Caktus Blog

Image by Jeanette O’Brien

Through all of your Caktus Universe exploring, set your sights high but keep your expectations at sea level. We’re here to explore and experiment, share a couple of laughs, and live as humans just trying to make it from one day to the next. Some pieces will be silly and inane, many will be our bread and butter technical works, others will serve hard-hitting topics with wide-ranging social implications, and still others will be somewhere in-between.

Welcome back, let’s jump right in! Since we’re painting this picture of a Caktus universe, it comes to mind that perhaps we’ve left some people behind down on Earth. Some folks have journeyed along with us, of course, but for the remnant–well, things may seem a little alien to them. So, this category will hold posts that bring those folks into the loop. And when I say ‘those folks,’ I mean me. I am that alien anthropologist (thanks to my liturgy professor for that term), venturing into this new-to-me universe of technology, and I’m pretty sure the air has a different molecular make-up than I’m accustomed to. But of course there are hundreds of others out there like me who use, but do not understand, technology. For myself and all the other alien Earthlings, let’s take copious notes and learn what makes this technology culture and Caktus society unique.

Welcome to the Caktus universe. If you read our opening piece New Worlds, you’re already aware that when you enter our blogosphere, the air is a little bit different than normal. (If you haven’t read it, don’t delay!) Sure, we’ll be talking about technology and the super cool, agile, sharp web applications that Caktus builds. AND…guess what else? Behind all of those applications, codes, and tech lingo are very real people. Folks with whole lives who are interacting with culture and society, raising families, spending time with chosen family members, and engaging in hobbies and side hustles. Basically, human beings who are breathing, eating, laughing, grieving, thriving, and making their way through each day. This blog will live into the fullness of this reality.

One of my favorite parts of working at Caktus is the community of developers who share knowledge within and outside our teams. Many of us work on different projects, but still take time to come together, share what we've learned, and apply those learnings to other projects.

Greetings to those who read this, wherever or whenever you may be on the space-time continuum. I’m Lindsey and currently serve as Curator of Community Revelations here at Caktus Group. It’s a fun and interesting title, right? A little nonsensical, and a smidge confusing. Individually the words are familiar, but together it’s just a mix of jibber jabber. This might very well be the case, but housed within Caktus, I hope to bind each of these words together so that they coalesce with common meaning. Meaning that calls in my own vocation as a chaplain and ordained minister (priest) in The Episcopal Church, while bringing into fruition my desire to understand and cultivate (nay, curate!) relationships within the communities I live and work.

Nearly every week, I receive an email or two from a third party expressing interest in buying Caktus. As a matter of habit, I don't open them, let alone respond. Most are scattershot, venture capital firms looking for Software-as-a-Service companies (which Caktus is not). But when an employee approached me in 2018 expressing an interest in making Caktus employee-owned, I listened.

We’re thankful for many things around here — our customers, our followers, our growing team, our community. We’re also thankful for a wealth of information available online that educates, inspires, and entertains!

Pictured: From left to right, musicians Sebastian Peszko, Francisco Batista, and Filippo Dall’Asta in Berlin, Germany.

In early November, my husband and I celebrated a friend’s birthday with dinner and a show. The birthday boy has eclectic tastes and it’s always a treat to be included in his plans. Little did I know, however, that our night out in Berlin, Germany, would be related to my day job with Caktus, which is of course, based in Durham, North Carolina … As a side note, I’ve been working remotely from Berlin since August 2021.

October brought with it a (slight) change in the weather as well as the return of DjangoCon! In between our usual fall routines, here are some of the interesting things we have been clicking on — a nice mix of food for thought and actual food! Click for yourself and see what you think:

This blog is a continuation of my last post about my professional background and transition to a new career at Caktus Group. As an update: I still dig it here.