Dented Reality

Web Design That Pays for Itself

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0800

A website is the hardest-working member of your team, or it should be. It never sleeps, it greets every customer the same way, and it can sell while you are asleep or on the tools. Yet too many business owners treat web design as a cosmetic exercise, judged on whether it looks nice, when the real question is whether it earns its keep. Good design is a commercial investment, and the difference between a site that looks the part and one that drives revenue is enormous.

Choosing an SEO Company When the Rules Keep Changing

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0800

Search has changed more in the past two years than in the decade before it. AI-generated answers now sit at the top of many results pages, large language models are quoting websites directly, and Google’s core updates have reshaped who ranks and who quietly disappears. For business owners, the practical question is no longer “can someone get me to page one.” It is “can someone navigate a moving target without setting fire to my budget.” That makes choosing the right SEO partner more important, and harder, than it used to be.

What Actually Makes the Best Marketing Company in Perth

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0800

“Best” is a word that gets thrown around carelessly in marketing, which is a little ironic. Almost every agency claims it, few define it, and fewer still can prove it. So it is worth pausing on what the word should mean when you are spending real money and staking your growth on the outcome. The best is not the loudest or the cheapest. It is the partner that delivers measurable outcomes, year after year, and can show you exactly how.

What a Perth Digital Agency Actually Does, Beyond the Buzzwords

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0800

Ask ten people what a digital agency does and you will get ten different answers. Some picture a team running Facebook ads, others imagine web developers, and a few still think it is all about logos and brochures. The truth is broader and more connected than any single slice. A good agency exists to grow your business through the channels where your customers already spend their time, and to make those channels work together rather than in isolation.

How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency in Perth Without the Guesswork

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0800

Every business owner in Perth has been pitched the dream at some point. Page one rankings by next month, leads pouring in, a website that prints money. The reality is more grounded, and the agencies worth working with will tell you that up front. Choosing the right partner is less about who promises the most and more about who can show you the receipts.

Making Your Website Survive the AI Era

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0800

The web is being consumed in ways its creators never anticipated. Large language models are trained on crawled web pages. AI search engines synthesise answers from your content without sending a click. Voice assistants read your structured data aloud to someone who will never see your design.

If your website was built for humans using browsers, it still needs to work for that audience. But the sites that thrive over the next decade will be the ones that are equally legible to machines.

The 3 Layers to Unlocking Team Trust: A Leader’s Guide – Leadership Garden

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 13:21:56 -0700

The 3 Layers to Unlocking Team Trust: A Leader’s Guide – Leadership Garden

Trust is the glue that holds teams together. It’s like the secret ingredient that makes a group of individuals work like a well-oiled machine. When there’s trust, people feel safe to share their ideas, take risks, and openly express their opinions without fear of being judged or ignored. This creates an environment where everyone can contribute their best, leading to more creativity, better problem-solving, and higher productivity. In teams where trust is strong, members support each other, communicate better, and are more committed to their goals. It’s no wonder that building trust is considered a top priority in successful teams . So, how do we build this trust?

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 07:18:03 -0700

Checked in at Conrad Bangkok .

13.7384419100.5483824

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 06:34:38 -0700

Checked in at JW Café .

13.7422274100.5518266

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 03:47:46 -0700

Checked in at The House on Sathorn .

13.7222457100.5288745

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 19:12:41 -0700

Checked in at Casa Lapin (คาซ่า ลาแปง) .

13.738777100.549249

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 11:56:12 -0700

Checked in at Conrad Bangkok .

13.7384419100.5483824

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 05:55:07 -0700

Checked in at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) (香港國際機場) .

22.31537113.935269

Sat, 18 Nov 2023 10:51:39 -0700

Checked in at United Club .

33.9426546-118.3995187

Sat, 18 Nov 2023 10:51:11 -0700

Checked in at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) .

33.9436804-118.406074

Engineering Leadership Tactics: Building Alignment

Sat, 18 Nov 2023 09:49:46 -0700

Engineering Leadership Tactics: Building Alignment

How to find buy-in as an Engineering Manager?

6 min read ·

Dec 14, 2022

—

Change is part of the day-to-day work of an Engineering Manager (EM). It could be because an EM is trying to improve their team’s delivery results or quality. Or they could be trying to make improvements that affect the broader organization.

I have previously discussed implementing change at a high level previously. I would like to go more in-depth into some tactics that I have used in the past. How to get alignment at different levels?

“Good Things Come to Those Who Wait.”

Sat, 18 Nov 2023 09:41:21 -0700

“Good Things Come to Those Who Wait.”

“Good things come to those who wait.”

by Tobias van Schneider

Published Oct 25, 2023

As a designer, one of the most useful skills you can have is patience. Even if you’re not a designer, patience is one of the best yet hardest skills to learn.

Patience helps you trust the process as a designer. It guides you when you’re annoyed of yourself not finding a solution to your problem today, right now. It reminds you that efforts build and compound.

Sat, 18 Nov 2023 07:07:21 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

DEN:LAX:HKG:BKK

39.8497327-104.6739819

Writing an engineering strategy.

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 13:25:31 -0700

Writing an engineering strategy.

Once you become an engineering executive, an invisible timer starts ticking in the background.

Tick tick tick. At some point that timer will go off,

at which point someone will rush up to you demanding an engineering strategy.

It won’t be clear what they mean, but they will want it, really, really badly.

If we just had an engineering strategy, their eyes will implore you, things would be okay.

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 13:17:02 -0700

Checked in at Applewood Park .

39.744678-105.149623

Own It Mentality

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 14:22:28 -0700

Own It Mentality

At times, I’ve taken on too many responsibilities, only to pay the price later with poor follow-through — which is ultimately more painful than saying “no” at the outset.

My poor follow-through is downstream of my ambition and my desire to people-please, both of which seem noble but can lead to consequences. When it comes to ambition, I’m like a starving guy at a buffet. Not only am I unable to eat everything on my plate, but I get sick from trying. My desire to people-please is why I say “yes” to opportunities as they arise, but I disappoint people later when I’m late on a project or have to cancel at the last minute.

Sat, 11 Nov 2023 15:53:15 -0700

Checked in at Far East Center .

with erika

39.7105014-105.0256264

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 16:34:14 -0700

Checked in at UCHealth Primary Care – Arvada West .

39.8121911-105.1707166

Don’t Fix Things. Write a New Story

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 13:16:32 -0700

Don’t Fix Things. Write a New Story

Some thoughts on why the push to “align on the problem” is often counterproductive, and why a better approach is to focus on breaking the narrative stalemate with a better story.

Companies are filled with (often competing) narratives about what is broken, why, and what to do about it.

These narratives vary and are heavily influenced by people’s worldview, perspective, tenure at the company, personal experiences, and skills and knowledge (among other factors). For example, some people are biased toward individual performance or specific team dynamics explanations. Others tend to gravitate to narratives that involve systemic organizational issues, cultural dynamics, strategy (or lack thereof), and incentives.

Things I Learned the Hard Way

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 12:50:08 -0700

Things I Learned the Hard Way

Things I Learned the
Hard Way
Bryan Cantrill
Oxide Computer Company

View Slide
OXIDE
The imperative to learn
• The thrill of being a software engineer is that we are always learning
• Learning is clearest with respect to our craft: learning new languages,
new technologies – or new aspects of developing or deploying them
• Learning extends beyond craft: software creation sits at the conﬂuence
of the technical and the creative, at once solitary and collaborative
• The way we organize is not formulaic; we are always learning new ways
of organizing ourselves and working with one another

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 19:56:57 -0700

Checked in at Ogden Theatre , for The Cat Empire.

with erika

39.7401664-104.9753563

Writing engineering strategy | StaffEng

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 22:38:12 -0700

Writing engineering strategy | StaffEng

I kind of think writing about engineering strategy is hard because good strategy is pretty boring, and it’s kind of boring to write about. Also I think when people hear “strategy” they think “innovation” – Camille Fournier

Few companies understand their engineering strategy and vision. One consequence of this uncertainty is the industry belief that these documents are difficult to write. In some conversations, it can feel like you’re talking about something mystical, but these are just mundane documents. The reality is that good engineering strategy is boring and that it’s easier to write an effective strategy than a bad one.

Superlinear Returns

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 07:46:39 -0700

Superlinear Returns

October 2023

One of the most important things I didn’t understand about the world

when I was a child is the degree to which the returns for performance

are superlinear.

Teachers and coaches implicitly told us the returns were linear.

“You get out,” I heard a thousand times, “what you put in.” They

meant well, but this is rarely true. If your product is only half

as good as your competitor’s, you don’t get half as many customers.

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 13:54:40 -0700

Checked in at Goldenview Veterinary Hospital .

39.730628-105.174155

Sat, 04 Nov 2023 13:27:36 -0600

Checked in at Carbon Knife Co .

39.76477-104.976807

How to Tell Great Stories

Sat, 04 Nov 2023 12:56:07 -0600

How to Tell Great Stories

Is it possible to turn anyone into a storyteller as good as Neil deGrasse Tyson?

Imagine anyone—even your bitter, old uncle—being able to command a stadium’s worth of people hanging onto their every word.

I recently got to the bottom of it.

My motivation: I had been trying to start a podcast to exchange stories with great storytellers, but I sounded awful in comparison to them. I was ruining first impressions with people I’ve always wanted to meet, and that sucked.

Productivity

Sat, 04 Nov 2023 12:41:04 -0600

Productivity

I think I am

at least somewhat more productive than average, and people sometimes ask me for

productivity tips. So I decided to just write them all down in one place.

Compound

growth gets discussed as a financial concept, but it works in careers as well,

and it is magic. A small productivity

gain, compounded over 50 years, is worth a lot.

So it’s worth figuring out how to optimize productivity. If you get 10%

This Is the Most Powerful Word in the World

Sat, 04 Nov 2023 12:16:31 -0600

This Is the Most Powerful Word in the World

The Hyperfocused Entrepreneur

February 18, 2023

Read time: 5 minutes

I spent the past week in Antarctica playing patty-cake with penguins and watching whales like a peeping-Tom.

We landed a few hours ago and I’m currently writing this from the basement of a Chilean hotel mere hours before it’s scheduled to go out to ya’ll.

As a result, this week’s letter will be shorter than usual…

Are You Ready to Be a Public Company?

Sat, 04 Nov 2023 12:08:54 -0600

Are You Ready to Be a Public Company?

Going public is not the same as being a public company*.*** When you go public, your company’s performance suddenly has a real-time scoreboard: your stock price. It’s easy to think that high growth can make up for a low stock price, especially for founders at fast-growing late-stage startups that are still burning cash. But as a public company, the reality is that a low or volatile stock price sucks and can hurt your business. It’s bad for employee morale and retention, it’s bad for recruiting and hiring new executives, it’s bad for using your stock for M&A, and it often gives competitors the opening to point at your stock price and say, “the market’s figured it out. They’re a disaster.”

The Techno-Optimist Manifesto

Sat, 04 Nov 2023 11:58:19 -0600

The Techno-Optimist Manifesto

“Our species is 300,000 years old. For the first 290,000 years, we were foragers, subsisting in a way that’s still observable among the Bushmen of the Kalahari and the Sentinelese of the Andaman Islands. Even after Homo Sapiens embraced agriculture, progress was painfully slow. A person born in Sumer in 4,000BC would find the resources, work, and technology available in England at the time of the Norman Conquest or in the Aztec Empire at the time of Columbus quite familiar. Then, beginning in the 18th Century, many people’s standard of living skyrocketed. What brought about this dramatic improvement, and why?”

How to Stop Taking Work So Personally

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 17:52:07 -0600

How to Stop Taking Work So Personally

Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

Our jobs often provide more than a paycheck: They often offer a sense of purpose, growth, and community. But over time, our professional roles can become too intertwined with our sense of self. This is especially true for When you’re driven to perform and also think and feel everything more deeply, it’s easy for interactions, decisions, or feedback to have a direct — and often disproportionate — impact on your emotions, self-worth, and identity.

Listening Tours: Not Just for New Leaders

Sat, 28 Oct 2023 10:13:32 -0600

Listening Tours: Not Just for New Leaders

Does this sound familiar? You’re in a new leadership role. During your initial weeks, you embark on a listening tour, meeting with various team members and stakeholders to understand their perspectives, challenges, and aspirations. The tour proves insightful, enabling you to make informed decisions quickly and build trust with your teams early.

Listening tours during onboarding are a proven, well-known practice in leadership circles (tips , keys to success ). However, many of us put this valuable tool away after we feel onboarded. In this post, I’ll explore the benefits of conducting listening tours beyond the onboarding phase and share some real world examples of how they’ve positively impacted leadership here at Flatiron .

Capital (In)Efficiency

Sat, 28 Oct 2023 10:04:26 -0600

Capital (In)Efficiency

In this post, we will explore capital (in)efficiency and why the current preoccupation with developer productivity (and efficiency overall) is a symptom of something else. We will discuss layoffs, trust, personal identity, and interest rates. It’s going to get heavy.

Quick Definitions

Capital:

Skills, knowledge, experience, machinery, patents, copyrights, working capital, debt and equity, partner relationships, brand, etc.

Capital Efficiency:

A measure of how effectively a company uses its sources of capital to achieve its objectives, which may include growth, profitability, market share, and other strategic goals.

Information Diet: High Agency vs Low Agency

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 20:34:12 -0600

Information Diet: High Agency vs Low Agency

Every minute, 500 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube.

Every day, 500 million tweets are uploaded to Twitter.

Every year, 67 million people die.

Despite this, if you don’t have an up-to-date opinion on trending events – you are… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

If you want to improve your information diet, I’ve put together the best ideas and articles I’ve found for free here:

Solving the Engineering Strategy crisis.

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 19:59:02 -0600

Solving the Engineering Strategy crisis.

These are speaking notes for my October 4th, QCon talk in San Francisco.
Slides for this talk.

Over the course of my career, I’ve frequently heard from colleagues, team members

and random internet strangers with the same frustration: the company doesn’t have

an Engineering strategy.

I don’t think this problem is unique to Engineering: it’s also common to hear

folks complain that they’re missing a strategy for Product, Design or Business.

Are You Serious?

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 22:00:32 -0600

Are You Serious?

Justo Gallego Martínez (1925-2021), working on the cathedral that he spent 60 years building. (Photograph by Susana Giron )

It’s frustrating to not be taken seriously.

When I was a kid, one of my most agonizing frustrations was about how rare it was that anybody would take me seriously. It doesn’t bother me as much anymore, largely because I’ve since achieved some level of success at the things I care about. I now have some people who have my back – people who see me for who I am and what I’m doing – and I’ve also learned to be more patient with other people’s misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and so on. I’m writing this to share some of my thoughts about that.

Diving Into Engineering Metrics

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 22:00:31 -0600

Diving Into Engineering Metrics

In today’s engineering world, you often hear about something called “Engineering Metrics.” Whether you’re a new engineering manager or have been in the field for a long time, you’ve probably come across this term.

But what exactly are engineering metrics, and how can they help you and your team?

In this essay, we’ll dive into the world of engineering metrics and specifically:

🔍 What Engineering Metrics are and what’s their purpose
🏭 See how they relate to Productivity
🚀 How to make the most from them

Before we begin, let me introduce our first sponsor. Since this is the first time I’ve included a sponsor here, please let me know if this bothers you in any way!

