Tis the season to be leaving

I guess my conversation with my fellow co-workers is more indicative of Microsoft as a whole than I thought. Some of the leadership is starting to head out as well. Jim Allchin's finally gone now that Vista's finally shipped, and Bryan Lee just announced that he's retiring from running MSTV, eHome, and Zune marketing.

My last day in the office is 2/23. It doesn't really seem real yet. Maybe in a week or so.

I just had another conversation with a friend of mine from high school who's also been working on a start up on the side while working at Microsoft. This must be what it was like back during the internet bubble when everyone was working on an internet startup on the side. I wonder how long this will last.

Here comes the marketing machine

It's pretty amazing how something most people can't even describe, let alone understand, can garner so much attention and fervor. I wonder how many people can actually articulate what an operating system does, or describe where an operating system ends and applications begin (DOJ?). Well regardless, Microsoft, along with the whole technology industry is trying to make the release of Vista a landmark event. I guess it's a little like Easter or Father's day. The whole ecosystem is incented to create an "occasion" so that consumers have a reason to get off their couches and spend their hard earned salary on more stuff.

So the man who still personifies Microsoft even though he announced his retirement will be appearing on the Today Show and the Daily Show, Vista is on the cover of every computing magazine out there, there are events all across the world "celebrating" this triumph of human engineering, and LeBron James will be appearing in Microsoft ads - the Microsoft marketing machine is in full force.

I wonder if any of this actually help sell more Vista. Or is the money better spent pushing fledging products and brands like Dynamics or Zune, or better yet, giving it to the employees.

You know the clock's ticking when...

I was at a company social event last night where I got to catch up with a bunch of folks who started my year. The conversations revolved around three things:

1. When we were planning on leaving the company. Whether it was to business school, to other companies, or to do something totally different, almost everyone was planning on leaving. Folks were even making bets on who would leave first - yikes.
2. What moonlighting projects we were working on. Most of the folks had something going on the side, whether it was a startup, recruiting, or just spending a lot more time on their hobby. Some of the projects were pretty interesting, and I hope they come to fruition so at least I can say I've known some successes.
3. What people who've gone are doing now, and who else not present was leaving. Gossip gossip gossip...

It's sad to see how far we've come. Back in those early days of leadership training, we would clamour for hours about how exciting and important our jobs were, and even after a night of socializing, many would retreat back to the office to work some more. Strangely, I miss those days.

Resolutions for '07

The years seem to be going by faster and faster, and although I'm sure there were lots of memorable moments, I seldom take the time to reflect on times gone by. Although I could probably try to schedule "reflection time" in my life, it turns out that the act of writing is a great forcing function for thinking. So this year, I resolve to consistently maintain some record of my life, and here it is.

Welcome to '07. This is going to be an awesome year.