90 Days Later

When I originally announced that I was leaving Cisco 90 days or so ago, the reactions I received from friends and colleagues ranged from overwhelming support to stunned silence.  After all, Cisco is a behemoth in the technology industry, and the job I held was practically an intellectual and technology fun-park for grown-ups....why change?

The answer is never simple, ranging from the standard dysfunctional organizational politics to 'if you do the same thing every day for seven years, you get REALLY BORED', regardless of how entertaining and challenging the job is.  If I had stayed on at Cisco, it would have meant moving to a different group and probably continuing to do a role very similar to those I did in 1998, running product lines and product development teams. Same old same old.  Professional stagnation = slow mental death.

Fast forward 90 days......

I've actually had the time to talk to and read with my daughters, play golf with them, swim with them at the pool. I was there when they went to the first day of school.  We're getting to know each other again, and I hadn't realized how much we'd grown apart until they told me how much they enjoyed me being in their life again.

Also in that time I have partnered with my brilliant spouse Janene and also my long-time collaborator and friend Bob Clay to launch the Technology Intelligence Group, an emerging technology analysis firm, working alongside some of the smartest innovators and visionaries I have ever met.  We've done a number of keynote presentations, panels, and other events in the last 90 days, and the rest of the calendar year has more presentations each week. 

As of today, we've launched our website at www.techintelgroup.com, which creates a marketplace for technology visionaries to share their insights and research with early-adopters in the industry. 

I've also been doing a fair bit of consulting, and working with two startups, Windmill Networks and Palisade Systems, in various official capacities. I've also been serving on the advisory boards and/or the formal Board of Directors of four other startups, a new venture fund, and the local Opera company.  In my spare time, I've been match-making startups and venture companies for venture capital funding.  Oh, and continuing to roll around on the floor for impromptu tickle-fests with the girls.

In the last 90 days, without the aegis of Cisco and the all-access-pass that business card provided, I've learned more and had more fun than in the preceding five years.  Change is a good thing, no regrets.

Comments

[Aaron Sarazan]

Congrats on the launch, dude. Looks like it got put together quite well. Slick.

Glad everything turned out well.

[Jeffrey]

Congratulations, Christian. I'll be posting about your launch later this week with some additional thoughts on how your model may work for the "other" intelligence sector. In fact, watch for an email from me on that very subject.

[Marco M]

Hey Christian, I was wondering what you were up to. Glad to see you are doing well! :-)

[Randy]

Christian,
Congratulations on your return to life, and *do* enjoy having fun and learning! As someone passionate about their profession (music) pointed out to me yesterday, they gets to "play" for a living. Musicians don't work, they play. So be like a musician and make sure your play doesn't turn to work!
BTW, my apologies for the delayed greetings as you know I've been covered up "running the business".
:-)