Ten years ago this month I paused working on my Ph.D., eloped to a courthouse to marry my lovely wife, and went for a hastily organized honeymoon cruise in the Caribbean. Then we packed up everything we owned and drove from North Carolina to California to join a small start-up called Google. That means this month marks my ten-year anniversary with Google, too.
Evan a husband with a thick skull like me learns a few things over the years. So here’s a little piece of advice for the software-engineer-husbands out there: take a few days off for your ten-year anniversary. 
If you’re expecting an email reply from me, please be patient. I’m spending some quality time with my wife.
{ 87 comments… read them below or add one }
Happy Anniversary (both wedding and Google)
Good advice. I usually also tell other husbands to also do just one simple thing, just take out the trash. If you do it before she asks she’ll be amazed every time.
Congrats Matt.
When you come back from your ‘few days off’ for the ten year anniversary, tell us a little about how did your ‘digital cleansing’ routine go. (ref:your previous blog post)
Good stuff. I hope the few days is full of great food, giggles, romantic gestures and lot’s of hot sex.
Congrats on your tenth anniversary!!
Well, me too was just reflecting on the past 10 years of my life.. and a decade does make a whole lot changes in you! Check out how much I changed!
http://myriadhues.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/end-of-another-decade/
That sounds really good. Have been reading your blog for quite some time now. But have never really de-lurked. But could not help wishing you the best when I read this one. I love Google and I love it mostly for the lovely people who work with Google
May be some day I can work in Google too. That’s my dream. Congratulations on completing 10 years in Google and your 10th marriage anniversary too! Have a great time.
Matt,
First of all happy ten-year anniversary at Google. Absolutely, every husband, father out there, including me, should take some time off and spend quality time with wife and kids to. There is nothing more important than family and some dedication to our better half won’t kill us.
Enjoy your free time,
Emil
PS Yeah, how is cleansing treating you?
Enjoy the time off man – been a great 10yr run so far. Cheers
thanx for your advice..
but matt I want to add one thing here.. that these advice is also needed for software-engineer-wife like me
he..he..he..
enjoy time with your wife..
I’ll definately wait for email reply from u but I WILL WAIT…
Mazal tov. Enjoy your time off.
marry the right woman, choose the right job
congrats on your tenth anniversary!
Hi Matt! Happy ten-year anniversary! Have a great time! Best regards from Germany. Markus
hey Matt!! Congrats for the ten-year anniversary at Home and Office. Have a wonderful time off and keep continuing the good work.
Congratulations from Europe!
There was a time… Now you have a TWO successful startups!!!
Do you get a 10th anniversary present a la Larry David in Season 4 of Curb Your Enthusiasm?
Many congratulations Matt – I’m glad to see that Google senior executives can maintain a healthy balance between Google and the all-important family life (although you may argue otherwise!).
Have a great time with your missus.
Hey Matt
Congrats on your 10 Year Anniversary. Wish you and Mrs Cutts happy times!
Matt, come back with a great blinding genius flash of epiphany!
Wow, it has been 10 years already. Congrats! I love how you are contributing to the community, awesome videos, blogs, everything! Now lets see what will happen 10 years from now
Congratulations to you both!
Congrats! 10 Years is not as simple as it looks… Have fun during your holiday.
Congratulations to you and your wife.
Congratulations on the anniversary!
How many employees from 10 years ago are still at Google?
Would love to see a chart!
Congratulations! Google has came a ridiculously long way since it’s formation
bet you’re proud to be part of it.
10 years! Well done man, we’ve just celebrated our 12th – time flies, just remember the good news is that you’re the pilot!
Congratulations to you both, sound advice! Gents may I suggest taking the time off at every anniversary though, …if you want to make it to your 10th!!!
Happy Anniversary Matt!
Close Facebook, twitter and google….and enjoy the holidays!
Hey Matt,
Congrats to you and your wife for your 10 years anni…
I wish you and your wife alot of good luck and happiness for rest of your life.
Just want you to know that you are my idol and I follow your footsteps in career.
Enjoy!!!
Neil Pundir
Congratulations on 10 years Matt. May your next ten and remainder of your life be as happy as the 33 years that my wife and I have had.
Hey Matt, Congrats for the 10 Year anniversary with Google which gave you wonderful life and also your life partner who follows till the end of your life. Have a Great holiday.
A small request from my side.
After holidays, pls update the Google ranking factors in the year 2010.
Congrats Mutt,
It’s a superb achievement in these ten years, I am sure you would be quite happy about yourself. You are a world recognized man. So I would again congrats for your aching goals.
Congratulations to you and your wife.
A decade of marriage? Well done! Racked up 9 years myself, to this very day. What’s that they say? Oh yeah, the first 50 years of marriage are always the hardest
Congrats..and I think you made the right choice; on both accounts.
And where were you going to school in NC? UNC? Dook?
Great to see a successful guy with his priorities right. Congratulations.
Ten years? Wow. Major milestones rock. Congratulations Matt. Here’s to several more decades!
Congratulations on both anniversaries Matt. May the next 10 years include new adventures with Google and much more quality time with your bride!
Congratulations on your 10 year Google/marriage/life Anniversary. Looking back on everything you accomplished in the past ten years do you think the next 10 are going to be able to trump the last 10?
Awww, how sweet! Congratulations on your 10 year Anniversary at Home and the Office. What a great husband, taking time off to spend with your wife!
Matt,
Super Duper congratulations on the 10 year anniversary.
