He didn’t have a bad word to say about Microsoft. He was more concerned that I not write anything negative about the company than anything else.
This guy's a class act. That level of professionalism is something we don't see often enough in this industry, and it'll reflect well on him while he looks for his next job.
"... This guy's a class act. That level of professionalism is something we don't see often enough in this industry ..."
I'd tend to agree with you here. I remember Don really getting stuck into YC, not in a negative way but fundamentally questioning the reasons for the niche b/w Angel and VC. Once explained what was going on and the reasons (benefits to Startups, VC's, customers, companies). Given the evidence and seeing the advantages Don changed tack. So it's not the first time I've seen how well Don has behaved in the sometimes bitchy world of Tech.
I never claimed otherwise, but that's not even relevant.
No doubt this guy is looking back at what he accomplished at Microsoft. Whether it's his fault or not, I doubt that he wants to hear that his work was a waste of time.
His termination shouldn't be all that surprising. Remember, Don Dodge is a big name and costs Microsoft a lot of money. How much value is he producing, exactly? It's difficult to say, since he doesn't work on a directly revenue-generating product. Companies like Microsoft tend to hire well-known guys when they can afford it for the less tangible rewards (brand value, etc.), but have difficulty justifying their employment when times are tough. There's no doubt in my mind he was a valuable asset to Microsoft, so I don't want to undermine that, but anybody who has worked at a large, slow-moving company knows exactly how the attitude towards spending works.
This makes absolutely no sense. He was literally the face of microsoft to the startup community. He's done a hell of a great job at it. Layoffs are sad, but they're usually reserved for people you can let go of. Don Dodge was NOT one of those people. He was actually the opposite: someone that microsoft needed to make sure they never let go. I'm pretty shocked.
The fact that Microsoft needed to make layoffs kind of underscores the fact that they are the big, vulnerable dinosaur these days.Twenty years ago, the recession wouldn't have touched them.