Notes on “Taste”

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 22:00:31 -0600

Notes on “Taste”

Gertrude Stein’s home. [A black and white photograph of a room with walls covered in framed paintings, and ornate dining table, and a wood burning furnace.]

Taste is a word I’ve been hearing a lot more lately, and I think it’s because we’ve broadened its application from the world of the aesthetic to the world of the practical. Taste has historically been reserved for conversation about things like fashion and art. Now, we look for it in our social media feeds, the technology we use, the company we keep, and the people we hire. When I ask people what they mean by “taste,” they’ll stumble around for a bit and eventually land on something like “you know it when you see it,” or “it’s in the eye of the beholder.” I understand. Words like taste are hard to pin down, perhaps because they describe a sensibility more than any particular quality, a particular thing. We’re inclined to leave them unencumbered by a definition, to preserve their ability to shift shapes. But I don’t think we have to. And for the past several months, I haven’t been able to resist the urge to try to articulate taste. This comes, in part, from a place of wanting to be precise — now that the term is such a frequent and varied part of our lexicon, it runs the risk of losing its meaning. But I also believe taste is something we can and should try to cultivate. Not because taste itself is a virtue, per se, but because I’ve found a taste-filled life to be a richer one. To pursue it is to appreciate ourselves, each other, and the stuff we’re surrounded by a whole lot more. So, how to wrap my arms around this term in a way that captures its spirit without flattening it? I can’t think of a piece of writing that does this more effectively than Susan Sontag’s “Notes on ‘Camp.’” In her words, “a sensibility is one of the hardest things to talk about… To snare a sensibility in words, especially one that is alive and powerful, one must be tentative and nimble. The form of jottings, rather than an essay (with its claim to a linear, consecutive argument), seemed more appropriate for getting down something of this particular fugitive sensibility.” So, in shameless imitation of a master and tastemaker, here are my notes on “taste.”

Strategy Basics: Why Strategy Is Important and What Does It Mean?

Sat, 14 Oct 2023 00:10:07 -0600

Strategy Basics: Why Strategy Is Important and What Does It Mean?

Strategy is one of the most powerful tools for change-leadership. Yet it is heavily misunderstood, underutilized, and abused. How can a tool be used properly if it’s not well-understood?

If there was a survey of abused professional words, “strategy” would be right at the top along with “agile”, “AI” and “platform”. It is broadly used as a fancy substitute for goals, visions, decisions, tactics, policies, or even fluffy dreams. In the absence of a formal definition, anything can pass as strategy.

Micromanagement: The Unpopular Truth You Need to Hear

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 19:58:59 -0600

Micromanagement: The Unpopular Truth You Need to Hear

Micromanagement – a term that often sends shivers down the spines of engineers. It’s a topic that’s been debated extensively, and opinions vary. Nat Friedman, the former CEO of GitHub, said: “The cultural prohibition on micromanagement is harmful.” This got me thinking about our collective aversion to micromanagement and how it might sometimes prevent us from effective management.

In my experience, when interviewing or onboarding new team members, one common question I ask is about their least favorite management behavior. It’s no surprise that the majority respond with “micromanagement.” It’s almost a buzzword for managerial overreach. However, it’s essential to recognize that micromanagement is a spectrum. What one engineer considers micromanagement, another might perceive as necessary guidance.

Creativity Faucet: Increase Your Creativity

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 19:56:49 -0600

Creativity Faucet: Increase Your Creativity

One of the most valuable writing skills is the ability to generate novel ideas.

Last year, I stumbled into a technique to achieve this at will.

I was watching a documentary on songwriter Ed Sheeran. In it, he described his songwriting process. It struck me as identical to the process that author Neil Gaiman detailed in his Masterclass.

Here’s the thing.

Ed Sheeran and Neil Gaiman are in the top 0.000001% of their fields. They’re among, say, 25 people in the world who repeatedly generate blockbusters.

A Discussion on Communication With Executives, Using the Lens of This Common Management Line

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 19:51:19 -0600

A Discussion on Communication With Executives, Using the Lens of This Common Management Line

“Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions” is a common message that one imagines a stereotypical CEO saying to their teams. While this literal phrase isn’t particularly common in the wild, it’s rooted in some deep underlying truths about communication with executives. In this post, we’ll dissect this catchphrase as a means of analyzing how to effectively communicate upwards, whether to a senior manager, head of function, or CEO.

Stop Letting OKRs Masquerade as Strategy | by Roger Martin | Medium

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 08:59:13 -0600

Stop Letting OKRs Masquerade as Strategy | by Roger Martin | Medium

Playing To Win

Desire is not a Strategy

7 min read ·

Nov 15, 2021

—

Source: Roger L. Martin

I am getting weary of the Objective & Key Results (OKRs) hype-train. As a result, I am compelled to dedicate my third Year II Playing to Win/Practitioner Insights (PTW/PI) piece to Stop Letting OKRs Masquerade as Strategy. Given the widespread enthusiasm for OKRs, I predict it will be a worthy successor to It’s Time to Toss SWOT Analysis into the Ashbin of Strategy History , which is, simultaneously, my most read AND most objected to PTW/PI! You can find all previous PTW/PI here .

Unbundling AI — Benedict Evans

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 22:30:47 -0600

Unbundling AI — Benedict Evans

ChatGPT 3.5 launched a year ago, and I think we’re all still working out what the questions are. The AGI argument happens in one corner (now mostly ignored by everyone else) and the semiconductor, model size and running cost conversations in others, but I’m most interested in product. How is this useful? What do you do with a technology that promises it can do anything?

The Written Word

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 19:30:47 -0600

The Written Word

A few thoughts I have about writing:

Writing is an art, and art is subjective. Novelist William Maughan said there are three rules to good writing. “Unfortunately no one knows what they are.” I actually think there’s one: write the kind of stuff you like to read. Writing for yourself is fun, and it shows. Writing for others is work, and it shows.

Good writing is a performance. Mark Twain used to read aloud his family and watch their reactions. If he saw them getting bored, he’d cut that part out. If he saw them getting excited, he’d double down on that section. People don’t remember what you wrote as much as they remember how they felt when they read it.

Exponential Value at Linear Cost

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 19:28:05 -0600

Exponential Value at Linear Cost

What a deal!

Binary search is kind a of a magical thing. With each additional search step, the size of the haystack we can search doubles. In other words, the value of a search is exponential in the amount of effort. That’s a great deal. There are a few similar deals like that in computing, but not many. How often, in life, do you get exponential value at linear cost?

Nobody Cares

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 19:25:46 -0600

Nobody Cares

Posted October 8, 2011

“Just win baby.”

—Al Davis

This post is dedicated to the late Al Davis. Rest in peace.

Back in the bad old days when I was running Loudcloud, I thought to myself: how could I have possibly prepared for this? How could I know that half our customers would go out of business? How could I know that it would become impossible to raise money in the private markets? How could I have figured out that there would be 221 IPOs in 2000 and 19 in 2001? Could anybody expect me to achieve a reasonable outcome given those circumstances?

Fire Every Bullet

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 19:23:27 -0600

Fire Every Bullet

In crisis situations, a new style or management and prioritization has to occur. Andy Grove famously called this “wartime”, and he and others like Ben Horowitz have described what it’s like to be a “wartime” CEO. I haven’t ever seen anything written about being a wartime CPO though. Being a wartime CPO means a lot has to change in how you approach building product. Most product leaders think about their team as the product, and they continue to iterate on their team through hiring, training, coaching, delegation, etc. In wartime, you’re not hiring, you don’t have time to train or coach, and you make more top down decisions. But there’s one big thing that needs to change for wartime CPOs I want to cover today, and that is prioritization and evaluation.

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 18:34:22 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

We’re back! — with erika

39.8497327-104.6739819

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 12:55:48 -0600

Checked in at Shake Shack .

Home we go — with erika

40.7739901-73.8695228

10,000 Hours With Reid Hoffman: What I Learned

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 19:09:57 -0600

10,000 Hours With Reid Hoffman: What I Learned

(Credit: Wired magazine. )

Time to read: 50 minutes

We touched down in Las Vegas only three hours before, but we were already back in the plane and flying home to San Jose on a brisk winter day in December, 2012. Not having to go through security at an airport saves a lot of time.

Other than the two pilots in the front, Reid and I were alone, debriefing what worked and what didn’t at the tech event where he had just spoken. I gave some quick feedback on the answer he offered to a question about LinkedIn’s vision. He re-played his answer on how Greylock differed from other venture capital firms. I took notes.

How to Hire

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 11:10:30 -0600

How to Hire

After startups raise money, their next biggest problem becomes

hiring. It turns out it’s both really

hard and really important to hire good people; in fact, it’s probably the most

important thing a founder does.

If you don’t hire very well, you will not be successful—companies are

a product of the team the founders build.

There is no way you can build an important company by yourself. It’s easy to delude yourself into thinking

What Does a CTO Actually Do?

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 10:57:11 -0600

What Does a CTO Actually Do?

21 July 2023 · 25,673 views

· Updated 12 September 2023 career

development

management

newsletter

In 2017, I found myself stepping into the shoes of a CTO for the first time. I joined a small startup as a senior developer, and before I knew it, I was handed the reins of the tech team. Having the CTO title sounded cool, but in reality, it was more of a tech lead role — we were small, just about ten people, and I was deeply involved in building the product. My days were filled with coding, debugging, and playing whack-a-mole with new bugs and customer issues. I was also responsible for ensuring our team delivered on our commitments to investors and clients. It was a challenging time, but it was also a time of immense learning and growth.

Memorized Rules: How to Give Your Life Direction

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 10:31:16 -0600

Memorized Rules: How to Give Your Life Direction

A funny lie of adulthood is pretending we’ll act on the life advice we save.

We don’t revisit bookmarks. We don’t re-read Kindle highlights. We rarely re-open Google docs.

I recently overcame this self-sabotage. If I have a superpower, it’s that I now turn advice into action. This post breaks down how, and it shares the best advice I’ve been given.

Why we don’t act on advice

The first cause of advice laziness is misclassifying what life advice is. We treat life advice the same way we learn someone’s name: briefly acknowledge it then assume we’ll remember it.

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 12:11:07 -0600

Checked in at United Club .

38.8500535-77.0413054

What Is the Right Level of Specialization? For Data Teams and Anyone Else

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 00:48:08 -0600

What Is the Right Level of Specialization? For Data Teams and Anyone Else

2021-07-23

This isn’t as much of a blog post as an elaboration of a tweet I posted the other day:

I think this specialization of data teams into 99 different roles (data scientist, data engineer, analytics engineer, ML engineer etc) is generally a bad thing driven by the fact that tools are bad and too hard to use

‘A race it might be impossible to stop’: how worried should we be about AI?

Sun, 07 May 2023 09:08:33 -0600

‘A race it might be impossible to stop’: how worried should we be about AI?

Last Monday an eminent, elderly British scientist lobbed a grenade into the febrile anthill of researchers and corporations currently obsessed with artificial intelligence or AI (aka, for the most part, a technology called machine learning). The scientist was Geoffrey Hinton , and the bombshell was the news that he was leaving Google, where he had been doing great work on machine learning for the last 10 years, because he wanted to be free to express his fears about where the technology he had played a seminal role in founding was heading.

5 Crucial Things to Know About GPT-4

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 07:51:35 -0600

5 Crucial Things to Know About GPT-4

ChatGPT is about to get way more powerful

Screenshots via the author

After a long wait, OpenAI finally released the new GPT-4 model, a major update to the basic framework underlying their wildly popular ChatGPT system, as well as their GPT-3.5 API.

Jade Rubick – Increase your impact with upstream thinking

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 08:30:03 -0600

Jade Rubick – Increase your impact with upstream thinking

I was listening to a podcast where the host was interviewing Dan Heath, the author of Upstream: the Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen .

The author tells a story about Jeff and Marta, who are standing by the river. They see a child drowning, so they rescue him. As they’re drying off, they see another child drowning, so they jump in and rescue her. As they get her to shore, they notice two more kids in the water, flailing around. After getting the two of them out of the water, Marta starts walking upstream. Jeff says, “where are you going, we’ve got to rescue these kids!” And Marta says, “I’m going to go find who’s throwing them in the water.”

Donella Meadows recommendations for how to dance with and intervene in systems | by Daniel Christian Wahl | HackerNoon.com | Medium

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 21:44:45 -0600

Donella Meadows recommendations for how to dance with and intervene in systems | by Daniel Christian Wahl | HackerNoon.com | Medium

Donella H.Meadows was one of the co-authors of the 1972 Club of Rome Report on Limits to Growth which contributed to putting the issue of sustainability on the agenda of business and governments. She was a cofounder of the Balaton Group , an international network of systems-oriented analysts and activists from over 50 nations.

How Leaders Can Get the Feedback They Need to Grow

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 21:20:08 -0600

How Leaders Can Get the Feedback They Need to Grow

Westend61/Getty Images

When uncertainty is high, knowing where you stand — and learning about your mistakes while there’s still time to fix them — is more important than ever. To be able to adapt to changing conditions and ensure that your team continues to feel supported and motivated, you need to understand what you’re doing well — and where you’re falling short. Soliciting clear, actionable feedback allows you to make better, more informed decisions and pivot when necessary.

Using Metrics to Measure Individual Developer Performance — Laura Tacho

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 21:19:41 -0600

Using Metrics to Measure Individual Developer Performance — Laura Tacho

“What metrics should leaders use to measure the individual performance of developers on their teams?”

I get asked this question a lot. I’ve asked myself this question before, too – both as a developer and then later as a leader.

A lot of research and “best practice” will tell us that metrics like lines of code, story points completed, or deployment frequency are not appropriate to measure individual performance. This is true. These metrics came out of research and studies to measure different things, like devops maturity, software delivery capability, and overall delivery performance. Applying them to individuals is unfair at best.

Why Many Tech Companies Suck at Planning and Don’t Hit Their Targets

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 21:19:15 -0600

Why Many Tech Companies Suck at Planning and Don’t Hit Their Targets

I receive many messages from Product Managers and Product Owners who are close to going crazy because they constantly loop through the Planning Cycle of Madness with the accompanying Roadmap Circus that drains their energy.

Thanks for reading Maarten’s Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Here’s what I see happening in many tech companies all over the world:

TWH#49: The Metrics of Fear

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 22:28:44 -0600

TWH#49: The Metrics of Fear

Engineering leadership coach Laura Tacho recently published an article that starts with a question she often gets:

“What metrics should leaders use to measure the individual performance of developers on their teams?”

As far as I’m concerned, Laura does a masterful job of answering this question. But as she points out towards the end:

“If you’ve read this far, hoping for a list of metrics that you can grab and start using on your teams, you won’t find one. There’s no shortcut here.”

Your View of Management Is Upside Down

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 07:34:23 -0700

Your View of Management Is Upside Down

The common view of managerial roles and compensation as a reward for good performance is a disastrous misunderstanding for managers and subordinates alike.

Thanks for reading figure-grounds, a newsletter about products, organizations, and psychology. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

To understand management, we must ask an obvious question: in the absence of coercion, why would a person choose to be managed? Despite the prevalence of complaints about bosses and jobs, very few people decide to do away with them. Even fewer force themselves to explicitly acknowledge why that’s the case.

Underpants Gnomes, Outcomes, and Intermittent Reinforcement

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 21:14:23 -0700

Underpants Gnomes, Outcomes, and Intermittent Reinforcement

tl;dr:

Organizations and the people in them irrationally and addictively build and release products that often have no real value. This article gives my best explanation why. If you want to skip it, you can jump strait to the .

