Boondoggle

I love corporate trips, they really know how to treat customers and even their own employees. I am in Chicago (as has been previously mentioned) for an event that my company holds every three months where we fly out about 30 of our best customers out to meet with us so we can present them our roadmap and get feedback. Now this is such an important activity as these are customers that spend annually more than $60 million each! It would be a huge mistake if we design products that they don’t want or misses the mark, so this is our way of keeping our focus.

But that is not what I wanted to write about. These same great customers are then treated to the best we can offer for these weeks. The first night we took everyone to one of the best steak joints in Chicago (by whomever ranks steak joints), second night to the leading sea food restaurant, and last night was to take a river cruise which ended in fireworks that was enjoyed by all. Now having had the privilege of attending with customers both to talk to them and understand their top concerns, these guys and girls who do this every 3 months are some of the most fun people I have traveled with. The New Yorkers just love showering Chicago with accolades about how wonderful the city it, while insulting how easy they have it and how they are wimps (not their exact word). They also freaked out just a little when they saw people swimming in the lake. To swim in the Hudson is to take your life in your own mind. The Bostonians are amazed by how straight the streets are and that each intersection meets at 90 degree angles. But all the same these customers love to work hard all day sitting for 9 hours of straight power point presentations, but love even more drinking beer at the top of the John Hancock building (unbelievable view of sunsets) or on Rush street. By the way did you know it takes the elevator in the John Hancock building 42 seconds (approximately) to travel 96 stories? Unbelievable. Yes this is what happens when you put 12 slightly tipsy engineers into an elevator together.

Having gotten very little sleep I am eagerly anticipating flying home and sleeping in my own bed. But while we are on the subject of going home got to tell you about something I think you might enjoy. Last week Thursday (a week ago today) I was asked to take on an entire new technology and help on the virtual team. Now this is an entirely new technology that I have absolutely no understanding of, but this does not scare me as I should be able to learn new things and technologies. I knew I would have a few weeks to study and talk to people and watch other presentations and although I needed to ramp up quickly, but I had no idea how quickly. I received a call last Friday asking if I could do a customer briefing on this technology for a week from that day (i.e. tomorrow) as everyone else is out of town. This call came from my manager and although I was reluctant I agreed. It gets better, this presentation will be given in Japanese. This is challenging at best, harder when I am not comfortable with the content at all! Suffice to say it will be interesting and will put to test any and all presentation skills I might have. Wish me luck.

As for now I need to go back to my meeting, but wanted to give everyone an update. Have a great Thursday.