Earlier this week, I sent my resignation, and I am feeling a bit dizzy. While I am excited for this new adventure to come, a part of me cannot help but think of all the cool things about this last chapter of my work life. I am also worried because we never know what will happen next.
I will start with this. The very same day I had to give a call to warn I was about to resign, we learned that a dear friend passed away of cancer, our son's best friend has tested positive with COVID-19, and there has been a reshuffle of the board, of my partner's company. That's quite a lot of bad signs. The day was not going to be the best one.
Was it a good time to resign and add even more uncertainty? Or could there have been a better time to move on now that everything is collapsing? Anyway, I did it. I may have lumped in my throat, but I jumped into the void.
Funny enough, I came across this video the very same day. It's a mesmerizing film about people about to jump from a 10-meter tower.
Oh I love the irony of life. Will they jump? Or back away? I know I won't even climb on the top of such a tower. But I am ready to quit a position I enjoyed, colleagues I admire, and a very sane and respectful work environment for a rare yet insecure opportunity.
I don't feel like getting stuck in a crippling nostalgia. I feel like recalling all the learnings I made those 5 years. And to be thankful for them.
I truly enjoyed how the company and the project were managed, and I am thankful for that. I will keep it while in charge of a project and a team. It proves what you can achieve when you talk and act as grown-ups and to grown-ups.
I learned the innovative and agile way of creating a product in startups, and I am grateful for that. I witnessed first-hand the "better done than perfect" mantra put into action. And with a little touch here and there, slowly, the product takes shape, and its quality, functionalities, and usability improve. That's pretty smart and resilient. You do what you can when you can. You have to be smart enough so every work-in-progress can still reach a market, even a small one, at every step of the journey.
I learned how to dig into code and technologies. I learned how to learn new things, and I am grateful for that. I am convinced designers should have a perfect understanding of the material they are working on. I have been allowed to put this belief into action.
I have met beautiful people, and I am grateful for that.
I have been allowed to thrive, and I am grateful for that.
It was an incredible chapter of my work life. It's now time to write a new one, starting with a blank page.
It's time to move on.