Niall leaves Microsoft

August 8, 2006 By

Niall Kennedy leaves Microsoft, he announced today on his blog. That’s a bummer. Microsoft needs more Web natives, not fewer. Reading his blog today I’m left saddened, especially since Niall was hired to make an RSS synchronization platform. Good news for NewsGator, though, since NewsGator already has a decent synchronization platform.

Filed Under: 1
  • http://valleywag.com/ Nick Douglas

    I’m passing around the link to an exit interview that Niall gave me.

  • http://valleywag.com Nick Douglas

    I’m passing around the link to an exit interview that Niall gave me.

  • Pingback: :Ben Metcalfe Blog » Blog Archive » Niall follows his heart and goes solo

  • http://www.theportermethod.com/blog Doug Porter

    Robert, curious what you think about what Niall mentioned in the exit interview about splitting Microsoft up in to multiple specialized companies?

  • http://www.theportermethod.com/blog Doug Porter

    Robert, curious what you think about what Niall mentioned in the exit interview about splitting Microsoft up in to multiple specialized companies?

  • Christopher Coulter

    VW: Is there any way you could have foreseen that?
    Niall: Not really.

    It was obvious from 10,000 miles out that this was just Ray Ozzie Google-copycat-up bluff-up vaporware. But from the company that can’t move Vista an inch? The die was cast before he was even hired. Couldn’t have forseen? Blind as a headless bat and cripsy french-fried for buying into the usual overmicrowaved Microsoft-styled Web 2.0 hype, then.

  • Christopher Coulter

    VW: Is there any way you could have foreseen that?
    Niall: Not really.

    It was obvious from 10,000 miles out that this was just Ray Ozzie Google-copycat-up bluff-up vaporware. But from the company that can’t move Vista an inch? The die was cast before he was even hired. Couldn’t have forseen? Blind as a headless bat and cripsy french-fried for buying into the usual overmicrowaved Microsoft-styled Web 2.0 hype, then.

  • http://dondodge.typepad.com/the_next_big_thing/ Don Dodge

    10,000 people joined Microsoft this year while three notable people (Scoble, Niall, Gondotra)left to pursue other interests. Good luck to Niall! He is a great young guy and has a bright future ahead of him. Niall joined Microsoft in April and is leaving August 18th, so he really didn’t give it much of a chance. But I understand the burning desire to do a startup…and do it fast before someone else does.

    Robert, we miss you and Vic, and will mis Niall too. But Microsoft will do just fine. There are 70,000 talented people at Microsoft. They wouldn’t miss me if I left either. That is the good and the bad of working for a large successful company.

    Windows Live will be great. Ray Ozzie and teams of talented people are busy building some amazing new tools. There are lots of stars on the Windows Live team. Niall will be missed but everyone else will carry on.

    I have seen both sides. I worked on the management team of five startups, notably AltaVista, Napster, and Groove Networks. It was a blast! Working for Microsoft is a blast too. I love my job. Working with VCs and startups to build partnerships with Microsoft is what I love to do. On the other hand, if I was stuck in the bowels of a product group in Redmond and couldn’t bring my ideas to fruition quickly…I would probably move on too.

    Good luck to all of you!

    Don Dodge

  • http://dondodge.typepad.com/the_next_big_thing/ Don Dodge

    10,000 people joined Microsoft this year while three notable people (Scoble, Niall, Gondotra)left to pursue other interests. Good luck to Niall! He is a great young guy and has a bright future ahead of him. Niall joined Microsoft in April and is leaving August 18th, so he really didn’t give it much of a chance. But I understand the burning desire to do a startup…and do it fast before someone else does.

    Robert, we miss you and Vic, and will mis Niall too. But Microsoft will do just fine. There are 70,000 talented people at Microsoft. They wouldn’t miss me if I left either. That is the good and the bad of working for a large successful company.

    Windows Live will be great. Ray Ozzie and teams of talented people are busy building some amazing new tools. There are lots of stars on the Windows Live team. Niall will be missed but everyone else will carry on.

    I have seen both sides. I worked on the management team of five startups, notably AltaVista, Napster, and Groove Networks. It was a blast! Working for Microsoft is a blast too. I love my job. Working with VCs and startups to build partnerships with Microsoft is what I love to do. On the other hand, if I was stuck in the bowels of a product group in Redmond and couldn’t bring my ideas to fruition quickly…I would probably move on too.

    Good luck to all of you!

    Don Dodge

  • Christopher Coulter

    So the Zissimopoulos, Goland, Allaire, Thorpe, Kohavi, LaVallee deadpools an up and running?

