I gave notice last week.

This was the hardest resignation day I’ve ever had to go through. Not only because I noticed that people care about me and my work but more importantly to leave something so great behind.

I truly enjoyed working with, and learning from my amazing manager about product management, leadership, respect, opportunities, metrics, strategy and customers.

He defined product management as 3 main parts: customer, data, strategy.
I’ve always found those such great pillars to follow, and core ideas on how to tackle product management.

But that’s not all. I’ve never worked at a company where leadership and management were so approachable, caring and listening. I already miss all the great conversations and insights I got from my manager, the CTO and CEO, well basically anybody there. I will forever cherish this, and do not ever want to cut my connections to them – Graeme and Ed, you promised me coffee time! I never had the feeling that anybody’s opinion is not valued or not considered, I never had to deal with any egos or had the feeling I couldn’t tell anyone (especially in senior management) if I felt their idea was not something we should pursue.

It’s actually pretty easy, everybody wants to be happy and productive at work, and the best way to achieve that is to work and have fun, together.

I’ve learned what constructive criticism, respect and loyalty mean. I’ve learned to build and form an opinion at work, discuss, feel different and be proud of it, and more importantly stand behind it, something that has not always been easy for me in the past.

I’ve learned so much here. This place is encouraging and positive and that’s what has always kept me there.

Thank you OANDA.

<obvious-shout-out>If you ever get a chance to work for OANDA, go for it, and apply, it’s a great bunch of people.</obvious-shout-out>

And, although I didn’t plan to move on so quickly after my enjoyable and productive 1 1/2 years at OANDA, there is a reason why I had to do it. It’s about growing and taking opportunities, and sometimes they come faster than you had planned.

Throughout my entire life, the web and its openness have always been a passion of mine. I’ve always been fascinated by the web and its possibilities; I’ve built many websites, have cursed about browser compatibilities so many times, built mobile websites for the CBC, lead a mobile/hybrid web app project at the CBC, have hosted many webperf meetups, haven spoken at conferences about the web, and last but not least I’ve written a book about web performance.

This is not to brag about my stuff, it’s more to explain my passion, and by now, I assume you’ve noticed a pattern: I believe in the (mobile) web and I am so passionate about it.

So, in a couple of weeks, I will start as a senior product manager at Mozilla. I can’t wait to bring Firefox on all mobile devices. I’m so thankful and grateful that I can finally put all my passion for the (mobile) web into an organization that truly cares for, and believes in the openness of the web.

My first week at work will be in Whistler, BC, where I will meet all my team members, well all Mozillians. After that, I’ll have my desk in the Toronto office.

I can’t wait!

I believe in the web, and I believe in mobile.

Let’s get started.