Reid Burke

Personal

  • Starting at Apple

    I am thrilled to begin my new role at Apple.

    I will help small businesses succeed by building Apple Business Essentials — a product which brings together device management, 24/7 Apple support, and iCloud storage into flexible subscription plans.

    Matt Lichtfuss, information technology director for Espresso Services Inc. in Minneapolis, uses Managed Lost Mode with Apple Business Essentials. The new service has made deployment and managed security simple for the business, and streamlines IT management to support the company’s growth. Image credit: Apple Inc.

    Apple deeply understands the importance of small businesses. I am excited to help enable small businesses everywhere scale up while staying focused on their mission.

    Small business owners and entrepreneurs can learn more how Apple products and services can support their growth and success with Made for Business, a series of Today at Apple available at select Apple stores around the world throughout the year.

    Led by small business owners, the sessions will highlight how these organizations have used Apple products and resources to build their businesses, reach customers in new ways, and push their organizations forward. Image credit: Apple Inc.

  • Leaving Yahoo After 15 Years

    Today was my last day at Yahoo. I decided to resign after 15 years.

    In 2007, one year before joining Yahoo, I was living in Southern Illinois and just graduated high school. I was working for a local company making websites for K-12 schools.

    My former boss there, Dav Glass, recently moved to California for a job at Yahoo. I visited Yahoo’s campus in Sunnyvale that summer. The energy and excitement there marked me.

    One year later, when I was 19 years old, Dav invited me to apply for a job. Soon I found myself opening a yodeling purple box with a full time job offer to build apps for the web. I dropped out of university and moved across the country.

    Joining Yahoo in 2008 was a very special time. Hack Days in Sunnyvale and NYC. Working alongside smart folks who have shaped our entire industry. Nonstop learning.

    Over the years I was a YUI Library core contributor, learned how to help other developers, built developer tools, and most recently I helped build Yahoo Mail.

    The last 6 months have been an incredible time. I led a team of 7 engineers responsible for our React framework. Together we made iteration speed as fast as possible. Everything was made faster without a big rewrite — faster dev startup, faster React Fast Refresh, faster PR builds, faster clock speed. A lot of new code was written with modern dependencies. We built tests for UI outcomes instead of implementation details. And we removed tech debt in the existing product too. It was very ambitious and I am proud of the team I am leaving behind. I wish them all the best.

    I will have more to share on my upcoming plans in the next few weeks.

    Yahoo changed my life. California is now my home. The time has come to move on, but I will always be thankful for all the Yahoos who helped me become the engineer I am today.

  • California, Forever

    Last weekend, we packed the truck and headed for Sacramento.

    Diapers, travel crib, stroller, motorcycle.

    We visited old friends and started new fall traditions. Apple orchards and pumpkin patches with our families.

    And kept a few old traditions alive.

    My grandparents rode motorcycles. As they rode, they helped others. Hundreds of motorcyclists attended my grandmother’s funeral and many shared how their lives were transformed after meeting with her. I hope to honor their legacy.

    The best place to ride a motorcycle is California: natural beauty everywhere, wonderful weather, lane-splitting, moto culture, mountains, rivers — for all of its problems there is a reason so many come from all over to enjoy this place.

    I came to California to work. These days folks can work anywhere. But there is something special in this place. It is not perfect, but it is home.

    I intend to remain and raise my family here. Instead of seeking a place with less problems, I want to help leave this place better than I found it. I set out to do just that many years ago. And now I am beyond thankful to call this place home.

    California, forever.

  • Kaylee’s 100 Days

    Today we celebrate 100 days of life with our daughter Kaylee Nari. We are thankful to God and our family who love us and Kaylee so deeply.

  • Hello world: our family update

    Jeeyun and I are new parents to this sweet baby girl. Kaylee Nari was born in June. We are excited, a bit tired, and hopeful for what God will do in our family.