It’s a puzzle

A couple things have puzzled me for the close to 30 years I’ve been in product development.” Puzzled” is an understatement. They’ve actually driven me nuts.

Things You Should Never Do, Part I – Joel on Software

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 18:45:04 -0700

Things You Should Never Do, Part I – Joel on Software

Netscape 6.0 is finally going into its first public beta. There never was a version 5.0. The last major release, version 4.0, was released almost three years ago. Three years is an awfully long time in the Internet world. During this time, Netscape sat by, helplessly, as their market share plummeted.

It’s a bit smarmy of me to criticize them for waiting so long between releases. They didn’t do it on purpose, now, did they?

A Year of Scaling to a Multi-Hundred Person Engineering Organization at Pleo

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 09:36:59 -0700

A Year of Scaling to a Multi-Hundred Person Engineering Organization at Pleo

My father once explained how organizations scale with the analogy of fabric. If you take a piece and stretch it, holes start to appear everywhere. In order to keep that fabric stable, you need to weave new thread into it.

It’s a beautiful analogy. And I hated it. All I could think about was how those new threads were frustrating middle management layers that created bloated bureaucratic organizations. And let’s not kid ourselves, that can happen.

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 18:35:31 -0700

Checked in at Golden Mill .

39.757912-105.220755

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 13:52:33 -0700

Checked in at The Home Depot .

39.7228376-105.1898082

Org development through experimentation

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 10:43:14 -0700

Org development through experimentation

How to use simple experiments to improve how you organise and work

The three-step change process to loop your way steadily to massive improvements.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

This article is an adapted excerpt from my book Work with Source .

Both startups and established initiatives need an approach to bring about change and development. The standard model of change taught at most business schools is to design a future state up-front and then roll out a top-down org change process that attempts to drag people along kicking and screaming until, hopefully, the destination is reached. If you’ve ever been through such a change initiative you will know how painful and ineffective they can be. Even if you finally get there, the carefully thought-out new design may not be so great in practice.

Tomorrow’s technology, yesterday’s insights

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 10:43:13 -0700

Tomorrow’s technology, yesterday’s insights

Picture by wackystuff /Flickr under cc-license by-sa

Sometimes what the tech world comes up with has already been tried and rejected and really doesn’t need to be resurrected — like the Taylorist view of the workplace. Sometimes the solutions have already been there for a long time.
You just need to take a look around. At your fellow humans.

In his recent book “The Formula ”, Luke Dormehl describes how

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:56:14 -0700

Checked in at The Inventing Room Dessert Shop .

with erika

39.758623-105.045029

Why You Should Do One Impossibly Hard Physical Task Every Year | Huckberry

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 18:44:46 -0700

Why You Should Do One Impossibly Hard Physical Task Every Year | Huckberry

A Thorough Team Guide to RFCs

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 09:37:19 -0700

A Thorough Team Guide to RFCs

Maximum Sensation by mounir fatmi, on display at the Brooklyn Museum

Early in my management days, I found myself in an unforeseen situation. A new and unexpected frontend framework was added to our early-stage startup stack from one week to another. We were not in production yet, so the thought of maintaining two utterly different parallel client-side stacks this early wasn’t a problem I was anticipating. Opinions about technical decisions replicate almost as fast as frontend frameworks, so as the news spread, so did the backchannel feelings.

The Difference Between Good and Great Engineers

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 09:37:16 -0700

The Difference Between Good and Great Engineers

You don’t design your engineering culture by writing blog posts or printing posters. It’s shaped by the people you hire, the things they do, and the traits you reward and celebrate.

Choose wisely, and deliberately. Know what you value, and why. It’s easy to form this list in hindsight, but for anyone growing an engineering team, I urge you to think upfront, spelling out what you value most, then fight to hire for, encourage, support and celebrate those traits.

The Alternative to Performance Reviews for Software Engineers

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 19:47:15 -0700

The Alternative to Performance Reviews for Software Engineers

Learning and development reviews

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Table of Contents

Introduction

With the increasing reliance on software in every aspect of our lives, using management techniques from traditional industries in software engineering teams has gained momentum.

One practice that has recently seen widespread adoption is using performance measurements. Despite the promises made by such methodologies, many leaders are still struggling in their quest to measure the performance of their engineering teams: at the beginning, the adoption of such systems seems to bring a performance improvement, but shortly after, it becomes clear these improvements don’t translate into increased customer value.

Getting a Job as an Engineering Executive

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 21:49:08 -0700

Getting a Job as an Engineering Executive

I started my first executive job search when I was 25.

Eventually, I got an offer to lead engineering at a startup with four engineers,

which I turned down to join Uber.

It wasn’t until a decade later that I joined Calm and started my first executive role.

If you start researching executive career paths, you’ll find

folks who nominally become engineering executives at 21 when they found a company,

If You Want to Get Better at Something, Ask Yourself These Two Questions

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 17:59:58 -0700

If You Want to Get Better at Something, Ask Yourself These Two Questions

Mike Hewitt /Getty Images

It was the last race of the ski season. My son Daniel, 10 years old, was at the starting gate in his speed suit, helmet and goggles, waiting for the signal.

What Workaholism Might Be Hiding – The Atlantic

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 17:59:42 -0700

What Workaholism Might Be Hiding – The Atlantic

” is a column by Arthur Brooks, tackling questions of meaning and happiness. Click here to listen to his podcast series on all things happiness, How to Build a Happy Life*.*

Winston Churchill was many things: statesman, soldier, writer. He was one of the first world leaders to sound the alarm about the Nazi menace in the 1930s, and then captivated the global imagination as a leader against the Axis powers in World War II. While prime minister of the United Kingdom during the war, he kept a crushing schedule, often spending 18 hours a day at work . On top of this, he wrote book after book in office. By the end of his life, he had finished 43, filling 72 volumes .

The Only 3 Ways to be More Productive

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 09:33:22 -0700

The Only 3 Ways to be More Productive

Whenever you feel like you’re not getting enough done, you probably always turn to the same solution: working harder . Yet, you’ve probably heard the saying that you should “work smarter, not harder” which sounds great, but how do you actually work smarter?

Why Working Harder isn’t the Answer

The reason most people work harder is that it’s the most visible form of productivity.

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 16:17:27 -0700

Checked in at Golden Moon Distillery .

39.723546-105.197269

The Truth About Git Metrics Tools

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 21:25:00 -0700

The Truth About Git Metrics Tools

The Truth About Git Metrics Tools January 24, 2023

There’ve recently been a couple of interesting Twitter discussions about engineering metrics tools, namely whether people actually use them and the questionable metrics that they expose.

There are at least a couple dozen different vendors out there that currently provide this type of a solution. These products primarily provide analytics on top of tools like GitHub and Jira, and some support additional data sources.

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 19:23:17 -0700

Checked in at Teller’s Taproom & Kitchen .

39.747036-105.1419412

Stop Obsessing Over Development Velocity, Focus on This Instead

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 11:03:22 -0700

Stop Obsessing Over Development Velocity, Focus on This Instead

An awful lot of effort is going these days into boosting product teams’ productivity: getting them to burn those story points faster, deliver the planned scope in every sprint and cycle, and generally ship more stuff, faster. The term “development velocity” is often thrown around by executives, but what they’re actually aiming for is upping launch throughput—apparently a matter of vital importance for the success of the company.

Organizational Boundary Problems: Too Many Cooks or Not Enough Kitchens?

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 11:03:21 -0700

Organizational Boundary Problems: Too Many Cooks or Not Enough Kitchens?

Inside Noma, an open kitchen which supports exceptional teamwork. Image credit: City Foodsters, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

If you’re lucky, you’ve worked in a job with respectful people who share information openly and habitually bring different perspectives together for big decisions (if you haven’t, yes these do exist!). I’ve been a part of several open work cultures , and it’s been good for me. Working where people are actively pulling towards transparency, inclusivity, and empowerment, on problems that matter, is hugely satisfying.

Do Users Write More Insecure Code with AI Assistants?

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 10:00:26 -0700

Do Users Write More Insecure Code with AI Assistants?

We gratefully acknowledge support from
the Simons Foundation and member institutions.

> cs > arXiv:2211.03622v2

quick links

Computer Science > Cryptography and Security

arXiv:2211.03622v2 (cs)

[Submitted on 7 Nov 2022 (v1 ), last revised 16 Dec 2022 (this version, v2)]

Authors:, Megha Srivastava , Deepak Kumar , Dan Boneh

Download PDF

Abstract: We conduct the first large-scale user study examining how users interact with

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 08:48:31 -0700

Checked in at Blue Nest Coffee .

#cafeworking in the morning is a good start to the day.

39.747978-105.14216

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 09:22:22 -0700

Checked in at Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters .

Stocking up on beans

39.7423891-105.0746526

The maze is in the mouse. What ails Google. And how it can turn… | by Praveen Seshadri | Feb, 2023 | Medium

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 19:22:39 -0700

The maze is in the mouse. What ails Google. And how it can turn… | by Praveen Seshadri | Feb, 2023 | Medium

I joined Google just before the pandemic when the company I had co-founded, AppSheet, was acquired by Google Cloud. The acquiring team and executives welcomed us and treated us well. We joined with great enthusiasm and commitment to integrate AppSheet into Google and make it a success. Yet, now at the expiry of my three year mandatory retention period, I have left Google understanding how a once-great company has slowly ceased to function.

Fixing “Too Much WIP”

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 21:09:05 -0700

Fixing “Too Much WIP”

“too much WIP” means too many things being worked on at the same time

WIP refers to “work-in-process”, that is how many things are being processed or worked on at the same time.

“Too much WIP” refers to having too many tasks / Stories / Initiatives / Bets being worked on at the same time. This applies at the individual, team, department, and company-level.

“too much WIP” is a problem because it makes things take longer

Calendar Triage for Startup Leaders

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 10:51:22 -0700

Calendar Triage for Startup Leaders

Many engineering leaders share a common problem: too many things to do, and not enough time to do them all. In my coaching practice I often work with my clients to optimize their calendars, and one of my primary tools for this process is a modified Eisenhower Matrix.

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

The Eisenhower Matrix

At some point in their career, most of my clients have encountered a 2 by 2 matrix, divided into Important / Not Important on one Axis, and Urgent / Not Urgent on the other. However, most of them haven’t heard its name: An Eisenhower Matrix. The name originates from a quote attributed to the former US President:

Jade Rubick – Uplevel your managers with Mini-M support groups

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 06:50:09 -0700

Jade Rubick – Uplevel your managers with Mini-M support groups

Today, I would like to share a management practice we developed at New Relic . It was one of the best things we did as an engineering organization. The practice is called “Mini-Ms”. I believe it’s as important a practice for managers as code reviews are for engineers.

This post is first of a series:

In this post, we look at how Mini-Ms work and what they are.
Next, we learn how to implement Mini-Ms .
Finally, we share a history of Mini-Ms, including where the name came from.

What is a Mini-M?

A Mini-M is a group of managers that meet weekly or biweekly. The meeting is a combination support group and working session. In each session, managers share challenges they face. The other participants offer support and help problem-solve.

DevEx Principles: Minimize Switching Contexts

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 11:00:36 -0700

DevEx Principles: Minimize Switching Contexts

Recently someone asked me what my principles are for DevEx. Over the past 15 years shipping products for Heroku, GitHub, and now Vercel, I’ve learned a lot about what developers need to succeed. Still, I’ve never documented the principles I use daily to build developer tools, so I’ve decided to write it all down.

Interruptions matter even when it’s your tools that are doing it.
Respect the craft. The bar is higher because you’re building products for people who build products.
Automate anything that can be automated: Automation is king. Any task that can be run in the background should.
Optimize for TTC (time to code): Just as artists need to see paint on canvas in order to keep creating, developers need to see code running in order to test, get feedback, and ship.
Be dependable: Be mindful of breaking changes. People’s services depend on your services.
Don’t bury the lede: Show me what is possible and why it matters. Don’t hide pricing, don’t use convoluted marketing language, and don’t hide the documentation.

I’ll talk about each principle in detail over the next five posts. Minimizing switching contexts is the first and perhaps the most important, and I consider all of them when designing and building any new developer-focused product.

My Role as a Founder CTO: Year Five

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 11:00:33 -0700

My Role as a Founder CTO: Year Five

It’s hard to believe that five years have already gone by since RevenueCat’s inception. In a matter of weeks, RevenueCat will become the company where I have worked the longest in my career. As Jason Lemkin says, it’s important to continuously reinvent the company and oneself every five years . It’s required to carry on and stay relevant the following five.

I had no doubts my role was going to evolve again. It has every single year, leading me to start this series of posts. But the remarkable part this year has been the internal transformation of RevenueCat. As we enter 2023, the company is more mature than ever before, with well-established processes, cross-functional teams, and leaders in key areas. The company has become a well-oiled machine, allowing us to deliver quality software at a faster pace. However, reaching this point was not without its challenges and it took a lot of hard work to get here.

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 17:14:08 -0700

Checked in at Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply .

with erika

39.8622255-105.080619

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 19:21:05 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Home

39.8497327-104.6739819

A Framework for Prioritizing Tech Debt

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 06:21:26 -0700

A Framework for Prioritizing Tech Debt

The Importance of Leverage

Having spent over a decade building tech startups, I’ve come across my fair share of tech debt: The gnarly Ember.js code no one wants to touch, the bespoke cloud infrastructure maintained entirely by hand, or the solitary Elixir service left behind by a long-gone former teammate.

While these may be painful today, at one point in the past they were likely important accelerants that pushed the product forward in a meaningful way. In fact, tech debt is arguably a necessary evil–if a growing company isn’t taking on some measure of leverage, then it’s likely not shipping as fast as it should be. However as a company begins to see traction, there will come an inflection point where it becomes important to start prioritizing tech debt.1

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 05:34:44 -0700

Checked in at Vienna International Airport (VIE) (Flughafen Wien-Schwechat) .

VIE:MUC:DEN

48.11934416.5626452

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 19:29:59 -0700

Checked in at Hilton Vienna Park .

48.205981616.3833404

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 17:20:03 -0700

Checked in at Josef Bar .

Made it happen

48.211916.373077

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 12:28:22 -0700

Checked in at Motto am Fluss .

48.212152416.3779189

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 07:12:04 -0700

Checked in at Café Mozart .

48.204317416.3689867

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 06:25:43 -0700

Checked in at Hilton Vienna Park .

48.205981616.3833404

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 16:13:39 -0700

Checked in at Hilton Vienna Park .

48.205981616.3833404

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 04:51:30 -0700

Checked in at Lobby Bar & Lounge .

48.206308416.38311

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 04:51:16 -0700

Checked in at Hilton Vienna Park .

48.205981616.3833404

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 11:16:48 -0700

Checked in at Schimanskzy .

48.207594816.3805585

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 07:38:12 -0700

Checked in at Hilton Vienna Park .

48.205981616.3833404

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 16:53:09 -0700

Checked in at Hilton Vienna Park .

48.205981616.3833404

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 08:20:03 -0700

Checked in at Loos American Bar .

