Four years at Atlassian
Today marks my four-year anniversary at Atlassian. I joined in 2020 at the height of COVID-19, drawn partly by fear of the unknown: with mass layoffs, interest rate cuts, and pandemic uncertainty, stability felt like a luxury. I left a startup for the promise of a collaborative team and a hiring manager I adored. I believed then—and still do—that who you work with matters far more than what you work on.
Stability is an illusion
Ironically, my search for stability led me into a storm. Within weeks of joining, a re-org reshuffled the team, and my beloved manager moved on. Over the past four years, I’ve had six managers and endured as many re-orgs, often due to technology and market shifts. While these changes were tough, they taught me resilience. As cheesy as it sounds, perspective is perspective is everything and stability comes from within.
Focus on the journey
At Atlassian, projects are often scrapped due to shifting priorities, and the level of detail required for large-scale products can make these changes crushing. Unlike startups, where you “launch to learn,” every feature here is tested and refined meticulously before reaching millions of users. It’s therefore very painful work is discarded… years of devotion lost… like tears in rain. But I’ve learned to find value in the process: no matter the outcome, every project sharpens my skills, deepens my empathy for users, and prepares me for what’s next.
People over products
The best work I’ve done isn’t defined by the projects and outcomes but by the incredible teammates I’ve worked alongside. Great people make even boring tasks exciting, while toxic dynamics can ruin even the most thrilling challenges. Atlassian’s values, especially “open company no bullshit” and “play as a team” have shaped how I work and reminded me that culture and collaboration can be as vital as strategy.
Tradeoffs of remote work
Atlassian’s Team Anywhere policy has been a game-changer, letting me live and work from Hawaii, Miami, New York, Sydney, Los Angeles, and now back in San Francisco. This flexibility gave me freedom during uncertain times, but it also came with tradeoffs. As a high-energy, people-oriented person, I’ve struggled with the isolation of remote work and time zone challenges. Remote work can be empowering, but for long-term team cohesion, nothing beats face-to-face connection.
Looking Ahead
Four years at Atlassian have taught me to embrace change, value people, and find growth in every challenge. These lessons will continue to guide me as I work toward creating meaningful, impactful experiences—for teams, customers, and myself.
