A More Personal Thread: My Tech Journey 🧵
1/ Hey, I’m Cody. I’m the Principal Consultant and Software Architect at Sandtoken, but really, I’m just a guy who’s been in love with tech since the mid-90s. This is my story—from curious kid to creator. Let’s dive in. 👇
**How It All Began**
2/ Growing up in Dubuque, IA, I fell for computers the first time I touched one. My first website? Built in 1999. My first big mistake? Breaking AOL ToS at age 11 trying to learn how to code “progz.” (anyone remember those?) Lesson learned: curiosity can get you into trouble. 😅
Nov 19, 2024 22:10**Pivoting When You’re Stuck**
3/ When coding didn’t stick at first, I leaned into design. Flash animations, Paint Shop Pro, pirated Photoshop (sorry, Adobe), and dial-up internet were my tools. I didn’t know it then, but these years taught me to always find a way to create.
**Learning to Work with People**
4/ In high school, I joined Geek Squad at Best Buy. It wasn’t glamorous, but it taught me patience, empathy, and how to help people through their most frustrating moments. These skills would shape how I approach clients today.
**First Steps into Tech**
4/ That stint at Geek Squad steered me into a Computer Science degree at UW–Platteville. Turns out, “Computer Science” isn’t about fixing computers—but I did learn how to handle customers’ worst days.
**The Cartegraph Chapter**
6/ After college, I spent 12 years building software at Cartegraph. It was there that I grew to love building complex metadata-driven solutions. I didn't understand at the time how precious it was to be able to be there from the very first day of building a new system.
**Founding Sandtoken**
7/ After informally freelancing for a few years, I started Sandtoken with one goal: to fill tech talent gaps for businesses in my community. It’s not just about tech—it’s about helping people solve problems that matter.
**Why I Keep a Day Job**
8/ I work full-time at Esri, building integrations for ArcGIS in Microsoft 365 apps. Freelancing isn’t my main gig, but I'm in love the novelty. Every client and project adds something unique to my story.
**What Drives Me**
9/ I believe every piece of software should serve a purpose: simplify, improve, or inspire. I don’t chase buzzwords or trends for the sake of it—I chase the impact a project can have on someone’s life or work.
**Beyond the Code**
10/ When I’m not building things, I’m spending time with my family, playing guitar, or working in my garden. These moments keep me grounded, reminding me why I do what I do: to create space for the things that truly matter.
**Let’s Connect**
11/ If it seems like I'd vibe with you, hit me up sometime. I’m always happy to listen, brainstorm, and see where we can take things together. Tech is cool, but connecting with good people is better.
