An Irish goodbye *
* An Irish goodbye is traditionally where you are out at the pub with friends, and hoping to avoid their peer-pressure to get you to stay for more drinks, you quietly slip out and go home without saying a word. Usually, a jacket is left behind! I'm using it in a different context here, just to be clear!
After approximately four years with the company, I worked my last day of employment with Salesforce on October 6th. A plan that has been in motion for about five years is now coming to fruition, and my wife and I are moving to Ireland. Back to where I've always called "home" for me, and an international relocation for Dominique.
Just over four and a half years ago, we made the leap and moved to Seattle from Brooklyn, New York, in April 2019. I had devised a plan beforehand that moving to Seattle would allow me to get a tech job with one of the larger multinational software companies based in the city. Once I had worked there a number of years and we were ready to move back to Ireland, the process would hopefully be made easier by transferring internally in the company to its Irish office. The company that I ended up being hired by, Tableau, did, in fact, have an office in Dublin. On the day that I joined, July 29th, 2019, Tableau was in the process of being acquired by the much larger software company, Salesforce, who also happened to have a Dublin office. So I went from working for a company with around 4,000 employees to one that had around 35,000 employees before I had even finished my orientation week (Salesforce subsequently grew to around 80,000 employees by 2023).
It was the first corporate takeover that I had witnessed firsthand, and it has been interesting to see how one established company assimilates another gradually. A scrappy, fun, start-up-like environment gave way to a much more structured and corporate environment where much of the focus is on the sales employees (it isn’t called "Sales"—force for nothing). Understandably, some more tenured employees who missed the "old days" of Tableau (having greater autonomy over the product you are building, a more laidback and fun atmosphere, being part of something small or up and coming) left for other opportunities over the years. This naturally happens after a takeover, but nonetheless, it has been interesting to see just where some people's "line in the sand" is.
I've enjoyed my time at Tableau and Salesforce and had the opportunity to learn so much from some very technically capable and talented peers. I've built skills that will serve me well into the future and learned so much about what it takes to develop a global product. So, considering I had planned to move with my company all those years ago, why was October 6th my last day?
There were probably a few reasons. Dominique and I had planned to do some traveling before moving back to Ireland to spend Christmas with my family. The hassle of arranging that much time off and having to stress about getting back to work so soon after an international move was one factor. After the major layoffs in the tech sector in 2023, I am very grateful that leaving the company was my decision and that I have the choice of being able to take a few months before re-entering the workforce. Another factor was that I honestly just wanted to try something else. I wanted to take my skills and apply them to another company, another product, and another position. I'm not quite sure where I will end up working yet, but in Ireland, there are a lot of options, and with a name like Salesforce on my resume, I hope to be in a good position to get work relatively quickly.
This will likely be our last major long-distance move. There are only so many times that you can replace all of your furniture before it gets tiresome. Not to say that we won’t continue to travel; we'll just set up a base of operations to do it from! In the next few years, I've been contemplating going back to college to get a higher degree. It could lead to a change of career, or it could end up just being a goal to aim for and an attempt to do college right this time! There are a lot of very interesting things happening in Ireland right now, and the future, in my opinion, looks bright.
I probably won’t get another article written this year due to the transitory few months we have ahead of ourselves, but I'll be sure to document our October, November, and December adventures in a 2024 article.
La Música
Please note: All song links shared below will bring you to Spotify. You'll need to create an account to listen.
Little Richard - I Don't Know What You Got
This Little Richard song has it all—that slow musical intro with the horns, Little Richard's powerful, soulful voice, and brilliant production. Every single time that I listen to this song, I really enjoy the sequence that starts at 2:25 and goes into the chorus around 3:10. His voice breaks more than once in that chorus, and I love the passion. I recommend watching the new documentary, "Little Richard: I Am Everything", to see just how much of an impact he had on the music industry.
Khruangbin - People Everywhere (Still Alive)
This band is very much a master of their craft. Their playing is tight, and they seem to be in tune with each other on another level. In addition to listening to the song above, watch them play live on KEXP and Austin City Limits and witness how effortless they make it all seem.
Linda McCartney - Seaside Woman
A happy, fast-paced, reggae-inspired song by the bandmate and wife of the Beatles' Paul McCartney. She is a very accomplished musician in her own right.
Sultans Of Ping F.C., Frank McNamara - Where's Me Jumper?
Okay, I agree that the premise and the lyrics to this song are a little absurd, but this is a fantastic, rousing punk song from Cork's Sultans of Ping F.C. That first instrumental breakout after the chorus at 0:45 is full of such energy. I do wonder if he ever found his jumper.
Wolf Alice - Bros
A recent addition to my library, I am really enjoying this song. It gives me vibes of the band, Placebo, but with a female voice. Sort of haunting. I've heard of Wolf Alice before, but I've never really listened to much of their stuff. That will have to change!
Labi Siffre - Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying
Labi Siffre - (Something Inside) So Strong
I guess it would be fair to say that Labi Siffre never really became too mainstream, which is a shame because he's a very talented, versatile singer and musician. Everyone has likely heard "(Something Inside) So Strong" at least once. A powerful, anti-apartheid song.