My Top Priority
I’m the CEO and cofounder of The Duckbill Group, alongside my business partner Corey Quinn. You may know Duckbill from our AWS cost management consulting services, or perhaps from our flagship media publication, Last Week in AWS.
I spend the vast majority of my brain sweat working on or thinking about challenges Duckbill is facing. We’re currently in a post-traction, pre-scale phase where everything breaks in new and novel ways, so every day is a little different.
Other Interests
Business Building & Coaching
I can’t help myself sometimes so I often find myself working on small little business ideas. Some of them launch, some of them don’t. Some work out, some don’t.
In addition to that, I also informally coach and mentor other small business owners and solo builders. (Sorry, I’m not taking on any clients on that front.)
Woodworking
I’m an amateur woodworker, having taken it up shortly after moving to Portland in 2019. I have a 400 sq ft shop in a commercial building in Portland filled with various tools that I don’t get nearly enough time in.
Writing
I’ve always enjoyed writing from an early age, having written my first coherent piece in middle school. I published Practical Monitoring with O’Reilly in 2017 and have been blogging off-and-on since then. I’m currently thinking about another book, which I’m hoping to write in 2022.
Video games
I enjoy RPGs and simulation games. I voraciously consume every Assassin’s Creed game and spend a mindboggling number of hours in Satisfactory.
Reading
I read a fair amount. Mostly professional or personal development. Occasionally fiction (fantasy or scifi). My favorite authors include Douglas Adams, Roger Zelazny, Frank Herbert, Arthur C. Clarke, and so, so many more I’ve forgotten about for the moment.
Automotive
I’m a total gearhead. I love driving cars, I love fixing cars, I love looking at cars. I love even thinking about cars.
I’ve owned over a dozen vehicles, including some that never actually ran. I currently own a 1997 BMW 535i with a six speed manual, and a 1984 BMW 325e. The 5-series is my usual driver while the 3-series is getting a complete strip-and-restore (complete with a drivetrain swap from a ’95 M3!)