Gooooooogle! (Aprils fools)

It's now official, starting Monday I'm a Google employee! We've been in talks for some weeks now, I've managed to con someone that my Couch project has real potential.

Initially I'll be working full time on a Notes/Domino related project for which my continued expertise will be important. My involvment in that will wind down pretty quickly after the first month or so, and then I'll be working almost full time on (drumroll please).... Couch!

So while I can't really talk much about the details of the arrangement, I can say:

  • I will continue to blog about openly about the technical direction of Couch

  • Couch will be open source (but we haven't settled on the exact license)

  • Initially it will be just me as the only Google resource working on Couch

Also, we haven't worked out exactly where I'll be living. Mountain View is the strongest possibility, but the Boston office is also a likelyhood. For now I'll work from home in Charlotte and with trips to Mountain View (I'm totally bi-coastal). I'll let you guys know where I'm going live as soon as I know!

Yes, I'm positively thrilled. I'll now have access to absolutely tremendous resources that I can apply to the development of Couch. Watch this space!

Update: I really should thank Phil Latio and Wayne King for all they've done to help make this happen. If it weren't for them I'd have no job. Really.

Update 2: Wow, this is an unexpected development. Google has just finalized plans to open a Charlotte development office (I didn't know about it until today), and it looks like that's where I'll be based out of. They're going to announce more details later. I'm told the office is going to have an "Aardvark theme". I'm not sure what that means.

Update 3: Ok, I've been told what "Aardvark theme" means. It means the building is made to look like an Aardvark and the siding looks like grey fur. How very Googly.

Update 4: It was an Aprils fools prank. All of it, including all the increasingly absurd updates and responses I added throughout the day. Except for the part about Wayne King always being there for me. That part's for real.

Yes, I'm pure evil.

Posted April 1, 2006 12:21 PM

Comments

Congratulations. Great to see that Google saw the value of both you personally, and in Couch. I'd love to hear more about the Google > Notes/Domino stuff! :-)

Alan Lepofsky, March 31, 2006 12:38 PM

That sounds cool for you and it's a really great confirmation for the time, money and effort you decided to spent on couch based on only your believe that it's going to be a great thing! Congratulations!

Ralph, March 31, 2006 12:48 PM

That's really awesome news. Many congrats.

But I guess you'll have to change the blogs tag line now.

Pete Lyons, March 31, 2006 12:51 PM

Awesome Damien! I'm so happy for you. I knew that someone would be smart enough to pick you and couch up. Congrats on finally getting paid for something you love (and WANT) to do!

I really enjoyed meeting you and talking at Lotusphere, and I'm glad that this is the place you ended up instead of the "alternative"

:-)

I'm thrilled for you man. good luck!

-John

Greyhawk68, March 31, 2006 12:56 PM

Congratulations...that sounds like a great opportunity!

Josh, March 31, 2006 1:04 PM

Congrats Damien. Remember the couch/python interface ;-) Guido works at google too along with many other python gurus.

Dan Sickles, March 31, 2006 1:27 PM

Wow Damien, that's awesome. Congratulations!

Jordan, March 31, 2006 1:34 PM

Absolutely wonderful! Congrats!

Tony Kelleran, March 31, 2006 1:34 PM

Awesome, Damien...Congrats to you! Looking forward to hearing about the Notes stuff you'll be doing too!

Chris Blatnick, March 31, 2006 1:58 PM

There is no Boston Google office...

David Pitkin, March 31, 2006 3:11 PM

KahliForNeah or Taxachusetts?

Go for Cali, you've done MA.

Ronnie, March 31, 2006 3:17 PM

Wow, that's fantastic!

Nick Mudge, March 31, 2006 3:40 PM

You might have to change your tag line "How to build stuff and not get paid for it"

Nick Mudge, March 31, 2006 3:41 PM

Congrats Damien - it was only a matter of time!

Steve Castledine, March 31, 2006 3:51 PM

Damien-
Great news!
Ned has told me about that Phil guy, who helped you. He has helped Ned too, lots of times. He is really wonderful.
Anyway, good luck.

susan, March 31, 2006 3:57 PM

Wow! That's great, Damien. Way to go!

And to think I knew you when you were just a young Lotus BP ;-)

Richard Schwartz, March 31, 2006 4:02 PM

Thanks everyone.

