Jeana Jorgensen’s Post

A Chapter Closed: Reflecting on My 7 Years at Microsoft Dear colleagues and friends, As I pen down these words, it's with mixed emotions that I have today my official final departure from Microsoft. Seven transformative years have flown by, filled with experiences I will forever cherish. These weren't just about the projects we undertook, or the goals we achieved; it was about the journey, the learning curves, and the bonds forged. The trials and triumphs, the brainstorming sessions, those late-night pitches, and the aspirations we nurtured have shaped us into a cohesive force. Our shared dedication to the ONE Surface Commercial ethos was the beacon that always illuminated our path, and it was your unwavering spirit that made every challenge surmountable for me. Looking back, the initial three years were foundational, marked by strategic endeavors that positioned our business for success. And as we navigated the subsequent years, especially through the uncharted waters of a global pandemic, your resilience and adaptability were nothing short of remarkable. We not only weathered the storm but also surpassed our targets, year after year. As you venture into the next chapter, my journey diverges from yours. However, the camaraderie, trust, and shared memories will always keep our paths connected. I am filled with hope that, in some small way, I have made an impact on each one of you, just as you have on me. If you carry forward even a fragment of our shared wisdom or a lesson learned, my time here would have achieved its purpose. Here's to the incredible past, the promising present, and a future filled with even greater achievements. I'm proud of what we built, and I'm excited to see where you'll take it next. Until our paths cross again, Your Robin My thanks to everyone and especially to: Sabine Bendiek, João Couto, Andreas Kleinknecht, Dr. Christine Haupt, Thorsten Herrmann, Celine Garbi Joergens, Oliver Gürtler, Alain Genevaux, Najat Messaoud, calin turcanu, Gustavo Fernandez, Matt Barlow, Travis Ames, Yann Calvez, Stefanie Langner, Lea Waldmann, Andre Hansel, Sneha Boobna, Marc Gubler, Katie Huedepohl, Charlotte Reimann, Joerg Kreykamp and the entire ONE Surface commercial team and our Microsoft Germany MCAPS organization.

This past week, Jan 29th 2024 to be precise, I reached a milestone that I didn’t realize until now… I have now spent more than half of my entire life at Microsoft. 🎉 Wow! That is a significant time.. a life time… one I never imagined nor planned when I started here on Mar 5th 2001. Little did I know when I started at the company, fresh out of grad school - a naive bright-eyed young lad starting his adult life - what an amazing transformation (going from 7% to 60% having access to internet, cloud followed by mobile followed by AI revolution, social media going from 0 to 47% penetration, cell phone users going from less than 800M to 8B, 15% to 99% in terms of users) of the world Microsoft and I, will play a small part in and the beautiful role the company will play in my growth as a human being. I am a better son, better father, better husband, better friend, better colleague thanks to the wonderful human beings I have crossed paths at the company and the values the company inscribed in me. What was to be a couple years to gain some work experience post-grad school, before I went back to India to join the family business, became a lifelong pursuit of excellence and doing my part to empower everyone and every organization on the planet to do more through the power of Microsoft software. ❤️ The journey has truly been a cherishable and fullfiling one. Thank you Microsott for all the opportunities to change the world and making me the person I am today… Onwards and upwards…👆 P.s. for the curious, Microsoft stock price was USD $20 and had a market capitalisation of less than USD 230 billion dollars - ranked 5th most valuable company in the world. Today the stock price is USD $411 and market capitalisation well over USD 3 Trillion dollars (or 3000 Billion dollars) - and now ranked the worlds most valuable company #1. 📈

