It seems that word has started to leak out, so I might as well remove any speculation or ambiguity. In the next few weeks, I'll walk the halls at Yahoo! as an employee one last time and turn in my purple badge. After 8.5 years of service and a better experience than I could have possibly imaged back in 1999, the time for me to move on has arrived.
It's always hard to make a decision like this. It took several months to finally decide. I've really enjoyed my time at Yahoo and have a lot of people to thank--people who took a risk on me, believed in me, encouraged me, and even defended me over the years. There are literally too many to name, but some of them are: David Filo, Jerry Yang, Jeff Weiner, Phu Hoang, Ash Patel, Jeffrey Friedl, Mike Bennett, Anil Pal, Bradley Horowitz, Allen Wang, Chad Dickerson, Matt McAlister, and Chris Yeh.
If any of you read this, I've learned a lot from all of you. Really.
I've enjoyed working with some amazingly talented coworkers (far too many to name) and have had the opportunity to help some acquired companies navigate the inner workings of Yahoo as they scale up their services. That includes people in engineering, marketing, public relations, product management, design, legal, and more. You guys rock.
I can definitely say that I've had the chance to contribute to the success of Yahoo as much as I could muster. Whether it was staying up all night working on the 9/11 memorial size, launching the Yahoo! Search blog, starting the Yahoo! Developer Network, debugging MySQL problems, pushing RSS and syndication, introducing startups to Yahoo, arguing for openness, or making sure that news releases appeared on Yahoo! Finance quickly.
I won't at all be surprised if some people think this is related to Microsoft or Carl Ichan and the uncertainty surrounding Yahoo's future. The reality is that there's nothing pushing me out the door at Yahoo. The reason I'm leaving is that something very compelling has come along to lure me away. Despite what the current press sentiment might be, Jerry and David have built a remarkable company.
Ever since I graduated from college in 1997, I've wanted to work for a smaller company. But my first job out of school was a ~40,000 person Oil Company and my second was Yahoo! Back then Yahoo was in the 2,000 people ballpark but it eventually grew to seven times that size, give or take a bit. I've experienced the ups and downs--the layoffs and the big victories. I'd do it all over again if given the chance.
It's been quite a ride, and I'm really going to miss Yahoo. I'll miss the parking debates and all the "random" stuff we're so fond of ranting about. Watching from the outside is going to be a very different experience. But the opportunity to work in a much smaller company recently presented itself and it was simply too interesting to pass up. I'll say more about that in the coming weeks.
To all the Yahoos I've worked with over the years, thanks and please stay in touch. My email address will always be Jeremy@Zawodny.com and I'm on LinkedIn here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jzawodn. And, well, you've found my blog already. :-)
As for the future of Yahoo, everyone working at Yahoo today knows in their gut what Yahoo should be and needs to be. My advice is to work on making that happen. Don't let anyone else (inside or outside the company) try to tell you what Yahoo is. Trust your gut. And, if you have the chance, re-read the farewell note that Ian Rogers sent out when he left a few months back. It's good stuff.
And, by all means, don't take the stuff you read in the press at face value. You're all smarter than that.
Now where's that Yahoo Alumni club I've heard so much about?
BTW, JR is leaving as well.
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Posted by jzawodn at June 12, 2008 06:30 AM
Good luck, it was great working with you on the Search Blog and all those other fun last minute requests...well, those might not have been so much fun.
Good luck Jeremy- look forward to hearing about your next endeavors.
Wow! Congrats and good luck on your next step. When will you get the word out about your new gig?
TNL
A well thought out and sincere post sir. Wishing you clear skies ahead :-).
Jeremy, Yahoo won't be the same without you. Good luck with your next project - do keep us posted!
Jeremy
You know that your departure will probably have a similar impact in the blogosphere than some of the more high profile ones.
Good luck. I am sure whatever you do will be interesting and fun. Can't wait to hear all about it.
Jeremy, I know you are always low-key and humble in real life, so I hope I won't embarrass you too much when I say that joining the developer network team and being able to work with you has been a real highlight and privilege of my tenure at y! so far.
I'm hoping your new smallco gig will be able to include connecting to yahoo's open platforms a bit as they unfold.
Congrats and do post about your next adventure. I am happy to see you move on to your next big thing!