I especially like the comment “Evan a husband with a thick skull like me learns a few things over the years.” As it is important for us men to recognize that we are thick headed sometimes. Ahh, but thanks to the women for their forbearance.
Congratulations again, Brian
Congratulations Matt, and best wishes for your vacation time.
A well deserved few days off! Have a great time.
So, who’s Evan, the thick-skulled husband?
(ork ork)
Hi Matt,
Congrats on 10th Anniversary, and I hope you will be doing “digital cleansing”
I read this post to my wife. She glared at me accusingly.
So, erm, good advice 
Hi Matt,
I have seen you mention the PhD few times lately, do you plan to go back and finish it?
I am in the same boat, though I am not as successful as you are now, after leaving the PhD program for three years, I am back and determined to get done with it to be able to move on.
and btw I left the program almost at the same time I got married, is there a correlation here
Congratulations Matt to a decade of marriage and googling!
Good For You Matt!
Congrats Matt!
Nice! It is pretty rare these days that someone spends 10 years with their (first?) company! That also says a lot about Google.
Enjoy your break, but looking forward to you getting back on board.
Congrats to you and your wife Matt! Best wishes for another successful decade.
Happy Anniversary to you and the missus, may you have many, many more. And a Happy Anniversary for the Google thing as well.
That’s true. Since I started earning for life with SEO, I have experienced some inner anxiety. My work occupies almost all the time and my wife sees my back all the time… *sighs*
But we found a solution..
…we are going to buy her a laptop!!! =)
i love it – Matt, I’m inspired to start a Doctorate program just to drop out and grab the next woman I see and take her to court
that was the moral of your story right?
Happy new year, and congrats on the 10 years mark, I’ll be looking forward to watching your 3-d blog post on your 20th!
Congrats Matt, on both anniversaries.
Congrats on the ten years!! I’ve also learned after 19 years going on 20 and 9 kids you definitely need to take some time to enjoy your loved ones. Time rolls by quickly
Enjoy each other while you can!!
Congrats on the decade notch Matt. I know you mean well but you know damn well you’re reading these comments right now!
The next 10 will be even better, just watch. -Peter
Congo-rats Matt!!! (0:
Hey all, thanks for the good wishes! We spent the day in San Francisco, and watched Avatar in IMAX 3D. Let the record show that she wanted to see it; I didn’t have to twist her arm even a little bit.
Congratulations! i can remember…….the first time i heard the name “Google” i thougt it is a company which deals with “Gugelhupf” (a bavarian cake). This year i recognized it is a Search Engine
-
Greetz from Bavaria
Jörg
Congratulations Matt, I’ll definitely pass on the advice to my husband.
I get the feeling that Google is rejuvenated this year … really competing with, or complimenting, everything. I’m looking forward and seeing google everywhere.
These are exciting times
Congratulations to you and best wishes.
Congratulations Matt I wish you another 10 years of success in both Google and your personal life
Happy Anniversary on both counts! Would love the wife to see Avatar with me without any coercing! We’ll see how that goes, she may surprise me. Enjoy the rest of your time relaxing.
You weren’t kidding when you said you’d spend more time blogging this week. Congratulations on the 10 year anniversary, on both fronts.
In the course of a decade, time has probably flown right past, yet a great deal was also accomplished and the digital landscape of the internet was formed into what it is today due in large part to the direction of Google and the decisions and creations of its engineers.
In some sense, this is the transition to the digital farming age, where our bread and butter is earned online.
Congrats Matt on a great 10 years. Keep up the good work!! And Happy Anniversary.
(sean percival) So that’s why the garbage has been piling up for the last 13 years at home. She could have sent a text message or a tweet: it’s not like we are not in the same house.
Congrats Matt and happy anniversary.
Congrats on both anniversaries I often wonder where we will be ten years from now technologically?
Happy Anniversary !! Enjoy !
Congrats Matt!
Just one question…. who’s Evan?
Happy Anniversary. We’re doing our 3Oth this year. Yes I am old and I’m crotchety about so many things…especially typos. Every blog I read today had at least one, including this one. I am no better, I just don’t see my own. Wouldn’t a site for blog cleaning – before posting work really well. Spell check won’t work, too many of the typos are real words used wrong. I have an idea…..
Congrats Matt! My 10 yr anniversary was yesterday! Time flys when you’re having fun!
Congratulations and I am proud of your loyalty to your wife and google. 10 years is a very long time.
Congrats, I hope you enjoy your “vacation”.
Congrates Matt… hope both (Marriage + Google) journey lasts forever.
Congrats on your anniversary Matt.
It is unbelievable how much time we waste sometimes at not too important things on the web. That precious time could be well spent with your family, kids and loved ones.
I also congratulate you on web cleansing, I tried to do my Gmail this year and had about 70% success.
This is a cute post. Happy Anniversary and congrats on 10 years with Google.
May there be many more years …
Did you both like it? For me it was too much like a Cartoon and far too long.
Ten years ago I Was the school！
Amazing Progress during the last 10 year. Very good advice for Software Engineer husbands to take some time off and spend it with your family and wives.!
It must feel great to create a difference in community every single day.
Keep up the great work! I really enjoy reading your blogs.
Congrats matt
Happy Anniversary dude
What shall I blog in next years year. Hmmphs!
Congrats on your 10 years Matt
Hoping that the love u shared years ago
Is still as strong today as it was
then Bringing u much joy , love
and happiness To celebrate again.
Happy Anniversary
Regards,
Azhar
congratulations Matt, on your anniversary and on completing 10 years at Google.
Congrats! in ten years yo have proven yourself an incredible professional and hope a good husband too