While it’s probably still too early to deem the highly anticipated, oft-hyped Essential Phone DOA, former CEO and co-founder of Android Inc. Andy Rubin doesn’t have much time left to commercially release the “edge-to-edge” 5.7-incher before even his most hardcore fans lose patience and move on. Especially when there are so many exciting devices around the corner to move on to.

No one knows exactly what’s taking so long, and Rubin himself provided a nonexplanation in emails sent last week to those who booked the “PH-1” starting almost two months ago. We may never find out the real reason behind the delays, but the successive departures of several key executives can’t be a good sign for a startup that’s essentially yet to sell a single product.

After VP of Marketing Brian Wallace and Head of Communications Andy Fouché, it’s time for the company’s Head of UX to leave the sinking barely floating ship and assume an identical role at… Google. Oh, the irony of ex-Google SVP of Mobile and Digital Content and Android development overseer losing a top employee to the very search giant he’s now trying to challenge.

For his part, Big G’s newly appointed Google Home Head of UX, Liron Damir, expressed his excitement and pride at joining the tech giant to “lead the design of Google Home products.” Not a single word about his Essential exit in a rather terse Linkedin post earlier this week, despite the separation taking place very recently. Ouch!