Dream Gig, Dream Team, Dream Environment: Thanks Automattic!

Today is the most beautiful of days. I’m not talking about the weather, but about a feeling that is currently impregnating every single fiber of my professional being. See, today marks the beginning of my trial phase (contractor) asย Automattic‘s newest full-time systems wrangler.

You read that right: I’ll be working for the companyย behindย WordPress.org,ย WordPress.com,ย Gravatar,ย Akismet and many other innovative and industry-leadingย products, with itsย wikipedia-entry-worthy figures,ย multi-datacenters infrastructure, the whole shebang.

Don’t get me wrong, although this assignment represents, to me, the professionalย chance of a lifetime, it will also be the most challenging by far, the scale of it all mind boggling.ย Nothing is won yet beyond the opportunity and everything is still left to be achieved.ย Needless to say, I will be doing my very best (and then some) toย own the said challenge and proveย Barry,ย Matt and others I am indeed theย right guy for the job.

WordPress.com, one of our flagship products if you’re not familiar with it (hint: this very blogs runs on it),ย hosts such sites as “CNNโ€™s Political Ticker, Dow Jonesโ€™ All Things D, the National Football Leagueโ€™s Official NFL blog, Time Incโ€™s The Page, People Magazineโ€™s Style Watch, Om Malik, official blogs for communities like Flickr and BBCโ€™s Top Gear, and many other high-profile and high-traffic blogs“.ย Automatticians also happen to be amongst the most successfulย Free and Open Source software evangelists, users and providers in the Web industry.

To top it all off, the position means 100% telecommuting, a mandatory requirement for me to work for a US-based (but internationally staffed) company since my wife, 3 children and I are happily residing in Montreal, Canada. An ideal proposition for a professional like I, who applies as much emphasis on his family life and welfare’s as he does on his career (even if often with little moderation in either :p). Balance being the path to a full and well-lived life, in my humble opinion.

In conclusion, I’d like to extend my deepest and most heartfelt thanks toย Matt and the entireย Automattic family for presenting me with this opportunity, as well as for welcoming me in their midst as we start and learn to work together.

Aim high, reach higher!

Update: Not a contractor any more. On staff since September 21st. ๐Ÿ™‚

Comments

39 responses to “Dream Gig, Dream Team, Dream Environment: Thanks Automattic!”

  1. Andrea Avatar

    So happy for you! Love to see Canadians representing, too. (sheesh, we’re everywhere now)

    1. Stephane Daury Avatar

      It’s an invasion, run for the hills! ๐Ÿ˜‰ Ecstatic, to say the least.

  2. quickredfox Avatar

    I’d say it’s mor like Automattic’s just landed themselves a Dream Systems Wrangler ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Stephane Daury Avatar

      Thanks Franck. Time will tell. ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    super SUPER stoked! They’re lucky to have you, and what a perfect gig for you and your family. Congrats!

    1. Stephane Daury Avatar

      Thanks Laura! Ideal doesn’t quite describe the scale of it. ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. evablue Avatar

    dang! man! oh! you’re part of the uber geek elite now!

    1. Stephane Daury Avatar

      Wouldn’t go that far (yet?), as I’m now working with truly brilliant peeps, but I sure will be doing my very best to earn that right. ๐Ÿ˜€

  5. Tanya McGinnity Avatar

    I’m so happy for you Stephane and am sure that you are going to do great in your new job.

    You’re shreddin’ in the big leagues buddy!

    1. Stephane Daury Avatar

      Thanks Tanya. ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Jf Fortier Avatar
    Jf Fortier

    Wow! Congrats!

  7. Arach Tchoupani Avatar
    Arach Tchoupani

    That’s amazing news ๐Ÿ™‚ Fรฉlicitations!

    1. Stephane Daury Avatar

      You know it! Gotta go celebrate that eh. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  8. Samuel Lavoie Avatar

    wow sounds awesome! big congrats on being part of Automattic. wish you the best ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Fred Brunel Avatar

    Congrats Stephane, it’s awesome!

    If I understand well, you’re not going to develop anymore in this new position.

    1. Stephane Daury Avatar

      Very short term, maybe. Medium term: doubt I’ll be out of the code for too long. Long term: NEVER. If nothing else, I’ll still be contributing to Open Source projects, can’t ever stop doing that. Love it too much. ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. Sylvain Carle Avatar

    Congrats, glad to see you found such a great fit for your aspirations! Will continue tapping in your WP-Brain once in a while to get your perspective on WP-Things! ๐Ÿ˜‰

    1. Stephane Daury Avatar

      Always here for ya Sylvain. ๐Ÿ™‚

  11. […] the Twitter stream today, I discovered that Automattic has hired on a new Systems Wrangler in Stephane Daury. In his post, you can clearly read the excitement given off by this job opportunity. Hell, […]

  12. Jeffro Avatar

    Congratulations man. Hope it pans out well for you. Keep those servers humming!

    1. Stephane Daury Avatar

      You can count on me to make sure they do! But the existing team has paved a golden road for me. Now, challenge will be to help making it a platinum boulevard! ๐Ÿ™‚

  13. […] Dream Gig, Dream Team, Dream Environment: Thanks Automattic! « stephdau on WordPress […]

  14. Patrick Avatar

    WOW. Fรฉlicitations, trรจs trรจs cool.

    (On a de la place ร  Station C ๐Ÿ˜‰ )

    1. Stephane Daury Avatar

      Merci Pat! Station C: pas impossible du tout, mais lร , je profite de pouvoir travailler ร  la maison. ร‡a fait du bien! Mais je vais m’en lasser, c’est sรปr. Telecommuting veut pas dire tourner en hermite, faut juste que je me rappelle de รงa! ๐Ÿ˜‰

  15. Trevor Avatar

    Wow, congratulations!
    That’s an impressive new role.

    1. Stephane Daury Avatar

      Thanks Trevor. Now, I *just* have to live up to it. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Don’t forget to ping me when you come to Montreal soon, so we can go for that proverbial bite.

  16. Antoine Avatar

    EPIC congrats to you!

    1. Stephane Daury Avatar

      *happy_dance* ๐Ÿ™‚

  17. Sarven Capadisli Avatar

    Hey, congrats dude! What a cool title! Enjoy. ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Stephane Daury Avatar

      Thanks Sarven. I say Control Yourself, Inc is going to have to come up with such titles for you guys too sooner rather than later. ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Sarven Capadisli Avatar

        I’ve had debates about the ultimate title for someone that works on the Web, and I believe that it really is “Web Master”. Even though it doesn’t seem to be the top position one can get, I mean, c’mon, what beats the ‘master’ of something? ๐Ÿ™‚

  18. Doug Avatar

    I’ve said it on Twitter and I’ll say it again: well done, you lucky dog, you!

  19. Krt Avatar

    Congrats!!!!! That is so great!

  20. ebilodeau Avatar

    Just got wind of the news… congrats! ๐Ÿ™‚

  21. jeremyclarke Avatar

    Epic gratz man! So awesome!

  22. Stephane Daury Avatar

    Thanks Doug, Kurt, Ed and J. Day 3 FTW! ๐Ÿ™‚

  23. […] but what it truly did was putting us on the map as “decent” developers, and eventually lead to both Alex and I working with Automattic, which is unarguably one of the best things that ever […]

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