måndag, maj 21, 2007

The ThoughtWorks story

As you know, I will be starting at ThoughtWorks Studios in June, and I've been to JavaOne and now RailsConf, head on head. There is something I really need to tell you right now, and something that I've felt very strongly this week and last week. As I said, I'll start at TW in two weeks. My interview process was basically like any interview process; I met lots of TW people, but I couldn't relate to them that much, because being part of the interview process made it very hard. My mind was focused on other things.

Martin Fowler said in one of his bliki entries (here), that people matter most, and: "I decided then that I wouldn't work with unpleasant people, however capable they might be.". And he then goes on and says that this was one of many reasons he actually joined TW. TW has a "no assholes" policy. I didn't actually get the reality of this (I mean seriously, would you believe that such a thing actually could be?), until RailsConf when I met something like 30-40 TWkers. I've spent much time with Roy, Chad Wathington, Cyndi Mitchell, Julian Boot, Alexey Verkhovsky, Desi McAdam and so many other people that I can't remember their names. But what I do remember is that I felt right at home with them; these are people I can relate to, I can discuss with them, I can agree or disagree with them but regardless I will have a good time. It feels very much like a family, and I feel so much at home going to TW. I think that this is the best thing that could ever happen me. I have no illusions about this; I know for a fact that most of these people are smarter in every way than me. That is totally fine, that means I can learn great things from them.

So, what I wanted to say is just that I feel great about this. I'm so excited, and it's going to be a great time; not only for me and TW, but for the Ruby and JRuby community.

Well, I just wanted all the TWkers I've met these days to know that I feel so great about this. I've never felt as welcome, and I've never found a place with such great people. ThoughtWorks is a radically different company, and it's the people who does that. ThoughtWorks is extremely different, in a very good way.

I will need to blog about the last day of RailsConf, and more overall feelings and stuff like that, but I'll do that when I get back to Sweden.

2 kommentarer:

zheng sa...

Hi, Ola!

I've been on board. You're right. ThoughtWorks is a really good place with smart people.

I'm waiting for you to begin an interesting adventure.

Anonym sa...

Are you serious? I've worked with quite a number of TWers on various projects.

They're the most arrogant group of people (except for one person), unpleasant to work with, and if there's one company for me to label as 'asshole', then it would be TW.