Saltmine Inc.

When I Worked There

January 1997 - November 2000

How I Got There

After a year of learning how to code websites and building up a portfolio I landed a full-time gig at a local online services company. Saltmine Creative was a small shop doing customer web work — one of many that had sprung up across the country around this time to convert the world's economy into a digital format.

What I Did There

I started as a web developer and within a year was the lead interface developer in the company. This led to managing both the interface development team as well as the process for delivering our work. I managed both the designers and developers, so I got a full immersion in the pre-sale to concept to product cycle. As the company guru on interface development I also researched and educated the development staff on emerging technologies, and defined the development standards for how we used them. Finally, I developed a framework for website production that trimmed development time, drove standardization, and increased overall quality.

What I Learned There

As the manager of a large team of graphic designers and software developers I developed strong managerial skills with diverse people. This has allowed me to take the leadership experience I had from the travel and service industries and apply it to the corporate world. As the company expert on web interfaces I met regularly with clients and was deeply involved in the process of designing solutions to meet their specific needs. This experience has led to a broad understanding of the communication and integration needs that a 21st century organization has to stay competitive. As an employee that has now been through the boom and bust cycle that business so often takes I have a strong sense of what really matters in the long run and what's just the latest hype.

How it Applies to Today

Because of my experience with the many companies and projects that I worked with at Saltmine I had a lot of perspective to apply to my work for T-Mobile. The skills and perspective that I gained as a full time developer give me a strong understanding of this group of people and their needs and aspirations. Working closely with clients from companies in multiple industries also gave me a strong understanding of this group of people and their needs and aspirations. I found that I was very adept at bringing the two together and helping them find common ground and helping each of them get their needs met.

Why I Left

By the Summer of 2000 the writing was on the wall that the 'Internet bubble' was coming to an end, so I went looking for a stable company in a growth industry where I could continue to develop my talents.