48.207198816.371459

Playing Long Games: Focus on Companies With Moats and Relevant Products

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 03:46:33 -0700

Playing Long Games: Focus on Companies With Moats and Relevant Products

3 February 2023 | by Todd Wenning, CFA

Facebook email

The longest nine-inning Major League Baseball game took four hours and forty-five minutes to complete; the shortest took just fifty-one minutes. Suffice it to say the concession stands had a much better day for the former than the latter.

Baseball analogies are used too often in investing, but the concept of innings is a worthy one. Unlike most sports, where games have a time limit, baseball is measured in innings rather than time.

The Latest Synthetic Base Layers Have Surpassed the Performance of Merino Wool

Sat, 04 Feb 2023 03:31:32 -0700

The Latest Synthetic Base Layers Have Surpassed the Performance of Merino Wool

I’ve stopped wearing merino base layers. The change wasn’t deliberate, sudden, or driven by a deep concern for the wellbeing of rare sheep. Instead, it happened naturally over time, because the latest generation of synthetic next-to-skins genuinely offers superior performance.

A unique mix of performance attributes have always made wool the go-to long underwear. It remains warm when wet, resists odor, actively wicks moisture away from your skin, and helps regulate temperature, keeping you warm when you’re resting and cool when you’re moving.

Too Busy

Sat, 04 Feb 2023 03:25:08 -0700

Too Busy

For the last handful of years I’ve been too busy to do a lot of things. Too

busy to launch new products on my free time, too busy to go on trips for fun,

and too busy to spend time with family and friends.

I’ve spent the better part of the last few years working on company projects,

trying to leave a lasting impression with my work. While this has been

My Ambient Information Display

Sat, 04 Feb 2023 03:07:41 -0700

My Ambient Information Display

I like to be immersed in useful information, and often dreamed of ways to have it literally floating above me so that I could glance up and see something new and interesting.

A few years ago I mounted a 43″ Fire TV above my desk, tie-wrapped a Raspberry Pi to the back of it, and used MagicMirror to create the display of my dreams. I have spent several years improving my display and am finally ready to tell you all about it!

Sat, 04 Feb 2023 00:50:03 -0700

Checked in at Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) (Aeroporto di Milano Malpensa) .

MXP:VIE

45.62981018.7172437

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:49:28 -0700

Checked in at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) .

40.6929715-74.1779923

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 10:07:42 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

39.8497327-104.6739819

Developer Relations, where do you start? – Prashant Sridharan

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 19:23:47 -0700

Developer Relations, where do you start? – Prashant Sridharan

I spoke with someone recently who didn’t know where to start with their first hire in Developer Relations. As folks who know me appreciate, I think of the Developer Relations organization as the following distinct functional areas:

Developer Advocates : they’re the spine of your Developer Relations program. They’re technical experts, content machines, top-gun spokespeople, and the primary community interface. As I always say, “Trust and integrity are your primary currency, not your products or services.” Developer Advocates ooze trust and integrity, always speaking honestly and on behalf of (advocating for) the developer community.
Developer Product Marketing : the ringleaders of the circus. They coordinate consistent positioning and messaging, launches, customer feedback and discovery, and imbue the rest of the organization with mission and purpose.
Developer Growth : campaigns, SEO, and digital marketing.
Developer Marketing: events , social media, comms, and content program management .
Developer Education: documentation, training, and (if you’re big enough) certification.

In later posts, I’ll dive into each of these functional areas and ways for you to improve each.

Management Debt

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 22:11:33 -0700

Management Debt

Teams naturally start to incur management debt as they grow and become more complex, just as codebases incur tech debt. The combined weight of past decisions creates a web of precedents and exceptions that can cause problems of varying size over time.

For a concrete example of management debt, consider a team that’s never had performance reviews. They’ve saved time by skipping reviews, but have taken on significant management debt by not setting expectations or addressing over/under performance. When they kick off performance reviews they’ll have to pay down this debt with overdue promotions or performance management.

How to handle a reorganization as an engineering manager | LeadDev

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 10:14:48 -0700

How to handle a reorganization as an engineering manager | LeadDev

We’ve all been through reorgs before. When you’re an individual contributor, they tend to be mysterious, often frustrating management exercises. Your boss changes suddenly, or your team is dissolved into other teams, or you’re moved into an entirely new organization and even though your job is the same, everything feels different.

Many of us go into management having had negative reorg experiences, and the first time we find ourselves on the other side of the process, it can be jarring. When you find yourself part of the group that’s in the know about a pending reorg, what should you do?

Sat, 26 Nov 2022 20:30:42 -0700

Checked in at Hop Alley .

39.7669586-104.9742803

The Engineering Manager’s Tools

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 10:47:21 -0700

The Engineering Manager’s Tools

What is in a manager’s toolbox?

I’ve been writing about how to use systems thinking in software engineering management . I want to continue addressing a practical point: how to make change happen as an Engineering Manager (EM).

One of the realities of being an EM is that you constantly work on improving your team’s situation. For example, you can try to make your team more effective, help a team member grow, or improve your organization. Ultimately, being a change agent is a large part of the role.

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 18:00:25 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

39.8497327-104.6739819

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 11:58:28 -0700

Checked in at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) .

EWR:DEN

40.6929715-74.1779923

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 23:48:57 -0700

Checked in at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) (Aeroporto de Lisboa Humberto Delgado) .

LIS:EWR:DEN. Check-in counter layout is bonkers here.

38.7708985-9.1307974

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 15:53:17 -0700

Checked in at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) (Aeroporto de Lisboa Humberto Delgado) .

38.7708985-9.1307974

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 11:29:19 -0700

Checked in at Sala VIP Pau Casals .

BCN:LIS

41.28824522.0755568

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 15:52:40 -0700

Checked in at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) .

40.6929715-74.1779923

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 10:18:04 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

DEN:EWR:BCN

39.8497327-104.6739819

Proof That Positive Work Cultures Are More Productive

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 22:13:30 -0700

Proof That Positive Work Cultures Are More Productive

Too many companies bet on having a cut-throat, high-pressure, take-no-prisoners culture to drive their financial success.

But a large and growing body of research on positive organizational psychology demonstrates that not only is a cut-throat environment harmful to productivity over time, but that a positive environment will lead to dramatic benefits for employers, employees, and the bottom line.

Although there’s an assumption that stress and pressure push employees to perform more, better, and faster, what cutthroat organizations fail to recognize is the hidden costs incurred.

Framing → Shaping

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 22:02:33 -0700

Framing → Shaping

Over the last few months I’ve worked with teams to help them adapt Shape Up to their specific context. Talking to a wider variety of teams has been eye-opening. It’s helped me discover many hidden factors that were present at Basecamp when I first wrote the book. This is now leading to a whole new iteration of the process and steps that I’m teaching teams to improve their product development.

A Mental Model for Addressing Burnout

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 21:56:57 -0700

A Mental Model for Addressing Burnout

It’s not you.

A mental model for addressing burnout

Last week I was on a panel addressing the topic of burnout. It’s a topic that pops up with some frequency, yet the misconception that burnout is a personal problem seems to persist.

Burnout isn’t something you can solve by doing breathing exercises or starting a bullet-journal. Burnout is a systemic issue which the WHO now classifies as an organizational phenomenon , and which therefore requires systemic change to address.

How to Lead Strategically Every Day

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 11:01:10 -0700

How to Lead Strategically Every Day

Strategic leadership can often sound abstract and hard to put into words. Not only that, the majority of the CTOs, VPs and engineering leaders I work with are so busy running from meeting to meeting, handling team issues or trying to scale, that they have zero time to work on the most important aspect of their job: strategy.

The higher your leadership position, the more strategic your role becomes, and in turn the greater the impact your decisions will have on the business as a whole. The ability of a leader to always see the big picture, identify trends and patterns, and consider a range of perspectives is critical to strategic leadership.

The Pros and Cons of Working Directly for the CEO

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 08:59:09 -0700

The Pros and Cons of Working Directly for the CEO

Pros of working directly for CEO:

– Turbocharges learnings
– Accelerated decisions + impact
– Lifetime relationship
– More rewarding

Cons of working directly for CEO:

– Feedback can be too direct
– Appreciations only for results
– Not available enough
– You’ll need to grow

— Jason ✨BeKind✨ Lemkin ⚫️ (@jasonlk) August 2, 2020

I remember the first time I worked directly for a CEO. I’d reported to leaders before, and a VP before, but never the CEO.

My Take on Why Goal Cascades Are Harmful and What to Do Instead

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 21:44:52 -0600

My Take on Why Goal Cascades Are Harmful and What to Do Instead

If collective goals matter, you need some way of creating coherence.

“The very business of getting an organisation made up of individuals, no matter how disciplined, to pursue a collective goal produces friction just as surely as applying the brakes of a car.”

Stephen Bungay, The Art of Action

As long as it’s more than one person AND it’s important that we achieve some collective goal THEN we need some way of facilitating coherent action across an organisation. Without coherence, you’ll see a lot of duplicate, competing, or missing efforts.

What a Healthy Team Looks Like

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 21:44:50 -0600

What a Healthy Team Looks Like

The concept of “healthy teams” is something I stole from the Engineering Org at Pluralsight before the Vista acquisition. Most people attribute healthy teams to buzzwords like “collaboration” or “psychological safety.” The people who had been a part of healthy teams know what it feels like, but they can’t distill it into a recipe. There is no recipe for culture.

I’ve told this story before but I was initially a team of 1 on the Search team, and in the next 3 years, we grew into a data platform with 5 engineering mobs. Those of us who have left often refer to the Discovery team as “THAT team.” I was very proud of the products that we built together, but I am far more proud of our culture, the invisible thread that connected us beyond our tenure at Pluralsight.

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 14:10:08 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Home for a week!

39.8497327-104.6739819

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 02:17:17 -0600

Checked in at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) (Frankfurt Airport) .

50.05008488.5719109

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 20:32:11 -0600

Checked in at Istanbul Airport (IST) (İstanbul Havalimanı) .

IST:FRA:DEN

41.261968928.7425303

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 09:49:18 -0600

Checked in at Arcade Tigers .

41.0359228.982775

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 02:55:30 -0600

Checked in at Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii) .

41.006561928.9774509

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 02:41:54 -0600

Checked in at Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) .

41.00843528.9799702

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 12:21:14 -0600

Checked in at Elite World İstanbul Hotel .

41.040640728.9835011

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 00:07:57 -0600

Checked in at Divan İstanbul .

41.040885728.9870352

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 22:49:21 -0600

Checked in at Elite World İstanbul Hotel .

41.040640728.9835011

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 11:08:58 -0600

Checked in at Novas Hagiasophia .

41.03429428.984016

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 09:29:36 -0600

Checked in at Elite World İstanbul Hotel .

41.040640728.9835011

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 00:01:18 -0600

Checked in at Divan İstanbul .

41.040885728.9870352

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 15:53:02 -0600

Checked in at Elite World İstanbul Hotel .

41.040640728.9835011

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 14:00:30 -0600

Checked in at Istanbul Airport (IST) (İstanbul Havalimanı) .

Finally got here!

41.261968928.7425303

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 10:54:38 -0600

Checked in at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) (Frankfurt Airport) .

50.05008488.5719109

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 07:39:44 -0600

Checked in at Lufthansa Senator Lounge A .

50.04841078.5672009

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 07:25:26 -0600

Checked in at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) (Frankfurt Airport) .

50.05008488.5719109

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 18:31:30 -0600

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

DEN:FRA:IST

37.616764-122.3870194

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 16:21:11 -0600

Checked in at Taqueria Cancún .

37.7604143-122.4192438

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 14:03:58 -0600

Checked in at Zeitgeist .

37.7700443-122.4222376

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 12:43:41 -0600

Checked in at Duboce Park .

37.7695783-122.4329603

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 11:25:39 -0600

Checked in at Hải Ký Mì Gia .

37.7842068-122.4179108

Sat, 22 Oct 2022 22:12:23 -0600

Checked in at The Devil’s Acre .

37.7975988-122.4061988

Sat, 22 Oct 2022 21:17:01 -0600

Checked in at Li Po Cocktail Lounge .

37.7953576-122.4064379

Sat, 22 Oct 2022 19:12:47 -0600

Checked in at Mister Jiu’s .

with erika

37.7937901-122.4066154

Sat, 22 Oct 2022 14:12:37 -0600

Checked in at Tartine .

37.765425-122.466298

Sat, 22 Oct 2022 13:52:11 -0600

Checked in at San Francisco Botanical Garden .

with erika

37.7673605-122.4696395

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 23:48:55 -0600

Checked in at Propagation .

with erika

37.78728-122.416479

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 19:51:12 -0600

Checked in at Harper & Rye .

with erika

37.7923219-122.4211477

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 17:10:27 -0600

Checked in at Anchor Public Taps .

with erika

37.764007-122.4012562

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 15:59:54 -0600

Checked in at Triple Aught Design .

37.7581134-122.3881657

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 14:39:21 -0600

Checked in at Four Barrel Coffee .

37.767008-122.421902

Guiding Principle: Cross-Pollination Over Imposed Standards

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 08:37:50 -0600

Guiding Principle: Cross-Pollination Over Imposed Standards

Guiding principle in effective product development culture .

There are many ways to say it: de facto over de jure standards , natural over imposed consistency , cross-pollination over imposed standards. They are all describing the same way to answer the question: how should standard ways of doing something be spread more broadly?

So why might a standard be valuable enough to bother trying to spread?

Standards are useful to simplify learning and address variation of performance

Standards are useful to avoid everyone having to learn a new way of doing things every time they interact with a new team.

Skyrocket Your Productivity With the ‘Touch It Once’ Rule

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 08:35:53 -0600

Skyrocket Your Productivity With the ‘Touch It Once’ Rule

When work is coming at you from all directions, it’s easy to push even the simplest tasks aside. You may find yourself repeatedly looking at the same paperwork or email and promising to get to it later.

However, this form of procrastination can really tank your ability to get things done, says productivity expert Nicole Bandes.

“We take so much time doing something and then redoing something because we didn’t really do it fully the first time,” she tells CNBC Make It .

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 08:11:14 -0600

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

Couple days of fun!

37.616764-122.3870194

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 04:48:18 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

DEN:SFO

39.8497327-104.6739819

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 10:32:51 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Back for less than 24 hrs

39.8497327-104.6739819

The Scoop: Netflix’s historic introduction of levels for software engineering

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 10:18:01 -0600

The Scoop: Netflix’s historic introduction of levels for software engineering

👋 Hi, this is Gergely with a bonus, free issue of the Pragmatic Engineer Newsletter. We cover one out of five topics in today’s subscriber-only The Scoop issue . Subscribe to get this newsletter every week 👇

In April of this year, I covered how Netflix intended to introduce levels for software engineers in The Scoop #9 :

“Netflix is considering the following leveling system:
– Engineer 1
– Engineer 2
– Senior
– Staff
– Principal

How to Hire for Director+ Roles?

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 09:59:43 -0600

How to Hire for Director+ Roles?

Hiring folks in leadership roles is very challenging. One difficulty is that almost every candidate who gets to that level is generally good at communication, charismatic in their demeanor, and well trained to say the right things to get the job. Nonetheless, there is a huge difference between how people interview and how they deliver once they get hired. In my interactions with folks in Director+ roles, I generally find a very strong dichotomy, with a few individuals being superstars and a large majority having some level of non-pathological narcissism, where they got to a leadership position primarily because they knew how to play the game of visibility. Given all this, how do you break the level of information asymmetry in interviews and hire exceptional leaders for technical roles?

