Twenty-five years ago, I was just beginning to understand the power of teaching. Before SQL Server Central was even an idea, I, and the partner team, were writing regularly for SSWUG. Steve Wynkoop played a huge role in shaping me. He showed me that writing was more than publishing content. It was a way to grow, to think, and to connect with people who cared about the same problems you were trying to solve. That simple idea changed everything for me. It became a mantra, “learn through teaching”.
At the same time, I was working on my first book, Professional SQL Server DTS. I loved writing it, but I also had this constant itch to tinker and build. My ADHD made sure I always had a new idea in motion, and honestly, my wife deserved a break from hearing each one at 11 p.m. I needed a place to pour that energy. A place where my book could live, where conversations could start, and where SQL pros could share the kind of practical wisdom you only get from doing the work every day.
That was the seed.
From there, SQLServerCentral took shape with a few of us who believed in building something bigger than ourselves. The founding team included:
- Me
- Steve Jones
- Andy Warren
- And a handful of other contributors who jumped in with enthusiasm and grit
We were not trying to create a business. We were trying to create a home for SQL Server professionals. A place for real talk, real problems, and real learning.
In those early days, we did everything manually. I built the newsletter every night, often after a full day of work. It became a ritual. I would sit down, comb through articles, pick highlights, polish things up, and send the newsletter out to a growing list of readers who relied on us. But as our audience grew, the time commitment hit hard. My kids were little then, and I started to feel the pull between what I loved building and the time they deserved from me.
Letting go of the nightly newsletter felt like giving up a piece of myself. But the truth is, Steve did a better job with it than I ever did. Watching him take it on full time was one of the proudest moments in the project. It meant what we were building was no longer fragile and bigger than any one person. It had momentum. It had leadership. It had a future.
Those early years were filled with moments that shaped me:
- The excitement of starting from nothing
- The pressure of keeping up with growth
- The joy of watching readers help readers
- The heated but healthy debates with Steve and Andy that made me better
- The sense of pride as the community grew beyond anything we imagined
Selling the site later on was one of the hardest decisions we ever made. Even today, I remember thinking about what it would mean to hand over something that felt like part of my identity. But the truth is, selling SQLServerCentral was the best path forward. It allowed the site to scale in ways we simply couldn’t handle as a small team. It reached millions. It helped shape the careers of people across the world. And Redgate honored what we built. They didn’t replace the heart of it. They nurtured it.
That decision also gave me the freedom to take my next big leap. Pragmatic Works would not exist without SQLServerCentral. The confidence, the community, the lessons, the risks I learned to take all pointed me toward that next chapter. Eighteen years later, I can look back and see how much of my life grew out of this one project that started with a simple desire to write and tinker.
Still, of all the memories, the one that stands tallest for me is this:
SQLServerCentral became a true community. Not because of me. Not because of Steve or Andy. But because of the people who showed up every day to help each other.
The readers built the culture.
The readers built the knowledge base.
The readers built the pillars that millions of SQL professionals now stand on.
When I think about SQLServerCentral at twenty five years, I think about gratitude. I think about the thrill of building something new with people I respected. I think about the long nights of writing and the early mornings of checking metrics. I think about the tough calls and the fun ones. And I think about the community that made all the effort worth it.
If I had to sum up the legacy of SQLServerCentral for me, it would be this: Communities change careers. Communities change people. And building SQLServerCentral changed my life. Thanks to you and thanks to Steve and Andy for being a part of this excellent journey.
