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Today = my 5th anniversary at what is now @InsiderInc. Started out at @techinsider (shout out to the TI OGs) 
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤓" title="Nerd face" aria-label="Emoji: Nerd face">, then moved over to @businessinsider https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💸" title="Money with wings" aria-label="Emoji: Money with wings">, then to @thisisinsider https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🕺" title="Man dancing" aria-label="Emoji: Man dancing">, and then back again to @businessinsider. Some precious thoughts, memories, and fun clips follow.
Honesty time. My attitude about joining @techninsider as a deputy editor back then was basically: Why not? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤷‍♂️" title="Man shrugging" aria-label="Emoji: Man shrugging"> I& #39;d always wanted to help start a news site, and TI was a cool ticket. The job was endlessly frustrating, but also equally fun and fruitful. And we did some great s---.
Fun fact: April 25, 2015. Not 10 days after I arrived (and tbh with minimal work by me), @kevloria, with editing by @fedira, dropped this bad boy: https://www.businessinsider.com/science-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-2015-4">https://www.businessinsider.com/science-o... Yep, that Elizabeth Holmes https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🩸" title="Drop of blood" aria-label="Emoji: Drop of blood">
And nope, WSJ would not publish its first investigation until 6 months later.
And nope, WSJ would not publish its first investigation until 6 months later.
The first travel I approved? Sending @Kickerson13 to Hawaii. Yes, she did surf (+ wrote a physics story about it), but she was on the ground when Hawaiians were blocking access to Mauna Kea in protest of Thirty Meter Telescope. Her stories kicked ass. https://www.businessinsider.com/thirty-meter-telescope-hawaii-protests-2015-10">https://www.businessinsider.com/thirty-me...
Another fun fact: While experimenting with Facebook& #39;s then-new live video feature for TI, I licked 99.99% pure gallium (element no. 31) and destroyed a phone with some, to the horror/delight of viewers. (No, I& #39;m not linking to these videos. If you wanna watch you gotta search.)
We had @gmdelprado interview dozens of top artificial intelligence researchers for a series of stories. In hindsight, it was an insane project. But her work turned pretty esoteric concepts into accessible stuff. I still often think about these posts. https://www.businessinsider.com/myths-misconceptions-about-artificial-intelligence-2015-9">https://www.businessinsider.com/myths-mis...
We got to cover some truly nutty science news.
Visit to Pluto?https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="âś…" title="White heavy check mark" aria-label="Emoji: White heavy check mark"> https://www.businessinsider.com/new-horizons-scientists-find-surprises-in-pluto-flyby-2015-7
First">https://www.businessinsider.com/new-horiz... gravitational wave detection announced?https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="âś…" title="White heavy check mark" aria-label="Emoji: White heavy check mark"> https://www.businessinsider.com/gravitational-waves-detected-first-time-ligo-2016-2
That">https://www.businessinsider.com/gravitati... crazy Breakthrough Starshot project?https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="âś…" title="White heavy check mark" aria-label="Emoji: White heavy check mark"> https://www.businessinsider.com/starshot-alpha-centauri-robots-stephen-hawking-yuri-milner-2016-4">https://www.businessinsider.com/starshot-...
Visit to Pluto?
First">https://www.businessinsider.com/new-horiz... gravitational wave detection announced?
That">https://www.businessinsider.com/gravitati... crazy Breakthrough Starshot project?
One more fun fact: Starting around this time, I had trouble finding space in a restroom to do my most insidery business because we& #39;d basically run out of room at the office. Thankfully plans were in motion to move to a much bigger office space in the Financial District.
Also had my first baby while at TI, but shortly after I returned, the website (but not the social properties) was no more. No one was fired — we all moved over to @businessinsider or the then-nascent @thisisinsider. I went back to writing in 2016 and almost as soon as I did...
...SpaceX& #39;s Amos-6 mission exploded on the launch pad. I& #39;d reported the rocket company for many years, but this really propelled me (pun alert) into covering it almost non-stop ever since. https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-rocket-explosion-launch-pad-2016-9">https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-ro...
In 2017, I fell into a rabbit hole of research and reporting and wrote way (way, way) too long about thorium reactors. (I think I still owe @erbrod ~92 beers for editing that?) https://www.businessinsider.com/thorium-molten-salt-reactors-sorensen-lftr-2017-2">https://www.businessinsider.com/thorium-m...
I also wrote an ungodly amount of stories about the 2017 total solar eclipse, one of which almost broke (or did break?) the website. Hilariously enough, I wrote this eclipse-angled story before that happened. https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-eclipse-most-shared-data-history-prediction-2017-8">https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-ecl...
In 2018, I visited an abandoned island in New York City, which was creepy as all and totally amazing. https://www.businessinsider.com/north-brother-island-typhoid-mary-science-channel-2018-1">https://www.businessinsider.com/north-bro...
The year I did that trip was the same year a lil& #39; steel rocket ship — a prototype for SpaceX& #39;s Mars launch system — started raising out of Boca Chica, Texas, making me even more obsessed with the overall project. https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-big-falcon-rocket-spaceship-hopper-vehicle-launches-2018-12">https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-bi...
I& #39;d been reality-checking Starship in its various iterations from afar via experts, but in the course of reporting on that for @thisisinsider in 2019, I decided to call up + visit residents who lived in/around the embiggening Mars spaceport there. https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-texas-starship-launch-site-development-challenges-2019-6">https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-te...
Fun fact: Took these pics right before Cameron County sheriffs almost arrested @megteckman, Jen Lee, and I whilst reporting in Boca Chica. Our (oops, not-4WD) car got stuck in the mud before a road closure. They were grumpy. We distracted them + scurried onto a source& #39;s property.
Anyway, those contacts in Boca Chica led me down a path to a truly nutty feature series in 2020 we titled "Last Town Before Mars." https://www.businessinsider.com/category/last-town-before-mars">https://www.businessinsider.com/category/...
As of late, however, I& #39;ve tabled spaceflight to help cover the novel coronavirus. I still have to slap myself every now and then to realize we& #39;re living through a global disaster/nightmare. Never did I ever think I& #39;d ever do a piece like this in my career. https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-covid-19-body-removal-new-york-city-morgues-2020-3">https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavir...
One thing I must expound on is how much I have learned from literally hundreds colleagues over these past 5 years. I can verify that some astoundingly talented, fearless, productive, and dogged folks work within these now-virtual walls. I feel so honored to be among them all.
Another reflection: This company has matured so much since I started. It& #39;s almost unrecognizable. In a good way. Far better-organized and more employee-first than any outfit I& #39;ve ever worked for. Yes, there& #39;s loads of hard work — ok, totally bonkers at times — but it& #39;s worth it.
I don& #39;t know what the next 5 years will bring for me, my career, @insiderinc, or (more broadly) humanity, but at present I am stupidly grateful for the journey I& #39;ve had so far here. I also really couldn& #39;t have asked for a better place to work during a global s---show.
Miraculously to many, but somehow not surprising to me, we& #39;re still hiring some positions through this pandemic. If and when you see a position pop up here that looks neat, drop me a line. #careers-open-roles">https://www.insider-inc.com/careers #careers-open-roles">https://www.insider-inc.com/careers...