Yeah Susan, Phil is a great guy. But I can't forget Wayne King, he's always been there for me. Always.

Damien, March 31, 2006 4:12 PM

A bit late, but right freakin' on! Just remember -- don't be evil, m'kay?

Stan Rogers, March 31, 2006 4:25 PM

Hey, that's great news!! Congrats and enjoy the new gig!

Lisa, March 31, 2006 4:47 PM

Outrageous!!!!! Congrats.....

Bruce

Bruce Elgort, March 31, 2006 4:48 PM

Very well. Looks like everyone has a new job in Q2. :-)

Volker Weber, March 31, 2006 4:51 PM

Hmmm, April Fools is a day away...I hope it's the real deal, but if not I brought up the 4/1 first :)

Tony Kelleran, March 31, 2006 5:10 PM

Posted on April 1st. Helped by "Phil Latio" and "Wayne King" (the guy who's always there for him?). Working in the new Charlotte office of Google in a building that looks like an Aardvark and is covered in grey fur. Am I the only person besides Sue and Tony who knows that Damien has a sense of humor?

Bob, March 31, 2006 6:42 PM

Pay no mind to Bob. He's just jealous he doesn't get work with *the* Phil Latio in an aardvark themed building in Charlotte.

It's sad the way he lashes out.

Damien, March 31, 2006 6:52 PM

Bob: you're harshing my mellow, man.

Phil Latio, March 31, 2006 7:13 PM

Congrats Damien, until I read your update about the NC office, I was hoping to see you up here in Boston again!

-Dana

Dana Zircher, March 31, 2006 8:40 PM

Good luck! I'm excited to see where you take Couch. Please keep us posted.

Matt, March 31, 2006 9:23 PM

Great Damien --

what a great match! You're perfect for each other.

Andrew Pollack, March 31, 2006 9:34 PM

Does this mean that now you are a fully-funded Couch Potato??

Bob Balaban, March 31, 2006 9:35 PM

No fair playing April Fools jokes on March 31 but after last years porno site I guess we should have been on the watch. You know I'm such a sap, I even Googled Mr. Latio. Gullible, gullible, gullible.

Pete Lyons, March 31, 2006 10:12 PM

Okay so you won't be working with Guido (jokes on me I'm only buying you one beer next lothusphere ;-). I'll just have to write my own stinkin' python api. Hmmm was that c++ or Erlang...now I can't be sure.

Dan sickles, April 1, 2006 1:42 AM

Okay so you won't be working with Guido (jokes on me I'm only buying you one beer next lothusphere ;-). I'll just have to write my own stinkin' python api. Hmmm was that c++ or Erlang...now I can't be sure.

Dan Sickles, April 1, 2006 1:42 AM

Good one ;o)

Ben Poole, April 1, 2006 2:40 AM

Oh I feel sooooo used, sigh!

Well I'm wishing you luck anyway...

-Dana

Dana Zircher, April 1, 2006 6:02 AM

aren't April fool's jokes illegal...?

Bernard Devlin, April 1, 2006 8:01 AM

Very cool! Congrats! I met you at the 'Sphere and thought that Couch was going to be awesome. Glad that you and the 'Big G' are coming together!

With everyone moving on, I better get myself together also...

Ray "The Lion King" Bilyk, April 1, 2006 9:50 AM

Oh yeah? Fool's joke. Well, I hear "Couch" is dead, that everything is going FUTON now! How's that?

:-)

Andrew Pollack, April 1, 2006 11:52 AM

Are you going to be working on the Google Gulp project?

Ronnie, April 1, 2006 2:26 PM

Good one Damien.

Wayne has been a constant and true companion for me as well, for a very long time.

Though I used to totally enjoy Phil, I ain't seen him in years :-(

kudla, April 2, 2006 8:38 AM

Ooooh, no fair doing this a day early!!! :-)

Greyhawk68, April 3, 2006 11:56 AM

Dude - you've spent too long in the house. Go out side and breathe some fresh air.

Brendon Upson, April 4, 2006 1:34 AM

Wow cooool! Congratulations & best of luck! :-)

Daniel Nashed, April 4, 2006 5:05 PM

pure evil indeed. nice work. now you just need to create a MiniMe (i'd guess he'd be working on a love seat?) and take over the world.

jonvon, April 6, 2006 1:37 PM

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