Patrick Audley // Identity Collected

Transitions can be special times, full or grey areas, vieled agendas and often littered with misdirected intentions. They are almost always packed with adventure and, in my experience, incredible lessons. My recent forray into public companies was a fascinating transition though it proved to be extraordinarily brief - the long and short of it is that my public company vessel has now cast off and set sail back into the shark filled but more lucrative private waters. These are waters and reefs that I know well; I feel no desire to venture back into waters I've tread for so many years just yet. So I hoisted my anchor (thankfully not my petard!) and have set my sights on new land.

For years I've been enmeshed in startups, enjoying the adrenaline filled funding cycles, wacky ideas, breakneck development cycles and incredible people. I've finally been tempted off the midway rides by a Vancouver post-startup, one45 Software. The promise of working on a mature project with a very large user base to solve problems that will have large societal impacts was a powerful pull. Couple that with smart people and a stable, revenue positive company in a funky heritage building and I was hooked.

As the summer comes to an end, I thought I would talk about a few of the things I've found joyful this season. So what do cloud computing, code tuning and soap have in common? All three are about clean solutions, good ingredients, and they all make me joyful. Yes, even the soap - that doesn't make me strange, just clean.

One third of my life is behind me. Looking back on my life I'm forced to admit that it has not been the smooth, brightly lit street I expected as a child. Instead it was a meandering cobble lined path, filled with adventures and ravines I would never have foreseen, with highs and lows that dwarfed my early guesses. I am both humbled and amazed at some of the experiences on the journey; at some of the truly amazing and profound people that have joined me for parts of it. This is a good time for contemplation; a wistful look back and a climb to the nearest hill to see what might be ahead.

I flew to Vancouver to visit family for the holidays and this time I carted my cat Lana with me. Christmas itself went off without a hitch and was joined with the usual huge turkey dinner, assorted gifts, a few rounds of good wine and general merriment. Though I love getting together with family, travel during the holidays continues to worsen and given my lack of religious lock-down to specific dates has become something I think I shall avoid in the future. A story of teeth, gypsies, blizzards and cheer follows. Well… perhaps not gypsies.
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