So yes, I sold the company I've poured the last four years of my life into. Everything is suddenly different. Well, not as sudden as it seems. This has been in the works for almost four months. Much of it, in excruciating uncertainly. But now I can talk about it! That doesn't mean I know much. For example, about the question: What happens now?
I'm going to work at Google, naturally, which is an awesome opportunity in itself. To go there with the rest of my team (Jason, Jason, Jason, Rudy, and Steve), and to continue working on Blogger, but to have access to these amazing resources (not just money, and servers, and bandwidth, and traffic, and the index, but incredible brains) is a dream scenario.
For Blogger, and for Blogger users (and for the blogging world in general—Blogger-using or not—because I know that's a concern), it's going to mean great things, I believe. We're going to be mapping out more clearly what that means and talking about it soon. We don't mean to be mysterious about that. We just haven't had time to put it all together yet.
From the personal perspective, my whole life is different. For starters, while I'm working on roughly the same thing, I now have a boss (or two)—something I've rarely had in my life. I'm working in a company of 600 (and growing) instead of six (the largest previous was O'Reilly at 150 or so, but that was brief). I'm commuting to another town for work, which I've never done. (I bought a car yesterday—something I haven't had in three years.) And that's just the tangible stuff. Well, part of the tangible stuff.
So, it'll be interesting. Not easy adjustments in all cases, I'm sure. But an exciting next chapter and a worthy adventure.
To address a couple of things people are wondering: Yes, it is a "good thing." It wasn't a case of needing to sell, we were doing well and getting better. It was actually a difficult decision, given my fiercely independent nature and some of the exciting other options we were considering. Also, I'm usually skeptical of acquisitions. I was only convinced after brainstorming with our people and their people about why and how we could do much cooler things for our users and the web at an incredibly large scale by being part of Google. And, importantly, by the Googler's integral nature and becoming convinced that the view from the inside was as impressive (if not moreso) than from outside. Uh-oh, do I sound like I've drank the kool-aid already?
Actually, it was just the food. And I thought the names went together nicely. I mean Google? Blogger? There's clearly shared DNA there or something.
As for the other thing people are wondering: No, I'm not telling you how much. :)
So thanks for all the good wishes and congratulations. And to all the people who have been so supportive. And to the people who played a part in Blogger and Pyra in the last four years: Meg, Paul, Matt, Matt, Derek, Jack, Steve, Rudy, Jason, Jason, Jason, Bryan, Amy. And our investors and advisors: Jerry, Mark, John, Tim, Michael, Jeff, Jordan, Judy and Peter, the Accelerator folks. And the blogging community for participating in this giant brainstorm over the last few years. Addendum: Of course, and Don B. and Dan B. And Bernardo and the Globo guys.
Also, I'd like to thank the Academy. And my mom.
It's been an interesting ride. I have a feeling it's about to get moreso.
[edited: 2/17, 10am]