Hundreds of years ago, it was already clear to the likes of Da Vinci that the search for a Perpetuum Mobile was futile. More energy is always necessary to keep the movement going. However, that cannot be the case when it comes to yourself as a leader. No amount of extrinsic factors trumps intrinsic motivation. […]
It’s Passover this week, which has always been a favorite of mine (perhaps partly because it coincides with my birthday). Speaking about the story of Passover with my kids, and especially my son, who seems fascinated by the “magic” happening, I decided to write a fun article about the problem I routinely see when working […]
Leaders with a relentless passion to keep improving and learning are a force to be reckoned with. Even one or two in a company can make all the difference in the world between yet another team and a remarkable organization. Having innate motivation and continuous momentum will set you apart. Are you constantly improving? Are […]
Now more than ever, you can’t afford to settle for an average team. Draw the trend line: if things remain as they are, will that be enough for your company to obtain dramatic success? Time is of the essence, and therefore, I thought you might appreciate some help thinking about ways to assess how well […]
“Strategy” is one word that seems to have lost meaning. I see it thrown around and used for anything, including “so what’s our snacking strategy tonight?” I’ve written before that you don’t need a “tech strategy.” Instead, you should aim to leverage tech as part of the company’s overall strategy. One such tool I’ve been […]
Developing software products is a long-term effort and requires ongoing adjustments. These marathons are usually composed of multiple iterations or sprints. However, these today in many companies are no longer enabling effective work. Instead, they are essentially waste, as teams end up in some hybrid process that makes little sense. If you’re on a quest […]
Andy Grove’s excellent book High Output Management is rightfully considered a fundamental think piece in management tech. Nevertheless, the term “output management” is misleading. While a hardware company like Intel can more easily manage how many units are produced, i.e., output, that is not how software startups should view their product engineering. I believe this […]
There’s a reoccurring phenomenon right now, which I last saw when the pandemic hit. The best leaders around aren’t those who throw their hands up in despair but precisely those who find new ways to leverage the current situation. No matter how dire things might seem, I’m working with executives who had to lay good […]
We get it. Tech’s going through a rough patch. Even though it seems like most major economies will avoid a recession and that inflation is trending positively, funding and expectations from tech companies and startups have changed. Hundreds of thousands have lost their jobs, and companies are talking about their newly found focus on performance […]
With the slowdown in hiring (for some, a complete freeze), there is an increasing need to make do with what you’ve got. You can no longer cover up underperforming employees by staffing more. How do you make ICs’ motivation align with impact for the company? Here are suggestions to tailor your approach to different types […]