As I sit down to write this post, my heart is a whirlwind of emotions. After 13 remarkable years at Microsoft, the time has come for me to spread my wings and explore new horizons. But before I dive into the future, let’s take a moment to reflect on the past. When I first stepped into Building "M" at Graphisoft Park, I was wide-eyed and full of dreams. Microsoft. There I was, part of this incredible company. Over the years, I’ve seen services transform into magic, witnessed products launch, and celebrated announcements that echoed across the tech world. But it wasn’t just about the technology. It was about the people—the brilliant minds who challenged me, the mentors who guided me, and the colleagues who became family. Together, we’ve transformed organizations, implemented solutions for customers to solve their problems and open possibilities for them which were unseen before. We have empowered persons and organizations to achieve more. And those awards! The Platinum Club jacket—I wore it with pride, like a superhero donning their cape. The Gold Club sweater—it kept me warm during late-night working marathons. And the Champions Award—three times! Each one a testament to the collective brilliance of the teams I've been working with. But life nudges us forward. Another opportunity knocked on my door, promising exciting work, uncharted challenges, possibility to learn and a team which I felt I'm already part for years. Still it wasn’t an easy decision. Leaving behind the redmond.exe sunsets, the hum of the Azure data centers, and the camaraderie—I felt a sad. But sometimes, growth lies beyond our comfort zones. So, with gratitude and full of excitement, I’m taking the leap. Microsoft, you’ll always be my first love in the tech universe. You will inspire me, even from a different corner of the binary galaxy. Thank you for being more than colleagues—for being my friends, my mentors, and my teammates. Farewell, my dear Microsoft family. Until our paths cross again in the cloud.

Keep hearing about the new Microsoft Entra SSE and don't know where to start? Today is your lucky day! The new guides give you a step-by-step guide to deploy in your lab or proof of concept for your org. Some top-notch work from my colleagues. Bookmark this! aka.ms/SSEDeploy Janice Ricketts, Gentaro Matsumoto, Jeffrey Bley, Andres Canello

A few weeks back, I had the incredible opportunity to host Amit Joshi, a talented Software Development Engineer at Microsoft, on one of the podcast episodes. Our discussion delved into Amit's fascinating journey from his school days influenced by a defense background to becoming a part of the tech giant Microsoft. 🔑 Key highlights from our conversation include: 🔹 Amit's disciplined upbringing and its impact on his career. 🔹 The transition from college to the tech industry and how to bridge the gap with self-learning and practical experiences. 🔹 The importance of participating in hackathons and coding competitions for real-world problem-solving and social validation. 🔹 Amit's advice on handling failures and the significance of blameless root cause analysis in personal growth and team dynamics. 🔹 Insights into Microsoft's culture, the role of AI in development, and the future of technology. This episode is a treasure trove for anyone looking to understand the nuances of starting and navigating a career in technology, directly from someone who has walked the path and achieved remarkable success. 🔗 Don't miss out on this enriching conversation. Watch the full podcast here at LetsUpgrade: https://lnkd.in/dBd-xiYH #techcareers #microsoft #softwaredevelopment #careeradvice #podcast #ai #hackathons #leadership #innovation

After nearly 10 (!) years, I left Google last Monday! I'm taking a few weeks off to recharge and learn before beginning a new adventure (more to come in a month). Below is from a note I sent my coworkers --------------- I’ve been reflecting on chapters from the past decade: - Joining the nascent Next Billion Users team as an APM out of school and getting a whirlwind tour of how people use phones all around the world - Working on the Chrome team for my APM2 rotation and receiving a master’s degree on platform economics - Fulfilling a decade long dream and starting a business (Piggybank, a personal finance app) in Area 120… and completely failing to get any traction - Trying Area 120 again… this time in gaming. Testing various ideas over 2 years before getting traction with GameSnacks and scaling it to 30M+ people - Graduating GameSnacks to Ads and learning how publishers on the open web make money - Joining Labs to build new generative AI products and exploring changes to how software and media are made What stands out is two things: (1) the breadth of diverse experiences I’m privileged to have had that feel uniquely possible at Google and (2) despite omitting names, the thousands of peers, team members, partners, and mentors from many walks of life who’ve taught me so much about products, technology, business, organizations, and people. I can’t imagine a better place to have started my career, and I’ll miss you all and this place quite dearly. Leaving is bittersweet. Please don't be a stranger and please reach out. I’d love to hear from you and stay in touch.

