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I've been in SV since 1997.

I am not a coder. I am a very experienced manager/director/PM OF development/DevOPs/IT teams.

However, prior I was in architecture.

And starting out as a draftsman, it was extremely common for architectural companies to tes out your drafting skills on AutoCAD with a timed test.

I recall the two I took:

In Redmond Washington in 1994, I was given a test to draw out a site plan for a chevron gas station, whom was their primary client.

I was given 15 minutes. I drew it in 12.

They said that not only was I the most accurate, but the only person ever in the history of their company to finish it. [became a core designer on what was then the 'revolutionary' designs of marriage of gas-stations and fast-food restaurants... [[Soul killing]]

I got hired... but then I became CAD manager - and then just decided I liked "computers" and not arch... so I then moved to SF. So I moved on to hospitals... gosh...

... (became IT manager of a small firm on the peninsula)

So then I worked for a design firm, and they also tested me upon interview... in CAD...

Isometric datacenter cabling plans....

I wasnt really familiar with plane changing in AutoCAD at that point so I did it all manually designed based on switching my orthos for each thing. Finished a complete cable tray design in the allotted 30 min window.....

Got the job - which resulted in me being on the core data-center design team for the Lucas Presidio project.

(and I have many other storis such as this)

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Challenges are good which are practical to the company's/teams goals and needs -- but bullshit if they want you to design their whole shit for them.

Now get off my lawn....

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Oh I forgot to mention - now I am director of tech for a cannabis org... GET THE FUCK IN CANNABIS TECH.



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