(considering Im using Gmail as my main email program and Google Calendar as my main calendar " and Im not using any RSS reader in the traditional sense " I have to conclude I really liked what he did). He elaborates on his past tasks in his resume -PDF-, which identifies him as Senior User Experience Design Lead, Google Inc., since August 2003:

Through recruiting, hiring committee and mentorships, I helped grow the User Experience and Research group from seven practitioners to over a hundred. I currently lead the design of Googles publishing products including Blogger, Google Groups, Page Creator and others. As a founding member of both the Search and Apps UX -user experience- review committees and a steward of Googles design philosophies, Im privileged to have an impact on the majority of Googles user-facing services and features.

Kevin doesnt reveal the name of the start-up hes joining now, but he does describe some of his feelings in regards to the switch:

-I-ts strange to have found success -at Google- and yet feel a need for greater fulfillment sufficient to pull you away from whats generally recognized as the best workplace in America. Its even stranger that Google is the first place Ive ever worked where I feel that Im part of the company as opposed to working for the company.

This makes leaving even stranger because its not just moving, its excising a part of yourself, a strange cleaving of personal relationships that used to be about friendship and products, but is now just about friendship. Will it be awkward when I talk with friends about the web and they have to censor themselves to prevent discussing confidential products? Even more novel, how easily will I adapt to working in an environment where were far more open about the projects were working on, to the point of evangelizing them?

Kevin, who also worked at Yahoo before, does not make it explicit exactly why hes leaving Google. But its not unlikely that he wants to experience a fresher company, with higher risks, quicker decisions, more adventure, more learning & self-development due to new lessons & challenges, more openness in outside communication, less overhead and so on.

I wonder if excellent people leaving Google will cause a noticeable brain drain in the company and its web apps. At this time, Google products by and large have very good usability, but will that still be the case in a couple of years? I guess for Google it depends on three factors: being able to hire great new people for everyone great that leaves, being able to put those people in an environment where they can apply their skills without a lot of barriers, and in general, keeping the company spirit (mission, values, approaches) alive.

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