I first got to know Shawn at Helio in Los Angeles. We became lunch buddies, then poker buddies, then just friends. We started to get closer in 2007 and more in 2008, while machinating over startup ideas together. We eventually embarked on a startup idea, continuing after he left Helio and moved back to Austin. Over several weekend trips to Austin and countless phone calls, he became one of the closest friends I had made since moving to LA. As these things often end up, the startup venture didn’t take flight. We had a falling out after that. I always hoped we might cross paths again.

There was another side of Shawn that was darker. He could disappear sometimes, a week or months at a time.

I don’t know everything there was to know about Shawn. I wonder if anybody really does. He was a particularly hard guy to get to know. But for a period of time, he let me into his life, I suspect more than he had let anyone in, in a long time. What you need to know about Shawn is this: he was one of the brightest, most interesting people I’ve ever known. Deeply passionate about technology and science, and generally interested in almost everything in the world around him. You could scarcely find a topic in which you couldn’t learn a thing or two from him. He could be incredibly thoughtful and very personable.

Shawn had a way of surprising you. Sent me a t-shirt with our proposed company logo, on my birthday. Opensourced our project because it might give back to the developer community. Could pair wine perfectly with any meal. Took me to a vegan, commune-run resto in Austin. Danced his ass off with me til 3am at an afterhours sock-hop themed boozecan. Could persuasively talk politics and public policy. In a word, the man was worldly, eclectic, fun to be around.

There was another side of Shawn that was darker. He could disappear sometimes, a week or months at a time. He seemed to be ruminating or brooding during these periods. Afterward, he wouldn’t talk about these times. I’m deeply saddened that I didn’t realize how dark things had gotten for him this time.

He will be missed.