PM & EM: Rules of Engagement

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 07:30:17 -0600

PM & EM: Rules of Engagement

Picture this: you just landed the Product Management (PM) job of your dreams. On day one, you meet your partner-in-crime Engineering Manager (EM) at your new gig. Before you know it, you’ve been assigned your first problem to solve. Now, it’s time to get to work.

Naturally, as you get started, you realize there’s actually a ton to work out. What exactly are we building? How are we going to build it? What’s the timeline? You schedule time with your EM to work out how to tackle these questions. In both of your heads, the same questions start to percolate: Should I be responsible for all of this? Maybe just some of it? Should everything be shared? What do we collaborate on vs. own individually?

WordPress.org is ineffective for plugin distribution in 2022 – Ellipsis Marketing

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 06:37:45 -0600

WordPress.org is ineffective for plugin distribution in 2022 – Ellipsis Marketing

We’ve seen sharp focus pulled onto the growth of plugins on WordPress.org in the last couple of weeks. For many years, it’s been possible to see a plugin’s active install growth rate on the Plugin Repository.

Public plugin active install numbers only change at pre-set intervals (1k, 2k, etc) and these intervals get bigger as a plugin gets bigger. The active install growth chart was thus useful for plugin developers to see whether their product was growing or shrinking, and at what rate.

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 04:57:57 -0600

Checked in at Orlando International Airport (MCO) .

MCO:DEN

28.4308832-81.3075614

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 13:03:12 -0600

Checked in at Tin & Taco .

Hot damn that was tasty.

28.593305-81.352492

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 07:46:57 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

DEN:MCO

39.8497327-104.6739819

The Builder’s Trap

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 22:44:03 -0600

The Builder’s Trap

Every developer knows the satisfaction that comes from building a software system. Type in a stream of characters and somehow you’ve built something that appears magical to others. This is the Builder’s dream. The thrill about learning something new. The satisfaction of solving unknown problems through building code. But, the Builder’s dream can quickly become the Builder’s Trap if you’re conscious of the context. In this article, we will explain the Builder’s Trap, where it comes from and three steps to avoid it.

Your Career Is Just One-Eighth of Your Life – The Atlantic

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 22:33:21 -0600

Your Career Is Just One-Eighth of Your Life – The Atlantic

Career advice as a genre is almost fatally flawed. With 160 million American workers across thousands of occupations in hundreds of industries, saying anything that is of use to all of them is practically impossible. The most common counsel is almost always too personal to be broadly applicable. My toes curl with embarrassment when successful people say anything along the lines of “Just do these three things I did.” Autobiography is not advice. Given how poorly most people understand themselves, it’s barely even autobiography.

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 14:48:07 -0600

Checked in at Catamount Overlook .

39.51335-105.37812

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 14:01:19 -0600

Checked in at Staunton State Park .

39.4971328-105.3808501

Matter is now official! – Stacey on IoT | Internet of Things news and analysis

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 09:21:24 -0600

Matter is now official! – Stacey on IoT | Internet of Things news and analysis

The Connectivity Standards Alliance has certified and released the first version of the Matter smart home interoperability protocol Tuesday and I couldn’t be happier. This means that member companies can now put their devices through the certification protocol and get a badge showing that their products are Matter compliant.

The Matter logo on a smart bulb. Image courtesy of the Connectivity Standards Association.

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 11:53:17 -0600

Checked in at T-Mobile .

39.7334213-105.1631512

How to Plan?

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 09:40:22 -0600

How to Plan?

How to plan? How hard could it be? 4k words on sunny October afternoon for people in tech observing the Season’s Traditional Annual Planning Process, inspired by a recent interview question (and 25 years of variously painful planning processes).

I was in a job interview the other day when I got asked about planning, and so I decided I’d turn the question into another “plucked from the interviews” blog post. (see also Interview Question: Why do leaders keep disempowering their teams? ) To be clear this is a significantly expanded answer than the one I rattled off from the top of my head on Zoom, but I think the themes are roughly the same.

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 20:12:24 -0600

Checked in at Lady Jane .

39.762196-105.011633

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 18:42:27 -0600

Checked in at Cantina Loca .

39.758244-105.01552

On the team as a system | ★❤✰ Vicki Boykis ★❤✰

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 13:13:39 -0600

On the team as a system | ★❤✰ Vicki Boykis ★❤✰

Crowded Boat II, Robert Goodnough

I read this great post over the weekend and this sentence is the heart of understanding how to operate a great software team:

Software quality is more the result of a system designed to produce quality, and not so much the result of individual performance.

The whole post is good and you should read it, but for me it immediately brought to mind a podcast from 2019 called “The Dysfunction of Organizations ” on the same topic. The content of that podcast has become an important part of my development philosophy. Unfortunately, it is only in Russian (unless someone wants to entirely transcribe it, which they should, because the content is really good), so I re-listened to it and took key notes.

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 12:54:59 -0600

Checked in at Video Game Room @ The Curtis .

39.745755-104.997559

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 13:58:01 -0600

Checked in at West Mag Trailhead .

39.9473132-105.5169941

Build Your Career on Dirty Work

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 10:55:26 -0600

Build Your Career on Dirty Work

The Dirty Work Theory: The lamentable work that many people avoid are great places to look for high impact, low hanging fruit.

Whenever people ask me for advice on career growth, I share what has worked reasonably well for me: find a growth company, one that really needs you to get work done, and then tackle the unpleasant work that everyone avoids. I think this is a broadly applicable path:

Sat, 08 Oct 2022 22:43:05 -0600

Checked in at In-N-Out Burger .

39.7130444-105.0808975

Sat, 08 Oct 2022 15:55:03 -0600

Checked in at Coda Brewing Co .

39.734615-105.178506

How to Outperform a 10x Developer

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 15:12:20 -0600

How to Outperform a 10x Developer

First awareness. Then productivity.

From a software developer’s perspective, the complexity of a production system makes it abstract and distant, so we tend to shut it out and focus on the immediate work of writing code.

Jeff Foster wrote a great story on the origins of the expression “10x developer,” contrasting the value of outsized code-writing skills against the ability to focus on the product .

The Leader’s Journal: Become an Inspiring Leader in Ten Minutes a Day

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 21:41:59 -0600

The Leader’s Journal: Become an Inspiring Leader in Ten Minutes a Day

If you’ve ever finished a busy week of work wondering what you’ve accomplished, you’re not alone.

As software engineering leaders, we spend every day racing between numerous tasks on our to-do lists and rushing from one meeting to the next. But do we ever stop before picking up the next task to reflect on what we just did, or simply process what was said at the last meeting? Do we ever give extra thought to the insights raised, or contemplate the actions taken?

Little’s law – Wikipedia

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 21:44:08 -0600

Little’s law – Wikipedia

In mathematical queueing theory , Little’s result, theorem, lemma, law, or formula is a theorem by John Little which states that the long-term average number L of customers in a stationary system is equal to the long-term average effective arrival rate λ multiplied by the average time W that a customer spends in the system. Expressed algebraically the law is

{\displaystyle L=\lambda W.}

Although it looks intuitively easy, it is quite a remarkable result, as the relationship is “not influenced by the arrival process distribution, the service distribution, the service order, or practically anything else.”

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 16:47:39 -0600

Checked in at Sushi Uokura .

39.7295621-105.1781247

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 12:09:16 -0600

Checked in at Costco Gasoline .

38.9058184-104.8207712

Useful engineering metrics and why velocity is not one of them

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 12:21:44 -0600

Useful engineering metrics and why velocity is not one of them

Here’s my horoscope for today:

Things should improve for you as the day progresses, Taurus. You shouldn’t depend on something that may not pan out the way you want.

As you can see, it’s useless, just like your team’s velocity metrics and burndown charts.

Velocity metrics are as loathsome as the horoscope because neither provides any insight on why something went wrong or how to fix it. Moreover, if only you squint your eyes hard enough, both burndown charts and the horoscope will show you whatever you want to see.

Block-Based Template Parts: A Happy Medium Between Classic and Block Themes – Gutenberg Times

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 10:54:48 -0600

Block-Based Template Parts: A Happy Medium Between Classic and Block Themes – Gutenberg Times

I was one of the early adopters of the block editor as a developer. Despite the flak that the Gutenberg plugin was catching before it was merged into core WordPress, I could see the potential. Yes, I could see the bugs, the inconsistent UI, and every other thing that was “wrong” about it around four or five years ago.

The Platform and Program Split at Uber: A Milestone Special

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 10:01:15 -0600

The Platform and Program Split at Uber: A Milestone Special

👋 Hi, this is Gergely with a bonus issue of the Pragmatic Engineer Newsletter. The publication just crossed 100,000 newsletter subscribers, only ten months after it was started. Thank you for being a newsletter subscriber! 🙌

[ Gergely Orosz @GergelyOrosz

Wow, what a milestone for The Pragmatic Engineer Newsletter: crossed 100,000 subscribers to the email list almost exactly 10 months after starting it. Never thought it could get here this fast.

An End to Doomerism: Or Why I’m Coming Out as an Impatient Optimist

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 18:01:05 -0600

An End to Doomerism: Or Why I’m Coming Out as an Impatient Optimist

Personal Growth

5 Reasons for Technological Optimism

Neil DeGrasse Tyson, who ought to know, says that the future won’t be anything like The Terminator. “I live in the real world, and in the real world that’s simply […]

Being Optimistic Is Good. Knowing about Optimism Bias Is Better.

The belief that things will be better in the future is called optimism bias. Being overly optimistic can lead you to miss an important health check up or make bad financial decisions.

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 14:52:47 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

39.8497327-104.6739819

Excuse Me but Why Are You Eating So Many Frogs

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 14:18:48 -0600

Excuse Me but Why Are You Eating So Many Frogs

Photo cred: my dad

I think the devil is real and he wants you to be more productive. He’s everywhere, spreading wickedness disguised as wisdom. Here he is in

Stop confusing productivity with laziness. While no one likes admitting it, sheer laziness is the No. 1 contributor to lost productivity.

And in Harvard Business Review :

Every evening, [Marshall Goldsmith, the “well-known CEO coach”] reviews a 40-item spreadsheet consisting of every important behavior he hopes to achieve. Among the items: the number of words he wrote, the distance he walked, and the number of nice things he said to his wife, daughter, and grandchildren.

How to Run Strategic Planning in an Outcome-Focused Product Organization

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 13:53:15 -0600

How to Run Strategic Planning in an Outcome-Focused Product Organization

You heard it right – effective strategic planning is essential to outcome-focused product teams. But how do you conduct annual strategic planning and integrate it with agile product management? In this post, we’ll walk through how to run strategic planning in 4 steps. We’ll also cover how to connect strategic planning with responsive re/alignment and re/allocation to achieve portfolio outcomes.

Your 101 Guide to Dispersed Camping

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 13:46:56 -0600

Your 101 Guide to Dispersed Camping

Last summer, camper vans and RVs arrived en masse in the town of Mammoth Lakes, California, on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were looking to get outdoors. But with campgrounds either closed or fully booked, many of those aspiring campers chose to pitch their tents or park their rigs outside of designated campgrounds, a growing trend known as dispersed camping. The problem was, they didn’t always know where they could legally camp.

What I’ve Learned from Users

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 13:40:53 -0600

What I’ve Learned from Users

September 2022

I recently told applicants to Y Combinator that the best advice I

could give for getting in, per word, was

Explain what you’ve learned from users.

That tests a lot of things: whether you’re paying attention to

users, how well you understand them, and even how much they need

what you’re making.

Afterward I asked myself the same question. What have I learned

from YC’s users, the startups we’ve funded?

How to Build Products Quickly – Department of Product

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 13:26:35 -0600

How to Build Products Quickly – Department of Product

Stripe’s self described operating cadence is ‘run’.

The CEO of Stripe even has a collection of short stories about projects that were built ahead of time, despite naysayers saying it wasn’t possible.

These wonderful little anecdotes include:

The construction of the Eiffel Tower which took two years and two months
The first iteration of Disneyland which was built in just 366 days
The Empire State building which was started and finished within 410 days

Former White House data scientist DJ Patil’s principles of execution include the question “What’s required to cut the timeline in ½?”.

Techniques for Managing Your Time and Cognitive Load as a Senior Leader | by Mite Mitreski | Sep, 2022 | Better Programming | Better Programming

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 13:13:50 -0600

Techniques for Managing Your Time and Cognitive Load as a Senior Leader | by Mite Mitreski | Sep, 2022 | Better Programming | Better Programming

Techniques for Managing Your Time and Cognitive Load as a Senior Leader

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Most of the senior leaders in any sizable company jump around slots of 30 min to few-hour meetings on a good day. That can range from meeting with customers, team reviews, re-occurring tactical meetings, 1:1s, or tech architecture. In my experience, this gets increased and more split-focused the bigger the organization you manage or you are navigating in.

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 09:48:26 -0600

Checked in at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) .

40.7728881-73.8688087

Tom Lingham (Toml)

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 09:27:49 -0600

Tom Lingham (Toml)

**Disclaimer: Details of this story have been altered slightly to protect the

identities of individuals.**

“I’m just too busy. I barely have time to breathe, let alone lead the threat

modelling exercise with my team”. This was something that one of my peers said

to me at the end of a long day after I asked him how he was doing. I believed

him—he was much too busy. He would send slack messages and emails at ungodly

How I Interview Engineers to Assess Ability to Deliver Impact

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 09:07:06 -0600

How I Interview Engineers to Assess Ability to Deliver Impact

Up until recently, I have personally been responsible for running all of our Deep-dive Interviews in our Product Engineer interview loop at Metaview. Our deep-dive focuses on the candidate’s ability to deliver impact. So we let the candidate choose the topic. All we care about in this interview is how they think about impact, and how capable they are at achieving it (relative to tenure). The objective of the interview is to find out as much as we can about the impact they are most proud of in their professional life, and what role they played in making that impact occur.

Be Critical or Be Corrupted

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 11:24:11 -0600

Be Critical or Be Corrupted

What does a 2002 HBO crime drama have to do with software engineering?

On the surface, “The Wire ” is about homicide detectives and the Baltimore drug trade. But on a deeper level, these motifs are just stage dressing for the show’s exploration of the city’s institutions and how corruption inevitably sprouts like weeds within them. I recently rewatched this series and, aside from hours of entertainment and a deeper butt-impression on my couch, I also had an epiphany about how I’ve observed this theme first-hand.

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 06:48:12 -0600

Checked in at North Security Checkpoint .

DEN:NYC

39.8502751-104.6738107

Reduce Friction – Ceejbot’s notes

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 17:38:50 -0600

Reduce Friction – Ceejbot’s notes

The topic of reducing friction exhausts me: Do people still need to be persuaded to help their developers go faster? Really? In this, the year 2022? But yes, in this, the year 2022, many teams require persuasion on this topic. Or rather, their leaders require persuasion that they have to do more than give lip service to this principle, and that they must invest resources in making it so, and that those resources will not be “wasted” resources, not even for that person, you know the one, the official VP of Feature Factory.

How Management by Metrics Leads Us Astray

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 16:28:44 -0600

How Management by Metrics Leads Us Astray

Let’s say my goal this year is to get to 10k monthly recurring revenue (MRR).

MRR first, everything else second. I would ruthlessly cut out all activities that don’t lead to a measurable MRR increase. For example, I would stop writing blog posts like the one you’re currently reading. I certainly wouldn’t create fun projects like What to Tweet or take the time for non-transactional Zoom calls.

