little. yellow. different. A weblog by Ernie Hsiung

Leaving Yahoo!

So, this is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to do in my life so far, but yesterday afternoon, I submitted my two-week resignation notice at Yahoo!. My last day will be Friday, January 26th. I’m going to be working as a full-time consultant for a start-up Internet company based out of Vancouver, Canada. I’ll still be in California for the time being, but if things go well once April comes around… well, let’s just say I’ll be learning how to convert Fahrenheit into Celsius really, really soon. (The company in Canada will get its own future blog post soon enough.)

Leaving a company like Yahoo! after three and a half years of working here is never easy; I’ve made, literally, hundreds of friends; brilliant and talented Yahoo! employees and the passionate people I have interacted with through Yahoo! 360. So why am I leaving? All the drama Yahoo!’s had in the news? More money? Peanut Butter?

Actually, it’s the combination of a lot of things. But the kicker? Personal growth. No, seriously.

About two years ago, I wrote this on my blog regarding my work on the yet-to-be-released Yahoo! 360:

Regarding [Yahoo! 360], there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and even if this project falls on its face and fails miserably (which I hope it doesn’t do, of course) I think I’ve realized that I can be passionate about something that doesn’t involve pop culture or making fun of episodes of Entertainment Tonight. And it might be naive of me, but I’m hoping something good does come out of this in one way or another - whether it’s directly from the project I’m working on or what I’ve learned about myself from it. I’m paying my dues, so to speak.

According to an article by the New York Times, the public is to believe that Yahoo! 360 did, indeed, fall on its face, which I have a response to, but won’t post here. None the less, I’ve learned a LOT being on 360: about community, about programming, about myself.

But here’s the deal: I’ve lived in the Bay Area my entire life. I grew up near Berkeley, went to college an hour from there, and because the industry that I work in just happens to be in the Bay Area, I lived here too. My parents helped me buy a condo ten minutes from their house, and in 10-20 years, it’s expected that I will be taking care of them. My life can very easily be laid out in front of me, no exaggeration, for the rest of my life.

And I don’t want that. I don’t want to be 45 and look back and say, “I sure wish I didn’t play things so safe.” I’m young and I’m not tied down in a serious relationship right now, for better or for worse. “Safe” is the last thing I really want to be doing. So I’m going to take a huge risk, go for it, and if things don’t happen the way I expect it to, personally and/or professionally… well, I’ll figure it out from there.

Until then, I’ll see you on the flip side. Wish me luck.

FUCK YES!!!!!!!!!! Welcome to the northwest!!!!

Much luck to you, Luv. It’s been a helluva ride so far and I wish you much strength on this new path. I could say more but I’ll leave that to the rest of your readers.

Wow, how exciting/terrifying/thrilling! Good luck to you!

Good luck to you! Congratulations and I wish you all the best as you embark on this new path.

Best of luck Ernie. I’ve read your blog for quite a while now and enjoy your perspective and take on things. I’m sure you’ll be successful in one way or another, even if it all seemingly fails and I am happy that you are growing into more confident man.

I read that over and it sounds kinda cheap, but I wish you the best!

加油! Hang in there and I think this will be a great growth opportunity for you. And the change will teach you a lot!

Congrats Ernie. I’m sure you will do well anywhere you go!

A great post, & an obviously well-thought-out, smart decision. Congratulations, best luck–& …all that!

Good luck! For what it’s worth, it sounds like a brilliant idea.

Sounds like a wise decision, and I wish you all the luck.

Best of luck to ya, Ernie! Enjoy this new opportunity you’ve given yourself.

Vancouver is an awesome town. I wish I was there right now, except for the whole busting-out-of-my-bubble thing you’re doing right now. Enjoy it (even the parts where you’re awake at 3 AM, wondering when you went crazy).

yeah it seems a little crazy but really, it all sounds brilliant. best of luck to you!

You know, 360 has been a mixed bag. I find it difficult to believe it “fell on it’s face”. You have a real loyal group of bloggers there, and people who leave seem to come back. For the time it’s been out there, it seems to be doing quite well, and the length of blogging per individual seems a lot higher than average than for other sites. I think it’s something to be proud of.

Anyway, congrats on the new job. I don’t know what the future of 360 is, but doubtless it will be a little duller without you

I think it’s great that you’re getting outside your comfort zone and stretching your wings though. Beleive me, getting away from home, living in and experiencing new environments, for better or worse, it’s a great experience… and one I wouldn’t have missed for the world.

There’s a great big world out there full of oppurtunities, new challenges, and new places and things to experience. Eat it up!

Go you! The experience working with the start-up in Canada will be awesome, eh. And you can keep the old friends from Yahoo PLUS make new ones! Some of them maybe even cute! Good luck from this very frequent lurker : )

I’m not cross-posting my witty comments from your 360 blog post. So, there!

LUCK! LUCK! LUCK! FU! FU! FU! (or whatever the Chinese word is; to my grandmother’s dismay, of course i don’t remember…)
go ernie go! you have a big cheering section, which is more than most can say.

