Today concluded the first day in my new job in the Kindle org. It was a really exciting and hectic day. I had that sensation of drinking from a fire hose again. The org is so big and moving so fast that the transition is a bit jolting. We are all quite aware of the competitors out there and each of us are working on our part to make the customer experience better. (I'm still awake because my mind is still racing.)

At a metrics meeting, I really got a sense of how big the initiative is. It's literally a company within the larger company. The review meeting felt like the briefing for a very large war campaign. Hours of updates from different divisions and different locations. The closest I have felt to it was the multi-channel launch in Denver that I ran. Many disciplines all contributing. This is bigger and we have a rapidly growing set of competitors.

As part of my transition, I have conversations with tons of folks about the future of reading and the market dynamics. It is interesting to hear how people think about reading and how they perceive importance and prioritize. Just today, I had conversations about different features - lending, color, refresh rate, battery life, etc, and people prioritize very differently. Hopefully, by staying close to our customers, we'll get it right.

Finally, since my desk moved today, today (and some yesterday) was also about saying good bye to my old team. Having built the org and managed/developed most of them, it was a very strange sensation. I feel bad for leaving them and appreciate their well wishes, but know this was the right decision. It was really great to hear from individuals whom I'd invested lots of energy how much they appreciated it. I also had a goodbye meeting with PK my old vp. Though only half an hour, it was good to sit down with him and thank him for the opportunities and reminisce a bit about what we've been through. Having been a direct report, we have shared some good moments. We also covered a few topics and got some closure.

Mostly for my benefit, I'll lay out a few things:

Why I joined the Kindle: The decision of what to do next was a difficult one and I went through my now usual process of collecting many varied opinions (though I missed out on one i really value) and then just waiting. At some point, my subconscious mind knows even if my conscious mind is resistant and the decision is done. I've gone through job switching enough times to recognize that I'm more idealistic than most and will ultimately sign on for the opportunity to change the larger world. In this case, it is transforming the reading experience by taking it digital. Why do I say transforming? Well, because I really do think that reading the experience will be changed. Hopefully, I'll be a part of it.

I explored opportunities at different companies (bay area and seattle), and I just wasn't romanced by any of them. Bing - I don't think they dream like visionaries. They are at heart fast followers and ruthless executors. eBay - They lost their innovation DNA and are run by management consultants. Developers are perceived as fungible and caring deeply about the product is abstracted to people with MBAs. And then startups, its hard to match up with transforming reading.


Metaphors: It is amazing how powerful one's frame of reference is. With the job switch, I've been exposed to several different ones. As part of my career decision, KR counseled me to think critically about my internal life metaphor. She set me on this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERbvKrH-GC4 by the creators of South Park. Then with the Kindle, there are lots of different metaphors. The obvious one is to the ipod and music. However, there are also people pointing to the printing press. The metaphor that I keep coming back to is Nike Plus.


Mortality: I had a few brushes with parental mortality in recent months and it's been scary. Parents are such a given and easy to take for granted. Recent events have made me more aware that a reassuring parent's voice isn't a given. My respect for cancer has also increased dramatically. In one case it was a brain tumor that has no known cause. No obvious genetic or lifestyle choices. No real symptoms until it was pretty late.


Positive Thinking: I saw Happiness 101 with Tal Ben-Shahar. It exceeded my expectations and was good. Things I'm working on are appreciation and getting more exercise.

Finally, on the appreciation for life note, thanks to all you veterans out there.

I'm working on some documents for our S-Team review, but back in rhythm.
Would you believe that my 5 year anniversary at Amazon is rapidly closing? MG and I have made it through together and will have a little celebration. Unfortunately, we won't be on the same team soon as I'm making a move to Kindle. More on that later, but it should be good for me. I need to get back down the learning curve.

In other news, this is always a busy time of year for me - annual planning at work, birthdays, and now some family stuff. Good luck to my dad who is having knee replacement surgery today.

Heard yesterday:

From my boss:

And then reflecting on where I'm now with a friend:

Sometimes we get told the same thing via different messages. Thanks BP.