Name: Josh Lawler

Bio: Iowa-born web designer/developer by day, singer/songwriter by night.

Title:  Web Designer at Oriental Trading Company, Inc.

Age: 23

Residence: Omaha, Neb.

Website: josh-lawler.com

Twitter: @joshlawler

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/joshlawler

Intro music: "I'm Amazed" by My Morning Jacket

Silicon Prairie News: With Oriental Trading Company, you're designing for users looking to make purchases that are usually fun and whimsical. How if at all do you try to reinforce those feelings with your design?

Josh Lawler: While the majority of our current product selection at Oriental Trading Company is geared towards children, our users are adults planning events for those children. As far as our web presence is concerned, we attempt to bridge this gap by using subtle design elements such as rounded corners and fonts to reflect safety, bright colors to reflect our culture and mission of making the world more fun and photographs of human faces to make emotional connections to our users.

SPN: What do you consider the three best-designed logos you have seen recently, and why?

JL: I'll controversially admit that I am a fan of the new Brooklyn Nets branding. It's bold, and risky, but I think it takes a good step away from all the sports branding cliches we've blindly followed in the past. I also really liked the simplicity of CourseKits "Lore" rebranding; the accompanying microsites were really beautiful. Lastly, I think Oxide nailed the Big Omaha logo again this year. More impressive than the logo itself was the execution of all the collateral. Fantastic attention to detail as usual from the Big Omaha/Oxide team.

SPN: For someone like you who's both a designer and musician, the album cover is a place where two pursuits collide. So tell me, what's your take on what cover art should achieve or convey?

JL: This is an interesting question because some people feel cover art has lost its importance in the age of the internet. I, however, buy a lot of music on vinyl (with free mp3 downloads of course) not only for the sound quality, but because big, physical album artwork enhances the overall music experience tremendously, and has the ability to create a deeper connection between a musician and their fans.

SPN: In your musical pursuits, how has the viral, accessible nature of music on the web been beneficial? How has it been detrimental?

JL: My last album release was entirely digital. I've long been a believer in the "pay-what-you-want" model, which I was able to use firsthand and saw great results with. The web allows musicians like myself a very inexpensive way to get my music in front of as many listeners as possible — for a price, or not – which a major record label may see as detrimental, but I see as incredibly powerful.

SPN: You attended Big Omaha and were active on Twitter throughout the conference. Now, can you sum all that Twitter activity up in one tweet? Your takeaways from Big Omaha in 140 characters (and yes, I'm counting) … GO!

JL: Ideas are free, and the gate keepers have all been removed. Don't wait for perfect circumstances - build your ideas now.

Credits: Photo courtesy of Lawler.

Prairie Portraits: To learn more about this series, see our introduction post, or visit our archives for past Prairie Portraits. To suggest an individual for a future Prairie Portrait, contact editor@siliconprairienews.com.

Prairie Portraits are brought to you by Hudl.

We’re a young gang of nerds, marketers, designers, and former jocks who love sports and tech. Where the two meet is our playground. People always tell us, “You guys must have so much fun.” We do. Want to work with us? Check out our current openings: www.hudl.com/jobs.

Camp Coworking provided an 1,800 square-foot space for short and long-term tenants.

"Knowing when to stop is as important as knowing when to start," Megan Hunt said in a blog post published today. "And it's the right time for me to bow out."

In that post, Hunt (left), the owner of CAMP Coworking, announced the immediate closure of the coworking space she opened in July 2010 in north downtown's Mastercraft building.

Hunt, the 26-year-old entrepreneur behind the bridal design studio Princess Lasertron, said that CAMP was "never a moneymaker" and that she's no longer able to afford it. Her business ambitions have also changed.

"After CAMP, I will mainly focus on building Hello Holiday, a social shopping site launching in July that I co-founded with Sarah Lorsung Tvrdik," Hunt said.

Celebrated as Omaha's first coworking space, CAMP was home to 13 businesses over its tenure, including early tenants DownsDesign and Image Made – the two later merged to form Grain & Mortar – and current tenants Fully Croisened, Omaha Fashion Week and AJ Good. Tenants ranged from makers of hand-sewn dresses, such as Hunt's company, to developers of mobile apps, such as Fully Croisened.

CAMP was also home to a variety of events. "Book tours, Startup Weekends, workshop classes, launch parties, speakers, poetry slams, and more happened within the walls of CAMP," Hunt said, adding that she's proud of facilitating a space where connections were made and ideas were created.

Megan Hunt (middle) visits CAMP in March 2010 during its construction with first tenant Eric Downs of DownsDesign (left) and her husband, David Homan (right).

"Coworking isn't about space," Hunt said, "it's a philosophy and movement that empowers people to make their work better through collaboration, creativity, and openness."

Over the past two years, Hunt embodied this ethos. Whether it was opening her doors up to Silicon Prairie News events – in February she hosted companies during our Startup Job Crawl – or other startup events, such as Startup Weekends, she consistently put her space to use for the greater good of the city's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

CAMP's final day is today. By Tuesday it will be completely moved out of The Mastercraft. Hunt said the current tenants were aware of the closure and each of their leases has expired.

Over its 22-month lifespan, CAMP played host to coworking (above, right) and events (below, left).

Post from Megan Hunt (orginally published on campcoworking.com)

Closing our doors at CAMP Coworking

When I started CAMP Coworking in June 2010, I wanted to build something with the support of my friends and community that would serve the rich culture of starters here in Omaha. For two solid years we supported the endeavors of over a dozen businesses that called CAMP home, and worked to offer opportunities for learning and inspiration to our community. Book tours, startup weekends, workshop classes, launch parties, speakers, poetry slams, and more happened within the walls of CAMP and I'm proud of facilitating a space where so many connections and ideas were created.

Today I am closing the doors at CAMP for good. A combination of reasons has contributed to my decision, mainly the financial burden of maintaining CAMP and new opportunities I am pursuing with my other companies.

After CAMP, I will mainly focus on building Hello Holiday, a social shopping site launching in July that I co-founded with Sarah Lorsung Tvrdik. Our goal with Hello Holiday is to introduce a charming and exuberant approach to style and the online shopping experience, and we are working to build our inventory right now--finding the right clothes to make every woman feel ready to take on the world. Our mission is to bring emerging designers into the mainstream fashion market and offer a carefully curated selection of apparel and accessories to modern women. The new Hello Holiday office will open in Benson soon.

Princess Lasertron, my bridal bouquet and project design company, will operate out of my house--like I did from the beginning--where I will be finishing my first book set for release in Spring 2014. By working at home, I'm looking forward to spending more time with my two-year-old daughter. We moved into CAMP nearly a week after she was born and she has been along for the entire ride.

CAMP was never a moneymaker – that's the truth – and unfortunately I can no longer afford to sustain it. It's hard to admit that things didn't go as I wanted. Knowing when to stop is as important as knowing when to start, and it's the right time for me to bow out.

This was a very difficult decision that I've been mulling over for months. I feel so lucky and honored to live in this community on the Silicon Prairie. We have an ecosystem here that is so supportive of entrepreneurship and creative culture, and coworking is a small piece of that puzzle. Although CAMP is closing, there are other spaces and venues that will fill that need and I encourage you to participate in building communities there. Coworking isn't about space--it's a philosophy and movement that empowers people to make their work better through collaboration, creativity, and openness. Coworking is about serving a need that people have, and that example is something that I'm glad CAMP brought to Omaha, and I'll be glad to see it continue to spread. Thank you to everyone who has been a supporter, client, and friend of CAMP over the years. I'm excited for what's to come.

Credits: Photo of Hunt is courtesy of Hunt. Photos of CAMP Coworking by Danny Schreiber (top), Brittany Mascio and CAMP Coworking.

That question — or a less wannabe-Shakespearian rendition thereof — is one we frequently encounter in our coverage of the entrepreneurial landscape in the heart of the Midwest. Some people welcome use of the phrase "Silicon Prairie" with open arms. Others just can't stand the term. Through the magic of Google Alerts and Twitter filters, the team at Silicon Prairie News has become a reliable watchdog for mentions — favorable or otherwise — of "the Silicon Prairie." 

Our ears perked up and tails subsequently drooped over one such utterance last summer: in a July interview with CNBC (embedded below), Paul Lee, a partner at Chicago-based investment firm Lightbank, expressed what we'll call, um, a strong distaste for the term "Silicon Prairie."

"I want to tell you guys," Lee (left) said during the interview, "how much I hate the term Silicon Prairie."

Ouch.

Of course, during that same segment Lee went on to express a belief that the Midwest is "a great and fertile ground to find unbelievable entrepreneurs." And he showed his dedication to finding the cream of the Midwestern crop when he came to Big Omaha earlier this month. 

In addition to visiting with a dozen startups at Big Omaha, Lee kindly took time out of his schedule to talk with Silicon Prairie News about the region's startups and entrepreneurs. And, before the interview was said and done, we asked Lee about the phrase that makes up two-thirds of our organization's name. 

He gave an explanation of "Silicon Prairie" that the term's haters and lovers alike should consider.

"I don't think you get successful by emulating another ecosystem, right?" Lee said. "And so this notion of Silicon as it relates to the connotation of 'We’re going to replicate Silicon Valley in a different area' — I think each area’s different.

He continued, explaining the importance of regions embracing and leveraging their competitive advantages

"So, you know, in Silicon Valley, the engineering talent is second to none, and so you see the focus in terms of product, in terms of optimization and iteration. In Chicago, I think our core skill-set is around business acumen and execution. And so as we think about the startup economy out there, that's where we've been wanting to contribute. Here, it might be totally different, and I'm getting my bearings as it relates to the community (in Omaha).

"But I think what's really important is for an ecosystem to embrace what they're good at and focus on that as a core strength of the community rather than emulating and trying to, like, be a second-rate engineering community."

For Lee's complete interview with CNBC, see the video below.

Credits: Photo of Lee by Malone & Company/Big Omaha. Video from cnbc.com.

Video by Three Pillars Media of Lincoln. Post-production by Evolve of Des Moines.

View the slides: "Designing for Relationships"

Kevin Hale and his team at Wufoo, an online form builder, approach interactions with new users like dating, and interactions with existing users like a marriage.

Wufoo's software, Hale said at Big Omaha 2012, was constructed so that users can have a relationship with it.

"When we knew that we were going to build software," Hale said, "we didn't want to create any kind of software – software that was going to remind you that you were working in a cubicle. We wanted to build software that people wanted to have a relationship with."

Whether it's designing the sign-up page or choosing the color of a button, Hale and his team are always conscious of the way in which their users will interact with their software.

On top of software, Hale focuses on building a company that has that mission in mind, as well.

He posed this question: "How do you design a company, a team, an organization so that it is built in a way that it fosters really strong relationships with the users and customers that help you grow?"

That focus on strong relationships, Hale said, is the secret to Wufoo's rapid success and acquisition by SurveyMonkey in 2011.

At Big Omaha, Hale told his entrepreneurial story – one that starts at South by Southwest Interactive in 2005 – giving a detailed look at how he went about designing software and building a company that puts relationships first. 

Check out the video above, the ninth in the Big Omaha 2012 Video Series presented by Microsoft BizSpark, to hear Hale discuss designing for relationships.

Read our recap: "Kevin Hale: 'Build software people want to have a relationship with' "

About Kevin Hale

Kevin Hale is the co-founder of Infinity Box Inc, a Y Combinator seeded company that built Wufoo, an online form builder that was was ranked by Jakob Nielson as one of the best application UIs of 2008 and later acquired by SurveyMonkey in 2011. He now serves as a Senior Product Manager responsible for safeguarding and enhancing the user experience of SurveyMonkey's products. He writes about interface design issues at particletree.com.

Find Hale on Twitter: @ilikevests

About Big Omaha & Thinc Iowa, SPN Premier Events

Silicon Prairie News hosts two premier annual events, Big Omaha in May and Thinc Iowa in October. Both events bring together entrepreneurs, innovators, creative individuals, investors and others for a lineup of inspiring speakers, a schedule of unique networking opportunities and a community of support.

To sign-up for alerts regarding Thinc Iowa, which will take place Oct. 10-11 in Des Moines, visit thinciowa.com. 

Credits: Photo of Hale by Malone & Company/Big Omaha. Headshot of Hale courtesy of Hale. 

About our sponsor, Microsoft BizSpark

Microsoft BizSpark is a global program that helps software startups succeed by giving them access to Microsoft software development tools, connecting them with key industry players, including investors, and providing marketing visibility to help entrepreneurs starting a business. BizSpark will fast-track the success of your startup with software, support an visibility.

RecBob's Macy Koch and Alex Frazier knuckled up at this year's Big Omaha; now, their team is out to find a senior web designer.

We're excited to bring you our 105th Opportunities on The Prairie today from all over the region. If you have an opportunity to add, please register your position using our Job Board Submission form that will help us to list the available jobs in a timely manner with the correct information. Submit your available positions by noon each Thursday to be included in the weekly Friday post.

Submit your available job listings

We're looking for all types of opportunities, from week-long projects to full-time positions. We hope to help you make a connection. Contact Brittany Mascio at jobs@siliconprairienews.com with any questions.

If you apply to one below, please make sure to mention that you found it on Silicon Prairie News.

Web Developer Summer Apprenticeship – What Cheer (Omaha)

What Cheer makes fancy websites.

Do you like making websites? Would you like to make fancy websites this summer? Well, we’ve got a spot for an intern, read on!

What is a web developer at What Cheer? Web developer can be a loose term, so here is what it means at What Cheer.

• Program backend systems in PHP (sometimes Python)
• You talk to databases (MySQL, Redis)
• Get buddy-buddy with Wordpress
• Help design software projects (on a really nice whiteboard)
• Tinker with some JavaScript
• Touch very little CSS/LESS, but sometimes

See full posting

Front-End Developer – Startup Genome (Omaha)

Startup Genome is mapping the world's startup ecosystem, city by city.

We're looking for a front-end developer to do some contract work. Mostly HTML, CSS and a little Javascript. Most of the requirements have been written - we need an executor. Only two requirements: (1) you dig our mission - check it out at startupgenome.com, and (2) you can start immediately. For more information, contact shane@startupgenome.com.

Web Interface Developer – Paradigm Solutions Corp (Omaha)

Paradigm is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software company serving retail, financial services, and non-profit industries since 1988.

Key Responsibilities:

• interacting with clients in the design and development of HTML code for website content management and email creation
• integration of Paradigm applications with mobile services such as smart phones (iPhone and Droid), tablets and notebooks
• testing, maintaining and enhancing web-base applications operating on a SQL/ColdFusion platform
• programming, implementation, testing, and maintenance of new web-sourced applications in SQL/ColdFusion
• customer support including trouble shooting and problem resolution

See full posting 

Application Specialist – GP SIFT Technologies (Omaha)

GP SIFT Technologies provides secure evidence and asset management toolkits. 

GP SIFT is looking for someone that can teach people and solve problems. Preferred candidates will have experience in software support and learning new technology quickly. If you like making things work and making people happy, then we would like to talk to you! 

See full posting  

Senior SEO Account Manager – Intertwine Interactive (Omaha)

Intertwine Interactive is a full service online marketing agency.

The Senior SEO Account Manager will manage a portfolio of clients and develop a thorough understanding of their businesses, competitors and industries. This individual will create monthly reports based on analytics data, provide informed commentary, and establish valuable backlinks for clients each month.

See full posting

Web Design Coordinator – University of Nebraska (Lincoln)

University of Nebraska is a public research university.

The Web Design Coordinator creates web graphics, animation, and assists in web functionality. This position will help conceptualize, design, develop and execute innovative digital design and other interactive, web-based media for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Assist in creating a richer user experience by designing and developing web graphics and other forms of digital media to support the Office of Undergraduate Admissions recruitment efforts. Work closely with the marketing & web teams to facilitate and implement creative designs. The position will report to the Senior Assistant Director of Digital Marketing.

See full posting

Interactive Marketing Manager – Nebraska Book Company (Lincoln)

Nebraska Book Company, Neebo.com, the complete college outfitter providing an extensive product line of college essentials.

This position plans and directs interactive marketing campaigns for the organization by establishing long and short term strategic interactive marketing plans and developing plans through search engines, paid search campaigns, email marketing, mobile marketing, and display advertisements. The position will also review and make decisions based on analytics and return on investment reports.

See full posting

Interactive Marketing Specialist – Nebraska Book Company (Lincoln)

Nebraska Book Company, Neebo.com, the complete college outfitter providing an extensive product line of college essentials.

Nebraska Book Company is looking for an enthusiastic, tech-savvy and highly organized individual to join our Interactive Marketing Team. This individual will assist with the development, planning, and management of integrated advertising campaigns and marketing programs to drive Neebo’s brand and sales growth, while specializing in Interactive Marketing: email marketing, mobile tactics, and social media.

See full posting

Interactive Marketing Coordinator – Nebraska Book Company (Lincoln)

Nebraska Book Company, Neebo.com, the complete college outfitter providing an extensive product line of college essentials.

This entry-level professional will work closely with the Interactive Marketing Manager assisting with the development and execution of the company’s interactive marketing campaigns. Areas of work will include search engine optimization, paid search campaigns, email marketing, display advertising, affiliate marketing, mobile marketing and site analytics. The candidate will also produce in-depth reporting and analyze current campaigns and research new opportunities to increase marketing ROI.

See full posting

Senior PHP Developer – Archrival (Lincoln)

Archrival is a youth marketing agency. 

We’re looking for an experienced PHP developer to join our team and start contributing on high-profile projects for national and global clients right away.

Skills You Need:
5+ years experience writing Object-Oriented PHP/mySQL-backed sites (salary will be commensurate to experience).
Excellent HTML/CSS skills
Experience using Javascript/jQuery to create solid user experiences
The skills and initiative to sometimes single-handedly take a project from concept to launch
The ability to work effectively with a team of other talented front-end and back-end developers and designers

See full posting

PHP Developer – Archrival (Lincoln)

Archrival is a youth marketing agency. 

Please come help us hack the web into a better place. Ready to be our next 1337 H4XOR developer? Of course you are. Here’s the deets!

Skills You Need:
At least 2 years experience writing Object-Oriented PHP/mySQL-backed sites (salary will be commensurate to experience).
Good working knowledge of HTML/CSS – We expect all our developers to be able to write semantic, standards-compliant HTML5 markup and have a desire learn the skills needed to take on the rest of the world.

See full posting

Front-End Web Developer – Archrival (Lincoln)

Archrival is a youth marketing agency. 

We need somebody to help kick the Internet into the future. We’re so glad you’re interested. Here’s what you need to know:

The Skills You Need:

• Excellent HTML/CSS skills – You are comfortable being handed a site design and translating it to standards-compliant, cross-browser markup and styles.
• Experience with Javascript and jQuery – You are no stranger to modifying the DOM.
• Solid UI/UX skills – Daily responsibilities include wireframing, planning, designing, and developing memorable and thoughtful user interfaces.
• Willingness to learn new things – Every project at Archrival is different. Our development team creates web sites, web apps, Facebook apps, games, and native mobile apps. We need someone who can jump right into this team or is willing to learn what it takes to solve client problems.

See full posting

Java/JEE Developer/Architect – Keyhole Software (Kansas City)

Keyhole Software is a "boutique" software development and consulting firm.

Responsible for developing new applications and processes from design documentation and user requests. This position will perform a variety of programming assignments requiring knowledge of established programming procedures and data processing requirements; code, test and troubleshoot programs utilizing appropriate hardware, database, and programming technology.Technologies / tools associated with this role include Eclipse, Spring, Hibernate, Maven, Hudson, Liferay, and WebSphere. This role requires good enterprise application, development, and architecture skills, with an emphasis on agile development.

See full posting

.Net/C# Developer/Architect – Keyhole Software (Kansas City)

Keyhole Software is a "boutique" software development and consulting firm.

Responsible for providing our clients with custom CRM, Enterprise Content Management, Business Intelligence, and other web-based solutions that solve their specific business problems. Includes web development projects that involve application rewrites, adding features and enhancements, and straight web development. Technologies associated with this role include WPF, Win Forms, WCF Services, Clear Case, Visual Studio, and SQL Server. The role needs a person who thrives wearing many hats and is conversant with N-Tier application architectures, MVC designs and design patterns.

See full posting

Mobile Strategy Architect – Keyhole Software (Kansas City)

Keyhole Software is a "boutique" software development and consulting firm.

Chicago-area specific. This role includes the strategic planning and implementation of a mobile initiative for a nationwide client. Prior experience in architecting / developing customer-facing mobile applications (iOS, Android, and web) a must. Knowledge of vendors / solutions, deployment processes and techniques to meet technical requirements (like security in the customer-facing mobility area) are required. Must love strategic planning and overcoming challenges AND keeping hand in the code, actually making the applications come to life.

See full posting

Database Developer/DBA – Keyhole Software (Kansas City)

Keyhole Software is a "boutique" software development and consulting firm.

This role includes SQL Server, SSAS, SSIS, MDX cubing. This role involves creating detailed design plans for the given requirements, making technical decisions to meet the design goals, and performing those actions to success. Much creation of new stored procedures / functions and performance tuning is involved.

