On my third day on the job at Mozilla, I got an email from Google (see Google – 2014 and War of Attrition – 2014 for my previous encounter with them in 2014):

I came across your background from a previous application and I’d like to know if you’re open to exploring roles at Google again. If you are, I’d be happy to set up a time to speak with you about roles in the Software Engineering department. Let me know a good day and time for us to chat privately, best contact number and I’ll set something up at your convenience.

Also, if you could forward me a copy of your resume. Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you!

I replied:

David, thanks for contacting me. I just interviewed at Google in February, and was not extended an offer. I just started a job at Mozilla this week. Not only that, but Mozilla is allowing me to work at home in Austin. I am not likely to want to move to the Bay Area.

That being said, I am open to talking to you. I am available at 9:00 tomorrow if you want to call me. I am in town this week training at Mozilla.

I don’t think you would convince me to move at this point.

He did call, and we talked. Turns out, Google had two separate files on me, so he did not know that I had talked to them in the previous few weeks. He promised to consolidate those files. He was still willing to start the process if I wanted to interview again. I still really wanted to get back in to software development instead of QA, but there were several strikes against it:

• I would have to move to California again, instead of working at home.
• One of my best friends started me on this job. One of the best managers I had worked with was now my grandboss. I had another friend in the same department. I would have screwed all of them somewhat if I had left after only a few weeks/months.
• I just did not feel right about interviewing for another job the first week on a new job.

So I said, No Thank You.

That being said, I already saw problems at Mozilla.

• There had been a CEO controversy that sprang up between the time I accepted the job and the time I had shown up. My first day was the first day of the new, second-choice CEO.
• The Desktop browser division, of which I was now a part, was not being funded anymore; we were on maintenance mode. All of the energy and money was going towards Firefox OS, a new mobile phone OS designed to go onto phones in developing countries. Walt Mossberg has an excellent history of this process.
• There was no energy in the people in the office. Everybody was depressed. There was a feeling of despair in the air.

So, on the 3rd day, I knew something wasn’t great about Mozilla. Which is a shame, since I was so excited to be in open source again.