Introducing Scott Makes Tech, and the Next Phase of my Career
Published: 2021-05-05 14:04:11

Learn more about what this site represents and what I plan to do moving forward.

Hi. My name is Scott, and I make tech. (Crowd: “Hi, Scott.”) I’ve been a web developer for over 20 years, with 15 years of professional experience under my belt. In this time, I’ve worked on numerous projects across a swath of industries, clients, agencies, and creative teams. I love technology, automation, design, and creating new things.

This past year has caused all of us to think hard about the present and the future. When Covid-19 caused the world to move inside, we were all forced to consider a future filled with uncertainty. During my quarantine year, I spent my time thinking about where I want to take my career. As a web developer, I enjoy making products with other people and companies. But, I also wanted to branch out and make more on my own.

Today marks the official launch for “Scott Makes Tech.” Scott Makes Tech represents a couple of different things:

* A website and portfolio (in a very literal sense)
* The brand for my web development services and consultancy
* The umbrella for my content that I plan to create.

First, as you can see, this website is designed to show my work and showcase the skills that I have as a web developer. If you’d like to learn more about the thinking behind the construction of this website, I’ve dedicated an entire blog post to this topic here: [Behind the website — page by page breakdown of the SMT redesign](https://scottmakes.tech/blog/behind-the-website-page-by-page-breakdown-of-the-smt-redesign).

Second, Scott Makes Tech accomplishes the goal of launching a brand that encompasses my web development services. I wanted to move away from using my own first and last name as my website. I tried to come up with some different names over the years for an “agency”-style name that could serve as my development shop. Though I have a few names written in my notebook (along with justifications ranging from clever to questionable), I felt that they all struggled to explain a basic concept: is it obvious what this brand accomplishes? This new brand isn’t about an idea or a feeling, so the aspirational names I came up with didn’t sit right. I knew this brand was something much more tactical. The first iteration I came up with was “Scott Makes Apps.” This name made it clear who I was and what I did. But it was a bit limiting because my technical experience and interests are much broader than apps. I really wanted a clever domain name, and I saw an opportunity when the “.tech” top-level domain launched. Scott Makes Tech. This brand perfectly accomplished my goals: tell who comprises this brand, what they do, and leave some leeway to let the brand grow over time.
Third, I’ve wanted to share my knowledge for quite some time. I plan to cover several topics, ranging from the following:

* Web development know-how, geared toward both technical and non-technical audiences
* Video content showcasing tutorials, commentary, and conversation about design and creating digital products
* Motivational perspectives about what drives people. While my primary career as a web developer is highly technical, I can’t see myself limiting the content I make to tutorials or tech topics. As a frequent blog reader and podcast listener, I find myself drawn to content about creating new products and businesses. I have a deep interest in introspection and motivational content, so I’ll also write content meant to be thought-provoking, though I’ll sometimes call it “fluff” since I have a sense of humor about these things.

Before Covid-19, I enjoyed attending meetups and interacting with professionals in my city. But now, all of this is uncertain, so the next phase of my career is to take it online and be more engaged with the world at large.

All in all, launching Scott Makes Tech feels like taking a step off solid ground and into the open seas of something new. I hope you’ll follow me along for the journey, wherever this takes us.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the web development industry and beyond, please check back every week, and consider subscribing to my [Newsletter](https://scottmakes.tech/newsletter) or following me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/scottmakestech).