Redefining What Work Means
English
At the beginning of 2026, I submitted my resignation to my manager who had been instrumental in opening up my career in the United States. I was essentially saying: I'm leaving the company in a month. Sorry. What followed was rough. I fell into a deep depression, spent my days watching YouTube, sleeping, and avoiding reality. Somehow, I managed to make it through to the end.
More than a year has passed since then. Now I can say it clearly: leaving was the best decision I could have made. Of course, people tend to justify their past decisions. I may be doing the same. I cannot claim complete objectivity. Still, I want to explain why I believe that choice was right.
At the time, I had come to recognize that aesthetic sensibility and craftsmanship in building products were one of the central pillars of my life. I remain deeply grateful to the Azure AI Team for everything they taught me. But at the same time, working on one component of a service built on top of a large and highly complex platform, within layers of organizational hierarchy, made it difficult for me to bring genuine craftsmanship into the work.
I wanted to experience working in a flatter organization where I could help define the future of a product and take responsibility for moving it in that direction.
I had never taken a product from zero to PMF. I had never built one from scratch. That is why I am deeply grateful to the CEO of Lazuli for giving me the opportunity to take on the role of VP of Product. It was a chance to step into territory where I lacked direct experience. As a result, I feel I am gradually moving closer to the kind of work I truly wanted to do.
When you pursue what you want, the process itself sharpens your understanding of what you wantโand what you do not.
One thing I have learned recently is that product building inside a business is, to a large extent, management itself. To deliver value, product alone is not enough. You need alignment across engineering, sales, customer success, marketing, recruiting, finance, and leadership. You are constantly connecting functions, resolving tensions, and making trade-offs between ideals and operational reality.
Problems come from every direction.
In those moments, I sometimes remember the difficult feelings I had during my time at Microsoft. There is responsibility, expectation, and an endless stream of work. It forces you to ask a more fundamental question: under what conditions can a person work in a healthy and sustainable way?
