A Note to the RedMonk Community

Damn. 2020 sure went south fast.

Whoever you are and wherever you’re reading this, your life has changed dramatically as a result of COVID-19. This epidemic has no precedent in living memory. We’re all experiencing this for the first time. 

Our company is built on community and we’re really feeling it. We care about people, and it’s in our nature to be supportive. We’re struggling, sure. We all are. But we’re also really feeling our privilege.

You are smart people. We don’t need to tell you to stay at home. Millions of brave souls are waking up and going to work on the front lines, every day, whether that’s saving lives in hospitals or sustaining lives in grocery stores, because that’s their job. Millions of others now find themselves unemployed, as their roles disappeared overnight. This virus has made many systemic inequalities glaringly clear. We’ll need to rethink many things on the other side of this, but for now we’re tipping better than normal, making charitable contributions where appropriate, and doing our best to support service workers.  

If you’re anything like us, the pandemic is spiking anxiety levels, crushing productivity and introducing fundamental new challenges in how to live life on a day to day basis. Coping from home is a challenge in its own right. We’re doing the best we can to balance our work, our partners’ work, childcare and other family or community responsibilities. Online meetings have never felt anywhere near as sweet. “Stay safe” is the new sign off. 

Some people and companies are responding in ways they should be proud of. Others, not so much. It is all too easy to feel helpless. But it’s important to remember that there are things that each of us can do. We can shine a light on the creativity and indomitability of the human spirit amidst this crisis. We can help each other just by being there for each other.

There are a few things that RedMonk can help with:

• If you’re a technology worker and have lost your job, been furloughed or merely seen your hours reduced as a result of this crisis, please get in touch with one of us. We’re happy to talk to you about your career and path, review your resume and, if we know of open opportunities, make connections for you. And speaking of,
• If you’re a technology company that is hiring at the moment, please let us know at monkjobs.com. We’ll know people available, and if you’re looking, connecting you is a win/win. 

James, meanwhile, is hosting a weekly meetup for Developer Relations people, called Flyless, leading up to an online conference about changing engagement models and business practices when travel isn’t an option. You might also enjoy his regular Friday lunch hangouts. RedMonk, for its part, will spin up a community happy hour for you to join us and hang out in the next week or two. 

Before signing off, we want to encourage all of you to take care of yourselves. Give yourself the benefit of grace in a time more challenging than anyone alive today has seen. Exercise is good, but so are cookies.

If any of our community members needs help that you think RedMonk might be able to provide, or even if you just need to talk, please just reach out. In the meantime, take care of yourselves, your loved ones and your community. 

We can’t wait to see you all in person. The next time we’re able to host RedMonk beers those beverages are going to taste amazing.

Stay safe.

– RedMonk