Of the approximately 4,356 different amazing perks to living and working in Ireland, the proximity and ease of travel across the rest of Europe has to be near the top. I was able to check off a fair amount of must see places back in 2005 while studying in Madrid and am excited to see even more of the continent on this go-around.

As my 90-day Visitor Visa was set to expire in mid June, I technically needed to exit the country in order to re-enter through immigration in Ireland with my new official Work Visa paperwork. Forced to take a quick jaunt into mainland Europe? Sure, twist my arm. In order to accomplish this while also getting some work done I created an agenda that accomplished the following:

-Conducted interviews in Dublin for our new growing sales team.

-Visited a long time SmartBear partner who handles a majority of our business in the Nordic region, based in Copenhagen.

-Met with an engineering firm based in Zurich who is interested in outfitting their clients with SmartBear’s award winning software testing tools all across Switzerland.

-Spent time with two old friends from the States who coincidently both happen to be living and working in Copenhagen at the moment.

-Explored both Copenhagen and Zurich, two incredible cities I had never seen before.

-Drank Vodka’s until dawn with a group of math geniuses based in Copenhagen.

-Toured the streets of Zurich in a brand new Tesla; I swore it felt like being in a James Bond movie.

-Experienced a “Free City” within a city in Copenhagen.

-Watched The Netherlands achieve sweet revenge against Spain in the first round of the World Cup with a bunch of Dutch guys who are studying at the University of Copenhagen.

-And for a fresh dose of reality on my return leg to Ireland, I experienced once again that connecting through London’s Heathrow Airport is something I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. I survived my first ever 10+ minute full on sprint through the airport, with two carry on’s in a full suit to arrive at the boarding gate, dripping sweat and out of breath, with moments to spare. I owe my friends at Aer Lingus for moving through their check in process extra judiciously.

 

Here are some pics from the trip; I had a blast on the road and can’t wait for the next adventure to begin!

 

**We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this special announcement**

Hello friends,

Today is a very exciting day. For those beginning to wonder if my trip across the pond was strictly a ploy to document the lives of the talented Galway street musicians (it’s crossed my mind more than once), I’ve got news for you: Earlier this morning the IDA sent out their press release welcoming SmartBear Software to Ireland. A little more than two years since we started internal discussions around international expansion, SmartBear Ireland is officially live to the world. The IDA is the Irish government authority that attracts and advises on foreign inward investment from multinational companies that are interested in opening an office in Ireland. We’ve partnered closely with the IDA for the last six months and they have been a tremendous help. Everything from advising on strategic financial decisions all the way to recommending a decent place to find a meal when I landed in town back in March, they have been there for us. Without the IDA’s help we wouldn’t have made nearly the amount of progress in such a short amount of time. Most companies take over a year to accomplish what we have in the last few months. I can’t thank all involved enough for all their help along the way. It’s been quite a ride. Here you can find the link to the official release, and I’ve also included the full text below. Exciting day for SmartBear Ireland!

http://www.idaireland.com/news-media/press-releases/smartbear-software-establ/index.xml

SmartBear Software Establishes European Headquarters in Galway

Leading Software Application Quality and Performance Management Company to Create 100 Jobs over 5 Years in Galway Region

GALWAY – June 12, 2014 – Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD today announced that SmartBear Software, the choice of more than two million software professionals for building and delivering the world’s best applications, is expected to create up to 100 jobs over five years at its new European Headquarters in Galway. The investment is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through IDA Ireland.

Headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, SmartBear develops software that other software developers use to ensure their applications provide a superior user experience. Anyone using some of the world’s most popular online applications have benefited from SmartBear’s technology as it may have been used to develop, test or monitor the operation of these applications. SmartBear has customers in over 90 countries and additional offices in the United States, Sweden, Spain and Russia.

Making the announcement, Minister Bruton said, “ICT is a key sector which we have targeted in our Action Plan for Jobs, and over recent years, we have seen substantial growth in this area. Today’s announcement that SmartBear, a leading U.S. software application quality and performance management company, is establishing its European Headquarters in Galway and expected to create a hundred jobs is a great boost. This builds on the significant progress we have seen in the job market in the past two years, and I wish them every success with this project.”

“We are excited about opening our European Headquarters in Ireland,” said Doug McNary, CEO, SmartBear Software. “We were impressed by Galway’s vibrant ICT cluster, pro-business environment and attractive lifestyle. This coupled with the support of IDA Ireland makes Galway the perfect choice for SmartBear.”

Welcoming the announcement, Barry O’Leary, CEO, IDA Ireland speaking from Galway, where he will address the Galway Chamber, said “SmartBear’s decision to set up its European headquarters in Galway bolsters the city’s reputation as a location of choice for leading international technology companies. The Irish centre is strategically important to SmartBear as it will drive international growth for the company.”

The new office will create roles in Inside Sales, Marketing, Customer Support, Operations, Finance and Software Development.

