An Update Regarding My Business

This week marks six months of running my own business. And, thankfully, I think I finally figured out what I am doing.

Since leaving ODOT, I have offered two services:

• Engineering/tech consulting services
• Software development services

I am still doing a bit of both. However, I need to clarify a couple of things.

There are two misconceptions I created six months ago:

1. I gave the impression I was leaving the transportation industry. I am not.
2. I gave the impression I was going to be making apps all day. I am not.

I am not leaving transportation

When I left ODOT, some people thought I was leaving the transportation industry behind. I don't blame them... I only had a vague idea what my new business was going to be focused on. However, most of my partnerships, projects, and pursuits are centered around transportation solutions. My primary business focus is helping agencies deliver and understand technology solutions for transportation problems. And there are plenty of technology-related initiatives in the transportation industry!

Here is a glimpse of the current projects & pursuits I am participating in: advanced highway operations, smart mobility, traffic management, ITS, mobility performance measures, in-vehicle traveler information, TSMO, next generation traffic incident management, machine learning, traffic management systems, data management, connected vehicles, unmanned aerial systems, work zone data exchange solutions,?strategic planning, active transportation / demand management, and business intelligence. There are no shortage of opportunities for technology to benefit the transportation industry!

So, I am excited to stay focused on transportation.

I am doing more than making apps

Don't get me wrong - I still get a decent amount of time to write code. However, these first six months have taught me I am more valuable as a consultant than a developer. And I prefer to be more pragmatic and flexible than stubborn. So, I am doubling down on helping companies deliver and understand technology solutions for transportation problems as a consultant. For the majority of my time, I am providing consulting services. I have two official business entities: Apps by John and MacAdam Consulting. These days, I am acting a lot more as MacAdam Consulting than I am Apps by John.

Being a consultant has provided opportunities for me to be an extension of multiple teams. I am grateful for the various partnerships, projects, and joint pursuits. I have a half dozen email addresses (not as stressful as it sounds). I am a small part of different cultures, teams, and initiatives. I help carry the load or provide an outside perspective. I provide an unbiased assessment of current problems. I attempt to communicate the benefits of technological solutions in a clear/concise manner. I spend some of my time writing, some of my time presenting, and a lot of my time listening. All of this helps me stay fresh.

I have learned a lot over these first six months. Many mentors and colleagues have provided great feedback and advice - all of which is very much appreciated!

Since I finally figured out what my business is focused on - I created a website to match the new messaging: macadam.tech. This will serve as the homepage for MacAdam Consulting moving forward. The first six months have been an insightful learning experience. I am excited to see what unfolds for my small business these next six months.