Well, I've done it. I've resigned and next week will be my last week at AOL. After 5 years, 2 months, and 14 days, the end has finally come.
So what's next? Well, moving onto bigger and better things, of course. You might be wondering why someone like me would leave Nullsoft and Winamp in the lurch. At this point, I'd have to say that there are not many reasons for me to stay.
Over the past 10 months we've lost most of our team. Those of us remaining have become quite weary of the many 'compromises' we are asked to make in order to keep moving forward. At this point, I feel like I no longer have the power to make any positive impact on Winamp.
That said, we did accomplish a lot during the past 5 years. I still occasionally get emails saying 'wow, I didn't know AOL owns you!' and that's a testament to how successful we were in staying true to ourselves, our products, and our community. Unfortunately it was just a matter of time until everything changes.
For all of you who have stuck by our side, supported our efforts, evangelized our products, and loved us for our passion, I thank you. Winamp's success was the product of not just one company, or a group of employees, but that of an entire community created around a common appreciation for a few basic ideas and a love for music.
Alas, there are still a few of us left at AOL. I'm sure that David, Jonathan, and Wen, will do their best to keep Winamp true to it's users as long as they can, but the fact is the odds are against them and the next few months are definitely not going to be easy.
I anticipate that Winamp will continue to limp along for a little while longer. With minor bug fixes and updates for some time to come. Over the long term, I anticipate Winamp's identity will change to fit the goals of those at AOL who don't really care what Winamp means to the millions of our loyal followers.
Before you go off and start hating AOL. Stop. One thing that everyone has to realize is that AOL is a machine, just like every other big corporation. It consumes smaller companies in order to absorb them and use them for technologies, expertise, patents, etc. Every acquisition leads to the destruction of the acquired identity and their products. It's inevitable. Frankly, it really is a miracle that Winamp lasted as long as it did. In the end we all feel great about where we took Winamp and how we got there.
This might all be pretty overwhelming. You may be thinking, no, this is not true, it can't be. But alas, it is. You must accept it and hold on as long as you can before you too must move on.
We all know that cliche 'All good things must come to an end'. Nullsoft is certainly not excluded. The experiences I had here were tremendous. I learned so much about life, politics, people, and myself over the past 5 years. I've made friends that I will keep for the rest of my life. I even participated in a small part of the history of online music and I'm happy to have been in the right place at the right time.
I only hope that when people look back, they can appreciate how great Winamp really was. How much it really innovated and what it really did for this space. The MP3 revolution would certainly not have been the same without our efforts and the loyal following Winamp has.
I look forward to the future. I am excited to work somewhere new, on a great product, and continue to have the privilege of impacting millions of people's lives in new and powerful ways.
Perhaps, now is the time to get my Nullsoft 'llama' tattoo. I always wanted to get it, to serve as a symbol for this chapter of my life. I felt that it would be a great reminder of how much these 5 years have impacted me as a person and have influenced who I have become today. Yes, now seems just right.
*sigh* So long Nullsoft, I barely knew ya.
-s
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Almost Time...
Man, those two words mean so much right now. I'm not trying to provide more gravity to the election. I'm just saying, given where I am at this specific moment of my life, those two words mean a whole damn lot.
First, I'm about to go through a huge life change. I'm not ready to share it yet, but I'll post it here as soon as I'm ready for the whole world to know. But it's pretty cool fucking news, that's for sure.
Next, the obvious fact that the Presidential elections are 6 days away. This is phenomenal. The minutes are counting down and I'm SO looking forward to not having George be the President of this company anymore.
Beyond that, there are the senatorial races going on and I cannot wait to see Barrack Obama be elected as the Senator of Illinois. I watched his speech during the Democratic Convention and was just blown away by his story, vision, and his articulate oratory. I hope to see him rise through the ranks and make a real difference in American politics over the rest of his career. He's simply put, inspiring.
Sharon is laying next to me in bed right now. She's focusing on doing homework while I try to burn a few more precious minutes, waiting to fall asleep. I can sense that moment coming soon.
