I’m Josh Richards, and I’m a freelancer, technologist, blogger, and operator of several Internet properties. I am based in San Luis Obispo county, California.

I’ve had a personal website and/or weblog of some type since 1995.

Current Projects

JoshRichardsConsulting.com – Freelancing/Consulting (2006 – Present)

ITConsultingLessons.com – Lessons for Technologists Who Freelance (2007 – Present)

Cubicle.net – The Office Cubicle Buyer Center™ (2013 – Present)

JTREnterprises.com – Miscellaneous Business Activities/Interests (2008 – Present)

JoshRichards.org – Sometimes I write things on this site (2009 – Present)

Current Interests

Technology: Networks, Clouds, Apps, Security plus – because tech cannot be independent of business results – Optimization, Alignment, Transparency, Planning, Management

Knowledge Work: Productivity, Efficacy, Focus, Time utilization, Mental/physical energy management

Business: Entrepreneurship, Self-Employment, Freelancing, Productization of Consulting, Online Marketing, Direct marketing, Brand marketing

Personal: Self-awareness, Personal growth, Fundamental physical fitness, Balance, Clarity, Over-thinking (anti)

Fun: Beer, Coffee, Food, Cooking, Soccer

Past Projects

In 2007 I nearly formed an investment management firm. I decided against it when I realized my interest in security analysis did not automatically extend to managing anyone else’s money.

From just prior to incorporation in 2001, and through late 2006, I was the chief technical officer of Digital West Networks.

In 2003, I established the California Central Coast Internet Exchange. It arose out of a series of discussions with a friend and fellow network engineer Mark Smith in the late 90s, which I was able to later realize through my involvement in Digital West Networks.

In the middle of of 2000 I put together two business plans: one for a new kind of telecommunications provider and the other for a collocation, connectivity, and hosting business. The latter, along with my active managed services arrangements, was folded into Digital West Networks when I joined up with Tim Williams in 2001.

I freelanced, primarily for Internet service providers and dot-com companies and mostly on Cisco, Linux, Unix, telecom, and security projects, from 2000 through 2001 as Geek Research, LLC.

I worked in various roles ranging from technical support to director, between 1996 and 2000, for a regional Internet service provider.

I also worked for Lucent Technologies (now Alcatel-Lucent) and for another regional Internet service provider in the mid-90s in addition to some miscellaneous jobs (and technical freelancing) here and there.

In high school I published an underground newspaper, with accolades from students and disapproval from the administration.