nathanbentley.com

Well I’ve made it through my first week at Publicis… Of course, having a four day week has certainly helped!

First day in, I had the usual overload of names and faces – suddenly I remember how it feels to not know everyones names. Don’t have admin rights to my computer, so can’t even install an FTP client. A project manager yells something about a site being broken at 6pm. I have no clue. Fear and panic sets in.

Day two, I’ve managed to figure out where the coffee machines are, and how to operate them. Still don’t have admin access to my machine, which is starting to make me very touchy. Finally after a bit of banter with the IT support team, I manage to get rights to install stuff. On goes my favorite selection of open source utils. Feel a little better.

Day three, I start digging into work. Have a meeting with a Project manager who sympathizes with my frustrations at having no resource. Install wordpress and start to skin it. Feel much better. Go to pub for someones leaving do. Drink beer and head home, despite broken tubes. Feel much much better.

Day four (Friday!) – Sausage sandwich and other breakfast goodies awaiting me when I arrive. Continue skinning site successfully, finding out that I can still remember HTML and CSS. Bonus. A few more meetings and things click into place. Thing are definitely looking up. Finish work at 5.30, and grab a beer before shooting off. Looking forward to coming back on Monday and seeing where the journey takes me next.

I’ve been bloody terrible about updating my blog of reason, and by way of lame excuse, here’s why…

After 2 1/2 long years at Pod1, I’ve decided to move on. Aside from the general craziness caused by my resignation, I also thought it best to make sure that the information about my departure was disseminated in an official capacity before I blurted it out online for all to read. Thankfully, that time has come…

In a little over 3 weeks I’ll be donning a new cap for Publicis Modem (of the world-wide Publicis Groupe). It’s a big move, and I’ll be flexing my technical muscles for one of the biggest agencies in the world – hopefully in a way that will assist their growth in the digital market.

Of course, my decision to leave Pod1 wasn’t an easy one – having spent 2 1/2 years eating, sleeping and breathing Pod1 (I kid you not, the sofa’s are damned comfortable), I was reluctant to leave its comfortable bosom. I’ll also be leaving a great number of friends behind – although thankfully I’m only a 15 minute tube ride away, so will no doubt be back on a Friday night.

At this point, I’ll leave with the email I wrote come the official announcement of my departure – hopefully supplying some insight to my daily workings…

A few things you may not know about me and my time spent at the pod:

• I moved to London to work at Pod1 on the sole merit that Fadi made me a cracking cup of tea (a first… and last?).
• I’ll have been at pod1 for 926 days (79945200 seconds!) when I finally get booted out the door.
• In that time, I’ve written over 100,000 lines of code.
• My longest working week was a whopping 122 hours, my shortest just a measly 4h.
• I’ve managed to go 24 hours without leaving the second floor of the building, and 36 hours without leaving the studios.
• I’ve discovered that the red sofas make awesome beds. Conversely, the old designers couch (which I believe has now left the pod) is way too small for me, and covered in spray mount – not a good sleeping experience.
• By rough calculation, I’ve drunk around 1,400 pints of flat Japanese lager, Guinness and mojitos from the bar downstairs (OK, maybe from the surrounding pubs too).
• By rough calculation, I’ve drunk a ludicrous 4,820 cups of tea. (Milk and two sugars please)
• I’ve “broken” 6 contractors – including the “ginger magician” and “moon-thunder river” (his real name, I kid you not.)
• I’ve helped in the launch of over 25 sites, and had my sticky fingers in dozens more.
• I’ve made many good friends in my time here, and thankfully, not lost any.

Bye for now…