I grew up in Ripon, Wisconsin where we have a small liberal arts college claiming Harrison Ford as student ( *he didn't graduate *).
I was into nerdy things at a young age - loved Star Wars, saved my Basic programs on cassette tapes, was in gifted and talented in high school for math and art, was also into sports - playing football, wrestling, and ran track.
Graduated high school ( Go Tigers! ) and went to college at Texas A&M University where i majored in Computer Engineering. Truth be told I probably majored in basketball cause I played a ton of it during college.
After college I worked for various companies some very large and some very small before finding my place at Asurion. ( My LinkedIn Profile )
I am married and have a teenage daughter who has started college in Graphic Design and Animation at MTSU.
Why argvader? That is my gamer tag and the name I used during my hacker days. I wasnt like Kevin Mitnick or anything but was a little mischievous. Now I use it for github, games, slack etc.
Kaizen - "continual improvement". I firmly believe in always trying to improve both as an individual and a team.
Direct Feedback - Non-anonymous constructive feedback is not easy but its such a valuable process. Being able to articulate feedback to another is a valuable skill. Without feedback improvement is difficult. Therefore, I value product retrospectives. I value 360 personal feedback. I value surveys. I value 1:1's.
Trust - I trust others and am amazed by the talented folks around. I trust everyone is trying to do their best work. I trust in the decisions of team members closer to the problem than myself.
Gestalt - A well functioning team is greater than the sum of its parts. I believe a well functioning team has a culture of 'healthy debate'. A team willing to debate means: The team members are comfortable enough to discuss opinions. They are engaged. They are passionate about the team's mission. A debate cant turn into a filibuster. There still must be a strong motivation for action.
ADDI - Audacity Driven / Data Informed. Totally my acronym. But I do fear constant refining of a product will find a local maximum. I believe there are times to be bold. Another term i heard is a moonshot. I believe data should inform our decisions but there are times to be audacious. Take a risk in an experiment where there may not be data then let the data tell us if we are right. Some experiments will not succeed and this is ok.
Individuals - I value the skills, the ideas, the struggles, the culture, the incredible complex tapestry of thought each individual brings.
While a person is more sophisticated than a personality test result, it is eerie how these results fit. Personality Results
I am a Counselor
"Gary is likely to take time to understand a problem and perceive the emotional elements of a situation before taking action. He can tend to be patient, steadfast, and may emphasize the individual needs of teammates over personal ambitions."
I am The Thinker
"Gary tends to be curious, independent, and observant. Gary generally loves to pursue knowledge and seeks a deeper understanding of the world."
I am A Mediator (INFP)
"As an INFP, Gary tends to be reserved, idealistic, and adaptable. Gary generally enjoys being alone or with small groups of people and likely prefers to listen and contemplate while in discussions."