Almost exactly two years ago, Eric Olson contacted Dick about interviewing him for a podcast. Shortly after that, Eric asked Dick whether he thought the “business development associate” role was something he should apply for. We hired him almost immediately.
I was fortunate to have Eric work for me for the next 18 months. FeedBurner’s growth is by now well-known, and the outcome (our acquisition by Google) certainly validates the hard work that we all put into seeing FeedBurner succeed. Eric’s contributions over those 18 months were many, perhaps none more important than the boundless energy he brought to the team. There were days it felt like he willed certain tasks to completion. I feel fortunate to have been able to hire him, and it was certainly a privilege to have him on my team.
Sadly, today is Eric’s last day at Google. He recently announced that he’ll be moving to New York to help BuzzFeed grow, and while he will be missed, I’m certain he’s going to be as valuable at BuzzFeed as he was at FeedBurner. Thanks for everything Eric.
Thanks for the kind words Rick. Your mentorship was, and still is, very important to me. I really feel that learning from the best and working with the best is a major key to getting yourself to the next level and you are one of the best at what you do no question. Your leadership was instrumental in the success of FeedBurner and the success of the publisher services team and Google is lucky to have you.
ReplyDeleteSo, thanks for taking in a green kid looking to help build his first company and working hard to help him grow when you had other, more pressing, things on your plate. I know we'll keep in touch and our paths will cross frequently (i.e. BlogWorld in Vegas baby! See you there!) so this isn't a goodbye by any means. Talk soon man.