What gets Mario out of bed in the morning? It's not martinis and cover songs!

The geek in question: Mario Guzzi
The job title: Senior Test Lead, Microsoft Expression Blend

Tell me a bit about what you’re working on.
I work on Microsoft Expression Blend, which is a tool that enables designers to build rich user experiences on top of different platforms such as Silverlight and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). It is Microsoft’s first attempt to engage seriously with the designers of the world.

People haven’t always had nice things to say about Microsoft’s design values. Do you feel like your team is changing that? Continue reading →

She sings, dances, plays tennis ... oh and has aims to save the world

The geek in question: Gladys Kenfack
Title: Senior Marketing Manager, Unlimited Potential Group

I know a bit about Unlimited Potential, and it seems like one of those amazing programs that speaks for itself — what kind of marketing do you need to do?
Microsoft Unlimited Potential is the company’s initiative that enables sustained, social and economic opportunity for everyone with an emphasis in emerging markets. I’m responsible for the digital and social media marketing of UP programs and products.
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Uh, this guy *seemed* reasonable…

So, you’re an acquisition employee. How’d that feel?
I founded a company called Seadragon in 2003 and we were around for only a couple of years before we were acquired. I think we had around 14 employees when Microsoft acquired us.

What was that like then, going from a little team that you started of 12-14 people, to being absorbed by —
The Borg. Going from a start-up to working at Microsoft was a huge, huge step. I think the lowest point was at New Employee Orientation. I have to admit that a few of us Seadragon employees were basically throwing spitballs in the back of the room. We were totally bad kids, to the point where the guy running orientation actually separated us.
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I’ve gotten a few concerned emails from people asking why I haven’t been updating as frequently — “Do you need nominations?” they inquire. “Do you need more leads?” Thankfully, I’ll never be at a loss for interesting ‘Softies to profile. I’ve got a folder with over 200 nominations waiting!

No, the reason things have been quiet around here lately is because Microspotting is only part of my job (and I’m a part time employee!). The other part is working on Microsoft’s new Global Career Site which will be launching this summer, and it’s been taking up all my time. I’m in charge of wrastling up a bazillion profiles and photos for the site, and so to keep y’all tided over until my next profile (coming in 2 weeks!), here are a few of the shots I’ve been taking for the Global Careers Site…
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James Lyle keeps getting cast as Englishmen -- could it be the impeccable accents?

The geek in question: James Lyle
The job title: Program Manager in Windows International Globalization Services.

How long have you been here?
I just passed my 9th anniversary at Microsoft. I got my PhD from the University of Washington in the late ’90s and my full intention was to be a professor of linguistics. But I knew some people who were working here who had come out of linguistics and came to check it out.

I had been looking at language in a very academic way with all these abstract theories about syntax. And when I got here, I started seeing the real thing. Once you start trying to build a grammar checker, you’ve got to know what all kinds of language real people are using in the real world every day. I felt like one of these 19th century biologists boating down the Amazon just looking at thousands of un-catalogued species with no time to even stop and say, “That’s what that is, and that’s what this is.” I was seeing so much language every day!

Microsoft is known for all of its acronyms. As a linguist, do you feel like there’s a whole separate company language? Continue reading →

Jennifer works with a truly international team -- do you?

The geek in question: Jennifer Shepherd
The job title: User Experience Designer II

Tell me a bit about your job.
I have kind of a hybrid role; I’m a jill of many trades, and do Web design, UI design, graphic design, writing, content management, and project management. So, I wear a lot of different hats. My title keeps changing back and forth between Program Manager and Designer. This year it’s User Experience Designer II.

I’m in Windows International, a team of about 350 people. We’re the ones that enable all the functionality that underlies the different language versions of Windows. Windows is available in 98 different languages, and that involves stuff like sorting & collation, fonts, globalization APIs, stuff like that.

Where’s your team based?
Mostly in Redmond and Dublin, but we also have people in over 30 different countries worldwide. And the people that are here in Redmond largely come from other countries. It’s a diverse group. We have people from more than 44 different countries on my team, and we speak more than 33 different languages.

So, are you excited for Windows 7? Continue reading →

danah boyd ponders her future with MSR

‎‎How’s it going getting settled into NERD, aka Microsoft’s New England Research & Development center?
i haven’t done enough nesting yet, but so far, so good. mostly, it’s a crash course in setting up computers, balancing meetings, figuring out hierarchies, learning the intranet … a radical change from the last six months of never leaving my couch writing writing writing.

‎Right: you’re not only transitioning into a new job and new city — but also out of dissertation mode. How’s that going?
Yup. new city, new job, far far far far far more human interaction. i mean, in the last six months of my diss, i really didn’t see anyone but my partner. i was a COMPLETE hermit. mandatory isolation is required training to be an academic.

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Charlie found me on Twitter, where he sent me a message saying “Speaking of diversity at MS- How many native Cherokee speakers do you know of? At least 1-me :-)” A native Cherokee-speaking dev? Must! Know! More! So here’s the interview…

Charlie absolutely believes that you can work for a start-up within a 90,000 person company

The job title: Lead software development engineer, Last Mile Innovation (a subgroup of Consumer and Online)

So what is that last mile?
We’re almost like a startup group within Microsoft. The LMI group sees the last mile as that final gap between the incredible platforms we build, and the Microsoft OEMs, and product teams across the world that need to customize and deploy applications on them. We’re using Messenger services, search services, social networking services as well as a host of other applications and tools across all divisions of Microsoft to help teams present our products in a way that can hopefully make money. I primarily build software development kits, assist in creating technical documentation, create prototype software and advise teams on how to use existing Microsoft services. In fact our work will likely be presented by at least 2 groups at MIX09 this year.

You mentioned being a start-up group. Do you feel like it’s actually possible to have a startup environment in an enormous 90,000-person company?
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Latika will sing about coffee if you ask her nicely

The geek in question: Latika Kirtane
The job title: Product Manager, Internet Explorer 8

I understand you’ve recently crossed over from the engineering side of the tracks to the marketing side.
I’ve wanted to be in computer science since middle school. I grew up with the Internet and remember logging into dial-up and getting charged by the minute, and getting yelled at because I spent 40 minutes on the Internet while I was updating my Geocities Web site.

I got my Computer Science degree in 2005 and started at Microsoft as a Program Manager intern over on Windows. After I got hired on, I spent two and a half years working on Windows.

But I’d see these marketing campaigns like “The Wow Is Now,” and I was like, “Who comes up with this stuff?” I was really curious about the marketing side of things, and it’s been eye-opening to get to see how the marketing team prepares for a product launch.

Which of your geeky engineering skills have you brought over to the product marketing side of the tracks?
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Zeke's aha moment

How long have you been with Microsoft?
I started contracting in 1994, and was hired in 1996.

How’d you get here?
Well, that goes back to 1993. I was working at the gas station that’s on 148th and 51st, here in Redmond. I was managing that little hole, and I was miserable and commuted an hour and a half each way by bus from Seattle. At least I had a job, but yeesh.

Then one day at a friend’s piercing studio in Seattle, I met this guy — he was like 7 feet tall and 300 pounds and shaved head, had a big tusk piercing through his nose and was getting his nipples pierced that day. We started chatting and realized we both worked on the East Side. This guy was like me (23 at the time, and no college), and he says, “Yeah, I work out in Redmond, too. I work at Microsoft.”

And I was like, “Oh, that’s just like a few blocks away from me. What’s it like to work there? ” He said, “Just come on by and see…”
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