I lost my job today. It's not all that bad.
I remember searching for my very first job like it was yesterday. I wanted to end up in Atlanta and work for a cool startup. One in particular rose above the rest, so I quickly dm'd a recruiter on linkedin and asked if they had any open positions. After months and months of rejections, I was surprised they wrote back and said they would love to interview me!
Fast forward nearly 7 years to today, my final day at what was once a cool startup. Today is the day that my company decided they no longer needed me. That's right, I'm officially unemployed. What happened in between the day I was hired to now was a whole lifetime for me. I grew up at this company. Along the way, I made some lifelong friends, learned more than I ever could imagine, and was challenged in so many ways.
Not to mention everything that happened to me in my personal life. I moved all over the city, lived in philly, survived a pandemic, bought a home, got married, enjoyed my last days as a competitive runner, got into a much more serious and respected sport (disc golf), and so much more. It's crazy to think about all that's happened to me in just 6 short years. For it to all be over in an instant is disappointing.
However, I think it's been my time to move on for a while. While I had been doing my best work this past year, there was always this part of me that felt like I could be doing something bigger and better. There's this indescribable energy that I used to feel when my company was much smaller. Ideas were always bouncing, the camaraderie was always high, and it felt like we were always winning. Once you reach a certain size, that grassroots joy fades behind bureaucracy and a need for extreme efficiency. There's upside to that (who doesn't like making more money), but I don't think it's what I ultimately want.
So, where to go from here? I get the chance to actually sit down and research what I want to work on, who I want to work with, where I want my career to go, etc. It's a nice break for me because, while I have thought about what I want, I haven't actually gotten to think deeply about it. I'm excited for whatever happens next.
Lastly, to any of my teammates that may be reading this. I will miss all of you dearly. You guys were such a huge reason that I stayed around for as long as I did. Working with each and every one of you was truly a joy. Cesar, you are brilliant and always kind. Thank you for all of our great conversations. Matt, thank you for being a fantastic manager and advocate. Good luck against the knicks this week. Marie, thank you for the sarcasm and helping with Okta hell. Sam, McKenna, Samuel, you are all very talented. Thank you for letting me lead you guys for a bit. You made my job so easy. To my polish friends, it was great getting to collaborate with you even if it was just in the morning. Nicole and Pepe, thank you for doing the work that I never want to touch in a million years. Finally, Barrett. I suppose it's only fitting that we go out together. Your passion for technology has always been so much fun to bond over. Working alongside you all these years has grown me as an engineer in ways that I can't even begin to describe. I can't believe we won't be able to talk about graph theory anymore!!
On to the next challenge!