"But if there’s anything I do aspire to, it’s being a writer. ... I’m not vain enough to think it’s my snappy prose that drew the visitors. It was the subject matter."<p>Don (if you're out there reading this), your blog has almost single-handedly returned me to using an RSS reader. Yes, initially this was for your Safari/WebKit war stories, but please stop being so humble. You've won the technical-yet-engaging lottery -- please take advantage of this for those of us who fail in one (or both) categories.
Institutionalizing weekly deadline panic on Sunday night seems like a horrible idea to me. Nothing wrong with passionate people working many hours for what they love per se. But something in me thinks that marginalizing all those people who are good at what they do but like to have a little bit of life outside work can't be good business practice. You can love your job as much as you like, it will never make up for not getting to see the world beyond your office building and the scenery of you daily commute.<p>Edit: I hope they at least have a vacation policy in place that makes up for this madness.
"Maybe I was just tired.<p>And when you’re responsible for so many people, you owe them more than that. Better to step aside and let others have their turn. So I did."<p>All too often we see managers hold onto jobs and effectively stifle others with poor management, but it's refreshing to see someone think about the good of the company<i>.<p></i>EDIT: and the good of the people for which he was responsible (thanks nsmartt)
I've been thinking about all the great things that have happened within tech companies in the last few decades, and it seems clear to me that a couple of centuries into the future, some of these events will be hallmarks of history. I don't think it's crazy to say that Tim Berners-Lee will eventually reach the same stature of Gutenberg.<p>Unfortunately there aren't many 'historians of technology' so people like Don Melton are doing an invaluable work to record the inner culture where technological revolution is taking place. Nobody is better suited to write history than those who made it happen. All the best to Don in his new adventure :)
After reading so many "I'm leaving company X because try all suck" posts, this was such a nice read. The author didn't leave because he hated everyone, or because he felt very the business model was evil, or because he was tired of being worked like a dog, he left because e did his part and was done.<p>While I know it internally, it's always nice to read someone saying, "I did my part, I did it well, and I'm leaving on good terms, with no regrets." This post gives me more hope for myself.
I can't help but connect this: "When I looked inside myself, I didn’t see ambition or even drive to continue. I’m not sure how that happened."<p>with this: "It’s Sunday night as I publish this. That means it’s a working night for most managers at Apple. Even more so for Director-level personnel like I was."<p>I used to be a sysadmin, and I loved it. After a few years working lots of hours in a high-pressure role for financial traders, I was, like Don, just done. I had nothing left for that. In retrospect, that was burnout.
It may be harsh to sum up this article in a single word, but
I recognise this as "burnout". It's not uncommon, and it affects people in different ways, but is usually accompanied by a (sudden?) drop in ambition.
@donmelton thanks for the article, What are hours per week you would say you worked? How many hours did engineers in your team put from best to worst? Just curious as to how apple work culture was.
> I refer to myself here as a “recovering programmer.” That simply means I no longer pursue engineering as a primary activity. And that I’m self aware enough to know that I’ll occasionally fall off the wagon and start coding again.<p>Slightly off topic:<p>Is there such a thing as an ex-programmer? Do you know any previously dedicated programmer that went cold turkey on any programming whatsoever?
before I even got to the part about being a writer, I was reading the post thinking "damn, this guy is a good writer. Smooth, clear, and to the point, while still letting the ideas manifest within the reader." Literary writers can get too engrossed in their prose, I like to think this style comes from a great engineer and designer. No surprise the writer worked with Apple
You don't actually tell us why you retired from Apple beyond "The truth is I was done." Or did I miss it?<p>I mean, that might be the only reason you've got... but I'm not sure why this would be interesting to an audience of people who don't know you personally. On the other hand, it seems to have been, so what do I know.
"I think it was a shock to my son to see how I was regarded at work. Of course, that didn’t mean he started respecting me at home but, hey, a man can dream."<p>Ouch. Not sure this sort of public comment would help matters any.
I certainly hope that working Sunday nights and traditional corporate structures where we refer to co-workers below us as "minions" is not something the new generation of engineers aspire to.<p>This sounds like the typical toxic corporate work environment of people grabbing for "power."