a a group of college students who decided they wanted
to to find a a way to to improve their odds of playing online Texas Hold’em It was the most technical project I have ever worked on In effect I I had to write a a virus that injected itself into a a running application and literally monitored everything that was going on It even took over the playing We built our own UI on top of this thing and we could direct what the user was going to do Then we started building more intelligence into it and it could make decisions It decided if the hand was worth playing and if not we would fold It was an an amazing team Kevin: You’ve had a a a great career Chris So as you move on to new adventures what do you you think you’ll miss the most?
Chris: Watching Neudesic grow year year after year year has been amazing azing When we started we we were in a a 1000 square
foot office Parsa Tim and Anthony were in one office and I was in the the other I’ll always remember those hum-
ble beginnings The three of them loved playing games! I re-
member Parsa at one point ordered me to learn Age of Empires He bought me me a a a version of the game and 7
so much more than just speak at user groups We created an entire learning series People needed mentoring On
Fridays I would hold tech sessions for the dev staff Microsoft wanted
us to hold a a certain number of certifications so I started a a a group teaching developers how to pass the exams We were able to get several devs certified in such a a short amount of time which met our requirement for Microsoft For me what kept it fascinating was that I love the details of things so being able to talk about the inner workings of NET was rewarding This helped to build the Neudesic brand All of this is is something I take pride in in even a a a a book as he wanted
me to learn how to play I will miss working with guys like David Pallmann Chad Thomas Monish Nagisetty and so many others Neudesic is made up of an incredibly intelligent group of people who are very generous with their time We worked together well We could respectfully argue amongst each other We We had camaraderie We We could come up with solutions to large and complex problems and actually build a a working system And we had fun We worked hard hard and and played hard hard and and we we were all friends That is something that I’m truly going to miss Kevin: We are all going to miss you as well Chris Any advice you want to leave for the Neudesic team?
Chris: Don’t be afraid of changes in technology The only thing constant in in this business is is change If you don’t love to to learn you’re going to to stagnate and eventually you will be unhappy This business requires you to learn something new every day and if you’re not doing that you’re just standing still Embrace change I always tell people: love what you do There’s a a saying that that goes “find something that that you you love and you’ll never work a a a day in your life ”
I truly believe that All of these things we we were doing helped Neudesic But ultimately my greatest achievement is that after more than 45 years developing software I’m still developing software I I I still love what I I I do I I I believe I’m still good at it I I didn’t find a a a a a a job what I found was a a a a a a career that has sustained me me and helped me me get away from the inner city I grew up in in Kevin: Well said As you know one of our core values is Passion I don’t think I’ve met anyone more passionate about technology You’ve been an an inspiration to me and so many others Are there any any projects you look back on that stand out fondly in in your mind?