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 11:59:26 -0600

Checked in at San Diego International Airport (SAN) .

Outta here.

32.7319699-117.1986034

KPIs, Velocity, and Other Destructive Metrics

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 14:31:46 -0600

KPIs, Velocity, and Other Destructive Metrics

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“It is wrong to suppose that if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it—a costly myth.”

The Deming quote at the top of this post is often twisted into something worthy of Frederick Taylor : “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Deming would disagree. You can—in fact, must—manage things you can’t measure, because in software, there are virtually no measurements that have any value. Wasting time collecting measurements that don’t lead to improvement is not only costly, it’s actively destructive.

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 12:44:32 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

DEN:SAN for #WCUS. Here we go!

39.8497327-104.6739819

Use One Big Server

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 22:22:27 -0600

Use One Big Server

A lot of ink is spent on the “monoliths vs. microservices” debate, but the real issue behind

this debate is about whether distributed system architecture is worth the developer time and

cost overheads. By thinking about the real operational considerations of our systems, we can

get some insight into whether we actually need distributed systems for most things.

We have all gotten so familiar with virtualization and abstractions between our software

Rituals for Engineering Teams

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 22:28:23 -0600

Rituals for Engineering Teams

Last weekend I happened to pick up a book called “Rituals For Work: 50 Ways To Create Engagement, Shared Purpose, And A Culture That Can Adapt To Change .” It’s a super quick read, more comic book than textbook, but I liked it.

It got me thinking about the many rituals I have initiated and/or participated in over the course of my career. Of course, I never thought of them as such — I thought of them as “having fun at work” 🙃 — but now I realize these rituals disproportionately contribute to my favorite moments and the most precious memories of my career.

Tidying Versus Sooner – by Kent Beck

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 22:21:17 -0600

Tidying Versus Sooner – by Kent Beck

I promised I would put together the posts on Better/Sooner/Cheaper/More with the actual topic of this mailing list, Tidy First? And here I am delivering.

To reiterate, software product development should mostly be managed through scope, not deadlines or budget. That doesn’t mean time & budget don’t matter, just that you aren’t generally going to get more of what you want by tightening the screws on time or money.

The Metaverse Is Not a Place – O’Reilly

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 11:51:31 -0600

The Metaverse Is Not a Place – O’Reilly

The metaphors we use to describe new technology constrain how we think about it, and, like an out-of-date map , often lead us astray. So it is with the metaverse. Some people seem to think of it as a kind of real estate , complete with land grabs and the attempt to bring traffic to whatever bit of virtual property they’ve created.

Seen through the lens of the real estate metaphor, the metaverse becomes a natural successor not just to Second Life but to the World Wide Web and to social media feeds, which can be thought of as a set of places (sites) to visit. Virtual Reality headsets will make these places more immersive, we imagine.

Getting Big Things Done

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 07:54:41 -0600

Getting Big Things Done

In one particular context.

A while back, a colleague wanted to make a major change in the design of a system, the sort of change that was going to take a year or more, and many tens of person-years of effort. They asked me how to justify the project. This post is part of the email reply I sent. The advice is in context of technical leadership work at a big company, but perhaps it may apply elsewhere.

Better/Sooner/Cheaper/More

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 23:09:52 -0600

Better/Sooner/Cheaper/More

Better/Sooner/Cheaper/More—I began talking this week about a fundamental Extreme Programming technique for managing resources & immediately remembered why I stopped talking about it. Here are the basics.

Back in the day folks would say, “Sooner, cheaper, better—your choice of any two.” That made good sense in that you as a customer can’t dictate all three. At some point something is going to give. You keep demanding sooner, sooner, sooner, cheaper, cheaper, cheaper & what you get is going to get worse. Complaining about this makes no sense—the degradation was the result of your decisions.

The Best Wilderness Survival Strategies, Based on 103 Successful Rescue Stories

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 22:04:19 -0600

The Best Wilderness Survival Strategies, Based on 103 Successful Rescue Stories

Harrowing survival stories can feel like the lifeblood of outdoor culture, with the image of the gnarled outdoors person spinning tales over a campfire about “that time I almost died” serving as a kind of social currency in the backcountry. It’s a tricky line to tow, as we intermittently validate and admonish adventurers who get lost, and hopefully learn from the past mistakes of others and how to avoid them.

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 14:56:32 -0600

Checked in at Ozo Coffee .

40.019092-105.275498

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 13:32:44 -0600

Checked in at Illegal Pete’s .

40.018767-105.276301

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 10:22:08 -0600

Checked in at Boulder [A]dventure Lodge .

40.017613-105.326003

Back to the trend line? — Benedict Evans

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 07:23:49 -0600

Back to the trend line? — Benedict Evans

Back in 2020, as we were all locked down and forced to do everything online, we got very excited about ecommerce penetration. All sorts of charts went viral showing that we’d jumped forward anything from three to five years in a couple of months. This was a big part of the ‘Covid Rotation’, and now we’re on the other side of that rotation – people went back to the office, and back to stores, and back on planes. And for retail and ecommerce, it looks like a lot of that growth was temporary, and we’re reverting to the trend line.

Write Better Docs With a Product Thinking Mindset

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 22:35:47 -0600

Write Better Docs With a Product Thinking Mindset

I’ve frequently seen product thinking discussed in product management and user experience design contexts, but haven’t seen it applied to technical writing and documentation. And yet, by applying product thinking to documentation, we can write more useful, relevant, high quality documentation.

What is product thinking?

Product management thought leader Shreyas Doshi defines product thinking as follows in a Twitter thread :

“Product Thinking is about understanding motivations, conceiving solutions, simulating their effects, and picking a path based on the effects you want to create.”

How to connect strategy with OKRs – Mind the Product

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 22:57:29 -0600

How to connect strategy with OKRs – Mind the Product

Every three months the dreaded OKR setting process begins. People at different levels in the organization (especially large ones) start working around the clock to find the best opportunities for the next quarter, find the right ambition levels, deal with dependencies, balance top-down vs bottom-up requests, and a myriad of activities that turns this goal-setting period in a stressful moment for everyone.

Announcing DORA 2021 Accelerate State of DevOps report | Google Cloud Blog

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 22:45:06 -0600

Announcing DORA 2021 Accelerate State of DevOps report | Google Cloud Blog

Over the past seven years, more than 32,000 professionals worldwide have taken part in the Accelerate State of DevOps reports , making it the largest and longest-running research of its kind. Year over year, the Accelerate State of DevOps reports provide data-driven industry insights that examine the capabilities and practices that drive software delivery as well as operational and organizational performance. That is why Google Cloud’s DevOps Research and Assessment (DORA) team is very excited to announce our 2021 Accelerate State of DevOps Report .

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 15:39:47 -0600

Checked in at Golden Gate Canyon State Park .

39.8414952-105.4198265

How to Present to Executives

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 14:52:47 -0600

How to Present to Executives

Have you presented to company executives about a key engineering initiative, walking into the room excited and leaving defeated? Maybe you only made it to your second slide before unrelated questions derailed the discussion. Maybe you worked through your entire presentation only to have folks say, “Great job,” and leave without any useful debate. Afterward, you’re not quite sure what happened, but you know it didn’t go well.

Binaries Over Priorities

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 14:40:25 -0600

Binaries Over Priorities

Low, medium, high.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Must have, should have, could have, don’t need.

These are various forms of priorities. People seem to love them.

I’ve always hated them. Especially when it comes to product development.

When it comes to choosing what to do, it’s always binary for me.

Yes or no.

Now or not now.

Do or don’t.

What about maybe? Maybe is no (for now).

The Practical Application of “Rocks, Pebbles, Sand”

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 11:12:12 -0600

The Practical Application of “Rocks, Pebbles, Sand”

You know the geology-in-a-jar lesson from Stephen Covey : Schedule big things first, otherwise you run out of time:

(source)

If you schedule little things first, you run out of time for the big things.

(source)

If you schedule the big things first, then you can fill in with smaller things.

A common mistake is to think this applies only to the size of the work. That is, “Rocks” means “stuff that takes a few quarters,” “Pebbles” means “a few sprints,” and “Sand” means “less than a sprint.”

A Readme for Staff Engineers

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 10:51:25 -0600

A Readme for Staff Engineers

Photo by Pablo García Saldaña on Unsplash

During my career, I’ve switched several times between individual contributor (IC) and management roles. I enjoy both. With years passing by, I realize that even though roles are different, past the “staff” level there is a common ground of mindset and soft skills that enables you to make progress on both tracks : communication, positivity, teamplay, openness, influence and impact. To develop these skills, you need to take a step back and question yourself. This. Is. Hard. Having examples, resources and even mentors is a huge help to guide you in this journey.

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 20:18:13 -0600

Checked in at Spillway Campground .

38.906922-105.469207

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 17:28:55 -0600

Checked in at Chipotle Mexican Grill .

39.7341005-105.1599753

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 19:06:36 -0600

Checked in at Somebody People .

New place! — with erika

39.69531-104.98767

Investing in the future of agriculture | Investing ideas | Fidelity

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 11:40:40 -0600

Investing in the future of agriculture | Investing ideas | Fidelity

Key takeaways

War-related disruptions have led to elevated grain prices. While that’s been bad for some food producers it’s generally been good for grain farmers.
With more cash on hand, many farmers may be looking to upgrade equipment, which could benefit agricultural machinery producers.
Companies making “precision agriculture” equipment could see short- and long-term benefits as farmers look to plant and maintain their crops with more efficiency.
Seed producers could also see a potential benefit over both the near and longer term, as food producers increasingly seek to plant higher-yielding crops.

Chances are that, as little as a few years ago, most of us didn’t give much thought to where our food staples came from. Grocery store shelves were reliably stocked with an abundance of choice and supply, with basic items selling for reasonable prices.

Hiring a VP of Engineering? Use This Framework from Shopify’s VPE to Get it Right | First Round Review

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 11:34:04 -0600

Hiring a VP of Engineering? Use This Framework from Shopify’s VPE to Get it Right | First Round Review

Introduction

Farhan Thawar is VP of Engineering at Shopify **. He joined the company after the acquisition of Helpful.com, where he was co-founder and CTO. Previously, he was the VP of Engineering at Pivotal and Xtreme Labs.

When advising fast-growing startups, one of the most frequent questions I get asked is “How do I hire a VP of Engineering?” After more than 20 years, eight companies, and thousands of hires, I’m starting to suspect this may be the wrong question. A better one is, “What is a VP of Engineering?”

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 12:46:52 -0600

Checked in at Bros Bike Shop .

Stopping in for a check up

39.73936-105.139184

Reduce Friction

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 11:48:59 -0600

Reduce Friction

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 18:07:21 -0600

Checked in at Five Guys .

Just give me all the calories.

39.7320939-105.1638079

The World Economy Is Imperiled by a Force Hiding in Plain Sight

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 12:14:00 -0600

The World Economy Is Imperiled by a Force Hiding in Plain Sight

Well more than two years into the worst pandemic in a century, the accompanying economic shock continues to assault global fortunes.

Send any friend a story

As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.

This article is part of our Coronavirus Updates

Credit…Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 07:31:07 -0600

Checked in at New Belgium Brewing .

FoCo Fondo!

40.5929883-105.0693076

The Structure and Process Fallacy

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 23:46:22 -0600

The Structure and Process Fallacy

“If our teams were just organized in the right way, and we adopted the agile process, we’d be so much more efficient.”

What’s your feeling when reading that quote? Are you strongly in agreement, generally in agreement, or perhaps you’re shaking your head in disagreement?

The quote reflects a sentiment I notice from leaders in top-down, hierarchical organizations. A belief that if teams are organized in the optimal way and the right process is followed, the company will be high-performing, regardless of other factors. This is the structure and process fallacy.

“Be calm. But be urgent.” Eight takeaways from AMA sessions with Brad Feld.

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 08:22:39 -0600

“Be calm. But be urgent.” Eight takeaways from AMA sessions with Brad Feld.

Written by Techstars CEO Maëlle Gavet.

I recently had the pleasure of hosting Techstars’ co-founder, VC, entrepreneur, author and blogger Brad Feld in two Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions on how to respond to the financial crisis from both a founder and investor perspective. Drawing on his decades-long experience in tech (he’s been an entrepreneur and early stage investor since 1987 ), Brad addressed topics ranging from fundraising in a downturn to why chasing valuations is wrong, and why founders shouldn’t fixate on when the crisis will be over. Here are a few of the highlights.

Three Part Solution to Leaders Burnout: Fundamental Principles Don’t Change

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 09:42:18 -0600

Three Part Solution to Leaders Burnout: Fundamental Principles Don’t Change

Burnout is a term introduced to the common language in 1974. With everyone working from home after COVID, there is more discussion around occupational burnout, now than ever before.

Did you know that burnout as well as its potential solutions for leaders were discussed many millennia ago?

As I was meditating, I found a reference to burnout in the second book of the Bible – Exodus.

Low Context – Software’s Silent Killer | Stay SaaSy

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 09:36:40 -0600

Low Context – Software’s Silent Killer | Stay SaaSy

As companies grow, context can become a scarce resource. As more variables, people, teams, products, customers, and coworkers create an increasingly infinite combination of possible ways to move forward, deep context on what to do and how to do it should be thought of explicitly, because its thoughtful allocation can make, or, notably, break, a company’s productivity.

What Is Context?

For the purposes of this post, let’s scope context to the following: the unique information inside a software company that is necessary to make good decisions while delivering a product.

Equity in your tech job offer: everything you need to know

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 09:31:17 -0600

Equity in your tech job offer: everything you need to know

“Your employment will be on an at-will basis. Either you and the company may terminate your employment at any time, with or without cause or prior notice. My employment-at-will status cannot be changed except in writing signed by the president of the company…”

“Yada, yada, yada…”

Reading offer letter legalese can feel like someone explaining the rules of a board game before you start playing. When it’s Saturday night and you’re sitting around the table with a group of friends, typically someone will say:

The Time Value of Shipping. Unpacking “Shipping as a Feature” | by Brandon Chu | The Black Box of Product Management

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 15:12:23 -0600

The Time Value of Shipping. Unpacking “Shipping as a Feature” | by Brandon Chu | The Black Box of Product Management

Shipping is a Feature is a core principle for product managers. It proposes that you’ll never be able to build a perfect product, so you need to learn how and when to ship your imperfect one, because customer use of the product is what really matters.

I’ve used this principle as a guide in my own endeavours as a PM, but I’ve always felt it lacked a tangible framework, both for managing and rationalizing the minimum viable product (MVP) to stakeholders.

How I share information with my team

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 16:50:40 -0600

How I share information with my team

As an engineering manager at Netflix , I spend most of my time in meetings and one-on-ones. During these meetings, I collect a lot of information that’s valuable to the members of my engineering team. When my team was only four people, disseminating information was easy. It usually involved a quick hallway chat or was covered during a regular one-on-one. But late last year my team doubled in size. With the larger team, I struggled to keep everybody informed in a timely way. It became obvious that I wasn’t effectively scaling team communication and I needed to make a change.

