Returning to my roots...

August 2 2004

I'm starting a new job today.  Within IBM.  Within Lotus.  Working with Lotus messaging, specifically a couple of products called Lotus Notes and Domino.  Maybe you've heard of them.
This move has been in the works for several months (and foreshadowed here many times!).  IBM has some really great career planning programs.  The particular program that I'm part of assigned me a mentor over two years ago, and that person and I checkpoint on a quarterly basis to discuss ways of moving my career ahead.  We started discussing this type of opportunity at the beginning of 2004; thus, when something came up, it was a pretty straight-forward decision process.
In my new role, I'm responsible for the sales of Notes and Domino worldwide.  I titled this entry "returning to my roots" for two reasons.  First, I'm going to be back in the sales organization.  I joined Lotus ten years ago as a systems engineer (IBM now calls this role "IT Specialist") in the Chicago sales office.  After several years in product development and marketing, I realized that being directly involved in day-to-day customer situations is one of the things I enjoy the most -- and something that plays to my individual strengths.  Second, my new role will have me focused on the Notes/Domino business.  In my previous role, I've been responsible for competitive strategy for the entire Lotus portfolio.  But prior to that, I was the brand manager (what IBM calls an "offerings manager") for Notes/Domino, and held a variety of other roles around those products.  This is a chance to come at that business from the sales side -- being the unit executive responsible for their success in-market.
Now, if we do this right, other than today's blog entry, you will see very little that is different about my day-to-day activities.  I'll still be speaking at conferences, user groups, and meeting with individual customers.  I'll continue to participate in electronic forums on LDD/Developerworks, the Partner Forum, and the blogs.  I'll still have a tremendous interest in the activities of my competition, and I might even take it a bit more personally than in the past (!). I expect this weblog to continue to have exactly the same kinds of content tomorrow as it did yesterday.
One thing that will change is my product focus.  I accepted this new role because I believe in the Notes/Domino product line, and because I believe in the future of Notes and Domino.  You can take this as a sign of IBM's commitment, too -- creation of a new leadership role, focused only on the products that some falsely, and foolishly, continue to claim are dead.  Let this posting be the decree -- it is now my job to ensure that you have what you need to understand where IBM/Lotus is going with the market-leading collaboration software.  I can't and won't be doing it all alone, of course...there is more focus on Notes/Domino within the Lotus and IBM software organizations than at any point I can recall in the last few years.  We have some great leaders in the product and development organizations (people like Ken Bisconti and Kevin Cavanaugh continue to sit atop those organizations).  But I'll be more hands-on than ever, and ready to help you where and when I can.
There are some who will probably search for secondary meaning behind this move.  Let me be really clear -- there is none.  I'm advancing my career in a way that is about as perfect as could possibly exist.  I'm doing what I enjoy the most, working day-to-day again with people who have been on this ride as long or longer than I have.  
It's going to be a fun new adventure -- I hope you'll share it with me.  The first stop is beta 2 of Notes/Domino 7 -- you can expect I'll be much more actively involved in this beta program from today forward.
And in case you are someone I'm working with in my previous job capacity, no worries -- I expect to be in transition for several weeks.  This week, for example, I'm doing a whole bunch of writing, speaking, and press interviews from the perspective of my previous role.  Hope to see some of you at LinuxWorld or otherwise in San Francisco this week.

Ed Brill Highland Park, IL USA Category:  Lotus  People  Add/View Comments [56]

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  1. 1  Ports  | 8/2/2004 8:01:24 AM

    Congratulation Ed. Good luck in you new role (not that you will need it).

  1. 2  Colman Carpenter http://carpe.homedns.org | 8/2/2004 8:02:45 AM

    Congratulations Ed, glad that you're taking a career route that you are happy with. And I'm sure Notes/Domino sales will be in safe hands.

    On a selfish note, I'm glad that you'll continue blogging too...the Notes/Domino community would be a poorer place without you. Hopefully your successor will be even half as keen to participate.

