#37 - Burn the Boats.

Quitting my job was weird.

I zoom-bombed my boss’s 1-on-1 with my boss’s boss. I began delivering the spiel I’d rehearsed, starting with, “I don’t know how to say this,” before going completely off script and blurting out, “I”M LEAVING BOSTON DYNAMICS.”

From there, I fumbled my way through all the bullet points I wanted to get across:

• “I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me.”

• “I’m happy to work another 4 weeks if that’ll make for a smoother transition.”

• “I didn’t get poached. I don’t have anything else lined up. I just want to move to Vancouver for the summer to spend time with friends.”

• “After that, I plan to find some way to get another visa to live in Los Angeles, where my partner is moving.”

They asked if there’s anything they could do. Could they set up a working arrangement for me on the west coast? In Vancouver? Or L.A.?

God knows my parents and sister would want me to say yes—All three of them took turns calling me to tell me how stupid I was for giving up a US work visa at a time like this.

U.S.-Canada tensions are high. Trump slapped a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports, Air Canada bookings to the U.S. are already down double digits, and there’s a new deportation horror story every day.

Pair that with an economy wobbling on a knife‑edge and A.I. rattling software jobs, and bailing on a cushy gig feels like the opposite of a high‑IQ move.

But I still said no. Because the real reason I’m going to Vancouver isn’t just to spend time with friends—it’s to go all‑in on my startup with my co‑founders who live there.

History has a phrase for moves like this: burn the boats. In 1519 Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico, torched his fleet, and left his men no retreat. Since then it’s meant one thing: remove every escape route so the only way forward is through.

That conversation was four weeks ago. It’s Friday night, May 9 2025, and I just finished my last day at Boston Dynamics. The boats are ash.

As far as I’m concerned, the only path to reuniting with my partner in L.A. runs through Vancouver and this startup. Let’s get to work.

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See you next week — Rayhan