Back to DC
About six weeks ago I sold my car, sublet my apartment, shipped three boxes of personal possessions and books, and got on a plane for San Francisco. I spent the subsequent five weeks furiously planning an entrepreneurial venture with my friend and would-be business partner.
Despite our tech backgrounds, my friend and I were attempting to start a footwear company, which we had conceived as a gateway venture to other challenging, multidisciplinary projects. Our initial line was to include street-styled unisex trainers ripe for customization and sharp business casual offerings for men and women. We wanted to use ecologically sustainable materials, innovative IT infrastructure, and other forward-looking approaches to our business. A market for high-design “green” footwear exists, according to our numbers. It had potential.
The more we planned, the more the complexities of the apparel manufacturing world became apparent. Producing garments and accessories of high quality is no mean feat. We had approached the business thinking we be in retail stores in several months, be profitable within a year, and move on to other projects in a couple years. Research proved otherwise. Bringing a quality product to market while growing a business takes time and total dedication whether you’re making software or shoes. There’s a reason why professionals are professionals.
I reflected long and hard on that, wondering if setting aside my skills in technology and information security was the right thing to do. A sense of duty and a sense of loss left me missing my job in DC. Living elsewhere and doing something totally different was beneficial, but as a mental exercise. I knew earlier this week that I needed to be back home doing the work I was born to do.
I won’t relish moving back just in time for the humid ass-end of summer in the swamp. I may wince a bit at Capitol Hill stereotypes and streets with painful memories. But DC is my home, as defined by where the people I care about are. With the perspective that distance and time give, coupled with careful application of the social lessons I’ve learned on the West Coast, this old city will be new for me.
I fly home after DefCon. I can’t wait to get back to work.