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Marketing Guy Surrounded by Software Engineers

Christian by Christian
Last updated: 03/30/2008

Why this lens? Because there's nothing like a healthy dose of self-promotion!

I am a Group Program Manager with Microsoft, and live in the Seattle area. My background is product and program management within the high-tech sector - although I've worked with numerous entrepreneurs and startups in other areas. For more info on my background, you can check out my profile over on LinkedIn. I'm currently working on the digital advertising platform here at Microsoft, where I run the Business Operations Shared Services team, and also manage the adCenter API program.

I am a huge science fiction/fantasy fan (Card, Eddings, Donaldson and Tolkein ROCK), am a Godin fanatic (Purple Cow, All Marketers are Liars, Permission Marketing). I'm currently reading Tom Peter's "The Pursuit of WOW!" I am also an avid writer -- mostly on business and technology topics, though I have a fantasy novel idea burning a hole in me. My three books are listed below, with the latest offering (on ClearQuest - a defect tracking software by IBM Rational) just published by IBM Press (August 2006).

Born and raised in the San Francisco East Bay, I am married to my best friend with 4 great kids, and working to build the world's most comprehensive collection of 80's new wave music, most of which nobody else seems to remember.

my stream of consiousness

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Story of My Life Foundation

StoryOfMyLife.com
I sit on the board for the Story of My Life Foundation (501c3) which oversees Story of My Life.com, launching in 2006. It's a unique way for you to preserve your life's memories and stories, pictures, videos and more to be treasured for generations to come.

The site allows you to build a life story site, where your precious memories are stored FOREVER in a safe and secure environment.

What I am listening to right now...

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BlueBadeMojo.com

Anything and Everything Irrelevant at Microsoft

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Armadillos in the Snow

I don't know why, but this photo is the most viewed of everything posted on my various blogs. I was in college, bored out of my mind, and decided to take the stuffed armadillos from our living room (don't ask) out into the snow to play. I guess people love dead, stuffed rodents in snow.

My Three Books

which you can buy as a bundle for $30! see my other lenses

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Some of my articles...

The Defendable Swag
Your financial model and underlying business strategy for execution and measurement of your model are nothing more than an educated guess, especially when your product or technology is untested, or in a bleeding-edge industry. How do you defend a financial model when you're proposing a business around a product nobody has yet seen?
Ignore that Pie in the Sky
There's more to market analysis than picking up the latest Gartner or Forrester research report and cutting and pasting their sector estimates into your business plan. This is one area where you need to do your homework, as the answer to this question will impact your marketing plan, your investor pitch, and your entire business strategy.
ClearQuest to the Rescue
There seems to be an endless volley between product management and engineering and engagement personnel to clarify exactly what the customer wants and needs, and what the development team can deliver. We assume there is a "process" to handle the information being passed between organizations, and between our customers and pre-sales teams. Apparently the "process" is to send an e-mail or jump on the phone and call someone down in engineering. What information was captured and to whom the bug or enhancement was sent depends entirely on the person who documents the issue.
Capitalizing on Collaboration: Microsoft's Collaboration Strategy
A diatribe on where Microsoft should go with its collaboration strategy.
Building Self-Equity: How to Better Market Yourself
Written in early 2004 for a series of workshops for Red Hill Partners and the East Bay IT Group.
Here's one in Japanese
I'm not sure which article this is, but its always fun to find reprints in other languages.
Here's one in Russian
Another translated article.

The East Bay IT Group

A Non-Profit Technology Forum

www.eBIG.org
This is a 501c3 I co-founded a few years ago with Kristen Kuhns and Patrick Tardif, providing the San Francisco East Bay with SIGs, technology events, and introductions to VCs, service providers, and local government.

