After leaving my last employer, I've worked my way into a situation where I am bein paid well and people say thank you a lot. I almost forgot how much more pleasant those two words can make a  job. I also had the flexibility with this good client to go after business with a friend looking to build a software product. In this position, I get to get paid for what I can figure out as opposed to get paid for what I know by heart.

My last employer paid me pretty much for what I knew how to do. But the culture was a keep the lights on deal. Really what was needed was robots who could keep the lights on.

Doing similar work in a lot of ways but subtle emphasis change and culture change made all the difference. I find myself working from home 2 days a week or more with the feeling that momentum and energy are buiding up again. I've read 3 or 4 books in the past few months and really thinking about the human side of IT and strateges for success, a road map for myself, in this flattened world.

I don't know all the answers but at least I feel I am not driving 60 miles per hour in the wrong direction for my career.

I'm using open source tools. I'm doing guerila entrepreneurship finding opportunies through friends and building internet world skills seed future growth.

I've also had lunch 3 or 4 times a week with a guy who has become a good friend. Young, energetic, good philosophy guy who comes from one of the top Indian IT firms and now trying to make it on his own at my clients company. Our shared conversation has really given me a first hand understanding about how the world is changing and the paths to win-win where both he and I can succeed and help one another. The pattern starts with a friendship and communication between two people like a pebble in the water whose ripples in time will tell the stories of some great collaborations.