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 →

The geek in question: Blaise Aguera y Arcas
Title: Partner architect of MSN, working on Virtual Earth and Photosynth

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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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 →

‎‎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…

The geek in question: Charlie Smith

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?
Continue reading →

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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Geek in question: Zeke Odins-Lucas
Job title: Principal software developer on Internet Explorer

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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The geek in question: Shayna Swanson

The job title: SDET, Distributed Application Server

I understand you used to be a recruiter?
Yep. I started as a recruiter at Microsoft in 2005. I interviewed mostly technical candidates, and years of hearing how excited they were about their technical roles got me really excited about it too. I have a degree in business management and HR management, so my background is definitely non-technical. But when I heard about Microsoft’s Test Apprenticeship Program, it seemed like the perfect opportunity so, I applied. I was accepted and after nine months of on-the-job training, now I’m a tester working on Dublin.
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The geek in question: Raymond Chen
The job title: Principal Software Design Engineer, and well-known Microsoft blogger.

What are you working on now?
I’ve been with Microsoft for 17 years, and I’m currently in the Windows Experience Group. We’re the people who do the stuff that end users see and interact with. Basically anything that goes wrong, it looks like we did it.

What have you learned during your time at Microsoft?
There are a couple of “key learnings” — and yes, I have to use air quotes around that phrase. First, you have to understand what you can do, what you can influence, and what you can only observe.
Continue reading →

The geek in question: Sumit Basu

The job title: Researcher, Microsoft Research Knowledge Tools Group

What are you working on right now?
I’m working on a couple different projects, but the big one right now is Songsmith, an application that creates musical accompaniment to go with whatever melody you sing.

Wait, so I could write a song right now?
Totally. Just sing into the computer’s microphone, and Songsmith will crank out the chords to go with your song.

…Uh, ok. I guess I could sing something about my dog?

[Here's the song I sang into Songsmith, complete with its instantly produced chords. If you listen closely, you can hear cutlery clinking in the background from the café where Sumit and I were talking.]

…OH MY GOD IT’S LIKE MAGIC! How did this happen?
Continue reading →