I went to the Apple press event today, introducing the new iPod Photo. I thought it was interesting. I'm not sure if the form factor is right for photos, but assuming I play with it myself, I might be coaxed into believing it's still a great product. It was interesting watching Steve Jobs' interaction with U2. It looked fairly friendly. I'm not sure if he's a big fan of theirs or just someone who respects their success and stature in the rock world. Probably a little bit of both.
Bleh, other than that, I'm done. Time for bed. Turn me over cause I'm cooked.
nite nite.
-s
First, I'm about to go through a huge life change. I'm not ready to share it yet, but I'll post it here as soon as I'm ready for the whole world to know. But it's pretty cool fucking news, that's for sure.
Next, the obvious fact that the Presidential elections are 6 days away. This is phenomenal. The minutes are counting down and I'm SO looking forward to not having George be the President of this company anymore.
Beyond that, there are the senatorial races going on and I cannot wait to see Barrack Obama be elected as the Senator of Illinois. I watched his speech during the Democratic Convention and was just blown away by his story, vision, and his articulate oratory. I hope to see him rise through the ranks and make a real difference in American politics over the rest of his career. He's simply put, inspiring.
Sharon is laying next to me in bed right now. She's focusing on doing homework while I try to burn a few more precious minutes, waiting to fall asleep. I can sense that moment coming soon.
I went to the Apple press event today, introducing the new iPod Photo. I thought it was interesting. I'm not sure if the form factor is right for photos, but assuming I play with it myself, I might be coaxed into believing it's still a great product. It was interesting watching Steve Jobs' interaction with U2. It looked fairly friendly. I'm not sure if he's a big fan of theirs or just someone who respects their success and stature in the rock world. Probably a little bit of both.
Bleh, other than that, I'm done. Time for bed. Turn me over cause I'm cooked.
nite nite.
-s
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Jon Stewart for President
I must say. I'm a HUGE fan of Jon Stewart. He and the rest of the writers on the Daily Show are doing a true service for Americans. They've been using the mass media to show the whole world how ridiculous the American media and politics have become.
This week, Jon Stewart was a guest on the political debate talk-show called Crossfire on CNN. He was masterful. He spent 25 minutes telling them how it is, calling them out for failing to do the job that the Framers had in mind for the media. He destroyed them. It was the best half hour of television I've watched in years.
Here's a link to the full transcript.
And if you're interested in downloading the actual footage, here's the bittorrent link as well. Download at your own risk.
This week, Jon Stewart was a guest on the political debate talk-show called Crossfire on CNN. He was masterful. He spent 25 minutes telling them how it is, calling them out for failing to do the job that the Framers had in mind for the media. He destroyed them. It was the best half hour of television I've watched in years.
Here's a link to the full transcript.
And if you're interested in downloading the actual footage, here's the bittorrent link as well. Download at your own risk.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
So long and thanks for all the fish.
So it's been a little while since I last wrote on this thing. Yeah, it's not that I've forgotten, I've just been busy. But don't worry, this update will be quite depressing and cynical. I promise.
Tom quit yesterday. That leaves me being the most senior employee at Nullsoft. That's not really an exciting proposition. In case no one has noticed, we've lost a lot of people on our team in the past 6 months. Each one leaving with varying explanations or circumstances, but all for the same basic reason.
It's these days that really allow me to sit and reflect. Winamp and SHOUTcast are quickly becoming yesterday's news. We really fought the good fight but in the end lost the war. Our enemy, the machine, was just to great to defeat. Believe me, we tried.
Being acquired by another company has nearly always been the kiss of death. I remember when the founders of Blogger came and talked to Justin and I over lunch regarding whether or not they should sell their company. I think the spirit of our message to them was that if they don't have to, they shouldn't. They'd lose all control and ultimately their baby, it was merely a matter of time. It was an interesting conversation to say the least. Unfortunately, 6 months later they sold to Google.
The thing that I've learned about acquisitions is that most companies who buy other companies have their own plans. When you sell, you must know that you're giving up everything you've worked for and that after you sign on the dotted line, it's all over.
Most of these marriages seem to have a honeymoon. Our honeymoon lasted about a year, for Spinner about 6 months.
