I’ve had two goals since I was around 14 and really truly started to love writing software.
My first goal was to work for Google. I loved that Google had a “don’t be evil” approach to their business, and everything I saw about the working environment screamed fun. I eventually did work for Google, and during my time there they dropped the “don’t be evil” unofficial policy, and dropped the 20% time official policy. The work I was doing was cool, but management seemed really bad at their jobs. About 18 months into our project, we discovered that there were two teams in two different orgs working on basically the same product. After a week of “will we even have a job tomorrow” our team was the team they kept on. We had half the engineers of the other team, and now we were expected to implement all the features of the other team’s product into ours in half the time. It was a shitshow.
My second goal was to start my own tech company with a cool innovative project. Four years ago I had a great idea and thought this was the one. So, I left my job at Microsoft and started working on my own company. I’m happy to say that just a few days ago, I launched it! It’s an email service that has a new approach that keeps your email organized and is very spam and phishing resistant. If you want to check it out:
So I’d say goal #1 was achieved, but turned out to be shit when I actually achieved it. Goal #2 is in progress, and hopefully turns out a lot better than #1. :)
The name comes from the idea of a shipping port, where all of this tons of stuff comes into the country, but organization is handled by the port without you ever having to think about it. Then the 87 comes from when I was born. xD (Though I did check to make sure IP port 87 wasn’t used for anything.) The logo being a ship’s wheel is also an allusion to the nautical theme of the name. And fun fact, the background image in the home page is the Port of San Diego taken from the Coronado bridge. I took it while on my way to vacation with my wife. :)
One day I want to make a little Easter egg when you SSH into port 87 on port87.com with your username and password. I’m thinking some kind of little mini game where if you beat it, you unlock some special feature or discount code.
Very nice I hope you reach the fulfillment you’re looking for, I made it to 30 before I started thinking about these things. I just kind of realized my life felt so… Empty.
Now I’m stressed, but I don’t feel empty. When I look around at the campus and all my work, I still feel stuck, but going somewhere. You know? I would love to get into a profession where I can figure out how to create things, like you’re doing, that seems like it would be fulfilling
I’ve had two goals since I was around 14 and really truly started to love writing software.
My first goal was to work for Google. I loved that Google had a “don’t be evil” approach to their business, and everything I saw about the working environment screamed fun. I eventually did work for Google, and during my time there they dropped the “don’t be evil” unofficial policy, and dropped the 20% time official policy. The work I was doing was cool, but management seemed really bad at their jobs. About 18 months into our project, we discovered that there were two teams in two different orgs working on basically the same product. After a week of “will we even have a job tomorrow” our team was the team they kept on. We had half the engineers of the other team, and now we were expected to implement all the features of the other team’s product into ours in half the time. It was a shitshow.
My second goal was to start my own tech company with a cool innovative project. Four years ago I had a great idea and thought this was the one. So, I left my job at Microsoft and started working on my own company. I’m happy to say that just a few days ago, I launched it! It’s an email service that has a new approach that keeps your email organized and is very spam and phishing resistant. If you want to check it out:
http://port87.com/
So I’d say goal #1 was achieved, but turned out to be shit when I actually achieved it. Goal #2 is in progress, and hopefully turns out a lot better than #1. :)
Very cool!
I take it you’re not the founder mentioned in the site’s About, but someone else heavily involved?
Also, why “Port87”? Because it’s unused?
I am the founder actually. :)
The name comes from the idea of a shipping port, where all of this tons of stuff comes into the country, but organization is handled by the port without you ever having to think about it. Then the 87 comes from when I was born. xD (Though I did check to make sure IP port 87 wasn’t used for anything.) The logo being a ship’s wheel is also an allusion to the nautical theme of the name. And fun fact, the background image in the home page is the Port of San Diego taken from the Coronado bridge. I took it while on my way to vacation with my wife. :)
One day I want to make a little Easter egg when you SSH into port 87 on port87.com with your username and password. I’m thinking some kind of little mini game where if you beat it, you unlock some special feature or discount code.
Ah OK. You mentioned quitting Microsoft to do it here, but the site says LinkedIn. So sounded like two different people.
Anyway, seems cool! Also the easter egg sounds like something I’d do :)
Yeah, LinkedIn is a subsidiary of Microsoft, so I use them kind of interchangeably when I talk about it.
TIL
Hi, former coworker. I don’t know if we ever spoke, but I somehow recognized your name on the Port87 page, haha. Good luck with the project!
Thank you! Feel free to send me an email at [email protected]. Maybe I might recognize you.
Very nice I hope you reach the fulfillment you’re looking for, I made it to 30 before I started thinking about these things. I just kind of realized my life felt so… Empty.
Now I’m stressed, but I don’t feel empty. When I look around at the campus and all my work, I still feel stuck, but going somewhere. You know? I would love to get into a profession where I can figure out how to create things, like you’re doing, that seems like it would be fulfilling