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In the past month or two, fully 8 of my colleagues from the Google Wave project have resigned from the company. This is no strange coincidence given that annual bonuses for 2010 were paid out at the end of Q1 2011. However, it does give one pause to think about so many people from the same project (including myself) counting down the bonus clock.
For my part I really enjoyed my time at Google--it is the best job I've ever had, by a long way. Everything you hear about is true: the friendly atmosphere, the freedom to pursue innovative ideas and projects, capricious indulgence of engineers, and the noble sense of purpose to change the world for the better with nary a thought given to profits or costs.
So why did we all quit? My colleagues have stated their own reasons, so I won't speak for them. But for me it was very simple: I just didn't enjoy going in to work anymore. Many would question why one would leave a high-paying job with all the comforts and freedoms that come at a place like Google. Some people possess the ability to truck on through and find their place in the system, maybe even take some joy in the everyday grind. I admire this ability but it is completely alien to me.
The feeling now is liberating and joyous. Working by yourself or in a small team is fantastic in so many ways, that I simply can't describe it properly.
