Giving the Saints my XLIV Karma

neugey · 09-09-2023, 10:39 PM

I know I’ve been super quiet on here lately, and there’s kind of a reason for that.

Before I explain, let’s take a trip back to 2009. My employer at that time was approached by an investor who had us working on a new gambling-oriented fantasy football project. This was before Draft Kings and FanDuel got all the momentum they have now. I was very busy that year, putting in 60+ hour weeks and making sure the site was ready and doing the majority of the programming for that effort. It was a very different season for me especially in September and October as some weeks were spent in the office trying to make sure the software was running properly and scores and rosters were being updated as needed rather than sitting at home and watching games. Before long though, we found out the project was not going to be able to get off the ground because it would be a multi-million dollar legal battle to try to counter the gambling laws and get the project off the ground. So by November, it became apparent it had ran its course and we’d scrapped the project.

Fast-forward, way forward to today. For four or so years up until May of this year I had been working two jobs as a software developer and making pretty good money. But one of my jobs (one that I truly disliked, stressed me endlessly and I was just trying to hang on solely for the money) fell through. So now I find myself working a single job that I really like, but that is offset by trying to adjust to a single income and there are some significant financial concerns I have in the coming years.

That had me pondering what my next move was going to be. Over the July 4th weekend I decided the best way to move forward to look backward. That’s right, I am trying my hand at becoming an entrepreneur and standing up my own fantasy football business (not a gambling one, mind you) from the ground up while still working my day job. I have some unique ideas in the marketplace I’m looking to implement, and I have full creative control to exercise (in 2009 I worked with control freaks who let me have little say in our design despite I was the only one in company who had serious long-running fantasy football experience to draw upon).

Long story short, I don’t know how many Saints games I’ll be able to watch this year, but I’ll certainly be rooting where I can. All I do know is this – the last time I was heads down into developing a fantasy football game, things worked out really, really well for the Saints.

I really want this thing to work out, and it won’t be easy. It feels like it is the Fourth Down of my Life, financially and professionally. Putting in 80+ hours a week has been challenging, but I’d rather find out if I can pull it off than never know. It’s the Who Dat spirit.

I’m keeping kind of a tight lid on things for now, but I’ll let you know when there is big news regarding the progress or launch of the site (think 2024).

Boston Saint · 09-09-2023, 11:56 PM

Thanks for the story. Always good to hear snippets of Saints Fan’s lives. Hope your retracing your past pays off.

09-09-2023, 10:39 PM	#1
neugey Hu Dat! Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 6,606 Blog Entries: 13	Giving the Saints my XLIV Karma I know I’ve been super quiet on here lately, and there’s kind of a reason for that. Before I explain, let’s take a trip back to 2009. My employer at that time was approached by an investor who had us working on a new gambling-oriented fantasy football project. This was before Draft Kings and FanDuel got all the momentum they have now. I was very busy that year, putting in 60+ hour weeks and making sure the site was ready and doing the majority of the programming for that effort. It was a very different season for me especially in September and October as some weeks were spent in the office trying to make sure the software was running properly and scores and rosters were being updated as needed rather than sitting at home and watching games. Before long though, we found out the project was not going to be able to get off the ground because it would be a multi-million dollar legal battle to try to counter the gambling laws and get the project off the ground. So by November, it became apparent it had ran its course and we’d scrapped the project. Fast-forward, way forward to today. For four or so years up until May of this year I had been working two jobs as a software developer and making pretty good money. But one of my jobs (one that I truly disliked, stressed me endlessly and I was just trying to hang on solely for the money) fell through. So now I find myself working a single job that I really like, but that is offset by trying to adjust to a single income and there are some significant financial concerns I have in the coming years. That had me pondering what my next move was going to be. Over the July 4th weekend I decided the best way to move forward to look backward. That’s right, I am trying my hand at becoming an entrepreneur and standing up my own fantasy football business (not a gambling one, mind you) from the ground up while still working my day job. I have some unique ideas in the marketplace I’m looking to implement, and I have full creative control to exercise (in 2009 I worked with control freaks who let me have little say in our design despite I was the only one in company who had serious long-running fantasy football experience to draw upon). Long story short, I don’t know how many Saints games I’ll be able to watch this year, but I’ll certainly be rooting where I can. All I do know is this – the last time I was heads down into developing a fantasy football game, things worked out really, really well for the Saints. I really want this thing to work out, and it won’t be easy. It feels like it is the Fourth Down of my Life, financially and professionally. Putting in 80+ hours a week has been challenging, but I’d rather find out if I can pull it off than never know. It’s the Who Dat spirit. I’m keeping kind of a tight lid on things for now, but I’ll let you know when there is big news regarding the progress or launch of the site (think 2024). Attached Thumbnails SmashMouth, dizzle88 and Boston Saint like this.

09-09-2023, 11:56 PM	#2
Boston Saint 1000 Posts + Join Date: Nov 2020 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 4,878	Re: Giving the Saints my XLIV Karma Thanks for the story. Always good to hear snippets of Saints Fan’s lives. Hope your retracing your past pays off.

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