There are many satisfactions to being involved with product and software development. There are also many dissatisfactions. The universe is determined to ship as little code as possible. As many engineers and developers and designers will attest to, shipping comes far too rarely.

However, when you’ve experienced a few shutdown projects, a few shuttered startups, and a few failed features, then the sweetness is all the more sweet when all the elements combine for a big launch. A day like today.

My faux-founder, Otavio and I set out to create the greatest product and technology team in Brazil. It was April last year when we started getting our first few yeses from team members. It grew from two to five, to 15, to now over 25. The goal was always quite simple: change the way people shop online. Make it faster. Make it trustworthy. Make it so easy that they stop shopping anywhere else. And that’s when industries start shifting. A brilliant product can get a rival CEO fired. Can get an entire board of direction reshuffled. That was the goal and today we took the first step towards that with the launch of our new web store. The new Baby.com.br.

I say we, but in reality the team did many of the final preparations without me. I left my day-to-day responsibilities at the company I co-founded in December. I ache in a certain way as I see this product launch as I am just beginning development on a new product at a new startup. I’ve written many times on how heartbreaking it is to leave something that demanded so much of your soul, even if it is what you know is the right thing to do.

I miss the team now and hope they can hear me across continents as I shout from the rooftops,”I’m so proud of you guys! You’ve done it! You shipped! And the tides in the industries we will disrupt have begun changing. I can feel it all the way from up here. You inspire me with your dedication and your product accumen. I miss you and am full, full, full with satisfaction in this, your victory.”

Parabéns meus amigos! Parabéns.