the job front

Well, I didn't get the CTO-type job. They said I was too Microsoft-centric, and that if we moved ahead using Microsoft, and things didn't work right, they didn't feel confident I could switch to a different technology. This is an illogical comment though, as technology choice has nothing to do with whether things work right - it is implementation of technology that does this. I wrote them a short note to thank them and try to explain this to them such that they dont get stuck hiring a programmer as their CTO.

Hi Bob, Brian,

I wanted to thank you both very much for the opportunity to present to you my development philosophy and discuss the myriad of other items we touched on during our meetings. It was a pleasure to meet you both, as well as Jamie and John - I am sure you will make them very happy investors. I am sorry that we were not able to come to terms, and hope that perhaps we can work together in the future.

While I do understand that you feel I was too "Microsoft-centric," the truth is, I am technology-agnostic. As I said to John, I believe technology is a means to an end, not an end unto itself. I have mainly used Microsoft in the past because it is has robust support, the largest user base of any platform currently in existence, near infinite resources to be found online, scores of free tools and development applications, a RAD (Rapid Application Development) architecture, and is always on the forefront of new technology. However, I have numerous times worked with clients who felt that Microsoft was evil incarnate, or who needed specific applications that Microsoft was not the best fit for, and have thus also developed sites using technologies such as XML with XSL transformations, PHP with MySQL back ends, Cold Fusion, VoiceXML, FlashMX, and more. There is a fun article on Web technology choice at http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2006/09/01.html.

Also, it was my understanding that the position you were looking to fill would not be that of a developer, but of a leader and a manager. As such, as you move forward with your other candidate, you should keep in mind that choice of technology is not what makes or breaks a business, but rather the implementation of technology - this is especially true in a Web business. The key to a successful Web business lies in value, both perceived and real, as well as usability. A good example: MySpace uses Cold Fusion, Friendster use PHP, FriendFinder uses CGI, Classmates.com uses JSP, Orkut uses Python, and Xanga uses ASP.NET - but all of those sites would be just as successful if they all used PHP, or all used JSP, or all used .NET.

Take care, and good luck,
Eric