Objecting to Objectives

Let’s clarify: I am not against using objectives as a tech executive to guide your organization. In fact, I believe they are a fantastic tool for gaining alignment and focus. However, I have an issue with bad objectives that serve the exact opposite. This article covers what should be your default focus for objectives, what […]

Taking The Reins

I’m often asked what common patterns of problems and issues I see as someone exposed to lots of different companies. One such problem which is a recurring problem with startup leadership is the tendency to settle on reactivity. Rather than take charge, executives are busy trying to handle all the incoming requests. Because they always […]

Questioning Axioms

I’ve written before about the types of things that I look for in senior tech leaders as I interview candidates. One amazing indicator of success I haven’t found a good way to interview for is the capability to push back tactfully. It makes sense that most people avoid appearing argumentative during interviews. However, too often, […]

Motivational Pull

For a while now, I’ve been saying that engineers go off to chase clever tech, shiny libraries, needlessly intricate refactoring endeavors, and tech debt crusades because it was easy. That’s their path of least resistance to exert control and autonomy. In fact, this is part of a broader phenomenon that also afflicts engineering managers and […]