Oh you're having a sabbatical in 2010 ! What will you do next year ?

“What will you do next year ?” is the main question I have to answer these days. Last Tuesday (Nov 17th 2009) I got the message from IBM that my sabbatical leave has been approved. Therefore, in 2010, I will not go to work as usual.

So, this week I met many people who have heard that I'm having a year off. Their main concern is “What will you do ?” but also “Will you be back in 2011 ?” .

As the Black Eye Peas would sing, I have a feeling that 2010 is gonna be a good year.

What will I do ?

I will have 3 main objectives in 2010:

1. Business

I will work on the opportunity of starting a business in the field of ePaper. Concretely, there are many activities I want to undertake around ePaper

• Play with the eReaders technology (the IREX S1000, the Sony eReader or some Hanlin models for example): programming , integrating Content Management platforms like Alfresco, configuring for Personal Productivity, displaying Medical Information, downloading eBanking information or Marketing Material, Testing Notes Taking, Automatically producing content from RSS feeds...
• Blog on ePaper related technologies. I will launch 2 blogs on ePaper (one in French, the other in English). I already have created 2 associated websites : http://appepaper.com and http://appe.biz/.
• Determine an ePaper Reference Architecture that will be useful for documenting ePaper applications. Publish white papers on the subject.
• Gradually participate in ePaper projects, software, hardware and consulting as an independent consultant.
• Re-Write and start to execute my business plan for ePaper
• Participate to (or Organize) ePaper events
• Build a network of ePaper enthousiasts around the world who can achieve together great ePaper projects

2. Sport

Together with my friend Laurent Saublens, we decided to get to the top of the Mont Ventoux by bike. I hope he didn't forget it because I want to take up the challenge.


(Photo Source : WikiPedia)

3. Free Time

For the first time in my life, for one year, I will have no agenda, no obligation. It will be an interesting experience. It might sound crazy but I want to truly understand what I will choose to do of my free time when facing an empty agenda. Here is what I believe I will do:

• Cleaning – I have many things to tidy up at home
• Spend more time with my family, especially Thomas (my son)
• Painting, Drawing
• Reading, Writing
• Gardening (not 100% sure)
• Local Tourism: watching busy people in the street, drink coffee with my eReader.
• ...

And I'have just been told there is an additional objective:

4. Spoil my wife who deserves it (which was actually proposed by... my wife who was reading over my shoulder. But ok. Fair enough).

So, Will I come back (to IBM) ?

It will mainly depend on the successful execution of my business plan. If I'm happy being an independent entrepreneur, I will probably not come back to IBM. If on the contrary I'm not happy with the experience, I could come back to work for the Large Company. I don't know yet today.