Google X cofounder passes on Twitter VP post after life-threatening illness
Image: Flickr, University of Washington Office of News and Information
Yoky Matsuoka, a cofounder of Google X, will be passing on a top job
at Twitter after recovering from a life-threatening illness.
Having a second chance at life has shifted priorities for Matsuoka,
who had the opportunity to become vice president of technology and
analytics at the microblogging company. The former University of
Washington robotics professor wrote that she isn't clear on her future
plans in a Thursday blog post on Medium.
"When you get another chance at life, there’s an opportunity to start
from scratch and I feel so lucky to have this," Matsuoka wrote.
Matsuoka, who was recently vice president of technology at
Google-owned Nest, was diagnosed with the life-threatening illness a few
months ago. She doesn't name her ailment in the blog post, but she does
describe the gut-wrenching feeling she experienced following her
diagnosis.
"Suddenly, my future — a hectic schedule with a full and loving
family and a challenging new job — felt essentially erased," she said,
adding, though, that after treatment she began to heal. "The doctors
have given me a thumbs up.
A new future has begun to fill my mind again."
Matsuoka may one day return to the tech industry, but for now she plans to spend time with family and tackle personal projects.
"I want to work again, but also want to take time to construct this new life I have been so blessed to be given," she wrote.
