Tretakoff Musings

I caught Inception this week. I'm a big fan of Chris Nolan, as well as movies that attempt to question the nature of reality, so I had high hopes. I'm pleased to say that it was all I hoped for, and more. Quite possibly, one of the best movies of the genre made. And, because of events that have transpired in my professional and personal life recently, all the more resonant. Don't worry, no reviews or spoilers here, but at its essence, the movie asks the question: what if life as we experience it, was no more real than a dream? This is rich territory, and usually is explored in sci-fi as "alternate realities" and the like, and it's my favorite genre. In movies, there are some great examples: The Matrix , which, until Inception , was the reigning champ. Disguised by black leather outfits, incredible slo-mo gunplay, and kung-fu, this movie was a thinly veiled retelling of Buddhist philosophy, in the form of a sci-fi action adventure. And it still kicks ass. ...

I harbor a particular love of web services that make my life easier. TripIt makes organizing my travel plans a joy. Mozy makes backing up my computer automatic and worry free. And Trillian takes care of my IM and social network monitoring on any platform. Each of these take a need that was handled through a combination of multiple tools and manual toil and elegantly makes them seamless and smooth. So, on my recent marathon business trip that had me traveling for: 7 days 6 cities 5 hotels 4 flights 2 rental cars I truly dreaded the expense report work. Hours of filling out a spreadsheet, stapling receipts to pieces of paper, printing out online receipts...the whole process would numb my brain. On the first day of my trip, I looked at this looming problem and fired up the App Store, in search of a better way. And, good readers, I am delighted to tell you I found one. Expensify is just what the doctor ordered. It works simply and elegantly: you just take a photo of the receipt with your ...

It only looks that way. Work has been brutal, but the end is nigh: I have hired two new staff members, and one has already started. With trips to Chicago and NY coming up, the extra help could not have come at a better time. I've also been logging a lot of biking and other fun exercise, so blogging (and calls to my mother, father and friends) have suffered. I've been reduced to Facebook status updates and occasional snippets...but hopefully, I'll be back in a regular publishing groove soon. I owe a big post on Plaxo , as they worked through my issues to get me fully working. And man, is it sweet. Look for it shortly. I also need to point out the best PC deals ever in the Dell Outlet ; top of the line PC's for under $400. Plus my recent solution for podcasts on the Treo, syncing with iTunes. And that's not mentioning my recent transition to Skype . And finally, a review of Madden 08 on the Wii: the results will surprise you. For now, I leave you with an image of the ...

If the Google corporate culture is one end of the spectrum, the ever-improving SFGate.com has a perspective on the other end : the "neo-nomad," or "Bedouins:" those that prefer to work out of a coffee shop. Seems unlikely? Add in WiFi (nearly a requirement for San Francisco), an atmosphere designed for small groups to be able to be together, some funky music, and power, and you've got an incubator for small companies and innovators. While I definitely prefer the comfort and focus of an office, I tend to make use of these while I am on the road. My favorite is Caribou Coffee : free WiFi that you need to renew every hour; makes you buy more coffee. Lodge-like atmosphere. BIG chairs, friendly staff. However, the idea of doing my work at one of these places is...bizarre. Now add in San Francisco's funky culture and passionate commitment to loud music. How the heck can you work? Suffice it to say, it's not for everyone, but it's a very interesting insight...

What do you do when you need employees in a competitive environment, and stock options and salary are really not enough to distinguish you? Well, after you add free gourmet meals, onsite oil changes and car washes, and other lifestyle perks, you look at what the pain points for the Silicon Valley worker are: commuting. And then? If you're Google, you start a luxury bus line. Yes, the Goog is now one of the largest transit system operators in the Bay Area. This New York Times article describes what transit is like, Google style: " The company now ferries about 1,200 employees to and from Google daily — nearly one-fourth of its local work force — aboard 32 shuttle buses equipped with comfortable leather seats and wireless Internet access. Bicycles are allowed on exterior racks, and dogs on forward seats, or on their owners’ laps if the buses run full. Riders can sign up to receive alerts on their computers and cellphones when buses run late. They also get to burnish their green ...

Hello. My name is Josh. And I am a workaholic. Those words have been uttered by me since I was 13 years old. I preferred work over school, work over relationships, and work over fun. At 13, I was working, literally, 80 hours a week in the summers. In college, I had not one, not two, but three jobs, simultaneously. In retrospect, it seems fated that I would be drawn to Silicon Valley, where we have made an art form of transforming our social lives into our work lives...and feeling content with it. It never used to be this way. Sure we had the distorted view of the nuclear family, replete with images of "Leave It To Beaver" bliss. But remember the influx of happy hours, which fortified the men (since that was who was primarily working) for their familial obligations? As time went one, the happy hours went away, and the Blackberry took its place. The ultimate distortion of this came when I worked for Inktomi. Great company, great people. The culture was summed up in one phrase: ...