Why the Outpost?

I am a Software Development Manager for a great company that believes in hiring great people. In my 15+ years of experience I have worked for several companies (big and small) in several environments (big and small) as well as several years working from home. I have developed software, managed projects, rolled out programs in a PMO, and now have the privilege of building and managing a highly productive development team ... from a remote office, or as I like to call it, the Outpost.

There is a steady stream of thoughts on working from home vs. working at the corporate "mother ship". There are many pros and cons to each and no shortage of passionate opinions. I have lived in each of these environments. I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I believe there is a better way. A solution that leverages the benefits and minimizes the drawbacks. It's an environment with many unique challenges, quirky situations, and outright oddities. It is a very enjoyable and highly productive environment. It enables us to do great work and have fun doing it. And, to do it where we want to live.

My goal is to share my stories, lessons, and insights. To spark dialogue with others running remote offices. To highlight why the Outpost is a great way to develop software. It is something that can be done in virtually any community with a reasonable stockpile of passionate techies.