Rich Thornett

Work-ish

I'm a long-time software and product developer. I spent over twenty years building software at blue chips and startups and led efforts in software development, product direction and design, and hiring product teams.

In the late aughts, a friend and I started a side project that evolved into a beloved social network for designers, a global meetup network, a leading hiring platform for tech startups, and a small, remote company with eight employees. We ran it for eight years until eventually selling the business.

Today I have a small portfolio of pursuits. I built and run Outer Join, a job board for remote work in data science. I’m an autodidactic financial planner and investor, managing a micro family office of sorts for extended family; a high school basketball coach; and a volunteer on special projects for Salem Public Schools.

Most recently, while exploring colleges with my son, I became fascinated with the college admissions landscape and have spent too much time reading, listening, and spreadsheeting in that arena; another side project may be forthcoming. I’m excited to be volunteering as a college coach this year with ScholarMatch, an organization which helps make college possible for underserved youth.

Speaking of college, here’s a trivia question: I attended the oldest public college (undergrad) and the first public college (grad school) in the United States. What schools are they and why are they not the same?