The Wired office when I joined, in 1996: wired.com/images_blogs/m…

@stop @stop I was two years out of school when I took that job. Left my friends and a good job in San Diego, moved to SF where I knew no one.

@stop @stop I also took a considerable cut in pay to join Wired then. But I saw an opportunity to join something I believed in.

@stop @stop It was a scary move back then. Apartments in SF were (surprise) getting expensive. Low pay pushed me further into debt.

@stop @stop A few months into my job at Wired, I thought I was done. Gave my 2-week notice, and arranged to take my San Diego job back.

@stop @stop But Wired wasn’t done with me yet. A few folks who believed in me convinced me to stay by offering me another position.

@stop @stop So I decided to stay. And ended up staying another 6 years. Through 2 pulled IPOs, the first big bubble burst, and 2 acquisitions.

@stop @stop I look back at those years fondly, and with no regrets. The web was in its infancy, and we were helping to shape it.

@stop @stop I credit HotWired’s Creative Director, Barb, and Design Director, Jonathan, as the two people who most shaped my early career.

@stop @stop Via @snackfight, here’s a modern-day photo of the Wired office: