I always had a diffuse idea of why people are spending so much time and money on amateur radio. Once I got my license and started to amass radios myself, it became more clear to me. It always seemed like amateur radio was an extremely practical endeavor. The goal appeared to be to establish alternative communication forms in case of a breakdown of existing ways to communicate or to be able to stay in contact with civilization when out hiking in the woods.

Many product companies start out with a very heavy focus on their engineering teams. At some point, many companies move the hosting and writing of documentation out of engineering and into a separate part of the company. It could be marketing, it could be customer success. This is a mistake.

In September 2022, after watching many YouTube videos of other people on long-distance Amtrak trips, I finally embarked on a journey of my own: I took the Amtrak Southwest Chief train from Chicago to Los Angeles. Continue reading to learn more about it and why I’ll do it again on another route. “Why would you want to do this?” This is a question I got a lot. When I told friends that I booked a ticket to be on a train for over 40 hours, many didn’t understand why anyone would want to do this when you can fly for cheaper and in so much less time, enjoying comforts like in-flight entertainment, drinks, snacks, and the airport lounges.

Today, I am incredibly excited to announce that I left my previous position to work on nzyme full-time. Working as founder and CTO for almost ten years and helping the company grow to more than 125 full-time employees, I have learned a lot that I can now put to work again.