When it ends, you won't notice but everything starts changing. First it starts off slow, with little things here and there. For example, they come in and 'renovate' the office you're in and replace all your kitchy and fun start-up furniture with the standard company cubicles. As time goes on, more and more starts being stripped away. Say goodbye to the free softdrinks, the rest of the company doesn't get those, why should you? If you didn't notice by then, you'll get a nice splash of reality when one day you show up at work and you've got bullshit corporate propaganda like 'Members Rule!' plastered all over the place.
Before you know it, all the cool people who used to work with you start leaving and are replaced by transplants from other parts of the company or some lame hire who is only there for a job. In either case, the replacements are less talented and less motivated to help you get your job done then the person who left.
But for those who hang in there, don't worry there's relief. Yes, the wonderful world of layoffs will make sure that those who stick around don't have a choice. This is when all the people who worked their fucking ass off are kicked onto the street, with the assistance of security personnel who make sure you don't steal any paper clips or notepads as you clear off your desk.
Ah yes, the joy of layoffs. Here's how it works. Usually, they set up two meetings, they're back-to-back. The first meeting is where they herd your coworkers into a room and tell them that they've been laid off and that they have 3 hours to clear off their desks and exit the building. The second meeting is where they herd those who are left into the same room (you can tell because of all the used tear-drenched tissues) and tell them that they are the 'go-forward team'. This translates to you're going to have to pick up all the slack your coworkers have now left behind.
The weeks up to the lay offs are especially fun. This is where you and your coworkers all know what's coming and are asked to keep working anyway. If you're truly unfortunate, you may get laid off with a 'transition period'. This is when they ask you to hang around another month or two and train someone else to do your job. If you don't agree, then guess what, you don't get your severance and you're kindly escorted out the building.
As time goes on, everything you loved is ripped from your hands piece by piece. What once was your passion that consumed 60-80 hours a week without a blink becomes a meaningless job. Once you felt empowered, now you feel weak. You looked forward to getting up in the morning to get into work and get shit done, now you wonder when will it all end.
It really amazed me that we held the team together as long as we did.
We stood shoulder to shoulder for a long time, fighting off bullshit, only to be split up and made to report to different bosses. We tried to retain our autonomy with our goal to remain true to who we were and to the millions of loyal users of our products. But it was just a matter of time. There was no way we could fight it forever. We would all soon be broken, irrespective of our contributions and our devotion to what we truly loved.
I can see the end of this chapter of my life. The past five years have had a huge impact on who I've become. I grew tremendously as a person and learned a lot about love, work, and people. When it comes to pass, I'll definitely look back and think fondly of all the great times I had. I'll appreciate all the friends I made and all the struggles we overcame, together.
In the end, I know everything will work out for the best.
-s
Tom quit yesterday. That leaves me being the most senior employee at Nullsoft. That's not really an exciting proposition. In case no one has noticed, we've lost a lot of people on our team in the past 6 months. Each one leaving with varying explanations or circumstances, but all for the same basic reason.
It's these days that really allow me to sit and reflect. Winamp and SHOUTcast are quickly becoming yesterday's news. We really fought the good fight but in the end lost the war. Our enemy, the machine, was just to great to defeat. Believe me, we tried.
Being acquired by another company has nearly always been the kiss of death. I remember when the founders of Blogger came and talked to Justin and I over lunch regarding whether or not they should sell their company. I think the spirit of our message to them was that if they don't have to, they shouldn't. They'd lose all control and ultimately their baby, it was merely a matter of time. It was an interesting conversation to say the least. Unfortunately, 6 months later they sold to Google.
The thing that I've learned about acquisitions is that most companies who buy other companies have their own plans. When you sell, you must know that you're giving up everything you've worked for and that after you sign on the dotted line, it's all over.
Most of these marriages seem to have a honeymoon. Our honeymoon lasted about a year, for Spinner about 6 months.
When it ends, you won't notice but everything starts changing. First it starts off slow, with little things here and there. For example, they come in and 'renovate' the office you're in and replace all your kitchy and fun start-up furniture with the standard company cubicles. As time goes on, more and more starts being stripped away. Say goodbye to the free softdrinks, the rest of the company doesn't get those, why should you? If you didn't notice by then, you'll get a nice splash of reality when one day you show up at work and you've got bullshit corporate propaganda like 'Members Rule!' plastered all over the place.
