Andrew–
Each day this moment has come closer, it’s becoming harder and harder to do. But I have received an offer from the Visual Studio team at Microsoft, and have decided to accept it. It’s a very good career move for me, an offer I can’t turn down.
The reason I am leaving is entirely personal. In the months after my father passed, the need to be closer to the family I still have has become much stronger. That, and a few months after my father passed, I realized that, if I remained in California, I would never be able to afford for my (as yet still hypothetical) children what my parents were able to offer me growing up. So with the rest of the family moving to Portland, Oregon, the Pacific Northwest was the answer (there just aren’t many big software companies in Portland, but Seattle’s only a few hours away).
I didn’t expect this to happen so soon: I figured I would starting researching my options in September or October, but a recruiter contacted me for this job in early May a few weeks after my mom decided to make the move…
I love Oracle, warts and all, and I loved my experience here working for both Mike and Andrew. The three of you provided me a place to grieve, to regain my confidence, and to feel proud of my contributions to Oracle again. I will never forget that, nor can I ever repay it. Thank you.
–Michael