High-Level Software Engineer

In the Status section of the "See What's New in Version 9.1.79!" page, I mentioned that we were trying to hire a new software engineer and asked you to "Say a prayer for us...and then send an e-mail to Mark and tell him why you think he should join the DVO team! Maybe if he feels the love he will take the leap!"

I am very excited to tell you that our prayers were answered and your e-mails were well received! Mark gave notice at his other job yesterday and will join the DVO team in two weeks.

Mark Williams and I have been friends for four or five years now. In fact, Mark was instrumental in helping me choose the platform, database structure, and the foundation for Cook'n Version 9. We hit it off right from the beginning; you might say that we're kindred spirits. We're the same age and we both started computing on a TRS-80 when we were about 12 years old. We developed a passion for programming at an early age and have loved it ever since.

The difference is that after starting DVO Enterprises, I have spent less and less time programming each year and more and more time in other business management activities; internet marketing, selling, finance, and managing people. Whereas Mark has just been getting better and better at computer programming. Mark is the type of guy who spends all day programming and then goes home at night and reads RSS feeds and other news about new technologies and other programming related subjects! To say that Mark will make a huge impact here at DVO is an understatement!

Mark is an amazing architect and held a highly esteemed position at GE. He and his team were instrumental in fundamentally changing some of the systems and processes at GE that improved the efficiency of all the other programming teams. And Mark's team was responsible for the key foundational pieces of the massive software project there.

After earning such a great reputation at GE and after working with people who regarded him so highly, he said that he was a bit choked up when he resigned. But Mark's boss said that he would take the opportunity at DVO too if it were him. And, he said that he thought he understood his motivation but expressed a willingness to make a better offer if he could keep him. Finally, he wished him well and told him that he knew Mark would be successful and that this sounded like a great opportunity for him.

It took real courage for Mark to take the leap from a company as solid and secure as GE to join such a company as small as DVO. Taking these steps to make this transition is a real act of faith. Mark seems to believe in the DVO vision and is willing to join the team to help us achieve our goals.

Although he was making a real impact at GE, I believe that he will be able to touch even more people and affect even more lives at DVO. In fact, his contribution at DVO will directly affect you very soon. I can promise you that! And, if we are successful at achieving our goals, our recipe software tools will revolutionize the industry simplifying meal preparation, bringing families together at dinner time, helping people to eat healthier, and saving people time and money at the grocery store. I felt good about our chances of creating something revolutionary before but, with the Mark miracle, I am certain that it is now just a matter of time.

Mark says that his first order of business...is to get me to allocate some time each week to programming Cook'n. I would really like to do that and I hope I can...but I'm so busy now that I think it will take a miracle; but it wouldn't be the first. :)