About four and half years ago I came to work at Twitter. I already knew a few of the founding team, and had grown to love the service through launching and running @google for a couple of years. I love the immediacy of the platform, and how its constraints fuel wholly original uses (@twitmericks, @dick_nixon and @realtimewwii come to mind) — these and millions of other #onlyontwitter moments where cultural figures and memes collide (a recent favorite: #force4ham).
Today I love Twitter more than ever, and its remarkable power as a world-changing communication tool and rich information utility. And there’s plenty to cheer right now, too: Jack has brought a fresh mindset to the company, he’s bringing on some great new people, and situating Twitter to be even more of a force in the world. Ten years on, it’s still the only place to turn for enriching and collective fun during planned live events (hello, political debates and Oscars) — and it is imperative during crises and emergencies wherever and whenever they occur.
None of that changes. What does is that after today (March 4th), I’ll be cheering on Twitter from the outside. I’ve had a momentous time inside an incredible game-changing company; now, I’m eager to work for myself. (Why, yes, as a matter of fact I do know that joke about consultants.)
My timing seems to be good, as the need for what I call editorial thinking has perhaps never been greater. There are more channels for speaking, sharing, opining, and message-shaping than ever before, and I’m already in talks with startups, VCs, and creative firms about how I can help people and teams work to communicate clearly and consistently. So if you want to talk shop, reach out. I look forward to working through ideas and challenges with old friends and new colleagues. And when I can’t help, I have a mighty great network to tap.
Meanwhile, a deep bow to the Twittersphere, especially to my wonderful crew inside Twitter-the-company, for a memorable and instructive ride. I know from past history that I’ll be in touch with lots of you as I make my way forward. And you already know the best way to keep up with me.