About a week ago, i let the folks at work know that i won’t be attending the company picnic this year.
…Or the Year End party.
…Or any more all hands, training seminars, status meetings, internal promotional events, daily stand-ups or really even answering my phone or email.
Mostly because after nine and a half years, i decided to try my hand somewhere else.
Let me get the obvious things out of the way:
- This has nothing to do with the “challenging times” Yahoo is supposed to be facing, nor with anyone there, nor with Carl Icahn (who is an idiot and who has about as much interest in “increasing shareholder value” as the guy that stole your car for parts is interested in long term growth in the automotive industry)
- i’ve repeatedly said time and time again that Yahoo is on the right path to succeed, is making good progress (look at the stuff that’s come out so far) and if left to continue making profits as the #1 or #2 in a staggering number of areas, will do quite nicely for both themselves and their shareholders thankyouverymuch. Guess what? i still believe that and plan on holding a nice wad of shares even after i’ve departed.
- Yes, there are things that frustrated me. i’ve discussed them with folks in position to change them. Yes there are reasons i’m leaving that are personal, and you’ll never find out what they are. (See definition of “personal”)
Still, that’s one of the big reasons that i’ve been on self imposed radio silence for so damn long (the other being that i’ve been leading a quiet boring life as of late).
My last day here in the land of purple and yellow is the 20th. After which, i’ll be taking two weeks for myself to work on a few projects that i want to do, and then it’s off to the next job. (Yep, that’s lined up already. i hate sitting idle. You’ll find out what that job is later.)
Honestly, there’s a lot i’m going to miss about not being an official Yahoo! anymore. i still have a ton of respect for the company and in particular the guy running it at the moment. Leaving wasn’t an easy choice to make, and i’m sure that there will be a few times i’ll find myself headed up Lawrence Expressway out of habit.
Still, i’m definitely looking forward to the new job and am pumped about what i’ll be doing. (Again, more on that later.)
Now the only question is what do i do with the piles of Yahoo! stuff i’m going to have filling a corner of my garage, and how do i convince Anne Marie that i really do need to keep several banker’s boxes full of t-shirts, snow-globes, Yahoo-opoly sets, deck-chairs, and other what not. “It’s… uhm… part of the company sponsored… err… earthquake relief kit. Yeah! That’s it!”
