The geek in question: Nico Tomacelli
The job title: SDET Media Center Connections team.

Tell me about what you’re working on now.
Right now my team is working on delivering Internet content through Windows Media Center on Windows 7. I can’t go into much detail — but trust me it’s exciting stuff. There will be a full announcement from Microsoft on October 22nd when Windows 7 becomes available to the public. All the content will be available starting then and delivered on-demand through Media Center so you don’t have to the provider’s website; you can just browse through Windows Media Center and play the content.

How long have you been with Microsoft?
This will be eight and a half years full time and I was here as a contractor for a year before that.

What do you feel like has changed with the company since you first started?

The company has matured. You can look back through our ship parties and you can see how the company has changed. It’s not that we didn’t have a good time when we shipped Vista or Win 7 for that matter but we’ve just it’s kind of toned down a little. We have responsibilities now to shareholders and we make more targeted and smarter choices versus the wild and crazy ones.

Then there’s the work/life balance thing. When I started here I was here from 8:00 in the morning till 11:00 at night. We’d leave and go have dinner and come back and still work work work.

That’s not where we are now — I feel like the company had to make that shift because that’s how you burn people out. I mean I had ulcers at 23 because I was so stressed out.

My wife saw something on TV talking about companies in Mountain View and how some places offer free meals — she was like “That’s so cool!”

And I just had to say “No I want to leave work.” I enjoy immensely what I do but once I’m done I’m done and I want to go home and see my family play with my dogs and enjoy my hobbies and life outside of work.

I also participate in a charity event every year put on by 2-Fast a local track day organization. It’s called the “Seattle 100 – Race for a Cure” and is to raise money for the NephCure Foundation. The NephCure foundation is working towards finding a cure for kidney disease. This year was my fifth year participating in it and in those five years I’ve raised over $30000 for the organization.

How has Microsoft supported your charity work?
I’ve been blown away by the generosity of the people within Microsoft and how much they’re willing to donate. And then Microsoft matches all their donations! I mean I donate quite a bit and it’s because it’s something that I care about and believe in. But without the generosity of my coworkers and Microsoft contributing we wouldn’t have raised the money we have.

You’ve been at Microsoft for a long time — what keeps you here?
I kind of have ADD — I like things that are constantly changing. Although Microsoft has become a more mature company the thing that stays constant is that we’re always changing. As your interests change it’s so easy to be able to say find people in other groups and say hey I’m interested!

And I’ve never felt like there’s been a vindictiveness from my current managers when I say “hey I want to go and look at another group. “ They’re always supportive and that’s always been surprising.

Did you always want to work here?
10 years ago if you had said I’d be working at Microsoft I’d be like ha you’re funny. Before I came here I despised Microsoft — I had to support our early products and I cursed the company daily.

Then one of my friends said “Hey Microsoft is hiring.”

And I was like “Ha that’s a good one.”

I decided to head up for an interview anyways and was surprised to find the company was not what I expected. So much passion and enthusiasm around projects and people always looking to improve the products they are working on. I wanted to be a part of it and make things better.

It’s like this is not where I ever saw like my life or career going and so it’s kind of been a pleasant surprise. Now I can’t imagine not working here. If I ever get tired of what I’m working on there are umpteen million things that we’re doing at this company that I can go and find something else to do.

Any links you’d like to share?