One year ago, I left Amazon. As I look back at my first year at Skai I only have
By Jeffrey Cohen · September 13, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
One year ago, I left Amazon. As I look back at my first year at Skai I only have one regret.
The reason I left Amazon Ads were complicated. My team had been through serious turnover, and I could feel another wave of change coming, the kind I'd already lived through a few times. I was a remote employee, not sitting in the same city as my leadership team, and I could see where that road eventually leads. I loved my time at Amazon, but I was burnt out and needed something different. The only real question was whether that change happened inside Amazon or outside it.
I chose outside. And I chose the exact opposite of what I said I didn't want: a job with P&L ownership and a team to manage. Turns out I was more ready for that than I gave myself credit for. Change is something I've learned to get comfortable with, even enjoy.
A year later, hindsight check: did I get it right?
Yes. The economics worked out. I've genuinely love building and managing a team. What I could not have predicted was the wave of change about to hit Skai and this entire industry. The company I joined a year ago barely resembles the one I work at today. The core is the same, the people are the same, but the tech and processes have all changed. If you haven't followed the agentic transformation that Skai has gone through, I encourage you to read the blog and check it out, its impressive.
On a personal note, I reorganized my team, helped them prioritize the partnerships and projects that actually move the business, and helped steer Skai through this agentic transformation that's touched every function of our business. It's not finished, but the results so far are impressive.
Would I do it again? Yes.
Do I miss Amazon? Yes.
Both are true.
One regret: I stopped posting as much on LinkedIn. Life got busier, priorities shifted, and writing got pushed down the list. I miss the back and forth with this community.
Year two has a lot to look forward to. As I get ready to hit the road for tradeshow season I an excited about what Skai is doing, where our industry is going and how things are changing. While I have a lot of goals for your two, the one I will share today is that I'm planning to post more. Here's to it.