A domain-based structure for software engineering teams | by Ryan Fox | Snapcommerce | May, 2022 | Medium

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 09:22:10 -0600

A domain-based structure for software engineering teams | by Ryan Fox | Snapcommerce | May, 2022 | Medium

How we’re structuring squads to grow individual contributors into tech leads

In early 2021 at Snapcommerce , we had 25 engineers working in squads. Each squad had an engineering manager (EM) acting as the people and tech lead (TL) for all projects, a product manager (PM), a designer, a QA team member, and up to 7 individual contributor (IC) engineers. For engineers, growing as an IC into a TL could be a challenging or unclear path. Having one TL per squad wasn’t creating a natural growth opportunity for ICs to develop their technical leadership and ownership skills.

‘It’s really a mess’: The growing split between workers and bosses on returning to the office – The Boston Globe

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 00:05:16 -0600

‘It’s really a mess’: The growing split between workers and bosses on returning to the office – The Boston Globe

There’s a new turf war shaping up at work: managers who want everyone back in the “real” office vs. employees who prefer the one at home. And that standoff is leading to some irreconcilable conflicts.

Naomi Baruch and her coworkers were required to return to their downtown Boston office two days a week starting Jan. 1, despite the crippling Omicron surgeat the time. There was no explanation given, she said, no attempt to make their presence more purposeful.

Stop Overcomplicating It: The Simple Guidebook to Upping Your Management Game | First Round Review

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 16:51:59 -0600

Stop Overcomplicating It: The Simple Guidebook to Upping Your Management Game | First Round Review

Introduction

Pick up Russ Laraway ’s new book, titled “When They Win, You Win ” and the first sentence is sure to grab your attention: “Managers are failing everywhere, and no one is helping.”

With that framing in mind, when we sat down with Laraway to find out more about the lessons inside his book, his next sentence was just as unexpected: “I think the world has conspired to confuse the average manager and I believe that we don’t need another person’s opinion about what it takes to be a great manager,” he says.

Operating Well: What I Learned at Stripe – Every

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 15:46:57 -0600

Operating Well: What I Learned at Stripe – Every

Hello, Every readers! We’re excited to share this post from Sam Gerstenzang . Most recently, he worked in Product at Stripe, where he led the 75-person payment UI group. Sam’s experience runs the gamut from investing to working in startups to building and selling a company of his own. In this essay, he unpacks what his time at Stripe taught him about being a good operator. There’s a ton of actionable insight from the ground packed into this piece—we hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Limiting Work In Progress as a Manager

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 15:36:32 -0600

Limiting Work In Progress as a Manager

The demands on a manager’s time are endless and sometimes it feels like you’re being pulled in every direction at once. These demands can make it hard to focus, they make it hard to move from reacting to problems to anticipating them. In this article, I’d like to talk about how I’ve limited demands on my time, counterintuitively doing more with less.

The story

The very first thing I learned as a new manager was that if I didn’t put a block on my calendar at lunchtime, there was no guarantee that I would eat lunch that day. As an engineer, I thought I knew what it meant to take a lot of meetings, but my promotion brought with it a torrent of people who wanted to talk to me and had no consideration for how hungry I was getting.

A Neuroscience-Backed Approach to Team Building – The Async Review

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 14:50:19 -0600

A Neuroscience-Backed Approach to Team Building – The Async Review

A Neuroscience-Backed Approach to Team Building

For remote teams, there are more and more effective alternatives to Zoom happy hour than ever.

By Darryn King

Dec 14, 2021

Your Zoom happy hour is making everyone miserable…

When it comes to lazily replicating pre-pandemic work traditions, the Zoom happy hour might be the laziest.

10 Principles to Improve Decision-Making – The Async Review

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 22:58:47 -0600

10 Principles to Improve Decision-Making – The Async Review

10 Principles to Improve Decision-Making

An Insider’s View of how Netflix Makes Hard Decisions

By Gibson Biddle

Jun 23, 2022

An Insider’s View of how Netflix Makes Hard Decisions

In recent years, I’ve given a talk called “Wicked Hard Decisions” which has five “What would you do?” cases that provide an insider’s view of how Netflix made tough product and business decisions. I learned a lot while at Netflix and even more teaching these cases.

The 7 Roles of a CTO

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 10:05:23 -0600

The 7 Roles of a CTO

This post is about me figuring out what a CTO does. I tried to be methodical and deep about it, and broke it down to a few different aspects.

It gave me some structure and helped talking about my responsibility, I hope it will be useful for more people

Why I started thinking about it?

On July 1st 2021, I started to work on building a startup with my partner Noam Bernstein . We both were 100% committed and made the expectation settings ahead of time, but didn’t decide what we will build.

“Sharing Interesting Stuff”: A simple yet powerful management tool

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 09:49:28 -0600

“Sharing Interesting Stuff”: A simple yet powerful management tool

Today, I’d like to talk about a practice I introduced to the people I managed just a few weeks after joining Shipup. I didn’t know it would turn out to be something so useful.

The idea is pretty simple actually: Your direct report sends you something they consider worth sharing with you (can be a blog post, book chapter, video, podcast, …) and a few related questions they have in mind a few days before you meet together. On the D day, you share your opinion about it and try to answer the questions that go with it.

Stop Telling Employees to Be Resilient

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 09:42:40 -0600

Stop Telling Employees to Be Resilient

Lately, it feels like “resilience” has popped up as the answer to just about everything. Having a hard time because of a toxic environment? Just be resilient. Struggling to home-school your kids while working 50-hour weeks during a global pandemic? Try some resilience.

Resilience, or the ability to withstand hardship and bounce back from difficult events, is useful when it comes to work. But, too often, it’s presented in a way that overlooks structural issues and instead encourages employees to grin and bear whatever tough stuff comes their way — and to do so on their own, without disturbing their colleagues.

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 14:37:40 -0600

Checked in at T2 Domestic Terminal .

with erika

-33.934176151.1796057

Prioritization Is a Political Problem as Much as an Analytical Problem

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 09:13:34 -0600

Prioritization Is a Political Problem as Much as an Analytical Problem

Product and engineering leaders tend to be analytical, and we think of prioritization as an algorithmic problem. Unfortunately, other execs see a different kind of problem…

Most of our tools and processes around product/feature prioritization are heads-down analytical: RICE, opportunity trees, Kano, count-the-digits , weighted 16-column spreadsheets, WSJF, Eisenhower, whatever. Our (hidden) assumption is that choosing the objectively best work is hard, but getting organizational buy-in is not so hard. That .

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 22:43:05 -0600

Checked in at Williams Wool Shed .

with erika

-33.024982116.8787576

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 20:42:35 -0600

Checked in at Chicken Treat .

-33.6915472117.5548328

The Weekly CEO E-Mail

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 17:48:41 -0600

The Weekly CEO E-Mail

I got this email recently from a CEO:

“Hey Gokul, I want to start a biweekly newsletter to the entire co. I read your blog post on all hands . Was super helpful. Do you have any guidance or examples on how to best structure a regular written update?”

In a previous post , I talked about a company’s communication architecture being the CEO’s most important operational responsibility.

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 00:37:26 -0600

Checked in at Bremer Bay Boat Harbour .

-34.426257119.399653

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 19:53:25 -0600

Checked in at Blossom Beach .

-34.4593704119.3645883

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 02:22:02 -0600

Checked in at Bremer Bay Brewing Company .

-34.3976413119.3758696

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 22:53:50 -0600

Checked in at Premier Mill Hotel .

-33.6914284117.5550923

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 20:59:06 -0600

Checked in at Giant Ram .

-33.3105169117.3384268

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 03:01:05 -0600

Checked in at The Royal on The Waterfront .

with erika

-31.9524719115.878279

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 03:00:51 -0600

Checked in at Bright Tank Brewing Co. .

-31.950666115.875135

Sat, 18 Jun 2022 22:48:46 -0600

Checked in at Whipper Snapper Distillery .

-31.95031115.87466

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 23:39:31 -0600

Checked in at Dan Murphy’s .

-32.0647673115.8582828

The Product Manifesto | Silicon Valley Product Group

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 19:32:38 -0600

The Product Manifesto | Silicon Valley Product Group

The Product Manifesto

The New Year always gets me thinking bigger picture. For some that means reviewing the company mission statement. For others, it means coming up with your annual or quarterly objectives. For me, I’m partial to the Manifesto.

A Manifesto is a public declaration of principles, beliefs and intentions. I like them because if they’re done well, they can serve as a concise complement to the product vision and strategy.

Ensuring Excellence – Silicon Valley Product Group : Silicon Valley Product Group

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 19:30:29 -0600

Ensuring Excellence – Silicon Valley Product Group : Silicon Valley Product Group

Ensuring Excellence

This has been a difficult article to write. That’s because there’s a very real risk of undermining what I would consider the most important message I try to advocate, which is the power and potential of empowered product teams.

But nevertheless, I think this topic has largely been missing from my writing, and it’s too important not to address.

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 00:10:25 -0600

Checked in at Cicerello’s .

-32.0586797115.7431677

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 22:09:23 -0600

Checked in at Roe Gardens .

-31.9661927115.8373276

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 22:02:00 -0600

Checked in at T4 Qantas Domestic & Jetstar .

Made it! — with erika

-31.9333065115.9604932

How to Disagree

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 21:43:49 -0600

How to Disagree

March 2008

The web is turning writing into a conversation. Twenty years ago,

writers wrote and readers read. The web lets readers respond, and

increasingly they do—in comment threads, on forums, and in their

own blog posts.

Many who respond to something disagree with it. That’s to be

expected. Agreeing tends to motivate people less than disagreeing.

And when you agree there’s less to say. You could expand on something

User Stories | Examples and Template | Atlassian

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 21:35:23 -0600

User Stories | Examples and Template | Atlassian

Summary: A user story is an informal, general explanation of a software feature written from the perspective of the end user. Its purpose is to articulate how a software feature will provide value to the customer.

It’s tempting to think that user stories are, simply put, software system requirements. But they’re not.

A key component of agile software development is putting people first, and a user story puts end users at the center of the conversation. These stories use non-technical language to provide context for the development team and their efforts. After reading a user story, the team knows why they are building, what they’re building, and what value it creates.

How to manage up in your team: Six steps for success

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 21:28:10 -0600

How to manage up in your team: Six steps for success

Maybe you felt awkward if you’re in a team with a hierarchical structure. Maybe you didn’t want to get ‘out of your lane’.

But what if you started thinking of managing up as support rather than control?

The team can be a great source of support and knowledge for leadership. They can provide the all-important context and direction that the manager can then bring to the rest of the team and project. We call this managing up, and it’s an effective way to boost your team, as long as you’re acting with transparency, empathy, and respect.

Anger and heartbreak on Bus No. 15

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 21:20:49 -0600

Anger and heartbreak on Bus No. 15

As American cities struggle to recover from the pandemic, Denver’s problems spill over onto its buses

June 6, 2022 at 7:59 a.m. EDT

DENVER — Suna Karabay touched up her eye makeup in the rearview mirror and leaned against the steering wheel of the bus to say her morning prayers. “Please, let me be patient,” she said. “Let me be generous and kind.” She walked through the bus to make her final inspection: floor swept, seats cleaned, handrails disinfected, gas tank full for another 10-hour shift on the city’s busiest commercial road. She drove to her first stop, waited until exactly 5:32 a.m., and opened the doors.

Cargo Culting Software Engineering Practices

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 21:20:36 -0600

Cargo Culting Software Engineering Practices

Three months into my first Big Tech gig I was talking to a mentor about the overhead involved with the way the organisation worked. Meetings for standups, tech huddles, refinements, retros and product reviews; Processes such as limiting work in progress, desk checks, spikes, stories, and tasks. Coming from a startup we delivered high quality software without all of that labelled process. The mentor lent me his copy of Extreme Programming by Kent Beck, and that book gave me a framework to develop my own philosophy on software delivery and engineering practices. Since then I’ve followed Beck’s writings and talks.

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 14:54:42 -0600

Checked in at Sydney Airport (SYD) .

with erika

-33.9357229151.1724973

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 17:14:26 -0600

Checked in at Gate B44 .

DEN:LAX:SYD:PER — with erika

39.8586284-104.6722923

Sat, 11 Jun 2022 10:34:08 -0600

Checked in at South Table Mtn .

39.7508778-105.1632085

Guiding Principle: Consent Over Consensus

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 23:34:18 -0600

Guiding Principle: Consent Over Consensus

Guiding principle in effective product development culture .

Unilateral decisions lead to false progress.

When decisions are made unilaterally, it tends to lead to false progress. You’re unlikely to have buy-in and you miss out on any perspective that the broader group might have had.

Unilateral decisions tend to lead to false progress

Consensus leads to slow decision-making.

When decisions are made by consensus, decisions can take a long time, and may never resolve. The more people that are involved in a consensus decision, the worse this will get.

Introducing PinFlex: Pinterest’s Model for the Future of Work

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 09:14:10 -0600

Introducing PinFlex: Pinterest’s Model for the Future of Work

Jeremy King | Senior Vice President, Engineering

Two years ago, as I was closing in on my first annual “Pinniversary” as the Chief of Engineering at Pinterest, our offices closed, and work (read: life) as we knew it changed abruptly. As we all adapted to the drastic changes around us, we learned a lot about what was working and what wasn’t in the workplace. The benefits of working flexibly and our ability to be productive from anywhere empowered us to do our jobs well while eliminating long commutes and allowing us to be more present than ever before for important moments with family. We also realized the value of intentional in-person touchpoints with colleagues to build culture and drive collaboration. Two years later, and three years since I joined Pinterest, I’m excited to share that we’ve announced PinFlex , a uniquely Pinterest work model that provides employees the autonomy to live and work with flexibility, while prioritizing in-person collaboration to work together as one team.

Thin Platforms – Stratechery by Ben Thompson

Sun, 05 Jun 2022 09:20:43 -0600

Thin Platforms – Stratechery by Ben Thompson

The Department of Justice’s 1998 complaint against Microsoft accused the company of, amongst other things, tying the Internet Explorer browser to the Windows operating system:

Internet browsers are separate products competing in a separate product market from PC operating systems, and it is efficient to supply the two products separately. Indeed, Microsoft itself has consistently offered, promoted, and distributed its Internet browser as a stand-alone product separate from, and not as a component of, Windows, and intends to continue to do so after the release of Windows 98…

Sat, 04 Jun 2022 20:09:20 -0600

Checked in at Barrels & Bottles Camp George West .

Searching for food. Drinking beers along the way.

39.73465-105.17993

I Make a Living Solving Problems. I Realize There’s Roughly 5 Levels of Difficulty. I Use That as a Way to Allocate My Energy Accordingly.

Sat, 04 Jun 2022 19:57:38 -0600

I Make a Living Solving Problems. I Realize There’s Roughly 5 Levels of Difficulty. I Use That as a Way to Allocate My Energy Accordingly.

I make a living solving problems. I realize there’s roughly 5 levels of difficulty. I use that as a way to allocate my energy accordingly.

Sat, 04 Jun 2022 19:52:27 -0600

Checked in at Coda Brewing Co .

Patio beers by bike!

39.734615-105.178506

Sat, 28 May 2022 10:03:28 -0600

Checked in at The Home Depot .

39.7228376-105.1898082

The Age of Scrum Is Over

Fri, 27 May 2022 13:59:26 -0600

The Age of Scrum Is Over

Scrum has given us a lot, but it’s time for some conscious uncoupling

Gothmog, Lord of the Rings

“The age of men is over.”

confidently (and rather aggressively, as you would expect from one of those nasty orcs) declares the Orc commander Gothmog in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

“The Time of the Orc has come.”

