Charlie Kindel, Microsoft’s Windows Phone Manager and a company veteran for 21 years, announced Monday that he would be leaving Microsoft to start his own company.
“I’m not yet ready to disclose details about the new venture but I can say I will be staying in the Seattle area to build it. It has to do with sports, advertising, mobile, social-networking, and, of course, the cloud. I’m insanely excited to get started,” Kindel stated on his personal blog.
In his farewell blog post, Kindel posted a long email message that was sent to his co-workers and it highlights some of his favorite company memories. Kindel continued to brag about how great the Windows Phone platform is, even though the platform continues to lose popularity in the market.
“Shipping IE 3.0 was my first taste of what it really meant to build a product that changed the world. I would have never joined the Windows Phone team if I had not had that prior experience of an impossible, come-from-behind, project,” Kindel added. “To the Windows Phone team: I may stop using some Microsoft products now that I’m out of here. But not Windows Phone. The BEST product Microsoft has ever built. Do not let up!”
Kindel even gives Google a shout out in his farewell. “To my kids: No, just because I don’t work at Microsoft anymore you many not use Google. Remember, every time you use Google, a puppy dies.” Ouch!
Further reading: Microsoft, Windows Phone 7
