Pros
I loved the people, and for the most part, they put up with my outspokenness and seemed to feel it helped sometimes. I enjoyed the challenge of re-architecting the pharmacy encounters and wanted to take it to another level and make it more robust. I loved the weekly meetings with leadership from the health plans to set deadlines, priorities, and goals to achieve for the week. I enjoyed going to the whiteboard in a conference room and having others in the team and management show up to discuss new architectural plans.
Cons
Pay was much lower than I had previously made. Benefits were minimal. But I agreed to this from the start and took on the role as a consultant intending to stay and contribute to the company's success for six months. In six months, I was moved into a permanent role, and in retrospect, had I thought in a more crafty manner, I would have turned down that role and asked for something more senior and appropriate for my experience at a time when the company's needs were greatest. But I focused on the mission I had for getting the pharmacy encounters in shape for the good of the company, and I stayed with the company for two years rather than six months as planned. But when the pharmacy encounters were in better shape, I asked for a title more appropriate for the work I had been doing and was turned down. And I found myself training "lead developers" who were much more junior, and the one the lead developer who was functioning at a very senior level was working long hours and had been with the company about 13 years. In retrospect, I regret I ever suggested I might consider something less than what I had asked for, and I could not see myself considering working for them again in any role beneath Director or Chief Architect with my eyes on a VP position and about double the salary and benefits. And I would be worth at least ten times that much to the company. I have no intention of groveling or waiting. I will pursue my own success and not wait for anyone's permission to contribute to the well-being of this world.