  1. 3  Duffbert  | 8/2/2004 8:10:27 AM

    Glad to see that "I'm starting a new job today" didn't come tagged with a "blogging from Redmond" label... :-)

  1. 4  Richard Schwartz http://smokey.rhs.com/web/blog/rhs.nsf | 8/2/2004 8:18:18 AM

    So, what's the new title? Chief Blogging Officer? ;-)

    -rich

  1. 5  jonvon http://jonvon.net | 8/2/2004 8:25:48 AM

    i'd like to be the first to order some notes and some dominos! could i get those yellow sticky notes? for some reason i really like the color yellow. and i'd like the dominos to come in traditional black please, with the little white dots (or can i get the dots in yellow too?)

    ;-D

  1. 6  Christopher Byrne http://www.controlscaddy.com/ | 8/2/2004 8:37:38 AM

    the threads will start reading "Ed Brill is Not Dead"?

    Congratulations and best wishes Ed!

  1. 7  Michael  | 8/2/2004 8:40:24 AM

  1. 8  Gerco Wolfswinkel  | 8/2/2004 8:40:35 AM

    Congratulations on the career move, Ed. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is!

  1. 9  Neil www.domino-guru.co.uk | 8/2/2004 8:44:53 AM

    This can only be a positive thing for Notes/Domino, and the community in general. I am also glad that you will still be blogging...

  1. 10  Ben Langhinrichs http://www.GeniiSoft.com/showcase.nsf/GeniiBlog | 8/2/2004 9:03:55 AM

    Congratulations! Looking forward to more of the same, if you know what I mean. I'm glad it worked out.

  1. 11  Bill Dorge http://www.enterpol.com | 8/2/2004 9:28:40 AM

    Congratulations! What a great thing to read on a Monday morning!! I wish you the best.

  1. 12  Manfred Dillmann http://www.madicon.de | 8/2/2004 9:30:09 AM

    Congratulations, Ed! Keep on doing your good work.

  1. 13  Colin Pretorius http://colinp.dominodeveloper.net/ | 8/2/2004 9:42:06 AM

    That sounds like great news for you, and great news for the rest of us. Congratulations and best wishes!

  1. 14  TheOldGit http://www.theoldgit.com | 8/2/2004 9:44:41 AM

    Go for it Ed! Best of luck with the new role :-) I'll have to wait to catch up with you in Orlando.

  1. 15  Gaston http://www.dblookup.info | 8/2/2004 10:04:04 AM

    I wish you (and Domino) the best, you deserve your success !

    Gaston

  1. 16  David Price www.kbnconsulting.com | 8/2/2004 10:18:46 AM

    I think you made a great point. No intelligent person would take a job with a dying product. This move makes a statement is hard to ignore. Best luck (not that you need it).

    David

  1. 17  marcus  | 8/2/2004 10:30:01 AM

    The Notes/Domino world will be better for it.

  1. 18  Wild Bill http://www.billbuchan.com | 8/2/2004 10:46:08 AM

    Wow! Good for you!

    Can we have some product marketing now ? The sort that says "Sick of a virus-ridden, insecure, unreliable mail suystem ? Switch from Exchange to Domino!"....

    :-)

    Good luck!

    ---* Bill

  1. 19  David  | 8/2/2004 10:46:46 AM

    It seems quite a priviledge to have such direct communication with somebody in Ed's position. I don't suppose the competition are quite so accessible?

    Does that now mean we might get those little things that really annoy the grass roots users addressed?

    Congratulations sir!

  1. 20  Heini  | 8/2/2004 11:02:34 AM

    Could be that I mixed something.

    Congratulations and Good Luck.

  1. 21  Bruce Elgort http://www.bruceelgort.com | 8/2/2004 11:04:31 AM

    Ed,

    I am very proud of you! I wish you the best of luck in your new job.

    Bruce

  1. 22  Ben Poole http://www.benpoole.com | 8/2/2004 11:10:00 AM

    Good news indeed, for everyone!

