Dan Walker – Sr. Software Engineer
1. How would you explain what you do for work in 3 sentences or less to your 7 year old niece?
I stare at a screen and type mumbo-jumbo that a computer knows how to turn into webpages. On a good day it’s like writing in secret code to solve a fun puzzle, on a bad day it’s like slurpee brain freeze.
2. What is the last book you read?
The last book I read was my 200th reading of “But Not the Hippopotamus” with my daughter last night. It is a great book, with plenty of suspense. Spoiler alert: By the end of the book, the hippo comes out of her shell and joins in the fun, but don’t get me started on that poor armadillo.
3. If someone wrote a biography about you, what would the title be?
“How To Overthink Anything: The Dan Walker Story”
4. If you were a tree, which kind would you be?
Coastal redwood – I’m tall, love Northern California, and do best in cool, rainy climates.
5. What are your favorite smells?
Pretty keen on the smell of a summer rain storm, but not sure anything smells better to me than a charcoal grill getting stoked in the summer or a fireplace in the colder months.
6. Who was your favorite musical group when you were in Junior High School?
Early R.E.M. was by far the heaviest in rotation. Not sure I own any of their albums made after 1995, but the first decade of their existence was great.
7. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
From as early as I can remember I wanted to be a baseball player – no question. When my dad told me at seven that it might be good to have a back-up, I reflected for a moment and said, “Nope, pretty much only want to be a baseball player.” A little later, I figured I could settle for professional Pacman player.
8. Do you have any hidden talents or interesting hobbies?
I enjoy long-distance bicycle touring (backpacking on a bike). It has been a couple of years since my last one, but I have a couple of coast-to-coast trips under my belt.
9. What do you like about living in the Boston area?
I grew up in rural settings (northern Idaho and rural Connecticut), so I wasn’t sure about urban-living when I first showed up in Boston. It didn’t take long to fall in love with the amenities of the city, although I don’t know if I would have stuck around if it weren’t so easy to get out to mellow, green spaces.
10. What is your favorite website, blog or online community?
Ted.com – constant source of inspiration and motivation.
Connect with Dan Walker on LinkedIn.