Quote:
"We want you to be a part of the Gaia team."
Okay, so that's not exactly what Lanzer said, but I have a terrible memory. Sue me.
Okay, so that's not exactly what Lanzer said, but I have a terrible memory. Sue me.
My name's Fleep. I am a new Gaia employee. I've been an entrepreneur since I was 16, a programmer since I was 12, and a geek since the womb. If you believe in past lives, it's safe to assume I was a geek back in the days of Plato (who I probably idolized).
Gaia Interactive is an enigma to me. It's like no company I've ever seen. Think Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory meets the Land of Oz. I know what you're thinking: midgets everywhere. While this isn't exactly what I was driving at (though I won't deny it) my real point was that Gaia seems to be a fun place where people actually love their work and have fun doing it.
When I first went into my interview at Gaia's secret fortress (after slaying the dragon that protected the golden key that unlocked its magical door) I met Lanzer. Once my eyes adjusted to the blinding light of his sheer radiance, we started to talk about Gaia, its history, and its future.
The first thing that impressed me about this guy was the obvious passion he had for creating this fantastic community where people can truly express themselves. I'm not allowed to say this until they're gajillionaires, but the founders of Gaia remind me of the founders of Google - at least in terms of their love for their company. To hear him tell it, Gaia is as much a community as it is a lifestyle - both for the users and for the employees.
Needless to say, his passion is contagious. I instantly found myself hypnotized, muttering "Must... join... Gaia....... Gaia... is... life......". After shaking myself out of it, I realized that Gaia was something I really wanted to be a part of. Not only did it put me closer to my childhood dream of being in video games (interactive entertainment beats run-of-the-mill web design in that department), but I also felt that it would be great to be part of a company that encouraged innovation, personal growth, and respected the fact that I'm a free-thinking human being rather than some cog in the machine.
Anyhow - I took the job (though I had a job offer from Yahoo, too) and I start very soon. I hope to use this space to tell you about some of the great things I end up doing (or the horrible, unspeakable acts I perform in the name of "research" wink - so keep your eyes peeled!
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