Goodbye and thank you, Automattic

After more than 5.5 years at Automattic, I recently decided that I am ready for something different, and today is my last day at the company.

The things about Automattic that excited and impressed me when I first joined in 2014 still excite and impress me today. The mission to democratize publishing and help people to better tell their stories. The pioneering of a distributed model for hundreds of people to work well together. The way even small improvements in a few lines of code could affect millions of websites. The focus on transparency and excellence in communication. Working with kind people from all over the world in a constant flurry of collaboration and creativity.

YOLO

I'm proud of the contributions I made in that time, and I know that I got to work on some of the most interesting projects of my professional life so far.

There are tons of folks at Automattic who made it a special experience for me, and I’ve only begun being able to thank them individually. I’m especially appreciative of Matt Mullenweg for the vision he has crafted, the company he has built, and for the confidence he placed in my work.

Matt and Chris

I’m grateful for so many other parts too: world travel, meeting people from different backgrounds and learning from them, becoming more a part of the WordPress community, learning about software as a service at scale, hilarious GIF and emoji usage, deep conversations about the future of the web, helping celebrities and small business owners alike to navigate the same quirky tools, delicious meals, funky spots for setting up an office for the day, small acts of kindness and support, quiet acts of servant leadership.

WordPress.com at Silicon Valley Comic Con

Dancing with the Jane Doze

Rafting the Weber River

Here are some other Automattic-related photos I've shared over the years. (If it sounds like fun, Automattic is hiring.)

It was not a simple decision to step away from all of that, but sometimes there are shifts and rumblings both on the inside and the outside that let us know that it’s time for a change. Now is the right time for me.

I don’t have any particular plans for what’s next, so I’m entering a time of discernment, research, tinkering and thinking through the many possible ventures swirling around in my head. I’ll continue my graduate studies in journalism, local community involvement and various hobby projects. I’m looking forward to having time and space to entertain ideas and see what comes up, and I’m very fortunate to have this option.

When my 4-year-old daughter heard me say that I am going to "try new things," she immediately had an idea to offer: "you should take a dance class!" 😂

Here's to the future and learning to dance.

I’m a journalist, publisher, software developer and entrepreneur with experience as a founder and organizational leader. Work with me or learn more about me.

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