Farewell: Kyle
I say farewell to a team mate and coworker, Kyle. This post is my way of honoring his time together with me.
I share highlights of the times I had with Kyle when we worked at the same company.
You’ll learn how Kyle improve (or degraded?!) my life as a team member/colleague, even for a person I barely met in real life.
This article will take you about three minutes to read.
Introduction
Another week, another person leaving?! When did the last person leave? Oh right, last week.
🤦
(If you’re a senior front-end developer interested in a new role, contact me and let’s talk!)
I do understand with work and team mates “our relationship is not forever”. With the last couple of departures happening almost monthly, I’m starting to get used to this feeling. The hardest part is not seeing team members on a regular basis.
Kyle, if you’re reading, I enjoyed working with you and wish you luck on your next endeavour.
My First Remote Team Member
I enjoyed having Kyle on my team, even when he was the only person in Boston the whole time. Boston’s close to my office. It’s in the same timezone. Heck, I can even drive there with my family and I did once for a work trip!
Kyle was the first team member I managed that was remote! Having a single team member that was 100% remote may (or may not) have caused tension with the on-site team members that wanted to work remote.
Yet, everyone, for the time being, is working remote. I guess you were ahead of the curve Kyle!
About that work trip…
When I drove up to Boston for work and I was there for two days of meetings, I only met Kyle for 30 seconds, just as he was going home.
At the time, Kyle didn’t report to me, which made it lucky for him! If he reported to me and I was in the same office, he definitely wouldn’t have gone home (that soon)! ;-)
Parents
One thing I loved when Kyle was on the team: having team members that are also parents, to understand what life is like with kids.
I’ll miss sharing stories or even strategies on working with (or around) kids better.
Kyle online
More of life is online now. Kyle takes online life to a new level (of the people I do know - and barely met in real life!)
#mindblown
One thing I will always remember about Kyle, in a Happy Hour he said:
Someone here has a YouTube video with over 10 million views.
Another friend got a video with six million views and he was considering quitting his day job to be a full time YouTuber. If someone did have more than 10 million… did they have to work (at a company?!)
At the time, I thought what Kyle said was a total joke, then Kyle told everyone in the meeting to load website:
http://www.howtopeelabanana.com/
I was thinking: Kyle, what are you doing here?! Just keep making viral videos!
At least now I can say I (kinda) know someone that has a YouTube video with more than 10 million views.
Kyle showed me some of the cooler parts of reddit. Now that I know them, I can’t avoid periodically checking them, especially during Happy Hour:
Just now, even when getting the URLs for those, I just gotta shake my fist at you Kyle.
Should I love that it took way more time to come back to write this or hate you for exposing to this part of the Internet?!
Time will tell. :-)
Ready for the next waves
When Kyle sent me a photo of his Father’s Day present, I just knew he was ready for the second or third waves or the end of the world.
Kyle, I’m glad you finally got it and I know you’ll enjoy it, even without the “next waves”. 😉
Finally!
If you’re Kyle and read this far, I’ll leave you with this:
Thanks for all the great times, good luck, and stay in touch!