Here we go again….

I wrote this in 2015, after being fired from a company where I helped create a concept that I believe could revolutionize data analysis. I’ve let it sit, unpublished for the last 6 years, partly out of fear that it would hurt my employment chances. Rediscovered it today when I logged in to start blogging again. Since then I’ve decided to work in a blue collar field, several of which I have employable experience. I think it has stood the test of time.

I am sitting here, nursing a vodka, wondering where in heck things went wrong.

Immediately after coming home from Afghanistan, I was snapped up by a contracting company that wanted me to write and speak about my experiences in Afghanistan.

They also wanted me to advocate for their product, which is a brilliant application of the Wiki- format, where all reports are swept into a message board, and then live humans categorize them into a wiki-based narrative. It’s simple but brilliant. Almost all data could be found and accessed within three clicks of a computer mouse, or with a keyword search.

No longer would analysts do deep dives and targeted research, with all the horrible and destructive biases that are involved in that. No more would decision-makers get only the echo chamber they’d created. I made good friends within the company, and even brought some of my most talented friends to the company to help create this wondrous thing.

But then, the owner hired a professional management team, which consisted of a porcine little man with a little mind, and an uninterrupted history of failure. And he brought all of his loser friends who were fundamentally unemployable.

These friends he initially hired for worker type jobs, but none of them did any “work”. Instead, they created new levels of management. New levels to the point where by the time there were 20 employees, there was 7 levels of management (to match the 7 levels of Hell, I’m sure), none of which were actually responsible for “work.”

Prior to this short, rotund little megalomaniac taking over, I was the “go to” guy, and gladly put in the hours, accomplishing every task put in front of me and even anticipating potential tasks and doing them before they were presented. Once this pocket tyrant took over, none of these horrible behaviors were tolerated. No more would “work” be rewarded; rather, the company went into 24/7 “huddle” mode, where nothing could be done due to death by meeting.

The rest of my friends either quit or were fired by these idiotic, do-nothing welfare recipients in ties. I, however, gutted it out. I put up with the stupid reindeer games; the masking of others’ inability to do work with continuous, incessant editing. Editing developed to prevent having to expose the fact that the other workers just could not get the core task done. I was driven to, and past, my breaking point, but I stuck it out. And I was rewarded with a “It’s just not going to work out”, and an attempt to be lighthearted by the owner. Note to self – if you’re ever going to fire a talented and loyal employee, who has given their heart and soul to your organization, don’t try to joke with them, after you’ve connived to justify their firing. Chances are they won’t take it well.

And now, the concept is dead. It is now yet another worthless government funded echo chamber for “important people” and a place for vacuous, ego-driven, dilettantish “analysts” to demonstrate how bright they are, and precious else.

The dream is gone. And I feel like someone has killed my baby.

Now… what to do next? I need to pay the bills, but I am no longer satisfied with just a paycheck. My butt-kissing budget to keep my job has been exhausted. I feel mentally raped. Yet surprisingly free.

Part of me wonders if those I am talking about will read this, and be enraged. Maybe they’ll give me a “gasp” BAD REFERENCE.

Personally, the further down the glass I get, the more curious I am at what will come next.

BTW, anyone need an adventurous, brave, loyal, intelligent, creative, hard working Don Quixote? I just happen to be available….