Changing Lanes: Leaving Sun/MySQL

After having worked for two years and one quarter of a year with MySQL AB (now Sun), I have decided to resign and pursue another career.

Before I joined MySQL AB I was working as a database consultant and application developer. I knew that joining MySQL would mean giving that up, but I was happy to do so because I really liked the MySQL product. I was also attracted by the company itself, the flexible working hours, working from home, travelling abroad, and, very important, being one of the few companies that is capable creating FOSS software on a commercial basis.

I have had a splendid time at MySQL AB, and later Sun. I met lots of smart people and travelled to a bunch of places I would probably not've had the chance to visit otherwise. I learned a lot about the MySQL server, and a lot about the challenges involved in making an open source software company profitable. I've been given the chance to co-author a book on MySQL Cluster, and authored the cluster and associate certification exams. Finally, I created a training course that learns you how to write MySQL UDFs.

Looking back, I feel quite satisfied, and I'm thankful for having had this opportunity. However, slowly but surely I have noticed that I have been less involved in technical stuff, at least professionally. I have been spending so much time on hobby hacking in my spare time, that I reconsidered my position, and decided that I would really like to pick up application development again. At some point, a good opportunity came by, and I decided to seize it. So, that's what I did.

As of the 1st of October, next Wednesday, I will be working for Strukton Rail. I will be working for a department that's responsible for business process improvement and re-engineering. I will be doing a bit of business process analysis and consultancy, but the larger part of my job will consist of developing a Web application to model business processes and to support project management. These applications will have a distinctly graphical nature, and I have a pretty clear idea where I want that to end up. In addition I will be adding business intelligence to these applications.

I will be in the lucky position to be able to decide for a large part which technologies and products we will be using, and I think I will be able to build all of it on open source/free software. I am pretty certain that I will be using MySQL, Pentaho, PHP, ExtJs and Google Gears.

My intention is to keep blogging about MySQL. Most likely I will write more about all these other technologies too.

I'd like to finish by saying again what a wonderful time I had with MySQL/Sun! I wish MySQL/Sun the best of luck, and I want to thank all of my colleagues there. Thank you! I have learned a lot from you, and I'm looking forward to meeting again some place, some time.

Roland