    And Russinovich’s date for extra bonus points… ;)

  • Christopher Coulter

    So the Zissimopoulos, Goland, Allaire, Thorpe, Kohavi, LaVallee deadpools an up and running?

    And Russinovich’s date for extra bonus points… ;)

  • Karim

    And Russinovich’s date for extra bonus points…

    Russinovich? Oh hell no. They made him a technical fellow, like Dave Cutler. That comes with a parking spot, all the pizza you can eat, and a license to kill (on campus).

    Karl Rove would sooner defect to the Soviets. Kai-Fu Lee would sooner return to Microsoft.

  • Karim

    And Russinovich’s date for extra bonus points…

    Russinovich? Oh hell no. They made him a technical fellow, like Dave Cutler. That comes with a parking spot, all the pizza you can eat, and a license to kill (on campus).

    Karl Rove would sooner defect to the Soviets. Kai-Fu Lee would sooner return to Microsoft.

  • Christopher Coulter

    We shall see. Man does not live on perks alone. Hearing some press background reports of troubles already.

    * Assuming of course, there were still Soviets. Karl Rove defecting to Iran or North Korea is more this Admin. Soviets are sooo, like, 80s Reagan, like fer sure, like, gag me, like, with a spoon, like far-out, like totally krad, like totally tubular, likeimsoooosure…no duh. ;)

  • Christopher Coulter

    We shall see. Man does not live on perks alone. Hearing some press background reports of troubles already.

    * Assuming of course, there were still Soviets. Karl Rove defecting to Iran or North Korea is more this Admin. Soviets are sooo, like, 80s Reagan, like fer sure, like, gag me, like, with a spoon, like far-out, like totally krad, like totally tubular, likeimsoooosure…no duh. ;)

  • Pingback: blog.mignault.net » Blog Archive » Platform vs implementation

  • LayZ

    As Homer Simpson would say:

    “I have NO idea who that is”

  • LayZ

    As Homer Simpson would say:

    “I have NO idea who that is”

  • http://in-cider.spaces.msn.com/ Cider

    What a nonsense. All this proves is one of the maxims of software development – that if you add a whole bunch of people to a project, it will slow down.

    If Microsoft hired 10,000 new people in the last 6 months and then added the majority to Windows Live, it will be slow, almost to a paralysis state. He didn’t see it as much because he is a team of one. If he had joined an in-progress project, he would probably still be in the learning phase as well.

  • http://in-cider.spaces.msn.com Cider

    What a nonsense. All this proves is one of the maxims of software development – that if you add a whole bunch of people to a project, it will slow down.

    If Microsoft hired 10,000 new people in the last 6 months and then added the majority to Windows Live, it will be slow, almost to a paralysis state. He didn’t see it as much because he is a team of one. If he had joined an in-progress project, he would probably still be in the learning phase as well.

  • LayZ

    @11 I’m guessing very few people in charge of development projects at Microsoft have a copy of “The Mythical Man-Month” on their bookshelves. Let alone have read it.

  • LayZ

    @11 I’m guessing very few people in charge of development projects at Microsoft have a copy of “The Mythical Man-Month” on their bookshelves. Let alone have read it.

  • LayZ

    Don, I’m sure more than 3 notable people left MS this year. Scoble likely being well down this list as far as people actually working on producing something people might buy. 10,000 people in a YEAR? I gotta believe that means the quality bar has been severly lowered.

  • LayZ

    Don, I’m sure more than 3 notable people left MS this year. Scoble likely being well down this list as far as people actually working on producing something people might buy. 10,000 people in a YEAR? I gotta believe that means the quality bar has been severly lowered.

  • Pingback: » Niall Kennedy Says Goodbye To Microsoft  InsideMicrosoft - part of the Blog News Channel

  • http://mikeabundo.com/ Mike Abundo

    The brain drain continues.

  • http://mikeabundo.com Mike Abundo

    The brain drain continues.

  • http://www.tekpool.com/ Tekpooler

    Hey Niall,
    Now that you have no job, you might want to look at http://www.tekpool.com and prepare for an interview… lol

  • http://www.tekpool.com Tekpooler

    Hey Niall,
    Now that you have no job, you might want to look at http://www.tekpool.com and prepare for an interview… lol

  • Pingback: Cutbacks at MSN Forces Blogger to Leave | PodTech.net: Silicon Valley, Technology, & Media Podcast

  • SofialaPlumeta

    Many people think visitors in their home blind date uncensored may just be asking to borrow the computer to check their emails, when in fact, they are setting you up to steal whatever financial information they can get their hands on.