  1. 23  Mike Lazar  | 8/2/2004 11:42:24 AM

    Ed -- This is great news. I even mentioned it in a blog entry I have for tomorrow to be posted on Tech Target's new Expert Answer Community website. Notes/Domino administration is the topic for the next 2 weeks, so I am on the job until the 13th. If anyone has any Domino blog topics they want blasted to the world but can't have them on their own site, let me know. I'll do what I can to get it out there in the next 2 weeks.

  1. 24  Ferdy Christant http://www.ferdychristant.com | 8/2/2004 11:56:42 AM

    Congratulations Ed, I think I speak for everyone when I say we're proud of you and believe in you.

  1. 25  Nathan T. Freeman  | 8/2/2004 12:56:54 PM

    Way to go Ed. I can't wait to see the results. :)

  1. 26  Bob Brodsky  | 8/2/2004 1:34:46 PM

    Ed,

    Welcome back and congratulations from someone familiar with Notes 1.0. Its still the best!

    Please keep in mind that there are some of us trying to do the Notes thing for organizations with way less than 1K seats.

    Bob

  1. 27  Ed Brill www.edbrill.com | 8/2/2004 2:03:01 PM

    what a great community. Some of you might even be my "friends"!

  1. 28  Jose Melendez http://www.amershambiosciences.com , http://www.gehealthcare.com | 8/2/2004 2:05:43 PM

    VIVA EL Notes y Domino!!!!!! IBM could not have picked a better man for the job! As a matter of fact I hope they didn't consider anyone else. It would've been an insult.

    I've attended your session The Boss Loves Microsoft...2x at LS and I hope that you continue to present it. Unfortunately, I'll miss it and LS '05 as my company has been acquired by GE Healthcare. Perhaps you can convince them to move to Notes. I've been trying but everyone thinks I'm funny.

  1. 29  Ed Brill www.edbrill.com | 8/2/2004 2:07:39 PM

    I think there are people who come to Lotusphere just for that -- well, maybe that and the Wednesday night party. :)

  1. 30  airplay , aka Trond-Are Utle http://utle.com | 8/2/2004 2:17:36 PM

    More people to Sales. And they're made of the right stuff! Excellent!

    Welcome back to the trenches.. :-)

    //trond-are

  1. 31  Sean Harris  | 8/2/2004 2:21:53 PM

    That's fantastic!

    I'm sure you will do well, and I hope for your best success.

    You will have a lot of support, as I know that there are a lot of Ed Heads around that will stand behind you.

  1. 32  Warren Elsmore www.elsmore.net | 8/2/2004 2:41:32 PM

    At the risk of some deja-vu.. Congratulations! IBM and yourself couldn't have made a better decision in my mind.

    I'm also torn between hoping you got a tough target for Domino sales (for our part), and hoping you didn't (for your part)!! Ah, what am I saying - we all know you'll exceed it anyway ;-)

  1. 33  tq  | 8/2/2004 3:25:07 PM

    Ed - I think your willingness to be open and pragmatic about your views (as demonstrated here) shows what a fantastic asset you will be now dedicated to the Domino cause. Congratulations. The last few days of posts and their comments have been some of the most engrossing and entertaining in the Domino community...

  1. 34  Declan Lynch  | 8/2/2004 3:43:18 PM

    Congratulations on the new position and it's great to see that IBM believe in the great work you do for the domino community by giving you this job.

  1. 35  Paul Mooney http://www.pmooney.net | 8/2/2004 3:51:11 PM

    Congratulations Ed! A well deserved position for you. I must say its a great opportunity for all Domino professionals aswell. The job is in safe hands!

  1. 36  Frank http://www.domino-admin.co.uk | 8/2/2004 4:00:00 PM

    Congratulations Ed. Does this mean you'll have to update your IBM Certifications like everyone else now ...? lol Only kidding. I wish you all the very best in your new role.

  1. 37  Tim Latta  | 8/2/2004 4:22:13 PM

    Not sure I could congrats in any better way that hasn't already been said.

