Happy XV Day

My last company had a thing called VX. Last week, I experienced XV — as in, “ex” (former) V; the one-year anniversary of my last day as someone else’s employee. Here’s what I discovered in year one of my latest chapter.

video transcript

Those in the tech world know there are sometimes extra restrictions or potential for drama for a year or so after separation. Honestly? I didn’t think much about it, because I’m having a genuinely great time doing what I do now. It’s what I envisioned before I left; and so far, so good.

That said — some folks may have been tracking it, because I got some really kind and gracious phone calls last week. Almost like they had marked their calendars (or a happy coincidence). Either way, I’m grateful.

It’s interesting what you end up missing and what you don’t.

• Subsidized healthcare. I miss that. A lot.
• I missed the travel less than I thought I would. I happily did not re-qualify for top tier status on my airline — and that meant I did not miss nearly as much time with my kids and my grandkids. That as a good trade.
• And mentoring. In my last role, I kept a genuine open-door policy for folks outside their normal chain of command — just a half hour here and there, some perspective, some honest feedback. It was my privilege. I do still keep that door open; so if you’d like to catch up, reach out — I’d love to hear from you.

That’s the list I came up with sipping a very nice bourbon and celebrating XV day.

What I really discovered is I missed being an analyst. I missed having an independent point of view across an industry I’ve invested 35 years in. There are some genuinely exciting and disruptive things happening right now — and when you’re inside a vendor, you can’t always say so out loud. As an analyst, you get to see a lot more of them (and you often get to see them early). As an independent, I get to be unapologetically honest about the companies and technologies I’m most excited about.

So, that’s year one and I couldn’t be more grateful. Let’s see what year two holds.

See you next Monday.