About Us
Devious Fish was founded in 2008 by Perette Barella, a
refugee from the software industry. Disenchanted with the corporate
environment, Ms. Barella left the industry in 2003 to seek a
smaller fortune with less stress.
During an exploratory period lasting several years, Barella "found herself" while indulging in research on some of her interests. She took classes in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and massage therapy; outside the ivory tower she looked into patterns of working, spending, and debt as well as information overload. Despite working low-wage jobs through this period, she found herself happier and more alive than during her software engineering years, while at the same time finances were less dire than expected since she had time to do work, otherwise outsourced to contractors, at a fraction of the cost.
Despite maintaining her own web site and handling a few sites
for friends during this period, Barella discounted doing web work
professionally as it was too close to software
. After taking
on a particularly large volunteer project in fourth-quarter 2007,
Barella began reconsidering her position, taking into account the
benefits of self-employment: flexible work hours, ability to manage
her own workload, and control of project selection. After much
consideration, she decided to give it a go in 2008. Occasionally,
Barella is considers diversifying into woodworking to avoid feeling
"stuck in a rut".
Barella lives in a modest home in the North Winton Village area of Rochester. She shares her house with a housemate to share expenses and keep costs down. She is not married, but has been in a long-term relationship for five years.
