The Yodle office was 1.8 miles from the apartment.
I mapped it before the interview. Google said the walk would take about thirty to thirty-five minutes. That sounded good to me.
“In the fall I might even decide to walk to work sometimes,” I wrote. “On a pretty day that is a nice eye opener in the morning :)”
I did not have the job. I was already measuring the commute.
The company looked interesting enough that I had started sending the research to people close to me. Yodle had raised a $10 million round in January and was growing quickly in local online advertising. I found the simplest article I could and forwarded it with a note that it was all good news.
That message went out the morning after the route. I called the article the simplest explanation I could find and sent it to two people close to me in case they were interested.
Then I kept digging. The investors, directors, market size, customer count, and revenue estimates all went into another message. I also repeated speculation that Yodle might eventually be acquired. That part was a theory, not company news.
The route started in the East Village, crossed toward Flatiron, and ended at the office. Walking it would take about thirty to thirty-five minutes.
I still had an interview to finish. I was already sending company articles and commute details to people close to me.
The map and the research were preparation. Neither one meant I had the job.
Apartment. Walk. Office. Work. Walk home.
The interview was the next day.