As I write this from an airport terminal somewhere in the world, we are hard at work finishing the Max 7 release. The last weeks before a release are an interesting time for our organization. Meetings are short (as are tempers in some cases) and everyone seems almost magically focused on a common goal. Long ago I realized I am incapable of competently organizing an event, whether it was my kids’ birthday parties or a complex software release. I just try to work on my small piece of the software. Our CTO Joshua Kit Clayton leads the process and I am eternally grateful for him for taking on this ridiculously complicated task, one I probably make even more complicated.

We asked Sam Tarakajian, who has been participating in our alpha testing process, to make a series of videos this month giving you a sense of what we’re up to with Max 7. (Sam’s collection of tutorials under the name dude837 on YouTube is a requirement for any Max user. Even if you think you’re an expert I guarantee you will learn something from them.) I feel fortunate he was willing to lend his comedic touch to these videos. In the first episode, Sam wonders whether Max 7 can solve a critical problem facing many Max users: explaining what the software does to your friends.