Back in 2005, something big made its debut at PDC (Professional Developers Conference)—literally.
This was the first public sighting of the Big 9 Guy, a larger-than-life inflatable version of the logo for Channel 9, the website I was working on at the time.
What Was Channel 9?
Long before YouTube became a household name, Channel 9 was a pioneering site at Microsoft—built to bring a human side to the company through video content. The idea was novel at the time:
- 📹 A dedicated video platform featuring interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and developer stories.
- 🌍 A thriving community of Microsoft fans and engineers.
- 🎤 Conversations that felt real—a stark contrast to traditional corporate messaging.
And it worked. Channel 9 became a huge success, fostering a passionate developer community and setting the stage for future online video platforms.
About the Photo
This snapshot captures a fun moment from PDC05—me standing next to the Big 9 Guy, with my manager at the time, Jeff Sandquist, on the other side.
Also, a reminder that cameras weren’t quite as good back then. 😆