Back in 2002, newspapers were still a thing, GTA: Vice City was the most controversial issue in tech and I was a Computer Science student building my first web startup: ChapmanBX.com - a marketplace for students at my college to buy and sell used text books amongst themselves.
I wrote the code, administrated servers, fixed bugs, attempted marketing, supported users and did whatever else was necessary to help the business thrive. In many ways it was a success; students signed up, transacted with each other and got real value from the site. Ultimately, ChapmanBX never achieved “Silicon Valley Success” in the form of an IPO or acquisition. Despite that, I learned an incredible amount about software, business, users, and myself.
For the last 20+ years, I’ve architected, built and supported dozens of websites, middleware integrations, data systems and application platforms; a few for my own ventures, and many as a contractor or employee for corporations, governments, universities and non-profits around the world.
I started this blog to share my expertise in leveraging technology to create successful business outcomes. It’s a simple formula; take a holistic view of the challenges, understand the goals, and create solutions that are secure, scalable, and above all, deliver value to the organization.