Musings from my Microsoft days - how I lost my sorry self.

Long time ago, during my first few months at Microsoft while working in the Exchange team I found a bug. After much deliberation I took myself to the developer's office. I was scared - those days I was scared about everything at work I think. I politely knocked on the door and with my "I am sorry but..." signature line entered the room. He was a very smart guy, listened to me patiently then very elaborately spent the next ten minutes explaining how my bug was not a bug. I was sure it was an issue but he was the developer and he was so eloquent and so confident that two minutes into the talk I believed him. On the 11th minute he realized a flaw in his explanation.

"Hmm, it is a bug. Forget all I told you so far."

I can't remember what he said after that but those lines really wiped out any lack of confidence I had. For ten minutes I had believed him. He had been speculating so confidently that I believed him. I doubted myself and really had believed him. 

I shed my sorry self and walked out a different person. If you ask me what my best bug at Microsoft was I have to say that one. It grew me a backbone and was the foundation many a bug stood their ground on.

Leaving Microsoft and climbing other mountains

After almost 10 years of being at Microsoft I am quitting. Quitting sounds harsh so I will say leaving. I am leaving Microsoft today. It has been quite a journey. Most of it rather wonderful. It is the only place I have worked so I have nothing to compare it with but with all the fun I had there I guess I lucked out.

I remember being the "I am sorry” girl. I walked into offices apologizing, sorry that I was there, a newbie, not knowing anything, intimidated by everyone and everything. Then I met people who mentored me and taught by example. I learnt from the best and the worst. Learnt what to be and not to be. I grew up there.

There are days I felt extremely stupid and days I wondered how some people had made their way into this great company. I cried at work a few times but laughed at work way many more times.

Microsoft is an amazing company, it does not just build software, it builds people too - you get educated there, you learn you can change disciplines and be anything you want to be as long as you work hard and are passionate about it. It hires the most diverse set of people and teaches you to respect and value diversity.

Over time I will have more posts of my time spent there but today I am overwhelmed by all the mails coming in from people I worked with. I am proud to have worked there.

In the coming months I will trek up to Everest Base Camp and get a plan going to climb Kilimanjaro. I will volunteer and then work on a startup and try to gain an identity that is not all about me working at Microsoft but I know I will be forever happy that I did work there.