See full posting 

Public Relations Senior Account Executive – The Integer Group (Des Moines)

The Integer Group is one of the world’s fastest growing and leading retail and promotional marketing agencies.

This position will be responsible for the following:
• Taking a pro-active role in client public relations strategy through the development of solution-driven proposals and recommendations,
• Ensuring high quality of agency output by initiating, leading and monitoring progress of client project development
• Assisting, monitoring and coaching junior Public Relations personnel in the development of projects and management of workload in conjunction with client and agency management priorities.
• Understanding and monitoring project management to ensure that account operates in a profitable manner
• Understanding clients’ brand needs and wants, as well as public relations objectives, and applying to the development of client projects

See full posting

Developer – Dwolla (Des Moines)

Dwolla is a payment network that lets you seamlessly send and receive cash through your social networks, e-mail or location.

Do you like to build things? Do you consider LEGOs to be one of the greatest inventions of all time? We do!  We are looking for a builder and someone who likes to test code.  When you’re helping build Dwolla, taking pride in your work is not negotiable. You should be a strong developer with a desire to learn and grow a software product. Our current core product stack includes tools like C#.Net, MVC 3(Razor), MongoDB, NServiceBus and SQL Server.

See full posting 

Software Engineer – Solum, Inc.  (Des Moines)

Solum, Inc. is a California-based, venture-backed startup opening a soils lab in the Des Moines area collecting big data for agriculture.

We are looking for talented and passionate software engineers to design and build our data management systems, develop advanced analysis tools to leverage this data for agricultural management, and create web-based front-ends for data analysis and visualization. Solum's soil nutrient measurement technology is the first of its kind to enable high-density, high-accuracy measurements scalable to millions and millions of acres, creating a rich set of information to enable quantitative, information-driven management of farm operations.

See full posting

Senior Web Designer – RecBob (Cedar Rapids, IA)

RecBob is a web app that solves the headaches of rec sports players using the power of Facebook's social network.

We want our users to have fun, so everything we do revolves around fun. We're looking for someone to join our team who loves designing and developing user experiences. You'll have an opportunity to work alongside a close knit group of very talented engineers and marketers to build a platform that utilizes Facebook like no one has before.

See full posting

Web Developer – Electric Pulp (Sioux Falls, SD)

Electric Pulp builds websites.

We're looking for a developer with both front- and back-end proficiency. (We expect a lean toward one or the other.) We work with PHP-flavored, MVC frameworks and have some specific workflow preferences, but we don’t want to get too bogged down with details. CSS and JS proficiency are a little less optional in nature, but we’ll keep that general as well. We do a lot of mobile work too, so if you have native or non-native experience, we’d love to hear about it. This is not a requirement, though.

See full posting  

About the author: Rodrigo Neri is the co-founder of Instin

Today marks the last day at my corporate day job. That's right people, I'm making the jump. I'm leaving my safe and comfy job to work on the startup I cofounded called Instin! But hold on, it wasn't that easy, for the past 15 months I've been planning for this day. If you read last week's post by Bo Fishback, I'm part of the group of people that "Side projects turn into companies".

15 months ago me and my co-founders Ryan and Keith, who also made the jump, decided to devote the majority of our free time to work on a side project I started called myHomework. myHomework is a student planner app that helps students stay organized on their classes by receiving notifications of when assignments and tests are due. Today myHomework has been downloaded over 2 million times, with over 400,000 active students this past semester and 25,000 who have paid for the extended features.

Having a side project is easy, I have several friends that have side projects, some are great ideas that can become companies as well. What makes the difference is how serious you take it and how much time you are willing to devote to it. Gary Vaynerchuk during a really inspiring talk at Web 2.0 Expo 2008 once said:

If you want this, if you are miserable or you don't like it, or you want to do something else, or you have a passion somewhere else… Work nine to five, spend a couple of hours with your family, seven to two in the morning is plenty of time to do damage!

That's what we did! Every day from 9 AM to 5 PM we worked really hard at our day jobs, then we would go home and work really hard on our side project until we went to bed.

You may say "I don't have time, I have a wife, I have kids"

Guess what? We do too! Ryan is married and has 2 kids, Keith is married and has 3 kids, I'm married and have a really cute but annoying dog! One trick that I learned is how to multitask and be productive! This helps when balancing family and work.