Cheers,
David
shocked to learn that u r leaving. best wishes. and hope to read more about your new adventure.
Wishing you all the best! And thanks for you support for out TimeBridge recruiting.
Best of luck, Jeremy. I've always been genuinely amazed at the incredible breadth and depth of your knowledge across so many subject areas (journalism/blogging, MySQL, aviation. . . the list is too long). I have learned a lot from you.
Now is also a good time to admit that when I was interviewing at Yahoo, I remember being the most nervous about interviewing with you. :) I'm glad I passed and had the privilege of working closely with you. It has been one of the highlights of my time at Yahoo!
Wow, that's very big news Jeremy. Good luck with your new [smaller] company. Smaller companies are the way to go for happiness at work, I think.
good luck sir....can't wait to hear what you're up to. and, let me know if you want to grab lunch at the plex...don
Congrats on your future endeavors Jeremy. It was a pleasure working next to you during my internship.
Thanks for all the work at the 'hoo. It was nice that someone put such a warm and receptive voice on Yahoo as you did.
Good luck with the new ventures. The industry will not allowed to be a stranger.
-bt
It'll be interesting to see whether the first week at the new place can top the first week you had at Y! (the Y2K event... Zent, buggies, toxic rubber fumes, etc.). Let us know!
Best of luck Jeremy. I presume we'll have the privilege of finding out what new you'll be working on soon.
Keep in touch.
You have always been a clear, true voice so do keep blogging so that all of us can continue to hear all about the next stanza.
AW
Well, if Yahoo! is as bummed to see you go as Marathon was, I feel sorry for them. :)
I sorta know what you're doing next, and can't wait to see how much you enjoy it. I know I've always wanted to work for an internet porn startup, so I'm really jealous.
The Next Guys are lucky to have you. Have fun out there; hope to see you at Hack Day in August.
Greetings from Boulder,
In addition to building a company, come build on a culture and spend some time in Boulder. Boulder is a place where you can live the goodlife...tech, brilliant people, funding and no 101. Call Kimbal or Brad they'll tell you a few cool things to spark your wheels. Life after Yahoo...you'd be welcome here if only to recharge and hang.
be well
Good luck on your future adventures. You were always a bright light at yahoo and i appreciated your help making sure the fire eagle launch went smoothly.
Sorry to hear you're moving on, will be missed, but I echo Kent's sentiments.
Thanks for agreeing to meet me, a new stranger to the company, back in 2005 to talk about computers and Yahoo! over lunch - and coincidentally bumping into Jerry Yang, all within my first two weeks of being there. It's one of the stories I tell people about starting there.
Seriously bummed to hear you're leaving. Good luck on your next gig, I hope they understand how lucky they are to have you.
Looks like when this blog entry was posted, Yahoo's stock dropped a little bit. It's back up now.
Coincidence? I think not. ;-)
your one of the trusted few regarding regular reads
so best of luck jeremy
Best wishes -- be sure to get your non yahoo-inc.com address added to viking-table before you go. :-)
Good Luck Jeremy! I think your blog has been a great help over the years and I look forward to hearing about your next project.
Congrats on the new gig Jeremy!
I have really, really loved working with you over the last year and a half. Without all your help, I think the MyBlogLog crew would have pulled out all of our hair -- not just the half we did pull out -- trying to get integrated into Yahoo! Thanks again for all the advice, ideas, code and friendship over this time. We are going to miss you.
Best of luck in your new role -- though I know you don't need it.
now we are all wondering: where are you going? ;)
(don't forget to change the disclaimer down here to current, past and former employers).
Congrats on making the leap! You've done great work for Yahoo and for the community over the past 8.5 years, and I'm sure you're looking forward to a break...and a change! Here's to what's next. Cheers.
I know how hard it is to move on from a place you've been at so long and have been such a part of. I found it hard to leave the BBC after my 6 year stint there.
But equally, change is good - esp after 6-8 years somewhere. I look forward to hearing where you're off to - they're lucky to have you.
Best of luck mate,
Best of luck Jeremy. Now, that you are going to take it easy (are you? :-)); that mysql performance bible you wrote needs an update!
Enjoy!
Indus
Holy fucking shit, that's crazy. And awesome. It's crazy awesome.
