Thanks, This Has Been Fun

Ten years ago, I started a Blogspot called 10-Key Tramp. I had to do this because the woman I was dating couldn’t stand to hear me complain about my job anymore, so I clapped together some words, pictures, and headlines inspired by the snarky sites I was reading at the time, and told friends and colleagues I had started a blog. Almost no one read it.

It turned out to be the perfect outlet for me, though; taking the ridiculous thoughts out of my head and putting them online was the catharsis I sorely needed, and suddenly work didn’t seem so bad. Still, I got let go in the fall of 2008, but instead of feeling dread or worry, I couldn’t have been more relieved.

To make a long story short, I kept writing online and after a few months, by virtue of few prospects and some fantastic luck, I was asked to help start Going Concern. The two guys who hired me — Above the Law founder David Lat and Breaking Media co-founder David Minkin — asked me if I could make accounting sexy. I said that I could — a blatant lie — but they must’ve figured, “Well, we have the name and domain, so what the hell?” I owe them pretty much everything for that.

Has Going Concern helped accounting become sexy? Probably not. There’s a lot of overcompensating out there, after all. But I’d like to think we did our best to bring some fun, hijinks, and accountability to an otherwise sleepy and unaccountable profession. It sure as hell needs it. The next person to run this place will have the opportunity to build on what we’ve done so far, and take it in new and exciting directions.

As for me, I have to take a break from the day-to-day rigors of being a writer and editor at a small publication. Part of the reason is I recently became a dad for the first time, which means I’m in a perpetual state of exhaustion while figuring out how to balance work and family. After harping about work-life to you all for so many years, you’d think I’d have it figured out. God, no. I’m a mess.

The good news — or bad, depending on your view — is that I’ll still write for Going Concern as an Editor-at-Large, covering topics and stories that are of interest to me, on my own schedule. I’ll have a new day job, too; I’m joining Gusto next month as a member of their content team, writing for their small business customers and accountants network. I also plan to write other stuff utterly unrelated to accounting, which means I’ll get to experience boatloads of rejection with the rare, obscure success that pays virtually nothing. I’m pretty excited!

There are loads of people for me to thank, so in no particular order: Adrienne Gonzalez, Jason Bramwell, Megan Lewczyk, Greg Kyte, Gail Perry, Rob Nance, Jeff Phillips, Francine McKenna, Jim Peterson, Jonathan Weil, Sam Antar, Tony Nitti, my wife, my cats, all the baristas who gave me free refills, Bob Moritz for being a good sport after we put his face on David Beckham’s mostly naked body, my wife. If you think I owe you thanks, then email me by the end of the month and we can discuss it. I’m sure you’re probably right.

And thanks to all of you — the readers, tipsters, fans, haters, and trolls of Going Concern who helped make this site great. Keep it up. Keep sending tips, posting questions and answers, and talking to the future writers and editors of this site. Your support and participation will mean a lot to them and the accounting world. Okay? Okay. See you around.