Saying Goodbye To Apple

Buzz Andersen has written an emotional and truthful announcement of his departure from Apple. Congratulations, Buzz! Best of luck to you. You’re going to do great things.

I got to know Buzz online, through his blog and through occasional chat sessions on IRC. As it happens, I moved away from San Francisco just before I got to know a number of people online who I wanted to meet there. But since I visit often, it came as no surprise that I ran into Buzz one day at a cafe in San Francisco’s Mission District. I was sitting with my coffee when Buzz sat down a few chairs away. I recognized his resemblance to an online photo and introduced myself. He snapped this photo of me. Afterwards, we walked down to Mission Street, caught a large street protest, and then I took him to my favorite thrift store.

I was relieved that Buzz didn’t hold any personal grudges against me. After my public critique of his decision to bow out of an interview with Cocoa Radio, he would have been entitled to. He was feeling the pressure of forces inside Apple. I was feeling feisty, probably partly because I had felt similar pressures as he was then responding to. My provocative post was sassy enough to warrant a vendetta, but Buzz showed no signs of holding one. I was grateful for that.

A lot of the themes in Buzz’s blog entry hold true for me as well. The desire to work for such a great company contrast with the lure of indie-freedom. Most people think I’m being dramatic when I say that I have regular dreams about my time at Apple, but it’s true. I have at least one dream per month. Surreal dreams about fantastic Apple office buildings, where my old co-workers behave somewhat more like characters from Twin Peaks. I’m always pleased in my dreams to be back in the comfort of my Apple life. These have become a regular staple in my subconscious life. A replacement for the “showing up to school naked” dreams of earlier years. That company put a spell on me, and it’s not likely to wear off any time soon.

I’m sure it’s true for Buzz as well. As he pulls away from the safety and comfort of that great Cupertino establishment, he isn’t leaving Apple behind. He’s taking a little piece of it with him, to share with the rest of the world. Good news for the world.