Before you know it, all the cool people who used to work with you start leaving and are replaced by transplants from other parts of the company or some lame hire who is only there for a job. In either case, the replacements are less talented and less motivated to help you get your job done then the person who left.
But for those who hang in there, don't worry there's relief. Yes, the wonderful world of layoffs will make sure that those who stick around don't have a choice. This is when all the people who worked their fucking ass off are kicked onto the street, with the assistance of security personnel who make sure you don't steal any paper clips or notepads as you clear off your desk.
Ah yes, the joy of layoffs. Here's how it works. Usually, they set up two meetings, they're back-to-back. The first meeting is where they herd your coworkers into a room and tell them that they've been laid off and that they have 3 hours to clear off their desks and exit the building. The second meeting is where they herd those who are left into the same room (you can tell because of all the used tear-drenched tissues) and tell them that they are the 'go-forward team'. This translates to you're going to have to pick up all the slack your coworkers have now left behind.
The weeks up to the lay offs are especially fun. This is where you and your coworkers all know what's coming and are asked to keep working anyway. If you're truly unfortunate, you may get laid off with a 'transition period'. This is when they ask you to hang around another month or two and train someone else to do your job. If you don't agree, then guess what, you don't get your severance and you're kindly escorted out the building.
As time goes on, everything you loved is ripped from your hands piece by piece. What once was your passion that consumed 60-80 hours a week without a blink becomes a meaningless job. Once you felt empowered, now you feel weak. You looked forward to getting up in the morning to get into work and get shit done, now you wonder when will it all end.
It really amazed me that we held the team together as long as we did.
We stood shoulder to shoulder for a long time, fighting off bullshit, only to be split up and made to report to different bosses. We tried to retain our autonomy with our goal to remain true to who we were and to the millions of loyal users of our products. But it was just a matter of time. There was no way we could fight it forever. We would all soon be broken, irrespective of our contributions and our devotion to what we truly loved.
I can see the end of this chapter of my life. The past five years have had a huge impact on who I've become. I grew tremendously as a person and learned a lot about love, work, and people. When it comes to pass, I'll definitely look back and think fondly of all the great times I had. I'll appreciate all the friends I made and all the struggles we overcame, together.
In the end, I know everything will work out for the best.
-s
Saturday, October 9, 2004
Second Presidential Debates
Round TWO. The second debate concluded last night and boy was it a show. Punches left and right from both sides. Although Bush faired significantly better this debate than his first, I still feel as though Kerry had a better handle of the facts and was far more articulate than Mr. Bush.
Mr Bush downplayed his previous theme of expressing the difficulty of being President in today's US. Nevertheless, the tone of his voice kept making me feel as though he was whining. There were a few areas where both candidates clashed, arguing facts that were inaccurate. Most egregious was Bush claiming he didn't have a stake in a timber company when in fact, the records show he does.
The composure of both candidates was also an interesting sight to see. Kerry remained calm, collected, and articulate. Bush, though more articulate this go around, did lose his cool and forcefully shut down the moderator while he wanted to address a question. I think that America got to see the real Mr. Bush, someone who is not used to harsh criticism, someone who loses his temper when things aren't going his way.
On the whole, I thought the debate was interesting. I believe that Senator Kerry came away the winner of the debate, but Bush didn't cause himself as much pain this time around.
-s
Mr Bush downplayed his previous theme of expressing the difficulty of being President in today's US. Nevertheless, the tone of his voice kept making me feel as though he was whining. There were a few areas where both candidates clashed, arguing facts that were inaccurate. Most egregious was Bush claiming he didn't have a stake in a timber company when in fact, the records show he does.
The composure of both candidates was also an interesting sight to see. Kerry remained calm, collected, and articulate. Bush, though more articulate this go around, did lose his cool and forcefully shut down the moderator while he wanted to address a question. I think that America got to see the real Mr. Bush, someone who is not used to harsh criticism, someone who loses his temper when things aren't going his way.
On the whole, I thought the debate was interesting. I believe that Senator Kerry came away the winner of the debate, but Bush didn't cause himself as much pain this time around.
-s
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