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UltraNormal

The Triangle Will Keep on Turning

I made it to thirteen years at AOL. It started as a summer job way back in 1995 at the AOL call center in Tucson. I talked to AOL members who needed help. I was there for the summer of busy signals, and took more than two hundred and fifty phone calls in an eight hour shift ("Yes, it's busy. No, it's not your computer. If you'd like credit, I can transfer you to billing. Sorry!").

I've built all kinds of web apps, worked with wickedly smart, fun, weird and great people. I've had better managers than I deserve and mentors I'll never be able to repay or express to them how much they helped me.

I've written dozens of e-mails today to folks inside AOL and out, posted to twitter and to the ficlets blog. I'm emotionally raw at this point, because I'm going to miss working with everyone and seeing them every day. I'm not good with good-byes, and I've said enough for one day.

If the previous three paragraphs aren't clear, after thirteen crazy years, I'm leaving AOL. Yep. Last Monday, I got an interesting e-mail from a recruiter asking me if I'd be interested in a VP of Development position at a small company. I said, sure, I'll talk to them. Several dozen e-mails, a dozen or so phone calls and an offer later, I'm joining Music Intelligence Solutions on 6/9. I'm more excited and nervous than I've been since Jen and I packed up and moved to Northern Virginia nine years ago.

There are, of course, many more things to say, but I'm worn out.

posted May 29, 2008 6:03 PM by Kevin Lawver | | aol, ficlets, leaving, mis, twitter | permalink

Comments:

  • Becky said:

    You'd be totally brain-dead to turn down that new job. Congrats! How is it that you get an offer and we're still in limbo? Heh, heh.

  • Jason Garber said:

    Kevin, you're my mentor (think Big Brothers, Big Sisters, but geeky) and a real rock star. It doesn't matter what you do or where you do it, you make it awesome. So go forth and be awesome.

  • Michaela said:

    Hey...congrats. I'm so happy for you. And yes, a little sad. Parting is tough (but then being military brats we know that). But, going to the next duty station was always exciting. You do realize you still need to stay on AIM...so I can bug you when needed. Don't be a stranger.

  • Michaela said:

    Hey...I looked at the company. I worked with John Bennett ages ago. Your (yes...correct pronoun) company's web site says he works there. I'm not sure if he'll remember me, but say hi and he might. Small world

  • Tim Walker said:

    Wow -- congratulations! Does this mean a move to California?

    Go be awesome! :)

  • Justin Thorp said:

    Kevin, congrats my friend!!! I'm confident that you'll do great things at the new job. Does this mean we lose you from the DC area???

  • Porter Glendinning said:

    Good for you, man! Will be very interested to hear how the new job goes.

    I hope this doesn't impact the chicken-fried bacon road trip from SXSW next year. ;)

  • Joe said:

    Congrats, Kevin. It was insult to your expertise and creativity to be silo'ed at AOL. I can't wait to see your next creations.

    ~Joe

  • Dean Burris said:

    That's fantastic Kevin. You definitely put in your time at AOL.

    Are y'all moving to Savannah? If so, that's wonderful. It's one of my favorite cities. Take a trip over to St. Simon's Island. It's a really cool place to take the family.

  • Jeremy Carbaugh said:

    Congratulations, Kevin! Though I'm one of the few that has not worked at AOL, it is clear that you had a profound impact there... or at least on Jason.

  • Paul Downey said:

    Whoa! Exciting times - Savannah sounds great. Best of luck!

  • John F Croston III said:

    Congrats, Kevin and your whole family on a job well done and the new adventure that still awaits.

  • Junaid Razzak said:

    Kevin - I wish you best of luck .. your energy at AOL will be missed but like Michaela said .. stay on AIM and it will like you never left :) for some of MVers.

    Make it Big !

  • fantasai said:

    hug Congrats on the new job! I'll miss you at the W3C meetings.. :( but I think you left the CSSWG in good hands with Jason. :)

  • Kevin Smokler said:

    It's not easy to let one era of your life go as another begins but you're doing it with considerable grace ande goodwill my friend. Keep it up and congratulations. If this feels like the right decision then it probably is.

  • Doug Schepers said:

    Rock out, Kevin.

    Come back to W3C soon... I need a fellow werewolf to cull the villagers.

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