After spending many years working full-time in the information technology sector, I decided it was time to steer my life in a new direction. I stepped down from my role as the head of IT at a multinational corporation to embark on my own entrepreneurial journey. Leaving that familiar comfort zone behind is what I like to call retiring from the ‘first innings’ of my life.
Looking back, I feel fortunate to have experienced almost every tier of the IT industry. I started at the grassroots level as a system administrator, immersed entirely in technical work. At one point, I even ventured into the computer hardware business. Alongside this, I regularly authored books on IT and spent a considerable amount of time teaching students. Later in my career, I transitioned into IT management. After a lengthy and rewarding stint at that executive level, I finally resolved to bid farewell to corporate life.
In this second innings, I am currently focusing on the enterprises I have founded. In tandem, I have involved myself with social organisations and local politics, whilst also trying to pursue further studies to satisfy my own curiosity and desire to learn.
Although I have maintained a formal distance from the IT industry, a deeper connection remains. My former readers and students frequently urge me to write about technology once again. However, IT is the sort of field where it is immensely difficult to speak or write with authority unless you are in daily practice. Having been away from the coalface for a while, I must admit to a certain hesitation regarding how genuinely useful my insights will be to readers today.
In the early days of my career, when I lived and breathed networking and Linux day in and day out, I used to write about those subjects regularly. Later, as I moved into IT management, the focus of my writing shifted as well. Yet, the sheer volume of pressure that comes with being a CIO means that finding the mental breathing space to write is easier said than done. On top of that, working for a multinational meant adhering to strict corporate affairs protocols, where every piece of writing required prior approval. Consequently, offering a prompt opinion or writing on contemporary issues became virtually impossible. It was these constraints that eventually led to my IT writing grinding to a complete halt.
Nevertheless, prompted by the persistent requests of my technical readers, I am making an attempt to write once more. I cannot say for certain how regular I will be amidst my current commitments, but should you have a keen interest in a specific topic or a particular query, I shall certainly do my best to address it. It is with the sole purpose of sharing the experiences gathered over a long career that I have launched this ‘CIO Series’.
See also:
- Chief Information Officer: Role, Responsibilities, and Preparation | The CIO Series
- IT Best Practices | The CIO Series