Chapter XXXVI

My time with Blue Spire has officially ended. I have accepted a position with Microsoft on the Patterns & Practices team. My start date is April 18th.

Even though I’ve been professionally restless for a while, leaving Blue Spire turned out to be rather emotional for me. Untangling myself from a business I spent almost five years building up depressed me. Nevertheless, it’s done and Blue Spire lives on. Keep an eye on Rob’s blog for details about the company and his future plans.

Why?

Several friends have asked me why I would make this choice. Why would I leave running my own business? Why would I go to Microsoft of all places? Why would I uproot my family from a city we love, from dear and close friends, and move so far a way?

I needed a reboot. I wasn’t achieving the personal professional goals I had set for myself and I needed to reevaluate. I wanted a job and a city that would expose me to lots of different influences and perspectives.

So why Microsoft? There were several really exciting positions out there and it was hard to choose. In the end, the Microsoft position had the best balance for what I wanted in my next professional role. I’m genuinely excited about joining p&p. I asked around and I heard nothing but good things about the P&P team. Even from folks who are critical of Microsoft in general. In addition,the values and culture of the team align with my own. They have a vision I can buy into.

Still, at the end of the day, my wife and I made the choice to have the experience. We want to spend some time living on the West Coast. I want to see what it’s like to work for a giant like Microsoft. We wanted to live near a major city, and mountains, and ocean. Of course, I had other goals as well; certain financial criteria I needed to meet, opportunities to learn and grow, chances to exercise my pedagogical nature, and so on. They all flowed together. In the end though, I want my life to be punctuated, full of chapters, experiences, and stories.

I’m excited.