Congrats on the new opp and all you did for Y! 360. And yeah, welcome to the f’ing NW.

Good luck.

Good for you Ernie! I’ve been battling with the same decision since I returned to New Orleans in Oct. of 2005. I know I have to leave, but I keep putting it off. Too many friends, too many roots, bah.. the same old story. None of which are valid reasons to limit my opportunities.

Good luck, you’ll do great!

Awesome. I love Vancouver! I hope you enjoy it. Good for you for taking a leap.

Congrats, Ernie! I had a hard making the call to leave Yahoo too. Best of luck in your new venture too!

Congratulations, Ernie! Best of luck…

Of course, you know what two words come to mind when I think of you living at home working long distance?

…Burning Crusade!

Yarrr! Kill them orcs!

http://www.snowstone.com/archives/000367.html
As I blog here, Vancouver is supposedly the best place in the world to live (while still being affordable).

Hi, where would a start-up with a beta product, look to attract talent from Yahoo, to work part-time (they can continue with their day job), and help us iterate our product? any suggestions?

So obviously I could leave a very long comment here, but I’m not gonna, because I’d much rather just stick around for the attach-yourself-to-the-ankle-and-don’t-let-go ritual and roast. (You won’t get away from us that easy.)

That being said, rather, allow me to drop some totally cliche pieces of knowledge that my friends imparted to me when I left New York for here in the Bay, and was scared out of my freakin’ mind:

“If you don’t do it, you will regret it.”
“If you don’t like it, you can always come back.”

I know you are intelligent enough to decipher it all, but plainly:

Don’t live with regret. Regret sucks.

And you’ll curse us all when you are freezing your ‘nads off in the Northwest. Good luck with that.

I got nothin’ but love for ya, dawg.

okay, so this means that when i come to vancouver, i can sleep on your couch, right?

Good luck Ernie! You have nothing to lose really so go out there and experience. I’m sure Vancouver is great. All the best!

Good for you, Ernie. Pushing those boundaries is important, especially while you’re still young. I did the same thing, twice, and even though I miss my hometown I don’t regret getting away.

Good luck!

Woo Hoo! Congratulations, Ernie! This sounds exciting and scary and new. Most importantly, it seems like it will fuel your passion and that’s a great thing. Can’t wait to find out more. You’ll be fine.

Good for you! Go for it and don’t have regrets. Just make sure and keep blogging.

Go get ‘em, killer.

Dude go for it! Lots of luck for you.

GOOD LUCK ERNIE!

I think you’re making the right decision. Do it. I really hope everything works out for you.

Awesome!!! Best of luck!!! Looking forward to taking the journey with you on your blog!

Good luck Ernie!

Best of luck, Ernie. If nothing else, it will be a great adventure. I hope everything works out, and that personal growth comes without too many headaches or heartaches. Congratulations!

~another long time lurker

Congrats and good luck on everything! Yay Canada! Not that you’ll be any closer to me, but we’ll be in the same country.

Like Glenda, I’ve done the cross-country move thing (three times in fact). So I know that it’s a totally worthwhile experience and I also know that you can always go back if you want. And back again.

Expect some stank-ass looks from me as April approaches, but know that I am totally psyched for you.

Congratulations, Ernie. What a great move!

As someone who’s made three major moves this decade (IN->VA, VA->NH, and finally NH->CA - the last one), I know firsthand both how scary and how exhilarating change on this kind of level can be. Go for it, Ernie - well, you already are, so I guess I’m just adding my voice of support here. There are few people online (i.e. who I’ve never met in person) I admire as much as I do you, f’reals. Rock on, and know that your friends and i-friends will be here. We’ve got your back.

good luck E. all to best to you.

That’s really exciting! Somehow, I think that Vancouver may just be a bit more to your liking than Fremont.

Congratulations Ernie!! I can’t wait to hear about all the new adventures.

Good for you! No one ever looks back and wishes they had stayed in the same place their whole life. Good luck with everything.

i think WAAAAAAAAAAAAA just about covers it. but congrats anyway.

Good luck up there!

Good luck to you, Ernie! Very brave of you to forge new paths.

Congratulations and best of luck! Say hello to Canada for me!

Who needs to play safe. Everybody needs a change once in a while. It’s a good thing. Good luck!

New reader here . . . congratulations and great luck to you! I appreciated this post and could relate to having your life laid out and chosing to do something different. Good for you!

a startup? you’re leaving an awesomely big corporation to work at a startup? what an irresponsible thing to do!!! Put your head down, program the next smallish feature for Yahoo!360, make shareholders richer, and live in Fremont for the rest of your life. YES!!!

change rocks.

Good luck, eh?

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

This is because your dad is living with you, right? hehehe, hope this turns out to be a great kick-in-the-pants for you!

*snif*

A good move, Ernie, I believe. The very best of luck.

Best of luck to you, Ernie. Our loss, Canada’s gain. Vancouver is loveliest city in North America.

Good luck Ernie.

Buena suerte! I’m with you - sometimes, you just need to shake things up and do something that isn’t 100% guaranteed. And besides, Vancouver is supposed to be stunning - not like you’d be moving to somewhere godforsaken.