Advice on Getting Hired by Microsoft

In 2004, I started a blog that became quite popular to those interested in working for Microsoft. That content is long gone now, but I thought I'd share some of the pearls of wisdom from those posts, culled from my own experiences with Microsoft. Yes yes, most of it is just common sense...but its always surprising to meet people who choose to ignore one or more of these steps. Of course, not every applicant is going to get in. Microsoft receives over 5,000 resumes a day (I've been told). My advice is that you can cut through a lot of the clutter by following these steps:
  1. Create a profile on the Careers page.
    Will you find a job through this step alone? Not likely. But once someone does find you, they'll want you to have a profile within the system. This is especially important when you actually make it to a phone screen or interview loop.
  2. Understand which role best fits your skills.
    Aside from your SDE or QA roles, the three primary functions at Microsft are 1) Program Manager, 2) Product Manager, and 3) Marketing Manager. Yes, there are other roles, but these three make up the core of the company. The Career page offers insight into these roles, and I recommend you know the differences before applying. The roles can vary depending on the org, but the primary functions remain the same.
  3. Have an inkling on where you'd like to be.
    Are you interested in a specific group, or are you just fishing? Your chances are always better if you have some idea of where you'd like to be within MS. Having broad interests is fine, but at least define the various technologies or product areas you're interested in before you start talking to recruiters. If you were the hiring manager, would you make an offer to someone just interested in getting their foot in the door, or would you select someone who is genuinely interested in working for that specific group?
  4. Tap into your Microsoft network.
    As I stated up front, people rarely find a job through unsolicited resumes, so go through the people you know at MS - whether or not they are in the org you're interested in pursuing. They can submit your resume internally, or, if the hiring manager approves, put you directly in touch with the team of interest. Referrals are the key -- find someone to be your advocate on the inside. They can usually tell you about new opportunities before they are posted online.
  5. Participate in the dialog.
    Now that you understand the role you want, and you have some idea of the teams you're interested in pursuing -- what is being discussed in those groups? What are the insiders talking about? Follow the news, do a little research, participate in the blogs, and learn as much as you can about what is happening at MS. It's a great way to stay on top of things, meet new people, and get the inside perspective.
  6. Network.
    If your primary problem is that you don't know anyone personally at Microsoft, go meet people! Every community has some kind of technology forum or user group. Join them. Or update your profiles on LinkedIn, Ryze, or other social networking sites and reach out to Microsoft employees within those tools. You need to make an effort to associate yourself with the crowd, and make known your skills and your interest in joining the team. It doesn't matter where you live - just get involved at some level.
  7. Remember that it's about finding the right fit.
    Desperation doesn't look good on anyone. Be patient. It's a big company, and therefore can move slowly sometimes. At Microsoft, it's all about finding the right fit for the right person at the right time. I should know -- from first posting my resume online to getting a job offer took over 18 months. I interviewed 4 times (all day loops), but then took myself out of the running for a year while I took another job -- only to come back, reapply, and get a job offer in about 5 weeks time. When it fits, it fits. If you're getting great feedback, just no job offers, stay positive and keep trying.

Books That Define Me

If you want a better understanding of my personality, read these books

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Blogs I Follow Religiously

Creating Passionate Users
For me, this site is the blog equivalent to the television show 'The Office' - it does a great job of identifying problems that annoy us all, illustrating the insanity of the user experience we all see every day - through work, or in the technology space in general. We see these things, we collectively grimmace, and we have to laugh.
Project Portfolio Management for IT
Demian is a visionary in the PPM space. I've had some great conversations with him, I really like the solution he has created with his company - Project Arena, and I wish more people would take the time to understand the value of PPM in IT governance.
The Virtual Handshake Blog
I met David Teten at an event I helped put together in Oakland, CA a couple years back, and was excited to see him pair off with Scott Allen, someone who I met online through Ryze and About.com, to create the book 'The Virtual Handshake'. It's a great read, and the blog is an ongoing journey with David and Scott.
Virtual Projects
Virtual Projects is one of the better collections of data on all things having to do with collaboration. I discovered the site while researching knowledge management solutions, and have used it to keep up to date on everything from KM to IM to PLM. It's a treasure trove of information.
John R. Durant's Weblog
John is a Program Manager for Visual Studio Tools for Office at Microsoft, and a good friend. His job is basically to stretch the app as far as he can - to find new ways to do things with Visual Studio. And he always leaves you with some kind of musical nugget.
Seth Godin's Blog
Hey, who doesn't read Seth's blog? I mean, c'mon -- if there's even an ounce of you that cares about marketing, then you have to follow Seth's blog.

Favorite SciFi/Fantasy Books

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Christian

Technology junkie and closet Barry Manilow fan, Christian's mind is full of useless 80's music trivia and ideas for new entrepreneurial ventures. When... more »

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