I've watched all those popular TV shows like: Dancing With The Stars, The Bachelor & Bachelorette, Glee, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Biggest Loser, American Idol and etc. The time I spend watching those shows, I'm sitting next to my wife, with my laptop on me and working. Every now and then I make a comment about the TV show, which shows her that I'm somewhat paying attention and that's enough to make her happy!! On weekends I wake up early, go to a coffee shop and work.

I've also learned that I need to take at least one day/night a week to devote all my time to my family, it's usually Friday nights, it also helps me relax and recover.

You may say "My job expects me to put extra hours!"

Our jobs expected that too, but most importantly our jobs expected to get the work done by the time expected to be done. My co-founders and I all came from a technical background, something we noticed while working on our side project is that we learned a lot of new technologies. Technologies that we brought back to our day jobs which made the work inside the company better and more productive, which also helped us get promoted faster.

We also noticed that our executives were getting really excited about side projects and started encouraging other employees to do the same. Side projects help companies innovate in ways usually not available on typical job routines, which turns into creating better products. In the end both sides win!

You may ask: "Why didn't you guys make the jump earlier?"

Well, we didn't know anything about: running a business, raising money, validating an idea, marketing a product. We just knew how to build a product and build it well, however we were really committed to learning about it.

I started following people expert on the subject matter on Twitter such as entrepreneurs and investors, I started listening to entrepreneur focused podcasts, I started watching Kevin Rose's Foundation videos. I started reading books and blogs. I attended Kansas City Startup Weekends, I attended startup conferences (like SXSW and Big Omaha).

But most importantly, I started getting involved with the Silicon Prairie startup community. If you live in Kansas City I recommend you signing up for the Startup Digest newsletters, attend a Startup Weekend and come to a KC Geek Night.

Overall, if you are part of a big corporation, want to learn more about entrepreneurship and always had the "what if" question, I believe side projects are the way to go. After some time you find out if the project you are working on is actually getting anywhere, while still keeping the nice benefits of a corporate job. Hopefully soon you will also have the opportunity to make the jump!

Credits: Photo is part of the video: Venture to the Eiger by Blake Byles

About the author: Rodrigo Neri (left), also known as Rigo, is the co-founder of Instin a Kansas City, Mo. company focused on creating education products for teachers and students. 

Rigo can be found on twitter @rigoneri or on his personal site rigoneri.com.

 Founder Friday is brought to you by the Heartland Technology Alliance

Thanks to our Founder Friday series sponsor, Heartland Technology Alliance, a nonprofit working as an advocate for innovation and competition in technology and communications across much of the Silicon Prairie and throughout the Upper Midwest.

Name: Adam Lassek

Bio: I'm predominately self-taught. College was moving too slow for me, so I stopped going and taught myself programming. I quit a boring cubicle job three years ago to help build a company with my best friend, where I am today.

Title:  Lead Developer at Lyconic

Age: 29

Residence: Omaha, Neb.

Website: lyconic.com

Twitter: @alassek

Intro music: "Scaling Mount Improbable" by Kasper Rosa

Silicon Prairie News: As a developer, you've been largely self-taught. What are a couple of resources you found most valuable to the learning process when you made the decision to eschew classroom instruction and teach yourself?

Adam Lassek: My friend Aron was instrumental in getting me interested in web development. When I was first starting out he would give me programming puzzles to solve. I spent an enormous amount of time on StackOverflow — I can't recommend that highly enough. Screencasts are also an effective way to learn — my favorites are Peepcode and Tekpub. I wish learncodethehardway.org was around when I was getting started.

SPN: Can you describe the moment that you decided to leave your old gig and go full-time with your own company? What led up to it? What was your thought process like?

AL: The origins of Lyconic are a bit of a long story, but suffice it to say Signal 88 Security had based their operations on Aron's software and was preparing to franchise nationally, which required him to grow the company beyond a one-man operation. I was kind of on the periphery of the whole thing from the beginning, so when Aron needed another developer he offered to bring me on. My biggest motivation was self-determination; I was relatively anonymous where I was, and I wanted to make my mark on a company. It was a risk, and a large pay-cut, but I believed in the long-term vision. Over the following few years I have helped move the company towards a much more modern toolset, technology stack and development workflow.

SPN: What new and exciting projects can we expect in the near future from the team at Lyconic?