When you move, did you want me to fly over into Vancouver to paint your apartment again? ;-P

Wow. Something’s in the air… Good luck, Ern.

Dude,

Thanks for making my interview at Yahoo! all the more fun, and being someone who I thought I knew (”You know, I think I’ve seen you somewhere before..”) - but didn’t remember until after I got home and saw your blog.

Take it from a Canadian (born and raised in Vancouver) - you’ll like it.

Congrats! You’ll love it in Vangroovy.

so proud of you!! i’m in vancouver 2x a year… let’s meet for coffee!

Good luck Ernie, I’m sure you’ll have a blast! I’ve read your blog for years now and while I’ve never commented much or contacted you, I just wanted to say that I’m really proud of the progress you have made over the past few years. HAVE FUN!!

I wish you the best of luck, ernie! Change is good.

Best of luck, Ernie. I’ve been reading you for years now and I hope this is good for you. You seem like a good person and I hope this is a great opportunity for you to spread your wings.

Another new reader here - hello. Came to you from the warm recommendation you get in the Rough Guide to Blogging book… It’s always strengthening for the soul to hear about other people being brave! I wish you all the best. Remember : LEAP, AND THE NET WILL APPEAR.

Good luck Ernie! I ran away from home at 21 and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I’ve only been to Vancouver once but I loved it. It had a very SF feel, only cheaper. Great food, too.

Just a Canuck lurker here. I think we can say trading Yahoo Flickr for you seems fair.

Hope you last your first Vancouver winter!

Well said, Ernie. Best of luck, mate.

[…] Now that I’ve made the announcement that I’m leaving Yahoo!, I think it’s about time to talk about where I’ll be working, complete with embarrassing interview-related story. […]

Congratulations, and good luck.

Dude.

[everything else has been said already, so I’ll just leave it at that… :-)]

Congrats! Stay in touch. Hope you have a couch to sleep on - I want to visit Vancouver - never been there before.

Wish you boatloads of luck for your brave new start. Hope Canada is good to you.

Or else!

Big congrats.

I live in Vancouver….it’s a great place to live.

Congrats, Ernie, for taking the plunge and following your interests and dreams! Looking forward to reading about your new adventures.

Never been to Vancouver myself, but am going there next month for Northern Voice.

[…] Ernie leaves Yahoo, Jeremy is not surpirsed that Ben left Citizen Agency, […]

Congratulations on what must have been a challenging decision.

Your boldness serves as inspiration and a good example to anyone who might be feeling trapped by fate.

And what Glenda said. You will be missed.

Hope to see you at Web Directions North.

Leaving? But I hear that next year’s founder’s holiday gift is going to be a Bentley Continental GT…

Anyway, congrats on the startup. It’ll be a different kind of fun for sure.

As Y! employee i know it’s hard to leave Y!, as i work in the same business unit as you today.
Maybe you’ve heard about a french 2.0 direct marketing campaign sent to Brad

Last year, i’ve tried (based in france) to work on Y! 360 to share on the product strategy but i was to young to understand that i should have call you (US guys) directly…

Maybe you’ll be interested by this post :
http://gregorytalon.blogspot.com/2007/01/myspaces-approach-of-value-chain.html

It will be cool if we keep in touch!

Greg

just please don’t have a karaoke party, ok? thanks. and welcome to getting OUT of california. it’s a beautiful world out here.

*sigh* it seems like just yesterday that i was reading about you starting at yahoo… good luck with the new gig!

Sorry this is ten days late and a dollar short, but I know exactly how you feel. I was there 4 years ago when I lived back in Indy. I went to college out of state, but it was only 3 hours away from the homestead. Other than that, all I knew was Indiana.

After I got that first apartment, a decent job, and the life I was supposed to always want, I realized that I didn’t want it anymore. All I saw was a life of predictability. And like you, I didn’t want to wake up one day when I was 45 and think, “Is that all there is?”

In 2004, with $600 in my checking account and my most valued possessions in tow, I moved 2,000 miles away to a city where the only person I knew was an estranged uncle who didn’t want my ass there in the first place. It’s been rough, but I hope you have an easier relocation than I did. As a matter of fact, with your circle of friends, I’m sure you will. Good luck, Ernie.

Good luck!

Welcome to Vancouver Ernie!
I have been reading you for years and am happy to welcome you to Vancouver.

[…] A couple of months ago, I had written a blog post where I had announced I was leaving Yahoo! to pursue an opportunity in Vancouver. Maybe if this website wasn’t so public I would go into some of the details; instead, I’ll simply say that lessons were learned, photos of myself sitting alone in restaurants were taken. Once it became obvious that I wouldn’t be moving to Vancouver any time soon, there was a lot of moments working from Internet cafes and watching television at home. (Did you know Bob Barker isn’t on The Price is Right anymore? Or that Rosie O’Donnell was once on The View? I KNOW!) […]

[…] Two weeks ago it can be easily explained; I was at the SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas. And while that in itself could be a separate post, last Friday was also my last day at Yahoo!. Yes, again. […]