Most folks’ first thought: Wait, whaaaaat?!
Second thought: Actually… that makes sense!
So, it’s true: After nearly three great years back at Adobe, I’ve moved to just the third place I’ve worked since the Clinton Administration: Microsoft!
I’ve signed on with a great group of folks to bring generative imaging magic to as many people as possible, leveraging the power of DALL•E, ChatGPT, Copilot, and other emerging tech to help make fun, beautiful, meaningful things. And yes, they have a very good sense of humor about Clippy, so go ahead and get those jokes out now. :->
It really is a small world: The beautiful new campus (see below) is just two blocks from my old Google office (where I reported to the same VP who’s now in charge of my new group), which itself is just down the road from the original Adobe HQ; see map. (Maybe I should get out more!)
And it’s a small world in a much more meaningful sense: I remain in a very rare & fortunate spot, getting to help guide brilliant engineers’ efforts in service of human creativity, all during what feels like one of the most significant inflection points in decades. I’m filled with gratitude, curiosity, and a strong sense of responsibility to make the most of this moment.
Thank you to my amazing Adobe colleagues for your hard & inspiring work, and especially for chance to build Firefly over the last year. It’s just getting started, and there’s so much we can do together.
Thank you to my new team for opening this door for us. And thank you to the friends & colleagues reading these words. I’ll continue to rely on your thoughtful, passionate perspectives as we navigate these opportunities together.
Let’s do this!
Congrats, John…I’ll be looking forward to what rabbits you’ll be pulling out of Microsoft’s hat!
-john
Congratulations. After your success with Firefly, it seems like all of Silicon Valley is betting on bioluminescence.
Big congrats, John!
That campus building looks incredible. Look at the green roof!
So happy for you and looking forward for more posts and sharing about your work.
Many congratulations, John (Maybe you crossed paths with a truly holy cow whilst in Eire!)
I had just finished reading this: https://www.reuters.com/technology/microsoft-announces-principles-foster-innovation-competition-ai-2024-02-26/ before finding your announcement.