AL: We are working on a complete rewrite of our core applications, Inteliguide and Patrolguide, on Ruby on Rails, as the business needs have outgrown our current platform. I can't wait to get this into people's hands, as it is a major improvement in every way. We should be ready to start rolling out version 2.0 sometime this summer, and some time after that we plan on offering it to many more companies.

SPN: As someone who's fairly passionate about the political process, what three tools do you find most useful for staying engaged and informed?

AL: First and foremost, Twitter. I follow a lot of politically active people, with a broad spectrum of opinions. This is how I get almost all my news, in fact. A distant second place would be various news sites e.g. Hacker News, ArsTechnica. Third, I listen to a lot of science and political podcasts such as The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe and the Slate Political Gabfest. Once you get used to that level of discussion, the radio just doesn't cut it anymore.

SPN: I can't help but notice your birthday's coming right up (May 28). First, happy birthday. Second, indulge in a little trip down birthday memory lane for me. What one birthday present would you say has had the biggest bearing on the career you've chosen?

AL: Yep, the big 3-0 :-/ This wasn't exactly a birthday present, but when I was little my parents bought their first computer, a 25Mhz Packard Bell. From that moment onward I had a healthy interest in computers. My first exposure to programming was noodling around in QBASIC on that machine.

Credits: Photo by Abbie Leigh.

Prairie Portraits: To learn more about this series, see our introduction post, or visit our archives for past Prairie Portraits. To suggest an individual for a future Prairie Portrait, contact editor@siliconprairienews.com.

Prairie Portraits are brought to you by Hudl.

We’re a young gang of nerds, marketers, designers, and former jocks who love sports and tech. Where the two meet is our playground. People always tell us, “You guys must have so much fun.” We do. Want to work with us? Check out our current openings: www.hudl.com/jobs.

Video by Three Pillars Media of Lincoln. Post-production by Evolve of Des Moines.

Mena Trott has always been a goal-oriented individual. In college, she set her sights on getting straight 'A's at least one quarter. She did exactly that in her senior year, while juggling a course load of 25 credits, no less.

Over the last decade, the founder of The Sew Weekly and co-founder of Six Apart zeroed in on a variety of other ambitious objectives: win the weblog of the year award at South By Southwest, make the cover of a magazine by age 30 and sew all her own clothes. Check, check and check.

But for all her focus on goals, Trott isn't one to linger on unfulfilled objectives. “You can't regret something that, at the time, you didn't know was the wrong choice,” Trott said during her talk May 11 at Big Omaha.

During that talk, which was brimming with emotion and honesty — Trott reflected publicly for the first time on the recent end of her marriage — she shared observations on her highs and lows, on the goals met and those unfulfilled. And if there's one thing Trott's learned in her journey through entrepreneurship and life, it's that every step of that journey can help us learn.

"Everything we do can teach us something," she said. "Every mistake we make, every success we have, every choice and we why choose it will tell us who we are, what we want and where we want to go.”

Trott shares more of who she is and where she's been in the video above, the eighth in the Big Omaha 2012 Video Series presented by Microsoft BizSpark.

Read our recap: Mena Trott: 'Every lesson we have will tell us who we are'

About Mena Trott

Trott co-founded Six Apart (now SAY Media) with her husband in 2001 and helped bring blogging to the masses with Movable TypePad, TypePad and LiveJournal. She has been blogging in various forms ever since and is currently a member of the Say Media Board of Directors. In 2010, she began sewing her own clothes and started the blog, The Sew Weekly, to document her progress and has grown from a personal blog to a sewing community.

Find Trott on Twitter: @dollarshort.

About Big Omaha & Thinc Iowa, SPN Premier Events

Silicon Prairie News hosts two premier annual events, Big Omaha in May and Thinc Iowa in October. Both events bring together entrepreneurs, innovators, creative individuals, investors and others for a lineup of inspiring speakers, a schedule of unique networking opportunities and a community of support.

To sign-up for alerts regarding Thinc Iowa, which will take place Oct. 10-11 in Des Moines, visit thinciowa.com. 

Credits: Photo of Trott by Malone & Company/Big Omaha. Headshot of Trott from twitter.com.

About our sponsor, Microsoft BizSpark

Microsoft BizSpark is a global program that helps software startups succeed by giving them access to Microsoft software development tools, connecting them with key industry players, including investors, and providing marketing visibility to help entrepreneurs starting a business. BizSpark will fast-track the success of your startup with software, support an visibility.