I started writing "The Final Commit" a few months before I knew my journey as an operator at MAI was nearing its end. This project sprang from a mix of anxiety and a nagging sense of unfinished business (though, in truth, an organization is always evolving, and a leader's work is never truly done).
My main worry was the handover—passing the torch of the organization I'd built from scratch to my protégé and the leadership team I’d nurtured. Looking back, these concerns were unfounded; my protégé, CXZ, then-VPE, proved incredibly capable, and the leadership was more than ready.
"The Final Commit" became my emotional outlet, a way to process these feelings. I hoped that sharing my personal retrospective—what worked, what didn't, and what I’d do differently with hindsight—would benefit those who continue the journey.
Between night feedings and diaper changes (my first child had just arrived!), I finished the initial draft a month before my operating role concluded.
After four years as the founding head of Product, Engineering, Data, AI, and Cybersecurity, I transitioned into an advisory role, spending two afternoons a week with the team. This new vantage point allowed me to truly appreciate the incredible achievements we had made, and continue to make, and just how remarkable our team truly is.
Like any startup, our path was far from easy. I served under three different CEOs in four years (one had two non-consecutive terms), built a team during the height of COVID-19 (our first line of code was written in October 2020), and we didn't just survive—we thrived. We defied our critics, from the board member who doubted my youth until our successful launch silenced him, to the consulting group that admitted they’d never witnessed a launch as successful as ours, even among those they’d personally led.
As an advisor, seeing the impact of my decisions from a fresh perspective, I realized "The Final Commit" was more than just my story—it was our story. A story that deserved to be shared beyond MAI's walls.
What began as an outlet for my personal anxiety transformed into a chronicle of our collective journey.
To all past and present members of our exceptional PnE (Product and Engineering) team: we built something extraordinary, and this is our shared memory.