What's next for Matt? #2

Installment #2 in the series of what's next for Matt professionally.

Hoooo boy, a lot has happened since October. Here's the latest.

Updates

• Whirlwind catch up: In the last update, I was aggressively pursuing new business ideas. It took a while (including a trip to the UK) for me to realize I was putting too much pressure on myself. I slowed down a bit, found a coding project, started interviewing, and took it easy over the holidays.

• Invisible Network has shut down and there are only a few remaining things to tidy up. I know sunsetting it was the right decision — it was a long time coming — but having that space freed up in my brain has left me unsettled. Figuring out what's next will surely help with that.

• Found a project & finished it: I converted Invisible Network's front-end from client-side React => NextJS/Typescript, which was both a fun project and great learning experience. As a bonus, the new version is hosted for free on Vercel. With that done, I’m now ready for another new coding project.

• Job searching, feeling demoralized: Of the four companies I started interview cycles with over the holidays, only one is still in contention (and it’s my top choice!). I’ve had four interviews with them but won’t hear back for another week. Of the others, the five hour technical interview with SeatGeek was probably the worst experience - I felt both exhausted AND dumb by the end of it. Other opportunities have materialized, but none are worth mentioning yet.

• Winter blues, feeling isolated and alone: I know this happens every winter, but that doesn't make it any easier to navigate. Job searching has definitely made it worse. Weirdly, so has the demise of Twitter (where I’ve found community in the past). I’ve got a playbook to combat this, and am doing all the things (exercise, leaving the house, friendship, etc), but it’s still hard. Knowing others are feeling the same way is weirdly reassuring. Going skiing & to the beach in January definitely helped, and another upcoming trip should help, too. Minnesota winters, man.

• Thinking about starting something new again: I’ve come full circle since the first update, and am exploring new venture ideas again. This is partly driven by 1) not wanting to start another round of interviews, 2) being more clear on exactly what I want (to be part of a team, and to bring new ideas to life), and 3) the response after I shared that I’m looking for a Founding Engineer role. A number of people have reached out about working together, and I’m currently following up on those leads. As a bonus, all the ensuing coffees, lunches, and calls are helping me feel more connected to the community!

• Ideas and questions that are top of mind:

  • Community for reluctantly remote tech workers

  • What “exhaust” naturally comes as a result of being a person in the world?

That’s it for today. As always, I’d love to hear what you think. Feel free to respond either in the comments or via email.

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Matt