I’ve already spent 15 minutes setting up this document with the right font, size, and heart glyph- even though Kirsten will miss out on all the formatting as soon as she opens the attachment (I did try to salvage it- kirsten). Such is my work, sometimes – a little ephemeral. But this piece is not about a job. It’s about a BHAG-boasting, vision-driven, hard-working, technology-savvy, and fun, not to mention, very generous, Collabware team. What is it like?
Well, it’s like, when a guy had to come in and fix the espresso machine so it could withstand enterprise-grade traffic. Seriously, sometimes there’s jams. And maintenance!
Once it was like, “We are getting an arcade machine custom built! You want to design a bunch of panels for it?” I learnt about a hundred ways to design hexagonal patterns, as a result. It was an awesome experience.
It’s like, when you move from railtown to downtown, and step into an awesome brand new space, almost never before seen by 95% of the team.
And it’s often like, a mini-family dinner with cake. As a bonus, you get a presentation on cloud technologies, a knowledge-share or a game of Exploding Kittens (I demand a rematch- kirsten). By the way, I have found a steady supply of cake in my life because of Collabware.
It’s also like a feeling of accomplishment, followed by a party, for all the dedication towards crushing milestones, constant learning, and helping people be successful.
Finally, it’s almost like being in a relationship. It takes a commitment to communication in order to reach consensus, push forward, manage complexity and avoid ending up thinking, “Isn’t that what you meant when you said to make it simple?”
For me, being at Collabware has evolved beyond crafting interfaces, logos and marketing materials. Even though I love interaction and visual design; what has really inspired me in unexpected ways is the unique insider perspective into how an organization matures. I have enjoyed watching how a business grows and how opportunities are capitalized upon for the benefit of the whole. It’s like being in the right place, at the right time and I’m glad I’m along for the ride.
This is the first staff story in the #I❤Collabware series.