The Peterman Pod Intern to Microsoft Distinguished Engineer in 11 Promotions (Career Story)
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Sep 5, 2025 David Fowler is a Distinguished Engineer at Microsoft, known for his impressive journey from intern to distinguished engineer, achieving 11 promotions along the way. He shares insights on navigating Microsoft’s leveling system and the importance of mentorship in career advancement. David emphasizes the value of initiative in driving innovation and the evolution of the workplace culture under new leadership. He also reflects on balancing work-life dynamics and the art of salary negotiation for new graduates, offering wisdom for those starting their careers.
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How A College Game Landed An Internship
- David Fowler got his Microsoft internship by demoing a game at career fair and impressed recruiters.
- He interned twice (2006, 2007) and experienced Bill Gates' intern event once where he shook Gates' hand.
Founding NuGet From A Prototype
- David Fowler was the first engineer on NuGet and helped form the founding team after a meeting with Scott Guthrie.
- NuGet began as an in-browser package idea and grew into the .NET package manager.
SignalR Began As A Weekend Hack
- SignalR started as David's nights-and-weekends project inspired by Google Docs and socket.io.
- He and Damian Edwards open-sourced the prototype until it became an official Microsoft product and team.
