Preparation
Over the next couple of months, Patrick and I tossed around different ideas of The Big Problem that we aimed to solve in our future business. In November 2012 on a trip with a few friends, Patrick waited in line at a restaurant far too long for his comfort and the idea was born: solve waiting with an app that shows wait times.
Up until this point I was a Windows guy. In fact, I always used to chide my Mac friends, and then my conversion slowly began when I got my first iPhone; then an iPad; then an Apple TV. Finally, the coup de grâce was the sudden realization that if I was going to become an app developer, I needed a MacBook. Apple just happened to have a great Black Friday deal so I put out the fifteen hundred bucks and began using my spare time in the evenings and weekends to teach myself about app development.
The next nine months was a time of internal realization for me, as I began realizing each of my lasts at my job: my last Christmas party, my last time doing this or that, and so on. However, I was thinking these thoughts only to myself, because I had not revealed my decision publicly and did not want to tip my hand too early. Nonetheless, I was deeply-entrenched at the telecom company, so the path to departure was a long path of training people, delegating responsibilities, strategically handling various projects and, ultimately, leading the company to its independence from me.
I took my last vacation in June 2013 and when I returned, I began a countdown towards the day I gave notice to my boss, the company's owner. It was very emotional for me, as I felt so much excitement over the future, depression over leaving my friends, and apprehension over leaving a paycheck behind and beginning something that promised nothing but the unexpected. The day came, and I asked my boss for a few minutes. I began to recall my initial promise of six-months and how it had become twelve years. I was nervous. I was shaking. I was afraid of what he was thinking. I was glad that I had rehearsed the speech numerous times to myself because I felt almost numb and detached from the moment in his office.
The next six weeks was difficult in all new ways. I hated how the news broke, and I felt like I betrayed my friends. I was in a race against the clock to make final preparations for my departure. I was working sixty- to seventy-hour work weeks out of loyalty and commitment to leave the company in the best possible position without me, but I also felt like I needed to spend time getting ready for my future business.
My last day was Friday, August 30. I walked out the doors that day at 5pm with no fanfare. I received no gold watch for my twelve years and there was no party in my honor. Shoot, I didn't even get a commemorative pen. I just walked out the doors with my boxes of stuff from my office, packed up my car, and said my goodbyes to some of the closest friends I have ever had. I took one long last look at my home of twelve years and in that moment, all of my adult life flooded my mind. And then I drove away, medicating myself on a few Switchfoot songs. I thought to myself, wallow in your emotions for only a short while David, for tomorrow there's no time for self-pity as your life's greatest challenge awaits.
Up until this point I was a Windows guy. In fact, I always used to chide my Mac friends, and then my conversion slowly began when I got my first iPhone; then an iPad; then an Apple TV. Finally, the coup de grâce was the sudden realization that if I was going to become an app developer, I needed a MacBook. Apple just happened to have a great Black Friday deal so I put out the fifteen hundred bucks and began using my spare time in the evenings and weekends to teach myself about app development.
The next nine months was a time of internal realization for me, as I began realizing each of my lasts at my job: my last Christmas party, my last time doing this or that, and so on. However, I was thinking these thoughts only to myself, because I had not revealed my decision publicly and did not want to tip my hand too early. Nonetheless, I was deeply-entrenched at the telecom company, so the path to departure was a long path of training people, delegating responsibilities, strategically handling various projects and, ultimately, leading the company to its independence from me.
I took my last vacation in June 2013 and when I returned, I began a countdown towards the day I gave notice to my boss, the company's owner. It was very emotional for me, as I felt so much excitement over the future, depression over leaving my friends, and apprehension over leaving a paycheck behind and beginning something that promised nothing but the unexpected. The day came, and I asked my boss for a few minutes. I began to recall my initial promise of six-months and how it had become twelve years. I was nervous. I was shaking. I was afraid of what he was thinking. I was glad that I had rehearsed the speech numerous times to myself because I felt almost numb and detached from the moment in his office.
The next six weeks was difficult in all new ways. I hated how the news broke, and I felt like I betrayed my friends. I was in a race against the clock to make final preparations for my departure. I was working sixty- to seventy-hour work weeks out of loyalty and commitment to leave the company in the best possible position without me, but I also felt like I needed to spend time getting ready for my future business.
My last day was Friday, August 30. I walked out the doors that day at 5pm with no fanfare. I received no gold watch for my twelve years and there was no party in my honor. Shoot, I didn't even get a commemorative pen. I just walked out the doors with my boxes of stuff from my office, packed up my car, and said my goodbyes to some of the closest friends I have ever had. I took one long last look at my home of twelve years and in that moment, all of my adult life flooded my mind. And then I drove away, medicating myself on a few Switchfoot songs. I thought to myself, wallow in your emotions for only a short while David, for tomorrow there's no time for self-pity as your life's greatest challenge awaits.
No comments:
Post a Comment