Key facts
- Jeff Dean, Google's 30th employee and former chief scientist, has left the company.
- Dean is launching a new AI startup named Discovery Loop.
- He shared an hour-by-hour schedule of his final two days at Google.
- Dean's departure involved an emotional video call to announce his exit to colleagues.
- A farewell celebration for Dean was attended by approximately 1,500 colleagues.
- Dean spent hours responding to farewell messages before his official departure.
Jeff Dean, who was Google's 30th employee and served as its chief scientist, has departed the company to establish his own AI startup, Discovery Loop. Dean shared a detailed hour-by-hour account of his final two days at Google, highlighting the emotional aspects of his exit and the significant volume of farewell messages he received.
Dean began his departure process by informing about 139 close colleagues via an emotional video chat, which he described as filled with tears and emojis. He then announced his new venture, Discovery Loop, and sent his internal farewell message. The company held a celebration for Dean, attended by approximately 1,500 colleagues in a space designed for 300.
Dean, known for his athletic pursuits, maintained his routine with a yoga session and a soccer game on his second-to-last day. However, he spent hours responding to over 400 messages on his internal Google account that would soon disappear. On his final day, he woke early to address another 250 internal messages and 500 emails, continuing to respond until he closed his laptop at 5:20 p.m.
At precisely 11:59:59 p.m. on Thursday, Dean officially became 'unemployed.' Just a minute later, he transitioned into his new role as co-founder of Discovery Loop alongside former colleagues, marking the completion of his exit from Google.