I worked with Joel back in the days of Clearspring—he was the guy who hired me and was my boss (VP product). I haven’t come across as many people with the balance of intelligence and calmness. He was a very gentle spirit, worked hard and always brought in an optimistic sense of humor.
I had a chance to go to his funeral and catch up with some old comrades. I wish we could have all hung out under different circumstances, but it was good to see some familiar faces.
Joel is an inspiration to us of how we should laugh, love and live. His values and friendship will always be cherished by us, and his memory and positive energy will help us shape the futur. To all my comrades, let’s catch up soon. Life is too short to wait for opportunities.
To Joel, thank you for being our moral compass, teacher and friend. Rest in peace.
Ps. I wrote this blog post years ago, and Hooman and I were referring to Joel at the time.