David Crow

Connector of dots. Maker of lines. Rider of slopes.

personal

Goodbye Microsoft, so long and thanks for all the bits

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Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/2049233526/
Photo by Stuck in Customs

Can you believe that it has been 1230 days since I announced I was joining Microsoft? I’m guessing a lot of people lost out on that one in the over/under pool. Well, it has been a fantastic 3 years, 4 months and 7 days so far, unfortunately there are only 4 days left until it’s over for me. Effective Friday, September 24, 2010 I will be leaving Microsoft Canada.

I’m heading back into the fray. Or as John so eloquently puts it, I will be starting on a new path, with some old friends and the plan is actually quite simple:
Have fun and try to take over the world responsibly. I’ve spent the past 3+ years talking to entrepreneurs about programs like BizSpark and trying to help them build on the emerging Microsoft technologies and platform. I’m looking forward to getting back in the trenches and using customer development to build and ship products.

I’m not alone. There are a few of the folks that I’ve worked with or been lucky enough to call a friend that have also left Microsoft in the past year including: Don Dodge, Adam Kinney, Scott Barnes and others. This didn’t impact my decision to leave, it’s more just a curious observation.

As a sidenote, I’m pretty sure that John will be looking for a ISV DE (in non-Microsoft acronym speak: a developer evangelist focused on independent software vendors). What does an ISV DE do? Here’s the ISV DE job description from Belgium.

The ISV Developer Evangelist mission is to drive platform adoption and revenue growth with depth and breadth ISVs. The ISV Developer Evangelist is focused on winning ISV adoption of Microsoft platform technologies by working with ISV senior technology decision makers within these organizations. This is accomplished by collaborating with the ISV PAM (Partner Account Manager) to build a well-managed, mutually beneficial alliance that drives revenue growth and expands the reach of strategic Microsoft products within the partner’s solution portfolio.

It was a great time to be a part of the Developer & Platform Evangelism team at Microsoft Canada. And if I’d consider working with John Oxley (@joxley), Mark Relph (@mrelph) and the team again in the future. If you’re looking for a fun gig working with ISVs including startups and emerging companies, make sure you follow up with John.

204 Beech

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I hate to see the struggles of my friend Geoff and his family.

The article at Open File identifies the closed black box nature that makes this so difficult. If this were a functioning court of law, the Teehans would at least have the opportunity to confront their accusers and see the evidence submitted. However, this backroom politicking leaves the taste of a councillor abusing her power. Ms. Bussin should be removed from office and a formal inquiry called into her behaviour.

Bussin says she has received “a number of emails and calls concerned about the future of that particular house,” as well as an online petition. She said she couldn’t give exact numbers of how many people were concerned.

These concerns led her to get an independent opinion of the property. She consulted ERA Architects, Inc., a firm the city regularly works with for heritage conservation issues.

In the undated document ERA Architects prepared for Bussin, Michael McClelland, a principal with the firm, “confirms” that the 204 Beech Ave. property has heritage value. He cites that it is a “Beach Cottage” type home with “typical elements found in buildings representative of the Cottage style.” He adds that a “recessed fully glazed entry porch, the rendered finish, and irregular pattern of fenestration are important elements of the dwellings character.”

This is a terrible, selfish abuse of power by Sandra Bussin. Jim Graham gets it right, it is not the role of the city or the neighbours to determine what the Teehan’s can do with their home. If Ms. Campbell wants to be upset with individuals for not making this property a heritage property, it’s her own parents who had the chance before they sold the home.  This is a fight for property rights. And we need to make sure as home owners that we do not live in fear of rogue politicians or expatriates or anyone else.

“The more this situation unfolds the clearer it becomes this isn’t about modern vs traditional, new vs old or even about the accessibility requirements. This is about property rights. We did our due diligence, we bought the property and are submitting plans without easements or variances. Now a neighbour who doesn’t want her view changed and a women who lived in the house decades ago and resides in Germany have more control over our property than we do. This isn’t something that residents of our neighbourhood should be worried about, this is something Toronto and many parts of Canada should be worried about.” – comment by Geoff Teehan on Open File

What a disgraceful display and an abuse of power by a Toronto councillor! Ms. Bussin you should be ashamed.

Four years later

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photo by mariobraune
Photo by mariobraune

Time flies. It was four years ago that I had a myocardial infarction at DemoCampToronto6. That’s right, you read that correctly, I had a heart attack at DemoCampToronto6. I’ve had the misfortune of returning to the cardiac care ward just before StartupEmpire in 2008 after PDC for a second angiogram. The good news is the second time, everything was fine.

t has been a great 4 years in Toronto. Together with a loose group of friends and co-conspirators we’ve build a vibrant ecosystem for startups, entrepreneurs, designers, technologists and others. I hope that I’m around to see my daughters grow up and this community flourish. I’m grateful that we live in a city, province and country with fantastic medical care. Thanks to Leila, Jay,Sutha, and everyone else for recognizing the symptoms and getting me to Toronto General (thanks to MaRS for being so close to TGH). Thanks to Dr. Eric Horlick and the entire staff at TGH for a 4am CathLab run.

Thanks to everyone for making the past 4 years so memorable.

I’m not alone, Om Malik suffered a heart attack in 2007. Paige Freeborn suffered one also in 2008. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Canada. I hope that all of my friends and acquaintances through StartupNorth, DemoCamp and other activities will take the time to visit their doctors and ask about their risk factors for heart disease.