What is the right balance between authority and responsibility? What level of workload is sustainable? What does compensation solve, and what does it fail to solve? It is possible to think about these questions while employed. But in my case, they only became real after going independent. Something a senior self-employed friend once told me finally started to make sense.
Leaving was not simply a change of environment. For me, it was the beginning of redefining what work means.
ๆฅๆฌ่ช {#japanese}
2026ๅนดใฎๅใใ็งใฏใขใกใชใซใงใฎใญใฃใชใขใๅใ้ใใใใงๅคงใใชๅใซใชใฃใฆใใใใใใผใธใฃใผใซ่พ่กจใๆๅบใใพใใใ่ฆใใใซใใ1ใถๆๅพใซไผ็คพใๅปใใพใใ็ณใ่จณใใใพใใใใจไผใใใใใงใใใใฎๅพใฏใคใใๆๆใ็ถใใพใใใๆทฑใใใค็ถๆ ใซ้ฅใใYouTubeใ่ฆใใใ็ ใฃใใใ็พๅฎใใ็ฎใ่ใใใใใชใใๆฅใ ใ้ใใใพใใใใใใงใใชใใจใไนใ่ถใใใใจใใงใใพใใใ
ใใใใ1ๅนดไปฅไธใ็ตใกใพใใไปใฏใฏใฃใใใจ่จใใพใใใใฎๆฑบๆญใฏใ่ชๅใซใจใฃใฆๆๅใฎ้ธๆใ ใฃใใจใใใกใใใไบบใฏ้ๅปใฎๆฑบๆญใๆญฃๅฝๅใใใกใงใใ็งใใใใใฆใใใฎใใใใใชใใๅฎๅ จใชๅฎข่ฆณๆงใใใใจใฏ่จใใพใใใใใใงใใใชใใใฎ้ธๆใๆญฃใใใฃใใจๆใใฎใใใใกใใใจ่ชฌๆใใใใจๆใใพใใ
ๅฝๆใฎ็งใฏใใใญใใฏใใใคใใใใจใธใฎ็พ็ๆ่ฆใใฏใฉใใใใณใทใใใใ่ชๅใฎไบบ็ใซใใใไธญๅฟ็ใชๆฑใฎใฒใจใคใ ใจ่ช่ญใใใใใซใชใฃใฆใใพใใใAzure AI Teamใซใฏใๆใใฆใใใ ใใใใจใในใฆใซๆทฑใๆ่ฌใใฆใใพใใใใ ๅๆใซใๅคง่ฆๆจกใง่ค้ใชใใฉใใใใฉใผใ ใฎไธใซๆง็ฏใใใใตใผใในใฎไธใณใณใใผใใณใใใๅนพ้ใใฎ็ต็น้ๅฑคใฎใชใใงๆ ๅฝใใฆใใใจใไปไบใซๆฌๅฝใฎๆๅณใงใฎใฏใฉใใใใณใทใใใๆใก่พผใใใจใใใใจ้ฃใใใฃใใ
ใใฃใจใใฉใใใช็ต็นใงใใใญใใฏใใฎๆนๅๆงใๅฎ็พฉใใใใจใซ้ขใใใใใใซ่ฒฌไปปใๆใฃใฆๅใใ็ฐๅขใ็ต้จใใใใจๆใฃใฆใใพใใใ
ใใญใใฏใใใผใญใใPMFใพใงๆใฃใฆใใฃใใใจใใใผใญใใใคใใไธใใ็ต้จใใใใพใใใงใใใใ ใใใใใVP of ProductใจใใใญใผใซใซๆๆฆใใๆฉไผใไธใใฆใใใLazuliใฎCEOใซใฏใๆทฑใๆ่ฌใใฆใใพใใ็ดๆฅใฎ็ต้จใไธ่ถณใใฆใใ้ ๅใซ่ธใฟ่พผใใใฃใณในใใใใใพใใใใใใใงใ่ชๅใๆฌๅฝใซใใใใใฃใไปไบใซใๅฐใใใค่ฟใฅใใฆใใฃใฆใใๅฎๆใใใใพใใ
ๆฑใใใใฎใ่ฟฝใใใใใจใใใฎใใญใปใน่ชไฝใใ่ชๅใไฝใๆฑใใฆใใฆใไฝใๆฑใใฆใใชใใฎใใใใ้ฎฎๆใซใใฆใใใพใใ
ๆ่ฟๅญฆใใ ใใจใฎใฒใจใคใฏใใใธใในใฎไธญใงใใญใใฏใใใคใใใจใใใใจใฏใใใชใใฎ้จๅใใใใธใกใณใใใฎใใฎใ ใจใใใใจใงใใไพกๅคใๅฑใใใซใฏใใใญใใฏใใ ใใงใฏ่ถณใใพใใใใจใณใธใใขใชใณใฐใใปใผใซในใใซในใฟใใผใตใฏใปในใใใผใฑใใฃใณใฐใๆก็จใ่ฒกๅใใใใฆใชใผใใผใทใใๅ จไฝใจใฎ้ฃๆบใๅฟ ่ฆใงใใๆฉ่ฝใใคใชใใ็ทๅผต้ขไฟใ่งฃๆถใใ็ๆณใจ้็จใฎ็พๅฎใฎใใใ ใงใใฌใผใใชใใๅคๆญใ็ถใใๆฅใ ใงใใ
ๅ้กใฏใใใใๆนๅใใ้ฃใใงใใพใใ
ใใใใ็ฌ้ใซใใใคใฏใญใฝใใๆไปฃใซๆใใฆใใ่ค้ใชๆฐๆใกใใตใจๆใๅบใใใจใใใใพใใ่ฒฌไปปใๆๅพ ใ็ตใใใชใไปไบใฎๆตใใใใใฏใใใฃใจๆ นๆฌ็ใชๅใใ็ชใใคใใฆใใพใใไบบใฏใฉใใชๆกไปถใฎใใจใงใๅฅๅ จใซใๆ็ถ็ใซๅใใใฎใ๏ผ
ๆจฉ้ใจ่ฒฌไปปใฎใใฉใณในใฏใฉใใใในใใใใฉใฎใใใใฎไปไบ้ใชใ็ถใใใใใฎใใๅ ฑ้ ฌใฏไฝใ่งฃๆฑบใใฆใไฝใ่งฃๆฑบใใชใใฎใใใใใใๅใใฏใ้ใใใฆใใ้ใงใ่ใใใใพใใใงใ็งใฎๅ ดๅใใคใณใใฃใใณใใณใใซใชใฃใฆๅใใฆใใใใใชใขใซใชใใฎใซใชใใพใใใ่ชๅถๆฅญใฎใญใฃใชใขใ้ทใๅ ่ผฉใไปฅๅ่ฉฑใใฆใใใใใจใใใใใใ่ ใซ่ฝใกใฏใใใพใใใ
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