A legendary Microsoft exec quit the company and moved into a houseboat — take a look inside

Sébastien Motte

In fall 2013, Sébastien Motte left Microsoft after working at the tech giant for 19 years, where he turned the original Xbox into the powerhouse console it is today.

The shake-up didn't stop there. In the same month, the former head of business development for the Xbox moved out of his Seattle, Washington, apartment and into a 1,200-square-foot houseboat.

Motte calls it one of the best decisions of his life.

Motte bought the houseboat three years ago in an effort to return to his roots. The native Frenchman grew up on a farm outside Paris, France, and missed feeling close to nature.

"I completely fell in love with this way of life," says Motte, who now runs LOOOK, a mixed-reality design and development studio that makes content for the Microsoft HoloLens.

Now when he wakes up in the morning, he sees sweeping views of Lake Union and downtown Seattle from his bed. He meditates from inside the three-bedroom home.