Steven Deobald's blog post about the departure

which implies a similar quick exit before impending destruction.

I don't know the circumstances of Deobald's departure, but Littauer was hired as a temporary ED to fill the gap and always planned to leave quickly. "Thanks for all the fish" is pretty neutral, coming from Douglas Adams/Hitchhiker's Guide—I've lost count of how many times I've seen it used by others in tech when announcing their departure from a job.

If you read his blog post, he explains that he had previously applied for the role, then (after not getting it) signed on to do PhD studies in New Zealand. He agreed to do it part-time, after Million left, until they found a new ED. (And all that matches what he said to me in person at GUADEC last year.) Originally it was meant to be a two-month contract, which turned into a longer stint until they found Deobald.