Photo Credit Josh Bancroft
Yahoo’s brain drain continues and, TechCrunch provides a great analysis into the latest desperate deal Yahoo is engaged in. This time with Google.

Yahoo is in a very bad position and everyone knows it. Now, possibly the best known Yahoo, Jeremy Zawodny is leaving the company for greener pastures. Jeremy made his announcement the other day amidst denials.

I won’t at all be surprised if some people think this is related to Microsoft or Carl Ichan and the uncertainty surrounding Yahoo’s future. The reality is that there’s nothing pushing me out the door at Yahoo. The reason I’m leaving is that something very compelling has come along to lure me away. Despite what the current press sentiment might be, Jerry and David have built a remarkable company.

While I don’t believe this for even a second, I also know what it’s like to leave a company you feel tremendous kinship to. Especially one you’ve been at for a very long time.

Jeremy was one of those guys I read avidly in my early years of blogging. James from Outside the Beltway was my political blogger of choice. He reads my blog today as I do his. Seth Godin was my business blogger of choice. I’m quite sure Seth does not read my blog. Jeremy was my technology blogger of choice and I have no idea if he reads my blog. :-)

I’m really excited for Jeremy. I’ve felt he should move on from Yahoo for awhile now, and I’m sure he has felt the pressure to do so himself. Finding people in technology – particularly at web companies – that stay with a single company, loyally, for 8.5 years is somewhat akin to Cal Ripken being a Baltimore Oriole for all of his 20+ year career.

Whoever he lands with gets a tremendous depth of knowledge, ingenuity and public respect. He could be an evangelist, a product marketer, a product manager, a systems administrator, a DBA, a business development guy or even Public Relations. Whoever gets him doesn’t just get a brain, but gets a whole lot of influence and political capital in the web world.

Congratulations, Jeremy, to you and your new wife. Don’t worry about the economy. I’m pretty sure you can pick your job. And it sounds like you have.

Update: Jeremy is going to Craigslist.