John Nunemaker
Who is John Nunemaker?
I am a farm boy, turned web developer, who has fallen deeply in love with Ruby and MongoDB. I work at Ordered List with Steve Smith and teach JavaScript at the University of Notre Dame. I reside in South Bend, IN with my wife, Stephanie, and a couple crazy cats, Bob and Charles.
Why MongoDB/Ruby?
I have a deep appreciation for good aesthetics and interface design. Both MongoDB and Ruby have beautiful interfaces that first aim to make developers happy.
Do you have a personal Brand?
Some would say “The Nuniform”, which is my typical clothing outfit (funny t-shirt, khaki shorts, and crocs). Other than that, I would be happy to be known as someone who makes things simple and loves what they do.
How do you find idea inspiration for a new project?
Almost everything I do starts with pen and paper. There is something about physically writing or drawing for a bit that gets my brain going. I also find the trial/error cycle faster and more freedom on paper than in any software I have tried.
I do my best not to force things. If inspiration is not coming, I go for a walk or do something away from my computer. That almost always works. Sometimes my brain just needs time to process things behind the scenes and it does a better job when not in front of a screen.
What does your typical day look like?
Formerly, it was waking up around 10am. Figuring out which coffee shop Steve (my business partner) was working at and heading in. Just recently though, we got found some great office space , so I have been getting up around 7:30am and heading in to work by 8. We’ll see how long that lasts. Regardless, I start most mornings with a Spanish latte from the Chicory Cafe, a favorite of mine.
I typically spend some time on whatever I want in the morning. I have several open source projects that tickle my fancy and we have a hosted website management product named Harmony . The afternoon is filled with client work, you know, so we can pay the bills.
What do you do in your free time?
Steph, my wife, and I watch a plethora of television and movies. I find them so relaxing. I have a motorcycle and love going for rides, weather permitting. My favorite PS3 game is NCAA Football and I have been known to waste a lot of time playing that.
Current favorite apps?
TextMate. PeepOpen. GitHub. GitX. Chrome. Webkit. 1Password. Dropbox.
What OS do you prefer?
OS X. Is there another?
Small picture for your Workplace?
Favorite: Color, Font, Language, JS Framework?
Blue. Helvetica and Museo. Ruby. jQuery.
Name something that has inspired you recently?
Two things that inspired me in the past few months are getting a new laptop and office. I was spending a lot of time waiting on my old laptop for simple things and the new one just flies. Also, having a default place to go every day is nice. It is fun working out of cafes, but sometimes you just need a place that is your own.
What do you prefer (and why)? Freelance work or full time employment?
I prefer working for myself. Not even close. The reason is control. Control over what projects to work on, where to work, when to work, how much I work, what to wear to work, and more. As long as you can pay the bills, there is nothing like the freedom of being your own boss.
What are your personnel projects and goals for 2010?
I do not really set goals so now I feel a bit guilty. I am really enjoying this period of my life, both personally and professionally. I just want to keep doing what I am doing and maybe be a bit more disciplined at it.
“I do not really set goals so now I feel a bit guilty. I am really enjoying this period of my life, both personally and professionally. I just want to keep doing what I am doing and maybe be a bit more disciplined at it.”- yeah, that’s right..what is important is you love what you are doing.