Longform Writing

After I had been working on Sifter for about six years, I had a minor ankle surgery that unfortunately led to many more surgeries. While I was pleasantly surprised how well recurring-revenue software supported me through the ups and downs of surgeries…

Today I have some exciting news. It’s news that I never anticipated eight years ago when starting Sifter, but it’s news I’m excited to share nonetheless. Sifter has a new home. JD Graffam, already a caretaker for a handful of wonderful products, will be…

The most uncomfortable thing about an elective amputation is that it’s elective. Mountain biking has been a blessing. It’s enabled me to be active again for the first time since this started over two years ago. However, when I’m active, and the pain…

About two and a half years ago, recovery from a relatively minor surgery went a little bad. Eight surgeries and year and a half after that I was seriously considering a below-knee amputation. After several discussions with multiple surgeons, physical…

It’s been almost two years since my flap surgery and about six months since my ankle fusion. The fusion itself was technically a success. The bones fused, and my foot is now in a better position. The pain, however, is as present as ever. I’m able to…

A few weeks back, I snowboarded for the first time in two years. My left ankle was weak and in pain but nothing a few pain killers couldn’t bring to tolerable levels. If you told me that was the best I could ever hope for, I’d probably be done with…

For the last year, I’ve been on a part-time quest to find shoes that are comfortable given the circumstances of my foot. They need to have very soft soles to help absorb the impact that my ankle can’t. They need to be wide enough not to squeeze my now…

When I shared the news about considering amputation in light of my foot and ankle troubles from the last year, I failed to add some important context. From the outside looking in, amputation sounds incredibly tragic. In the context of a healthy foot and…

In the back of my mind through all of my foot and ankle troubles, amputation was never off the table. Now, after almost a year and a half of ankle surgeries and physical therapy, we’re actively discussing it. It’s not a foregone conclusion, but it’s…

One of the most nefarious patterns that seems to be increasingly common is companies that accept payment online but then don’t let you cancel service with the same ease. The companies that do it don’t seem to care. This is wrong. Full stop. If your…

When I set out to build software on my own, one of my biggest goals was to have more fun creating that software. I wanted to create a tool that others could enjoy, but, more than that, I wanted to have fun while I did it. It has been fun. But somewhere…

The world needs more good news. So here’s my contribution. A year ago today, I had a surgery. The surgery went well. Recovery didn’t. In the time since, I’ve had 7 more surgeries, spent about 6 months in bed most of the day, 3.5 weeks in the hospital,…

It’s been almost three months since surgery number seven. I’ve started to recover from that, and we’ve even begun to talk in detail about what’s next. (Three more surgeries in the next 12-15 months if you’re curious.) I’ve recently started to stumble…

One of the most challenging aspects of running a business is understanding why customers leave or otherwise choose not to use your product. The underlying problem is that if a customer doesn’t like your product, they’ll generally just write it off and…

I now have a twelve inch scar on each leg that runs from my hip to a few inches above my knee. That’s where they took the skin to save my foot. Twice. After spending three weeks in the hospital, I’ve been home for almost a month, and things are looking…

For years I’ve been planning to work fewer hours. I really don’t work all that much, maybe 50 hours per week, but with the office at home, there’s little separation between work and everything else. My plans were always centered around this or that…

Whenever people talk about starting businesses, one of the most common deterrents people bring up is having a family to support. While being cautious and making sure not to put your family at risk is important, this fear assumes that there are only…

Tomorrow, Sifter turns five. During those five years, I’d say that all of my mistakes and regrets boil down to fear. Sifter supports my family, provides some income to good friends who do some contract work for us, and has thousands of people that use…

It’s been a while since I wrote an update, and a lot has changed. Today is 98 days from my first surgery. In the last few weeks, we’ve gotten some additional opinions, had an array of tests, and even a couple of surgeries. Several weeks ago, I was…

It could be worse. That’s what I keep telling myself. I have an open wound on the top of my left foot that’s about 4 square inches. Several of my tendons are exposed, and I’m going to lose the one connected to my second toe. (It’s ok, though. Several…