David Mitchell

Experienced Technologist, Outdoorsman, Entrepreneur, Lifelong Learner

I’m something of a productivity and self improvement nerd (in addition to just being a general sci-fi/fantasy nerd). I played D&D in High School, collected comic books and hung out with the rest of the people in my school who were interested in that kind of stuff. I ran track and cross country as well, but my real interest was just in reading books and imagining new worlds with my friends.

I was so into the nerd culture that my friends and I designed comic books and other science fiction stories which still bounce around in my brain, looking for a way to get out. I still work on some of those ideas and I split my time between reading science-fiction/fantasy books and reading self-help/productivity/business books.

Just to give you an idea, in High School I was reading Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Stephen Covey and Stephen Hawking. And that doesn’t include Stan Lee . So, ya, nerd.

Which brings me to today.

Pretty much the same books, just branching out and reading people like Dan Wells, Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher and then reading other things from people like Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield and Pat Flynn.

Brief History

I grew up as the child of an US Air Force officer and spent the first 14 years of my life traveling from one air force base to another. Eventually settled down in Utah after graduating from BYU with a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science.

I spent the next 20 years working for a variety of companies within the Salt Lake and Utah counties including as a partner in nStar Global Services. For a full resume you can look at my linkedin profile.

In addition to my experience with software development, I have also been an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America Utah National Parks Council in a number of different positions including Council Advancement Chairman and Vice President of Program.

Together with my wife, we host a weekly podcast where we shared tips, tricks and advice on how to raise and run an organized family. We put the podcast on pause while I worked on my MBA. I expect we’ll start up again soon…just after the summer of crazy.

I specialize in Software Development, Development Process, Personal and Team Leadership.

In my free time I play games with my children, hike, camp, play soccer and mountain bike. I haven’t done Aikido for a while, but want to pick it back up. I just need a place that is convenient to practice.

Top 5 Board Games

  • Legendary
  • Genesys RPG/Star Wars RPG
  • Warmachine
  • Imperial Assault
  • Tiny Epic Galaxies (actually almost any game from the Tiny Epic line)
  • My Little Scythe (Bonus choice…good for family play with people who don’t like other games like the ones above)

Top 5 Video Games

  • Heroes of the Storm
  • Starcraft II
  • Neverwinter Nights (The CRPG from the mid 2000s)
  • Divinity: Original Sin
  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • Overcooked
  • Final Fantasy VI

(Yup, it’s more than 5…)

Top 5 Random Stuff

  • Star Wars vs Star Trek -> Old Star Wars, New Star Trek
  • Most Recommended Author: Brandon Sanderson
  • Most Recommended Novel: Alloy of Law, Steelheart or Legion (depends on the person)
  • Most Recommended Business/Self-Improvement book: Getting Things Done or How Will You Measure Your Life (depends on the person)

(Yup, it’s only 4…making up for the video games ;-) )

Reading

You can see what I am currently reading on Good Reads.

And you can see what I recently read and at least a rating on what I felt about it on Good Reads as well.

Degrees/Certifications/Awards