From one former Yahoo! blogger to another, I'm totally stoked for you - good luck in all your future endeavors. You could always go the path of Scoble. ;)
- Ernie
Jeremy-
Sorry to hear that you are leaving Yahoo! Despite their being more years between me and Yahoo! than I spent there, I still bleed purple and yellow.
Good luck with whatever you are doing next. I look forward to hearing more soon.
Cheers,
Randy
Best of luck Jeremy. Has been a pleasure working with you, curious to see what's coming next!
Jeremy! Good luck on the new endeavors!
What are you going to next? Mobile stuff? I heard it is going to be big ;-)
ceo
I KNEW I should have posted mine last night...
Jeremy, it has been an honor and a privilege to have worked with you, and i look forward to the next time our paths cross again.
To pseudo-quote Kent: "Don't be surprised to see JR and Me at your front door one day, wearing black suits and skinny ties telling you that we're getting the band back together."
Jeremy, I'm sad to hear that you're going. Even before I joined Yahoo!, I knew that you'd made a big impact on the company, and through them, the Internet in general. I hope that your next endeavours are both exciting and challenging. Good luck!
Btw, it looks like your departure made News.com's home page.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9966887-7.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stewtopia/2573505288/
Randy
Jeremy, I have truly enjoyed reading your blog, and it was a real treat to finally meet you in person a while ago.
You have been a great champion for Yahoo! and an insightful blogger with a balanced view of the tech world.
You have a great future ahead of you. I'm sure we will be reading about your successes real soon.
Good luck!
Don Dodge
Whoa.
Has hell frozen over yet?
Good luck man! Keep on bloggin'!
Congratulations Jeremy. Change reinvigorates the soul.
No more "Y! cant park"? Man I love those threads ;) Good luck on the next job! Take care.
Best of luck. You deserve and have earned it. I'm happy for you.
Dave
Well well, all the best to you, Jeremy. A shame to see you go but I like the fact that it is simply because of a desire to get back into a smaller environment.
It was great to meet you and get inspired by the paths you have trodden. I just wished we'd have been YDN colleagues for longer :)
Best of luck Jeremy, and definitely interested to hear about which co managed to get you out of Y!
Wow, big news. Congratulations. It was a pleasure working with you, and definitely looking forward to seeing what you do next.
Best wishes. Thanks for all your help in the past. Look forward to keeping in touch.
Wow wow wow.
Best to you, Jeremy. Know that you made a HUGE impact on Y! culture and practices. They're gonna miss you.
Can't wait to hear what's next for you...
Congratulations, you made The Guardian.
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/06/12/yahoos_opensource_search_man_to_leave.html
:)
Jeremy
Best of luck and hope to you around by in coming months..
Yahoo! would like to thank you for all of your contributions, passion and energy..and wish you well on your next endeavor. You will always be a part of the Yahoo! family.
Welcome to the Yahoo! alumni association.
You'll get the alumni group URL at your exit interview.
Ditto what everyone else has said ... be curious to hear where you end up. Best wishes.
Congratulations Jeremy - does this mean more blog posts here now?
I wish you all the best. I have been in your shoes, at big and small companies, and there are advantages to each.
Reach out if I can help you in your new role.
-- Howard Greenstein
Wow. MSFT heard you were leaving and gave up, eh?
You made Techmeme, btw.
Wow. M SF T heard you were leaving and gave up, eh?
You made Techmeme, btw.
sad to see you go mate - it seems to be beginning of an end!
Best of luck, Jeremy! Looking forward to hearing who or what managed to convince you to turn in the purple badge. :)
Cheers...
Jeremy - you will be missed! Please do keep in touch!
Thanks for all your contributions, and good luck. I've enjoyed reading your thoughts here and on our internal lists. I look forward to hearing about what your moving on to.
Good luck Jeremy. Sad to see a strong Yahoo! go but excited what you get up to. You'll be missed.
Jeremy,
Good luck with your next move. You've done some great things for Yahoo. Keep in touch.
Hey Jeremy, congrats from a former Yahoo Finance colleague. I still remember when you and Josh started back in 2000 (or was it late 1999?).
In any event, I knew pretty quickly that you were gonna kick some serious butt, and indeed you did as you rose through the ranks of Yahoo.
Congrats on all your prior successes and a toast to all your future ones!
Congratulations on the next move. Look forward to hearing the details.
