I left Amazon in 2020. I made it just about 15 months. Am I crazy for deciding to leave? Amazon is well, Amazon. Huge, disruptive, dominant, top of the top. And as a L8 director at Amazon I was in the top 1% of Amazon. A likely pinnacle for just about any career, right?

Yet, there was a trade-off for being in that amazing (Amazoning?) spot. My specific position at Amazon was too consuming for me. It was impacting my health and my well-being. Some say time at Amazon equates to dog years. So, I was actually there for perhaps 10 years, and honestly, it kind of felt that way. I feel like I did a lot. I think I helped some people, and helped deliver some cool video technology to the world. I considered transferring to a different group in Amazon, because stories were that I had it particularly rough in my group. Anyway, somewhat paradoxically, thanks to a generous Amazon, I have reached a point in my life, where I can get out of the grind.

As I was leaving I looked at an interesting statistic: Just about 50% of the 1 million employees at Amazon came in after I started. I actually was sort of the old dog, yikes. There were some long-term 5+, 10+ year employees (celebrated by different color badges), and many people that planned to stay; yet the turnover and hiring is on a massive scale. I perhaps can see going back, but as with any large organization, it is not the organization, it is the specific group you work for in that organization.

I updated my LinkedIn with the title “Aspiring Explorer, Technologist, Advisor, and Coach”. Yes, it is a vague catch all for the things I am passionate about. Aspiring feels expansive and evergreen, so I can make that anything I want. I value flexibility after all. I am feel decidedly “LinkedOut”, and really not engaged in social media of any kind.

Will I start my own consulting company? Will I got back to corporate life? Will I start some new project? Good questions, and honestly I think whatever I do it probably will not be some a traditional role. For all intents and purposes I am retired. I have done some advising and coaching for the Founders Institute and that has been rewarding. If you want some advice or coaching let me know. And if you want to in-person explore, or talk tech, or talk boat let me know. I will aspire on, and I think that is suiting me fine.