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Why Did Amazon's Second Employee Leave After One Year of Options? · Geek at Sea

Geek at Sea

Paul Davis - Second Employee at Amazon

Paul Davis was once a 2nd employee at Amazon, on track to earn millions. Instead of sticking around to get filthy rich though, Paul decided he did not want to wait for the life to pass him by. He chose to spend time with his family, left Amazon, and twenty years later still has no regrets. His life has been nothing but wonderful. This is Paul’s story.

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Notes

  1. Who Was Hired Right After Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos at Amazon? at 1:16

    Paul Davis was the second person hired at Amazon outside Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos. He started at about the same time as Shel, normally the first employee. Full answer

  2. Why Did People in Seattle Find Bellevue Unappealing? at 2:47

    People in Seattle proper found Bellevue unappealing because it looked deeply suburban. Full answer

  3. Why Was Amazon Almost Called Cadabra? at 7:31

    Amazon was almost called Cadabra Inc, until a lawyer argued the name was not good because it sounded so much like cadaver. Full answer

  4. Why Did Amazon's Second Employee Leave After One Year of Options? at 39:40

    Paul Davis, Amazon's second employee, left after the first year of his options vested so he could be a stay-at-home parent in Seattle. Full answer

  5. Why Did Paul Davis's Plan to Leave Tech for Farming Fall Apart? at 42:12

    Paul Davis's plan to leave tech for farming fell apart a year into his first wife's postdoc on the East Coast. Full answer

  6. When Did Paul Davis's Software Business Start Paying Him? at 1:20:02

    Paul Davis's software business started paying him in 2009. Full answer

  7. Why Does Making Money From Free Software Still Feel Like a Gift? at 1:22:06

    Paul Davis says making money from free software still feels like a gift because people choose to pay for work they can get for free. Full answer

  8. Why Does Paul Davis Ask Friends Not to Pitch His Software? at 1:22:37

    Paul Davis asks friends not to pitch his software because he is the worst salesperson for what he does. Full answer

  9. What Happened When Paul Davis Left His Software Running for 10 Years? at 1:23:06

    Paul Davis left his software running for 10 years, and it grew slowly without being shut down. Full answer

  10. What Happened When Paul Davis's Daughter Turned 16? at 1:23:27

    When Paul Davis's daughter turned 16, her mother arranged a trip to Paris for the birthday. Full answer

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