  1. 38  Randall Shimizu  | 8/2/2004 4:51:15 PM

    Congratulations Ed

  1. 39  Randall Shimizu  | 8/2/2004 4:51:19 PM

    Congratulations Ed

  1. 40  Oliver Regelmann http://www.n-komm.de/blog.nsf | 8/2/2004 5:11:48 PM

    Now there is something to update:

    { Link }

    ;-)

  1. 41  Colin Williams http://www.guttedgeek.com | 8/2/2004 6:44:15 PM

    Fabulous news, absolutely fabulous!!! The Notes / Domino community wouldn't be the same without ya mate!!!

  1. 42  bonj http://bonj.blogspot.com | 8/2/2004 8:40:05 PM

    Congratulations on the new job Ed.

    Hopefully someone will be able to follow your example in your old role and your new role is great for all in the Notes/Domino world.

    You are not fungible! Or maybe it would best be stated, you are not EXCHANGEable! ;-)

  1. 43  William Beh http://www.jroller.com/page/willbeh | 8/3/2004 3:44:13 AM

    Good luck in your new role.

  1. 44  Thorsten Ebers  | 8/3/2004 3:50:25 AM

    Congrats, Nice to have you on the right side :-)

  1. 45  Peter de Haas www.peterdehaas.com | 8/3/2004 4:23:46 AM

    Ed concretulations and Iou wish you all the best in your new role. I think personally that the field of collaboration solutions is one of the most exciting area's to work and compete in and I look forward to future discussions on collaboration related topics (and opthers if applicable).

  1. 46  Chris LeRoy http://www.brainbent.com | 8/3/2004 6:33:48 AM

    Congratulations, Ed. Good luck with the new role.

    A good day for all involved, for sure.

  1. 47  Tony S Lee  | 8/3/2004 7:33:47 AM

    I have been reading your blog since the start. You have conducted yourself with intelligence, integrity and profesionalism. I know you will excel in your new position.

    Another "Ed-Head"... (from Sean Harris)

  1. 48  Christopher Byrne http://www.controlscaddy.com/ | 8/3/2004 9:29:08 AM

    Maybe next year's CULT T-Shirt at Lotusphere can be a take on the Dead with the "Ed Heads":-).

  1. 49  David Bailey http://www.cacteamsolutions.com | 8/3/2004 9:56:46 AM

    Congratulations, Ed. This is great!

  1. 50  Bob Balaban http://www.looseleaf.net | 8/3/2004 10:30:03 AM

    Congratulations Ed! Way to go! Sounds like a great move for everyone concerned.

  1. 51  Carolyn Kraut http://www.shareknowledgesystems.com | 8/3/2004 10:40:49 AM

    Congratulations. This can only mean good things for you, the Notes User community, the Business Partners, IBM, and the product itself.

  1. 52  Mac Guidera http://www.macguidera.net | 8/3/2004 1:32:30 PM

    I think this was a smart move for both you and Lotus.

    Congrats!

  1. 53  Ted Niblett  | 8/4/2004 11:08:02 AM

  1. 54  Ludwig Nastansky http://gcc.upb.de | 8/6/2004 8:31:19 AM

    Congratulations from all members of GCC { Link } at University of Paderborn! As N/D enthusiasts & researchers & users & developers for 15 years we will toast to your success with this new assignment and ... your birthday on our annual summer grill party tonight!

  1. 55  Ed Brill  | 8/6/2004 8:56:24 AM

  1. 56  Andres Gorostidi http://www.gorostidi.net | 9/16/2004 5:04:50 AM

    Ed, it is hard for me to see you only as a sales man.. You will ever be a "marketing man" for me ;-)

    I think this is similiar a marriage. When you marry someone, you do not leave your family, just take part on other family.....may be you will spent more time with your wife■s family but you can not forget yours !

    So.... now you will be managing sales... but since sales person have a "marketing" role...(moreover, enthusiastics of Lotus, as you, are always doing marketing), I guess it will be difficult for people who known you to position you only as a sales person...

    Anyway, that was a really good new. Congratulation on your new role, Ed.