I had expected to write this post quite a while ago. In fact, I mentioned my intent to write it at the end of my An Evolving Career Path post, but that career path changed more rapidly than I had expected. I am still doing Android development, but I am not doing any web dev (other than my personal projects). I’m also taking on some other projects… but I’ll get to that shortly.
At the end of July, I moved on from Treemo Labs. I already had a one-month contract in place for some simple Android developer work, so I was not taking any time off (well, after the extent to which I had been working, dropping to 8 hours a day felt like taking time off). CBS Interactive also contacted me and talked to me about the possibility of a position there. I flew down to Los Angeles to quickly meet everyone and get a more detailed explanation of what they were looking for (and let them know what I was looking for). It was a great trip, and I finally got to put faces to many of the names I had worked with while at Treemo Labs via email and conference calls.
After a bit of negotiation, I accepted a position at CBS Interactive as a mobile developer, and I started to pack up, reserve an apartment, etc. That’s the position I alluded to at the end of the other post. Well, things changed rather suddenly when some contract agreements got in the way (business protection agreement legalese) that removed the posibility of me holding that position. It was an unfortunate and unexpected turn of events that forced me to take a seat and consider my options.
There is no shortage of mobile development positions out there, but I wasn’t interested in making unexciting apps and I started to question whether moving out of the Seattle area would be worth it for me. I was bombarded by recruiter emails offering great clients, unbeatable opportunities, and pleas to contact all my developer friends on the recruiters’ behalf. A few were interesting on the surface, and I pursued them while simultaneously considering the possibility of working for myself full time.
I created wireframes and documentation for a game I decided to develop (and tweeted about it). With my excitement for that app growing, I determined a timeline for the game with a mid-October alpha and calculated out how long I could live without income. Things were looking very positive. Even if I didn’t make much on the game, I had plenty of time to ensure it was done well before having to consider looking for a job. If nothing else, it would teach me a lot and be another bullet on the resume.
Then I was contacted by ARO, a stealth-mode startup in Seattle. I was intrigued, so I interviewed and found out about their goals–definitely some exciting stuff that could push mobile beyond where it is today. I received an offer from them the next day. Considering their goals, offer, and ability to move fast (vital for anywhere I work), I accepted the position.
So, I am a salaried employee at ARO, working on some awesome stuff and, now that I have time outside of work as well, I’ve been taking on some outside projects. I wrote about reviewing Android for Programmers recently. I am also going to be creating an Android video series for developers (details to come) that I’m very excited about. In the near future, the app I’ve been developing for Android Police will be coming out, and then I’ll spend a little more time on the Disease to Dust game (though I don’t expect a beta this year). I’m sure I’ll spend a little time here and there on other projects (such as prepping Predator Clock Widget for improvements), but life is good right now.
