The role of work in our lives has changed, and with it our expectations for what we want out of it and a growing understanding of our responsibilities in it.
Over the years, I’ve grappled with the role of work in my life. I have wanted/expected/demanded a lot out of my working life, but knowing how to achieve a good balance is elusive. It’s something that I continually adjust and refine in practice. Finding contentment with the role of work in one’s life is an ongoing series of experiments, assessments, negotiations and rewards.
techPresident ran a piece I wrote about the Presidential Innovation Fellows program, which I believe is a wonderful opportunity for designers, technologists, and everyone from the broad spectrum of specializations that make up the Web and tech world.
“I’m not being hyperbolic. You will do deeply meaningful work. You will work with truly inspiring people. And you will become significantly better at whatever it is you do. You’ll step up your game. My time working on HealthCare.gov was truly life changing. The opportunity that is being made available through the Presidential Innovation Fellows is remarkable. You should request an application right now.”
techPresident ran a piece I wrote about the Presidential Innovation Fellows program, which I believe is a wonderful opportunity for designers, technologists, and everyone from the broad spectrum of specializations that make up the Web and tech world.
“I’m not being hyperbolic. You will do deeply meaningful work. You will work with truly inspiring people. And you will become significantly better at whatever it is you do. You’ll step up your game. My time working on HealthCare.gov was truly life changing. The opportunity that is being made available through the Presidential Innovation Fellows is remarkable. You should request an application right now.”
If I look back at my career so far, one of the things that has been most helpful is my seeming inability to stick to the scope of the project at hand.
That doesn’t mean I’m a pushover when I’m prodded to deliver more than originally agreed upon. It means I pretty much always stick my nose where I haven’t been asked. Not forcefully, of course. Just out of inquisitiveness.
You know those moments, don’t you? When you feel that the thing that needs to be done isn’t exactly what you’ve been asked to do. It’s a bit beyond that. It’s the thing that others think isn’t really necessary. But you know, if you just did it, they’d see it’s value and it will make everything better. You can always just skip it, but sometimes it’s an opportunity.
2010 has been very hard for many people. But for me, I’m incredibly thankful for a year filled with amazing collaborations.

From my work in D.C. on HealthCare.gov to the smallest updates for long-time clients, this has been a year when my goal of working with great people doing important work in the world has been fully realized. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunities I’ve had this year. I want to take a moment to thank the people I’ve had the good fortune to work with…