The Announcement
I am leaving Pop Art. My last day will be in two weeks on Friday the 13th. Some would say this is a seriously bad omen. I guess I'll have to make up for it by bathing in garlic and vinegar before I come to work. Just kidding! That would seriously be disgusting.
I've been putting off writing this blog post for quite a while. I've known what I wanted to say and I've rehearsed it countless times in my head. Still, it doesn't make this any easier. As you probably could probably guess, I'm very conflicted about leaving Pop Art. This is the first time in my career where I've been this sad to see a chapter of my career life come to an end. Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited about the new opportunities that are before me right now. I am very excited. It's just that I've never been in this type of position before (feeling so conflicted), so I can't help but sometimes wonder whether this really is the right decision. Trust me, I know it is the right decision. And then this voice goes off in my head saying "if it is the right decision, why is there so much hesitation?"
Pop Art has been great. I've had the chance to work with amazing clients and an incredibly creative team. I've been in a position that has allowed me to be forward thinking and explore new technologies. I've been able to get in and be part of the creative process. By creative process I don't mean traditional design and creating assets, but more in the overall vision, usability, and user experience. I don't think I was allowed this freedom just because I serve on the board of our local ACM SIGCHI chapter–CHIFOO. Remember, I am a software engineer. I think I was allowed this freedom because the team really wants to be the best and they don't care where good ideas come from. I've felt like more of a team player during my time at Pop Art than anywhere else I've ever worked. I realize that may not be saying much, but it means a lot coming from me.
Pop Art has a been a place that has allowed me to cultivate relationships in the industry and gain new experiences (e.g. MIX06 and MIX07). I can understand why there is such a high number of folks out there who want to work at Pop Art and be a part of this.
Why am I moving on?
While I love the work I've done at Pop Art, I really feel I've gone as far as I can with them. This a tough and awkward place to be in. This breaks down into three main areas:
- Lack of challenging software problems. I miss doing "real" nuts and bolts software development. To be completely honest, there's not a lot of that at Pop Art. Pop Art is an interactive marketing agency and trust me, I feel they are one of the best. Their business strategy results in some room for software development, but not as much as I would like to do.
- Money. This is the largest and most contributing factor. It's tough having 3 kids and being a single income family. I moved my family to Portland 2 years ago and we'd like to break into a house sometime soon. We need to put down some roots, to give our kids the stability of friends and schools that they need. That goal would be impossible to accomplish while staying at Pop Art. That really sucks. I don't like talking about it, so enough said.
- Opportunities for career growth. Pop Art is a fairly small company, so for me to move into management or other responsibilities down the road would be very tough. Right now I'm not sure if I want to do that, but I do know that I at least want to have that option.
Let me say that each of these reasons by themselves were not enough for me to go out and find a new job, and even when all these factors combined it still took outside pressure from my wife to get me to pull the trigger (especially with regards to reason #2). If you're considering leaving your current job which you love and enjoy, please take a lot of time thinking about it and discussing it with others. Take a lot of time. If you have a good relationship with your supervisors at work then include them in this process. They have a lot of wisdom you can benefit from. I know I've benefited a lot from their wisdom. This hasn't been an easy choice for me and it has taken a long time for me to decide what I was going to do about it. Remember, I was making a decision to walk away from a job and company I truly love. You just don't find yourself working for a company like Pop Art everyday.
Where am I going?
The new company I will be working at is White Horse. Let me just say that I am super excited about this new opportunity. I have some friends I've met through different organizations (e.g. PADNUG, CHIFOO) that work at White Horse. In talking with different developers there and I'm very excited about the type of work they've been doing and which I'll also be involved in. My wife is very pleased that I'll be working there. So while this hasn't been easy, the end result is that my primary stakeholder is very, very happy. You have no idea how big of a relief this is.
Are you serious? Don't you have a non-compete?
Yeah, I knew this question would come up. There may be some confusion in this matter because Pop Art is an at-will employer and also has a non-compete. Let me just say that I've researched this issue pretty thoroughly. I've sought out legal advice. I already know all the arguments to both sides. I know exactly where I stood with Pop Art as an employee, but more importantly I knew where I wanted to be standing with Pop Art after I left the company. Let me elaborate.
You've seen me write these flowery posts about how great it is to work at Pop Art. Those weren't fake and neither is this one. I have a great relationship with the employees and managers at Pop Art and I absolutely treasure the friendship I have with the owner. These relationships are the most important things that I will take with me when I leave. My goal is that these relationships and friendships continue. I did not and I do not want to jeopardize those relationships.
I came to an agreement with Pop Art and the owner which most importantly will allow these relationships and friendships to continue. It wasn't easy. This whole process hasn't been easy. My advice to anyone who may ever find themselves in a similar situation is to get it worked out and come to an agreement so that both parties are happy. It's a very difficult thing to achieve and I understand that it isn't always possible to have a happy ending. Believe me, it definitely is worth it.
Conclusion
So there you have it. I'm officially closing one chapter of my life and opening another. I'm very, very excited about this new opportunity. I'm a little nervous and a little scared, but I'm very excited. I am confident that the relationship I had with Pop Art – while great – will be nothing compared to the relationship I will have with White Horse. Cheers.