The Most Difficult Blog Post I’ve Ever Written

10月29日

The Most Difficult Blog Post I’ve Ever Written

Sunset or Sunrise? After over twelve and a half years at Microsoft, I’ve decided to leave the company and start a new chapter in my personal and professional life. I’m moving back to the Midwestern part of the US, nearer to our extended family, and taking a new job in product management for social media with a great company there. Since my blog is all about Microsoft, I don’t think it’s right to get into too many details of my new life here, but as I ramp up a new blog in my new role I’ll come back and provide a link to it here.

As the title of this post suggests, this decision wasn’t an easy one. Here is how I put it in my farewell mail to my colleagues here at Microsoft:

This is definitely a bittersweet decision for me. To borrow a phrase from SteveB, “I love this company!” I love our products and services. I love the people at Microsoft. I love our passion and drive. I love our partners. And I love our customers. I honestly mean that and am not using the word love lightly. Working as the community manager for Windows for the past year has given me new insight into just how wonderful our customers are and how much they are really cheering for us to succeed.

I have all of you, the members of the Windows community, to thank for that last sentence. You have helped me and many others at the company gain a new appreciation for just how passionate, supportive, and resourceful Windows customers can be. At times, you’ve also been appropriately critical of us, providing the unvarnished feedback we both deserve and value. I can’t tell you enough how much it’s meant to me to get to know all of you, learn from you, and share both the good and bad times with you.

It’s the sunset of one part of my life and the sunrise of another. Thank you again for being part of the last part of my career at one of the best companies in the world. Soon, I’ll no longer be “Marcus at Microsoft” but rather just “Marcus” -- still proud to be part of the broad community of Windows enthusiasts and cheering on the company I love.

Best regards,

Marcus, Windows Community Manager

P.S. My last official day at Microsoft will be November 16. Look for announcements in the Clubhouse and on the Clubhouse Space for how things will transition to a new community manager. If you or someone you know is interested in this role, please check out Marty’s blog post here.

