News from the Genie

[Fantasy Sports Genie]

Hey folks... had some news to share with you. It is with very mixed emotions that I tell you I resigned from Yahoo! a week or so ago; my last day here is August 13th. This wasn't an easy decision for me at all. I don't want to go all "It's not you, it's me", but that is really the case here. I've been at Yahoo! for 10 1/2 years, and working on Yahoo! fantasy sports for about 7. I'm extremely passionate about the product and my work. And that is mostly a good thing, but it means my life becomes very... intense, and over time I build up a lot of stress. After 7 years of it, and being *so* invested in the product, I was realizing that every day there was something (or things...) making me angry and frustrated, and that just isn't how I want to live my life. It also isn't how my family wanted me to live my life, I assure you heh

So I'm stepping away. I'm not going to a competitor, and in fact I'm not going to another software job at all. I still have very positive feelings about Yahoo!, the fantasy sports product, and the people I leave behind. Part of what makes me at peace with my decision is that I know I'm leaving you all in good hands. The engineers here are solid, and the team is growing all the time. I'm not saying there won't be a bump here or there, but I'd urge you to be patient; these guys will make it worth your while.

I've done a lot of things here I'm proud of, but one of the things I am most proud of is the relationship I've helped to build between Yahoo! and the Cafe' community. It has been a tremendous help to Yahoo! Fantasy Sports, and hopefully you guys have received a lot in return. Everyone here sees the value in that, and nobody wants that to end. I may participate in the Cafe' as a fantasy player rather than a Y! employee, but another Y! will be stepping in to pick up our presence here on the Cafe'. This was important to me, and everyone agreed 100%. His account here is Guy Smiley:

memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=345721

While he hasn't been posting here, he has definitely been lurking, and watching the discussions I have with you all. He'll be subject to some of the same limits and constraints I was, but otherwise will be here to listen to your concerns and answer questions as he's able. He'll be posting here shortly, so I'll let him do any further intro.

Thanks for everything, and 6 years of mutually beneficial interaction. The Cafe' is a pretty special place; a discussion forum on the Internet where people actually (for the most part ) discuss what they're supposed to be discussing and act civil. I've enjoyed e-meeting so many of you, and actually meeting a few of you at the recent Yahoo!/Cafe' get together here at our headquarters. Keep up the good work. As I actually have more time to pay attention to my own fantasy teams, I'll need all the help I can get.

Sincerely and gratefully yours,
Dave, a.k.a. The Fantasy Sports Genie

P.S. As a parting gift, you'll find that I changed the watchlist to now hold 100 players rather than 50. Alas, you'll also find that I fixed the bug that was letting you add an unlimited number of players as long as you did it from the mobile app. The relationship goes both ways And for the record, this didn't happen because any particular user decided to take an... aggressive approach to requesting the feature. That actually delayed the release of it, quite frankly. One of the Cafe' guys that came to the get-together here at HQ asked for it in a positive and constructive way, and caught me in a good mood. Catching more flies with honey than vinegar, and all that. Enjoy!

[BChinly]

Thanks for a great 6 years Genie!! (even though I've only been here for 2 of those years). That get together at the HQ was one of the coolest things I've done, if not the coolest thing I've done fantasy sports wise. You're a great guy and I'm sure you'll do well in whatever you end up doing, even though it's software related. Maybe you can be a professional slow pitch softball pitcher, hahaha.

[Guy Smiley]

Hey everyone. I want to introduce myself and echo a few things Genie posted. Like Genie I work on the fantasy games and like him I believe in keeping in touch with our users across different forums (including those outside of our own). While, I am in particular sad to see him depart, he is right when he says the team has been growing and that our commitment to creating a great game is undiminished.

A big part of achieving excellence is keeping in touch with our most avid users--i.e. you--so I plan to be here more often and will try to respond to call-outs in a timely manner. I look forward to the conversation.

[ayebatter]

Genie it's been great having you around

And a big welcome to Guy Smiley - if you want me to re-title Genie's thread and continue on as before give me a heads up if not you can start a new one.

[daullaz]

Thanks for all your hard work over the past several years, Dave. You've given this community far more than we had any right to expect.

And a big welcome to Guy! You have some big shoes to fill, but considering our track record with Yahoo staffers, I look forward to watching you fill them.

[Bwanna]

Man, thanks for all hard work and feedback. It's very rare to find a developer interacting so directly and consistently with users of his product, and truly 'eating his own dog food'.

Kudos on a fantastic job - you'll be missed, and welcome Guy!

Dave, if you need a league to join, let me know.

[wrveres]

wow.
things will never be the same.
Dave, Id like to say thanks for everything. You've turned Yahoo's baseball product into exactly what ive wanted from the game.

When i said you could take the whole winter off, i didn't mean to find another job silly. But i do understand. Without your health, you have nothing. Id wish you the best in what ever you pursue career wise, but there's not a doubt in my mind that you'll succeed beyond everyone's expectations, no matter what it is.

you will be severely missed.

cheers
william.

[silverZ]

You will be missed.

[Element]

It's very rare to find a developer interacting so directly and consistently with users of his product,

This. That you so much for taking the time to interact. It's nice to know when you're voice gets heard. Good luck to you with whatever is next.

[kentx12]

Genie, you have been great. I have been here since the beginning and it seems like you have been here just as long. You have taken Yahoo to the top and I hope the cafe's input has helped. You will be missed. Thanks for everything you have done.


Kent