Owen's Blog

I’m not going to mention that this is the first blog post in years…. oh wait, whoops.

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I’m currently holding down so many different roles/jobs they all tend to merge into one. Trying to get a startup off the ground is no cakewalk (not that I was under an illusion to start with, but no plans survive enemy action etc)

At Xero my role as Chief Architect has really had me running around for the last year actually trying to work out how my time would be best served, who and what I should really focus on, because there’s so much that needs doing I can’t do it all (actually I’ve achieved so little in the last 12 months it could almost be said that I can’t do anything) I’m really trying to push the dev team/process/platform into a repeatably scalable model, but with an organically grown product and team that’s a challenge. But a challenge I’m really enjoying. We really do have scale problems and issues that no one else gets in New Zealand so we’re constantly having to look far afield for advice and lessons. More on that soon over at the Xero Blog and at the Canterbury Software Summit where I’ll be presenting in October.

In closer to home news uSnap.us the company we launched at startup weekend some 10 months ago is still going, although it’s safe to say we’re not growing yet. We’ve yet to find the thing that sells us (although we have had some paying customers). The hardest thing is working out what’s valuable to do and what’s not. We’re natural software developers so given free reign we’d just keep building product. And keep getting it wrong. We’re determined to take some time to do some of the softer sides such as customer validation etc. A process that’s proving difficult but interesting, mainly because it’s skills I’ve never had to exercise before.

At home, Edee is growing up scary fast, starting to put her first words together, I wouldn’t be surprised if the first actual word is Mum or Soph as I’m not around as much as them. But Sophie is growing up too, she’s got her parents stubbornness though, which tied to a 2 year old temperament makes it a challenge at times. Still she says the craziest things sometimes and I keep hearing an echo of myself in some of the phrases she uses. 

Parenthood is awesome when you remember to appreciate it.