[Reposting without mojibake.]

I was a CS professor for fifteen years. Had tenure and everything. I've just completed my third week as a Principal Applied Scientist at Amazon, working from HQ2.

But I wouldn't say I was "poached": that implies impropriety and a lack of agency. I didn't just passively get shot in the head by a poacher/recruiter while grazing peacefully in the savanna. I interviewed, they made me an offer, and I decided it was the right next thing for me. That decision was complex, personal, and *active*. Lucky me that I work in a field (CS) with many great options in both industry and academia.

I was at the University of Wisconsin--Madison, not in Virginia. But I'm not sure why Virginia is special here. Virginia may have promised some number of CS graduates, but any big company recruits all across the country and globe. I don't know how much of the promise of a fresh HQ2 talent pool is specifically Virginia's to provide.

In any case, I'll no longer be training future software engineers and scientists for Amazon to hire. Maybe that's a loss, because after fifteen years I'd gotten reasonably good at that. Now I'm learning how to be good at some other new things, because that's what *I* chose to do. So far, so good.

I was a CS professor for fifteen years. Had tenure and everything. Iâ(TM)ve just completed my third week as a Principal Applied Scientist at Amazon, working from HQ2.

But I wouldnâ(TM)t say I was âoepoachedâ: that implies impropriety and a lack of agency. I didnâ(TM)t just passively get shot in the head by a poacher/recruiter while grazing peacefully in the savanna. I interviewed, they made me an offer, and I decided it was the right next thing for me. That decision was complex, personal, and *active*. Lucky me that I work in a field (CS) with many great options in both industry and academia.

I was at the University of Wisconsin--Madison, not in Virginia. But Iâ(TM)m not sure why Virginia is special here. Virginia may have promised some number of CS graduates, but any big company recruits all across the country and globe. I donâ(TM)t know how much of the promise of a fresh HQ2 talent pool is specifically Virginiaâ(TM)s to provide.

In any case, Iâ(TM)ll no longer be training future software engineers and scientists for Amazon to hire. Maybe thatâ(TM)s a loss, because after fifteen years Iâ(TM)d gotten reasonably good at that. Now Iâ(TM)m learning how to be good at some other new things, because thatâ(TM)s what *I* chose to do. So far, so good.