Today is my last day leading Microsoft's Planetary Computer. As all of you know, I'm truly and incredibly proud of the team and platform we built. It's hard to believe that a little over 2 years ago I was given the generous trust, and budget, to deliver one of the four Microsoft's Environmental Sustainability topline commitments. We started from zero, and what we delivered is both far from done yet far beyond scope: As of today PBs of data coherently onboarded into cloud optimized open formats and fully indexed. In fact, the PC is already the largest open index of remote sensing data. So What? Is it used? As I shared publicly recently, we have almost too many millions of API calls a month. Moreover, the PC is, in my opinion, a profitable business opportunity across cloud geospatial in general, what Planet claims is a multi trillion dollar market. And the best part, at the core of the strategy is being fully open source, open standards, and based on open data. This "open by design" not only leverages tremendous progress in geospatial open source, but also reduces friction of adoption, maximizes integration of services in both directions, creates a natural anchor for commercial services, and is a tide that lifts all boats. None of this is secret, we spoke recently and openly about all this at NASA. They are considering their next generation geospatial platform and the PC strategy, and our experience is hopefully useful to them. And so to ESA's "Destination Earth" digital twin...

I could talk for hours how and why the PC is a winning strategy, and I have done that, but none of that would be real if it weren't for the team, for the people. People change the world, not data or code. People, like the countless contributors to the open-source software we leverage (and contribute to), but also people like our early users, so keen to give us feedback to improve and have patience when we don't, and people like the team at Microsoft behind the PC: The Core team, and the extended and increasing orbit of supporters that populate the many internal and external orbits of the Planetary Computer. To all those, thank you. Thank you, Rob, Matt, Tom. Thank you Lucas and Dan. Thank you Jackie, Guada, Tim, Alma, Amy, Trevor, Alberto, ... and so many others.

Why leave? I honestly don't know if this is a good idea. It's scary to choose to leave something this good. But there's SO MANY THINGS I want to do in my life. Personally, and professionally. It is my intent to make the most positive impact on the issues I care most. I have the privilege (and responsibility) to be able to influence some of the greatest issues of our days: Sustainability, Climate Change, Innovation, Development, Geospatial, Policy, ... “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." – Theodore Roosevelt  I helped launch a geospatial startup in a garage that redefined online maps and is now a unicorn; an NGO on climate change adaptation and the private sector when that was a double taboo that promoted same advice to most conservatives and liberals; ran for office creating the first political party at the EU level that gets elected officials at all levels, created a logistic division at the largest employer in Bhutan working on socioeconomic sustainability, articulated data-driven policies for people empowerment in Riyadh, space manufacturing in Buenos Aires, taught data science in the Balkans, Panama and South Africa, … I've been so incredibly lucky, and I always try the same: I dive in fully at the core of the messiest part, to create the most value for the most positive impact as quickly as possible. I focus on people above all. I do my very best for as long as I can... and make sure I am not a dependency for its success, rather a lifelong ally. I'm truly candidly stoked about the future of cloud geospatial and the role the PC and its strategy will play.

I'm excited for this pause, focusing on my family, on being a better dad, husband, friend, ... and reflecting where next this life journey will lead that makes the most positive impact. Life is so rich.

Non vi, sed saepe Cadendo.