Wow. Jeremy, you were one of the first and most beloved bloggers many of us ever read. Congratulations on your move. It will be most interesting to read your writings in the future as you look in at Yahoo! instead of looking out from it.
best to ya
Goodbye and goodluck, Jeremy. Its been a pleasure working with you on initiatives like OpenID and I know you will be missed.
Jeremy, thanks for helping me get acclimated as the new kid in YDN. Hope we have opportunities to work together in the future! All the best.
jeremy, it's fun in the outside of yahoo world. Welcome to it.
And thanks for the kind words on my blog too!
Good luck Jeremy, 7 1/2 yrs was my stopping point (I also joined back in '99), it's never too late to join a start-up!
All the best, Jeremy. Yahoo is the sorrier for your departure, naturally -- but we'll all look forward to what new and great things await you.
Jeremy - I manage the Yahoo Alumni Group, so I'll send you an invite. Congrats and best of luck on your future!
All the best Jeremy. You did a tremendous amount of good for Yahoo and have a legacy to be proud of... Congrats.
All the best to you Jeremy. Thanks for the wonderful stuff you have brought into Yahoo.
Jeremy, congrats on finding something new. Although it seems like a lifetime ago, working with you at Y! was always a great pleasure and I know you'll be missed there.
Wow! That's a shocker...
Thanks for the memories...
P.S. Let me know where you land!
Wow. Big news. Best of luck with whatever you do next.
dear jeremy,
this is allen wang reading your blog from china! i am very grateful to see my name mentioned as part of the yahoo employee roll and as always i believe in your decision and will cheer you on for whatever you decide to do.
go jeremy go!
Wish you all the very best for your future endeavors. It was indeed an honour to work with you for the short while that we did a few years ago. It's a coincidence that 13th June is my last day at Yahoo! too...
Jeremy
send me an email to fred at unionsquareventures.com if you want to talk about a few early stage companies that you might be interested in.
Thank you for everything you provided to Yahoo! users :o)
I'm excited to discover your future projects... Do you start your own company or join another place ?
NB: I discovered you (and anothers guys) because I like Yahoo!. But I still follow everybody who leave the company... And I please discover new nice ways ;o)
Dude, you're just a blogger and perl scripter, and you're switching jobs -- big deal. Yahoo is much bigger than you and will sink or swim with or without you.
- Scoble gave voice to Microsoft
- Cutts gives voice to Google
- You gave voice to Yahoo
Please pass the baton before you leave - save us from the the matt.
I've enjoyed your Yahoo tidbits over the years. Best of luck with your future! Looking forward to hearing more about your next steps!
congrats on all you accomplished at yahoo, you made a huge difference! wherever you go, and whatever you do next, the team you'll be working with will be very lucky. it was a pleasure to of had a chance to work with you, look forward to hearing what's next.
Cheers mate -- very eager to see what you do next given all you've accomplished so far!
As a regular lurker on your blog, I wish you all the best. I hope you'll keep posting your flying adventures. Daydreaming about flying is a guilty pleasure of mine since I was a boy. Thanks!
You have been a tour de force for Yahoo! and the Open Web. A huge loss for Yahoo!, but I am excited to see what you get up to next. I hope you get to enjoy some time off in between jobs though!
Hi Jeremy,
I don't have anything to say that hasn't already been said, but as a frequent reader of your blog, I wanted to wish you the best of luck in whatever endeavors follow. There's no doubt you will be sorely missed at Yahoo!, and you'll be an asset wherever life takes you. Good luck!
Jeremy - I saw your badge pic in my photostream and the caption but totally missed the context! YOU FUGITIVE! I demand a party!
The coincidence of losing a few popular employees at the same time with the announcement is definitely increase the press exposure (mostly negative) to Yahoo.
Jeremy,
I appreciate the work you've done behind the scenes around Hadoop. I look forward to seeing what amazing things you will do in the future!
Good luck Jeremy, I am keen to see what you get up to next!
Jeremy,
Wishing you all the best for your future. :)
Good luck Jeremy, as a recent departee myself, i can appreciate the looking forward to working in a less "structured" environment, and goodluck at craigs list, classifieds are a fun area to work in, take that from somebody that has been there before with LOOT in the UK. I never did manage to convince yahoo Europe to do classifieds :-)
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