First!

We've been talking about setting up a company blog for some time, and now that we actually have a company, an office and a product rapidly approaching private release, the time seems right to put proverbial pen to paper. But where to start?

How about at the beginning?

GDK got its start when Keith and I decided to leave our last place of employment on the same day. It was mid-afternoon, mid-week on a sunny October day, so we decided to grab a beer and enjoy the warm weather while contemplating our newfound unemployment. Having worked together at StubHub.com and FanIQ.com for a number of years, we knew we wanted to keep the tradition alive, but were a little hesitant to join another angel funded startup.

My previous two jobs had both been in the early stages of such companies, and let me be the first to say that inheriting an organically and rapidly produced codebase was not high on my to-do list. Luckily, Keith felt the same way.

I'd been kicking an idea for a website around in my head for some time, and after the second beer, it seemed like the best time to throw it against the wall for stickiness testing. Keith was into it and we decided to give it a go, if only to occupy the time until The Perfect Job Opportunity™ came along.

Meanwhile, another of my longtime compatriots was considering a move from his engineering job at StubHub. Gabe and I had worked together for the better part of a decade, beginning at Sigma6 Interactive Media back in Detroit. We'd remained close friends after moving across the country together, and somehow always wound up working at the same place. He'd also grown tight with Keith in our StubHub years, so when word got out that Keith and I were going to start something of our own, it was almost a fait accompli that Gabe would join us at his first opportunity.

As it turned out, that opportunity came quickly. Gabe decided to leave StubHub and officially completed our three headed monster at the onset of 2008.

Next up... the birth of Noozler and GDK Software Incorporated...