🎉 Level 12 Puzzle Challenge Completed! 🎉 🧩 Google I/O Achievement Unlocked! 🧩 Thrilled to share a personal milestone with my LinkedIn community: I've successfully conquered the Level 9 Puzzle Challenge at Google I/O! 🌟 From navigating through complex algorithms to unraveling intricate puzzles, this journey has been nothing short of exhilarating. Each level presented its unique set of challenges, pushing my problem-solving skills to the limit. But with determination, persistence, and a touch of creativity, I emerged victorious! A huge shoutout to the brilliant minds behind the scenes who crafted these mind-bending challenges. Your ingenuity and creativity truly made this experience unforgettable. But the journey doesn't end here. With every challenge conquered, I'm fueled with even more passion and excitement to explore the boundless possibilities of technology. Here's to continuous learning, growth, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported me along the way. Your encouragement and enthusiasm kept me motivated through every twist and turn. Together, let's continue to embrace the spirit of innovation and unlock new horizons in the world of technology! #GoogleIO #Level12Challenge #PuzzleMaster #TechEnthusiast #Innovation #AchievementUnlocked #io24puzzle

🌟 Exciting News! I’ve embarked on a journey with the Microsoft Happiness Course, diving deep into the art of joy and productivity at work. 🚀 💡 Each challenge conquered has been a step towards mastering the skills that foster a positive and thriving professional environment. 🎯 🤝 Grateful for the opportunity to grow and connect with like-minded professionals who are also on this path to happiness. Let’s uplift each other! 🔥 Stay tuned as I share insights and breakthroughs from this transformative experience. Together, we can create waves of positivity in our workplaces! #MicrosoftHappiness #ProfessionalGrowth #ChallengeAccepted

🎉 Level 9 Puzzle Challenge Completed! 🎉 🧩 Google I/O Achievement Unlocked! 🧩 Thrilled to share a personal milestone with my LinkedIn community: I've successfully conquered the Level 9 Puzzle Challenge at Google I/O! 🌟 From navigating through complex algorithms to unraveling intricate puzzles, this journey has been nothing short of exhilarating. Each level presented its unique set of challenges, pushing my problem-solving skills to the limit. But with determination, persistence, and a touch of creativity, I emerged victorious! A huge shoutout to the brilliant minds behind the scenes who crafted these mind-bending challenges. Your ingenuity and creativity truly made this experience unforgettable. But the journey doesn't end here. With every challenge conquered, I'm fueled with even more passion and excitement to explore the boundless possibilities of technology. Here's to continuous learning, growth, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported me along the way. Your encouragement and enthusiasm kept me motivated through every twist and turn. Together, let's continue to embrace the spirit of innovation and unlock new horizons in the world of technology! #GoogleIO #Level9Challenge #PuzzleMaster #TechEnthusiast #Innovation #io24puzzle #AchievementUnlocked

🍫💡💌 Innovation in Every Bite: Valentine's Chocolate Making with Microsoft Garage 💌💡🍫 Why did we run a session on chocolate making this Valentine's at the Microsoft Garage in Vancouver? It's simple: 🔍 Creativity & Experimentation: Crafting chocolates mirrors the innovation process—trying new ideas, embracing diverse ingredients, and seeing what amazing things come out. Perfect for the exploratory spirit of Microsoft Garage. 📘 Learning from the Process: Each chocolate batch teaches us something new, just like every project at Microsoft. It's about learning from every experience, successful or not. 🛠 Celebrating Every Outcome: Not every chocolate will be perfect on the first try, and that's okay. It's a sweet reminder that innovation is about progress, not perfection. Thanks to everyone that joined us as we blended the art of chocolate making with the essence of innovation. It's more than just a tasty treat; it's a symbol of our journey towards continuous improvement and creativity. And of course, a big thank you to Cody for planning and running a great event. #MicrosoftGarage #Innovation #Creativity #MSVan #MicrosoftLife #ValentinesDay #vancity #vancouver