Last email sent September 26, 2008
At last the moment has come to say "today is my last day at Microsoft"; words that have a quiet echo in my heart that I can't quite explain. For when I think about the past twelve plus years going by in what now feels like the blink of an eye, the foremost thing in my mind is a huge gratitude for this opportunity and this experience. When I was asked in my exit interview form if there was anything I'd do different I replied; "Not a thing".
Truly a goodness has come to me that depressed stock prices and sometime mind-numbing meetings and process could never begin to take the shine off of. Microsoft has been a love of my live, and while I'll admit that at times it seems an unrequited one, it has been on measure a truly remarkable experience. And at the core of that remarkableness is the amazing people I've had the good fortune to work with all these years - in and out of the company. Microsoft has attracted a remarkable bunch and it's been my honor and at times humbling experience to work with all of you. The level of intellectual curiosity, the intense passion coupled with an environment that that challenges us with the freedom to do our best work is indeed special - and I'll remember it that way.
It never occurred to me to work at another company. When that fork in the road emerged from the mist and appeared before my feet I paused and considered carefully that next step, without the advantage of a map, I chose with my heart - and my heart is in Bangkok where life finds me quite happy indeed. It's a wonderful adventure here and I decided to add to that and put my roots down a little deeper by starting a Thailand-based company. We'll provide outsourced, off-shore marketing services to small businesses; I think of it as bringing them the advantages of flat world economics scaled to their needs.
Now the time is almost done and I'll hand over the blue badge that it's been my honor to clip on each morning. It's been such a fabulous experience I just want to say Thank You to everyone from the bottom of my heart.
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