The transition to my new role has been fairly smooth so far. Our list of projects looks as daunting as ever, but I’ve got a good team of guys working on them with me. They’re hard working, talented and eager to learn.

In the next month or so, I think we’re going to get this process down to a pretty good science. I’ve been largely been playing ‘pitch-in guy,’ helping out wherever I’m needed. Since I know a good amount about both web standards and Flash, I’ve been able to close bugs and take care of issues for most of my team – which has freed them up to do what they do best. In the past 10 days we’ve managed to launch 11 sites, which is pretty remarkable given how little time we’ve spent as a team.

The biggest challenge so far has been finding outside talent. I’m looking for a bunch of solid freelancers that I can add to my team, and while I’ve been bombarded by resumes and portfolios, the number of exceptional people is pretty slim. I’ve looked through close to 350 of these by now, and have earmarked about 30 for follow-up. A few really impressed me, and I’m they’ll be able to work within my budgets – they’d be fantastic to have around.

So all in all, it’s been fun so far. I’m overwhelmed and I’m working every day from the time I get up until the time I go to bed, but it’s definitely a new challenge. I will say that Christmas break couldn’t come at a better time – eggnog and a fireplace sounds a lot like heaven right now.