For recruitment opportunities, email jobs@smartbear.ie.

 

8 June 2014

Probably the biggest adjustment I’ve had to make since moving to Ireland is the idea of being digitally connected nearly 24/7. During the workweek with my connections now to Europe as well as my team back in the US, it is typical that I am fielding emails and calls from 8am to midnight at least a few nights a week. I knew full well of this challenge when signing up for the opportunity, and I wouldn’t change it for the world, however by most Friday nights I am mentally exhausted.

For this reason I welcomed the rain of this past weekend with open arms. Nothing on the schedule, just relaxing and refueling for what will be an exciting next few months ahead. Today with the rain continuing (god bless the Irish summer) I unplugged and walked down to Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop on Middle Street. No Wi-Fi, no cell service, just a great old school independent bookstore where you could get lost for hours. I spent an hour reading an actual physical copy of Irish short stories, something I hadn’t done in far too long. Stories of a retiree setting off on his new picture taking hobby in the Irish midlands, and teenagers trying to craft the perfect pop song. More importantly, not one word about slingin’ software, tech support, or quarter end deals. I left feeling more refreshed than expected. And when I returned home a few hours later, my inbox was unchanged and my Facebook feed remained dominated by a stream of newborns and wedding photos (I love you all I swear!).

So my quick lesson for the week is to not be afraid of disconnecting from the digital world. Even if only for a few hours, it will do wonders I promise. And the rest of your life will be patiently waiting for your return.

For a shot of Irish culture this week I loved this write up from Travel + Leisure on Galway and the west coast –

http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-blog/carry-on/2014/5/20/galway-ireland-untamed

Until next time.

MLK

Earlier tonight I was catching up with my Mom in sunny Manhattan Beach when I told her that for the first time in a few months I was struggling on ideas to write about. The inevitable “writers block” as they say. She recommended I go for a walk to clear my head, so I dutifully followed orders. She also happened to mention that Steve Nash is going to be her new next-door neighbor, which is by far the coolest thing I’ve heard in quite some time.

http://www.tmz.com/2014/03/23/steve-nash-retirement-pad-house-manhattan-beach-lakers-photos/

While walking the streets of Galway it dawned on me that tomorrow is the first Monday of June, which happens to mark my six-year anniversary at SmartBear. Unrelated but noteworthy I also passed by at least five Hen parties, several lads out on a Stag and hundreds more in the streets sharing a laugh and a few pints on this Bank Holiday weekend. Good thing the majority of Ireland is shut down tomorrow to recover. To say this town comes alive in the summer is a massive understatement.

But back to my SmartBear nostalgia: I will never forget how it all came to be. Spring ’08 I was bartending back at the Cactus Club, fresh off an incredible backpacking trip to Australia, and flat broke. My close friend Jim McD (better known as The Swaine) had recently joined a little startup company on Boston’s North Shore and mentioned he might be able to get me an interview. Being 23 years old and claiming to have it all figured out, I politely declined, citing my lack of technology background (or any real professional background for that matter) and lack of being able to locate Beverly MA on a map. Thankfully, I believe The Swaine’s response was something along the lines of, “Shut your mouth, put your resume together, I have an interview lined up for you with the CEO next week.” When The Swaine speaks, you listen. The rest as they say, is history.

Since joining what was known as AutomatedQA Corp in June of 2008 I’ve been able to serve our expanding customer base in several different roles, help grow company revenues 12X, and experience the following key highlights through the years:

-2009, acquisition of Pragmatic Software

-2010, rebranded 3 existing businesses under what is now known as SmartBear

-2011, acquisitions of Eviware and AlertSite, further strengthening our brand in the software quality market

-2012, began discussions with senior leadership around international expansion, focusing on the EMEA market

-2013, acquisition of Lucierna out of Barcelona to bolster our APM offering

-2014, official decision to launch a new EMEA HQ in Galway, Ireland. Relocated in the spring to open office and build out new team of rock stars

The moral of the story is this: listen to your mother. She’s a treasure trove of good ideas. Oh and listen to The Swaine too, the man is a legend.

Thank you to all the SmartBear’s past and present I’ve been able to work with and learn from through the years. It’s been one helluva ride and I’m excited to see what the future holds for all of us.

For those reading this in Galway, or greater Ireland / mainland Europe and are interested in moving to the beautiful and rugged west of Ireland: I’m actively recruiting the next team of sales rock stars to join me as founding members of the SmartBear Galway office. If you are interested or know of anyone email me @ miles.kane@smartbear.com.

MLK

PS – for your dose of weekly Irish culture, MN export Josh Hartnett compares Dublin to Sin City, and the POTUS has a motorway service station named after him in Moneygall, home to his great-great-great grandfather.

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/josh-hartnett-compares-dublin-to-vegas-it-can-eat-you-whole-30311640.html

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/if-moneygall-can-throw-in-a-bouncy-barack-obama-we-re-there-1.1815282

Have a great week everyone, wherever you are in the world.