What do you do outside of Palantir?

Cubs Games, Chicago Summer Dance, Cycling, Jimmy Buffett shows, Chicago Summer Street Fests, hanging with my family.

Voted “most likely to”…

…be the loudest in the room.

What three books would you recommend for anyone who does what you do?

1. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz — a quick read, but a great refresher on how your words and actions can have an impact. Also some great tips on how to interact with people.

2. Before You Leap — A Frog’s-Eye View of Life’s Greatest Lessons by Kermit The — a humorous look at some of the same “life’s little lessons” lectures I got from my dad… but from my second favorite child hood hero man: Kermit! If you know me, you know I like my Muppet flare, so it will be no surprise that I received 3 copies of this book from different close friends. It’s a fun spin on self-improvement type books with chapters like “The Seven Dreams of Highly Effective Amphibians” and “Don’t Sweat the Small Bugs (And They're All Small Bugs)”. It’s a great little book to pick up and read a few pages to remind yourself not to take yourself too seriously, but to always make time for fun! Kermit! :-)

3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey — an oldie, but a goodie. I still go back regularly and refresh on these concepts for my personal and professional life. I seem to find something that applies in a new way each time I re-read or re-listen to the CD's. My latest refresh reminder has been on putting your tasks into four quadrants based on Importance and Urgency — it is so helpful in communication and organization!

If I wasn’t an awesome web developer, I would be…

A Project Manager!!! Oh, wait. That is my job. If I wasn’t an awesome Project Manager, I would be… a high school teacher. Or if talent and experience were not an requirement, I would love to be a Dance Choreographer!

iOS or Android?

Android.

What’s “the Next Big Thing” going to be?

That our children’s children will all shake their heads at us about cell phone use the way we shake our heads at cigarette smokers. “You used to just walk around with those things next to your brain?!? How could you not think it was going to do damage?”

What are your top three video games ever?

Tetris, Contra, and Dr. Mario.

Google+, Facebook, MySpace, or Friendster?

I spend a lot of time on the computer during the day… after work I prefer face to face communication!