9:16 | 写入日志

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	☆°☆° Jewelie发表: This blog makes me feel sad Marcus, Your helpful blogs shall be missed and of course you as well. Have fun in your new life. Hugs Jewelie 11 月 16 日
	Vasudev发表: Hi Marcus, It was sad for all of us leaving as a WL community manager We all hope you still will be part of Windows Live Community and continue to have interaction as a WL User. I used to hear and love to all of your Podcasts with WL Community member including with me. It was for me for the first time I had featured in any podcasts and I have all of them downloaded. Thanks !! Also thanks for all the support you provided , whenever required. Whenever any query was there, I used to mail and indeed got the prompt reply. I think it was your idea starting the Clubhouse Choice Award, Thanks for the Clubhouse Choice Award and all other goodies I received. I'm sure we all will be in touch via twitter /mail etc. Also looking forward to your new Spaces/blog. Thanks Again !! All the Best !! 11 月 6 日
	Da CostaAndre发表: Marcus, I would first like to say thank you! Thank you for giving me the opportunity be part of a community that has allowed me express my thoughts and share feedback with Microsoft. Your leadership has really helped us to do amazing things and reach new people through our words and experiences. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors and I hope to meet you person someday and just like you, I love Microsoft too! :) 11 月 5 日
	Gerry发表: Bye Marcus, Good luck on your new job! 11 月 1 日
	crestind发表: I always enjoyed your posts! Best of luck with your new venture. Hoping you will get a new blog on Windows Live Spaces! 10 月 30 日
	Jen发表: You just make sure we can all still hassle ya somehow, Marcus;-) Take care, Mate. 10 月 30 日
	BuciboLebohang发表: All the best in your future endevours. Regards Lebo Bucibo 10 月 30 日
	at MicrosoftMarcus发表: Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments! Your words of encouragement and congratulations mean a lot to me. Just reading them gets me a little choked up, the same way I felt when authoring this blog post. But the good news is that we can all still stay connected thanks to all this social networking stuff I love so much. I'll still be here on Windows Live, plus Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and maybe even a few more places. Thanks again, everyone, and I look forward to staying in touch with you! 10 月 30 日
	Jeffrey发表: You'll be missed. Good luck to you and your family and best wishes! 10 月 29 日
	FlowerHappy发表: Good luck with move home and new venture. 10 月 29 日
	V. TehraniAli发表: Surely you'll be missed Marcus. But anyway, I believe in the power of changes in our lives, n I hope you to best use of this power in your future career and become the best you can, just like the time when you were in Microsoft. All the bests man:) 10 月 29 日
	WhiteCurtis发表: Good Luck in your new venture Marcus. I too have been a MS user for many many years. I bet Microsoft knows what a good person they are loosing. Please let us know of links we can reach you at. 10 月 29 日
	KumarRavi发表: Good Luck Marcus. It was a pleasure following your blogs and tweets.. 10 月 29 日
	HadouxValerie发表: Hi Marcus and to all Windows Live Community, I'm surprised of your so important decision… After 12 and half years of faithful work with Microsoft, I'm almost shocked to hear that you will leave the company to start up a new chapter… I HOPE that you leave Microsoft for an again better job… And I hope especially that this is your choice without pressure… I hope that this isn't a politics of business; I hope that Microsoft didn't choose the same option that a lot of pathetic French businesses, who to increase the profit of their stupid shareholders, pester and push to the resignation the employees… An example of the most pathetic ones: politics of business used with "France Telecom" (no comment otherwise to see the French news)… Then, for me, Microsoft represents a so clean, so big company that it's for me difficult to understand how Microsoft leaves to leave the faithful employees to Microsoft? ... exemplary employees… HOW?.?.?... If which I write disturbs Microsoft, because Microsoft would have chooses this despicable solution, then, Microsoft can close my Windows Live spaces without any problem... Personally, I'm for the boycotts businesses that don't respect their employees to their just value... I have some laughs to hear big companies to adopt despicable behaviors… I HOPE that Microsoft not in left fact and that this is a deliberate choice of your part, because you found a well better job for a well better life… Marcus, in a world in economical crisis, I wish you to all my heart a brilliant career in your new job... As one says, the HAPPINESS is in itself, then it doesn't matter the changes, when in our heart, we can construct a World... a Better World... You offered to all us the possibility to create easily our Windows Live spaces, to bring counsels and improve... Thank you a lot MARCUS of all us for all what you brought to our Windows Live community!!!... GOOD LUCK MARCUS to your new chapter!!!... and see you on your new blog!!!... 10 月 29 日
	StinnettRobert发表: To me you are the voice and "face" of Microsoft, and you will be missed. You did an excellent job of showing how a large company can interact succesfully with millions of customers. I was amazed at how well you integrated social media into the entire Windows 7 campaign! I wish you the best of luck in your new adventure; and I hope that you will at least stay in touch with us online. I'm here in Missouri, so if your midwestern travels ever take you through the middle of Missouri near the Jefferson City/Columbia area please feel free to drop a line. Would love to grab some lunch and talk about social media and what you achieved with it! 10 月 29 日
	Juel JensenJesper发表: I really enjoyed your tweets, blog posts etc. I wish you the best of luck in your future plans. Don't be a stranger :-) 10 月 29 日
	Jen发表: You say that word love a lot here, Marcus. I'm gonna tell you something now. I love Microsoft, too. No kidding. I've always felt safe here, security has always worked. The people here are fantastic and I now couldn't be without them. I adore Live Spaces, and, hey, what the heck? I love you too, for all the times you've been so incredibly helpful. Too right it's bittersweet; what you're doing. But hey, make those changes! You obviously need to. Actually, I'm making many major changes in my own life, at the moment, so I share a small shadow of what you're feeling. You know I have some precious friends at my radio station. You muct have sneaked a read at some of the blogs about hospital radio at some point! The folks there all still just as precious, and I love them like family. Whatever you're doing in the future, you just be good at it, okay! Let it satisfy whatever needs you have, whether they be creative, or whatever else. Be happy, is all that matters. God Bless and keep you and yours. You'll be all right, and definitely never forgotten. Take care, Marcus:-) 10 月 29 日
	ShueyJeff发表: Marcus --- To me you are the voice and face of the Windows Social Media efforts. I know there are others on the team, but you were the one I consistently saw and heard taking an active role in the community. I commend you for this and I think the community would agree that your efforts helped the community grow, learn, and grow some more. Even though our paths never crossed while I worked at Microsoft I was happy to get to know you as part of the Social Media Club and I really enjoyed working with you. I wish you best of luck in your travels and your new endeavor. If you ever need anything you know where to find me. 10 月 29 日
	MyUniqueLifeJeff发表: Hello Everyone, Hearing the news of your leaving Microsoft Marcus came as quite a surprise to me today. But it fit right in with my blog theme for this year of Writing just to Write. We have some time before you leave so I hope that we can say, “Good Bye!” in some special way. My post today is titled Don’t say anything at All and your leaving seemed to fit right in: http://myuniquelifespace.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!3D28BACBD4BDF253!7933.entry Good Luck my friend and to Everyone Enjoy Life! 10 月 29 日
	LHugh发表: wishing you the best and success with your new adventure. met you at the top of the year at the SMC Seattle event hosted on campus. will continue to follow your triumphs online. 10 月 29 日