There’s an irony, of course in using this quote for a blog post declaring Scrum’s ultimate decline into irrelevance. In fact the age of men (and woman as the insensitive Orc fails to include) was in fact only just beginning. It was actually the age of the Orc that was over!

Software planning for skeptics

Thu, 26 May 2022 22:08:30 -0600

Software planning for skeptics

Engineers hate estimating things.

One of the most-often quoted lines about estimation is “Hofstadter’s Law”, which goes:

Hofstadter’s Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law.

If you want to deliver inaccurate information to your team on a regular basis, give them a 3-month-out product development timeline every week. This is a truism at every company at which I have worked over a varied career in software.

(2022) A guide to fostering virtual water cooler moments – NoHQ Remote Work Guides

Thu, 26 May 2022 13:57:03 -0600

(2022) A guide to fostering virtual water cooler moments – NoHQ Remote Work Guides

Want to learn how to foster virtual water cooler moments? Whether your company is new to remote working or has been doing it for some time, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in employees struggling to find a clear boundary for work-life balance.

Having virtual water coolers moments can encourage stress-free interactions between remote workers. In this article, you’ll learn:

How to Speed Up WooCommerce Backend | Convesio

Wed, 25 May 2022 08:00:05 -0600

How to Speed Up WooCommerce Backend | Convesio

A large part of running an online store requires managing the backend operations including product updates, order management, and shipment management. These tasks can easily overwhelm your staff and potentially disrupt business operations if the backend of your store becomes slow. The majority of WooCommerce users focus on speeding up the front-end of their store and do not pay attention to the performance of the backend which is equally important for the success of your online business.

Why We’ve Ditched Scrum Sprints (And You Should Too)

Mon, 23 May 2022 08:21:17 -0600

Why We’ve Ditched Scrum Sprints (And You Should Too)

There’s probably no other framework that impacted modern software development as much as Scrum. For many organizations, it’s the first step towards a mature product development organization and you will find a bazillion articles explaining what Scrum is and how you can implement it in your organization. I dare to say it’s so popular that almost every software organization tried at some point to implement one of its core principles — the two-week sprints.

Sun, 22 May 2022 15:04:52 -0600

Checked in at REI .

39.755622-105.009853

Fri, 20 May 2022 19:43:27 -0600

Checked in at The Fifth String .

39.763511-105.011069

An Introduction to Jobs to be Done (JTBD) – Joe Leech

Fri, 20 May 2022 14:41:25 -0600

An Introduction to Jobs to be Done (JTBD) – Joe Leech

A no-nonsense guide for product teams. Read time is 6m.

Is JTBD for you?

Do you want a user-centred design approach that is c-suite-friendly?
Do you struggle to walk both marketing and product development along the same path?
Do you need a framework to help identify and promote unmet users needs (aka innovative ideas)?
Are you stuck in the build trap ie heads down releasing, releasing, releasing without any vision or goal?

If you answer yes to any of those question JTBD could help you.

How Big Companies Kill Ideas and How to Fight Back

Fri, 20 May 2022 14:41:24 -0600

How Big Companies Kill Ideas and How to Fight Back

Tony Fadell was instrumental in the development of the iPod and iPhone at Apple and then co-founded Nest Labs, which kicked off the consumer smart home market with its smart thermostat in 2011. Tony sold Nest to Google for $3.2 billion in 2014 and eventually left Google . He now runs an investment firm called Future Shape .

Tony’s written a new book called Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making , which, I’ll be honest, is total bait for Decoder. It’s one part memoir, one part tech industry gossip, and one part org charts and decision-making. Seriously, this book has a lengthy section with actual diagrams of org charts to illustrate how company cultures change as things get bigger.

Building a Team’s Culture

Fri, 20 May 2022 14:41:21 -0600

Building a Team’s Culture

Twenty years ago, I was a platoon commander in a classified unit in the army (that is no longer classified). Back then, making decisions and applying authority was straightforward. Officers were to make most decisions, pushing them down the command chain through non-officer commanders all the way to the soldiers. Decision enforcement in that ecosystem was called “a command.”

There was no place for discussion once a decision (command) was made, and the expectation was that it would get fulfilled right away, or else…

The Web3 Movement’s Quest to Build a ‘Can’t Be Evil’ Internet

Wed, 18 May 2022 14:31:24 -0600

The Web3 Movement’s Quest to Build a ‘Can’t Be Evil’ Internet

It’s getting late on a Saturday afternoon in Denver when I lean back and take in the full weirdness of what I’m doing. I’m seated at a long plastic folding table against the wall in a windowless room, a Discord server open on my laptop. Pizza crusts and empty potato chip bags are piled up around me, evidence of the feverish hours I’ve spent hacking together a project with a trio of blockchain developers. I’m not a programmer, just a journalist with a law degree. Yet somehow I’ve gotten swept up in creating my own DAO—a decentralized autonomous organization, a favorite concept among the starry-eyed proponents of Web3 —and it’s supposed to launch tomorrow.

Do We Still Need Teams?

Tue, 17 May 2022 23:03:09 -0600

Do We Still Need Teams?

master1305/Getty Images

We love teams. We really do. Between the two of us, we’ve spent more than 40 years studying, teaching about, and coaching teams in organizations — which is why we’re surprised to find ourselves writing an article in which we question whether teams are as practical or as necessary to knowledge work as they once were.

Our thinking is driven by the many conversations we’ve had lately with employees at all levels, from summer interns to CEOs. In every echelon, we hear worries about work-life balance, burnout, employee disconnection, and turnover. For those who work on or lead teams, the strain seems to be even greater — and we think we know why.

On Reviews

Tue, 17 May 2022 14:56:58 -0600

On Reviews

The review is the primary mechanic by which teams create and maintain

alignment at Facebook. Reviews are a tool where you enlist other smart people

to improve your work. You should bring your hardest questions and be honest

about your biggest risks and fears. You will be rewarded with support and

ideas and you will gain trust and credibility. Never pitch or present your

work in an overly positive light, because you will get less useful support and

Mission, Strategy, and Tactics

Tue, 17 May 2022 07:56:21 -0600

Mission, Strategy, and Tactics

Originally posted internally at Facebook on December 27, 2013

As organizations grow they run the risk of becoming hopelessly disjointed.

Teams end up working on projects that overlap or conflict, individuals struggle

to see how their work fits into the bigger picture, people fail to see meaning

in what they do and overall progress grinds to a crawl. Our ability to fight

this entropy determines our ultimate capacity, both in terms of bandwidth

Executive

Tue, 17 May 2022 07:46:54 -0600

Executive

I recently held a question and answer session with a particularly talented

group of my colleagues who are taking on a challenging task. At the end they

thanked me for making the time to speak with them, as is often done. It always

strikes me as bizarre when people thank me for taking an hour of my time when

they are doing the real work.

I have come to realize that very few people have any idea what I do all day,

Anti-Pattern: The Engineering Managers’ Group

Mon, 16 May 2022 23:10:12 -0600

Anti-Pattern: The Engineering Managers’ Group

EM = Engineering manager
EMs = Engineering managers

Whenever they are given the opportunity, engineering managers emphasize the importance of growth and the importance of teamwork. Yet, they often forget about their development and turn their backs on the techniques they use on their teams.

The fact is that when EMs work as a team, they can get the benefits of a team. Sounds simple? Well, it isn’t straightforward.

8 Thoughts on the Future of Remote Work

Fri, 13 May 2022 22:08:17 -0600

8 Thoughts on the Future of Remote Work

8 thoughts on the future of remote work

Fri, 13 May 2022 20:11:47 -0600

Checked in at Ballpark Neighborhood District .

Let’s go Rockies — with erika

39.7554574-104.9924272

How You Spend Your Time Is Who You Become

Thu, 12 May 2022 22:37:31 -0600

How You Spend Your Time Is Who You Become

e are spoiled for choice in today’s world. In every part of life, there are options to choose from. What we eat. What we wear. Who we spend time with. What we care about. What we spend time on. Who we work for. Why we do it.

All of these are open-ended and dependent on our choices. Some may seem trivial, but none of them are for a simple reason.

Why It’s Wise to Hire People Smarter Than You | Inc.com

Thu, 12 May 2022 22:33:17 -0600

Why It’s Wise to Hire People Smarter Than You | Inc.com

I received this note recently from an Evernote user in Japan:

Some of my team members complain that I micromanage. I think they have a valid point, but then I find myself having to tell them how to do even the smallest things. Do you have some general rule in role-sharing?

I do. I’ll tell you how I discovered it.

Thu, 12 May 2022 18:09:06 -0600

Checked in at The Home Depot .

39.7228376-105.1898082

15 rules for communicating at GitHub

Wed, 11 May 2022 15:14:03 -0600

15 rules for communicating at GitHub

At GitHub, we have a very specific way of working. For one, we use GitHub to build GitHub. Not just for code, but to collaborate on things like Legal, Marketing, and internal policies. But it’s not that the medium defines the workflow (although it certainly helps), in fact, it’s the other way around.

GitHub’s communication style can be summed up in one word: asynchronous . Much of this is defined by the workflows of the open source community, where many of us got our start, but part of it, as a distributed company, is out of necessity. Like open source, rarely are two people in the same place at the same time, working on the same thing at the same time. Yet as in the case of Wikipedia versus Encyclopedia Britannica, distributed workflows produce better results than their traditional counterparts, and I’d argue that everyday quality of life is better for those involved, as a result.

Mon, 09 May 2022 18:58:06 -0600

Checked in at Botanic Gardens .

39.7320425-104.9600977

Mon, 09 May 2022 17:58:44 -0600

Checked in at Denver Botanic Gardens .

Spring visit — with erika

39.7317459-104.960289

Why Success Is Often Elusive at the Highest Echelons

Sun, 08 May 2022 23:00:53 -0600

Why Success Is Often Elusive at the Highest Echelons

During recent discussions with friends, one common theme that crops up very frequently is how success has remained rather elusive to recent higher level hires at their companies.

By “higher level hires”, I’m referring to not just senior managers, directors, and VPs, but also very senior engineers (think principal level) who’re tasked with shaping or steering the organization’s engineering innovativeness, productivity, and culture. As often as not, these hires have a solid track record of success over the course of many years at elite tech companies (think a 6–8 year stint in senior engineering or engineering leadership at Netflix or Google), have solid references, some might even have a prominent public profile, and are generally competent and smart people.

The Magic of Setting Expectations | by Shy Alter | Better Programming

Sun, 08 May 2022 22:50:30 -0600

The Magic of Setting Expectations | by Shy Alter | Better Programming

No, it’s not obvious

I mean, it’s obvious, isn’t it?

Something happen in your team, it might be a task that fell between the cracks or a team member who didn’t take ownership. You might find yourself saying “I thought it’s obvious that X will be done”. Many things that seem obvious to you, might not be obvious to your team.

Sat, 07 May 2022 15:36:56 -0600

Checked in at Kettle & Spoke Brewery .

40.026875-105.24302

Sat, 07 May 2022 14:04:34 -0600

Checked in at Boulder Falls Trail .

40.005718-105.406356

Sat, 07 May 2022 08:52:59 -0600

Checked in at Kettle & Spoke Brewery .

40.026875-105.24302

Fri, 06 May 2022 19:35:08 -0600

Checked in at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse .

Gettin’ BJs — with erika

39.7357152-105.1597207

Engineering Levels: A Case Study From Three Perspectives

Fri, 06 May 2022 09:07:20 -0600

Engineering Levels: A Case Study From Three Perspectives

Recently, there has been a lot of debate about engineering levels, whether they are good, bad, or just useless. In this story, I hope to show a positive outcome of a good effort. However, before we get started, let’s take a look at what are the critical elements to make a good framework

You have levels, why?

Although it may seem like an obvious question, the answers can vary a lot. They can range from deciding salary to career growth. Setting your desired outcomes and prioritizing them is essential before designing your framework.

Prioritization as a Superpower – by Nikhil Basu Trivedi

Fri, 06 May 2022 07:45:16 -0600

Prioritization as a Superpower – by Nikhil Basu Trivedi

Welcome to issue #41 of next big thing .

As a venture capitalist, I find myself constantly evaluating founders and CEOs on their superpowers and blind spots. Whether for a new potential investment, or when working with a portfolio company, it’s critical to understand the key reasons a leader may be successful in their role, and also the areas where they may need support.

TWH#38: The Hidden Power of Momentum – by Paulo André

Thu, 05 May 2022 17:14:48 -0600

TWH#38: The Hidden Power of Momentum – by Paulo André

Photo by Valerie Blanchett on Unsplash

Momentum is a measure of the tendency for a moving object to remain in motion. It takes energy to create but once it’s there, it takes energy to slow it down.

It’s this last part that any builder or leader should heed. It’s one of those secrets hiding in plain sight.

Sun Tzu wrote:

“When an army has the force of momentum, even the timid become brave; when it loses the force of momentum, even the brave become timid.”

The Technium: 103 Bits of Advice I Wish I Had Known

Wed, 04 May 2022 22:14:59 -0600

The Technium: 103 Bits of Advice I Wish I Had Known

Today is my birthday. I turn 70. I’ve learned a few things so far that might be helpful to others. For the past few years, I’ve jotted down bits of unsolicited advice each year and much to my surprise I have more to add this year. So here is my birthday gift to you all: 103 bits of wisdom I wish I had known when I was young.

105,495,450 searches for WordPress terms in the last 12 months, up 7.5% year-on-year – Ellipsis Marketing

Wed, 04 May 2022 19:14:16 -0600

105,495,450 searches for WordPress terms in the last 12 months, up 7.5% year-on-year – Ellipsis Marketing

We’ve regularly written about the state of WordPress searches over the years: from the first article analysing a 52% spike in searches in 2020 , to an in-depth look at a search lull in the summer of 2021 , looking at how search traffic and volumes are faring usually reveals a lot about the status of the whole industry.

How to Deal With Remote Work Burnout and Stress – NoHQ Remote Work Guides

Wed, 04 May 2022 17:01:42 -0600

How to Deal With Remote Work Burnout and Stress – NoHQ Remote Work Guides

No commute. Flexible schedules. Boosted productivity. There’s a lot that remote work gets right.

Yet, employees starting remote work may feel some growing pains. Learning how to manage and maximize the benefits of remote work can take some time. In particular, it’s easy to fall into the trap of overworking and getting remote work burnout when working from home.

Tue, 03 May 2022 17:56:35 -0600

Checked in at South Table Mtn .

39.7508778-105.1632085

Mon, 02 May 2022 12:18:20 -0600

Checked in at Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters .

Cute little spot. Picking up a couple of bags to try them. Love the artwork.

39.7423891-105.0746526

Sat, 30 Apr 2022 11:07:27 -0600

Checked in at The Home Depot .

My weekend residence

39.7228376-105.1898082

Taking Control of Your Professional Growth: A Personal Experience

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 17:03:28 -0600

Taking Control of Your Professional Growth: A Personal Experience

If you are the kind of person that claims taking control of your professional growth, changing careers, and moving up the ladder are easy feats, I would love to draw on your experience.

For me, my growth journey was and still is a hell of a ride. Not so long ago, I promised myself that I’d go above and beyond to take control of my journey, gain focus and combine my passion and skills to see where this path would take me.

11 Principles of Engineering Management

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 09:29:40 -0600

11 Principles of Engineering Management

More than 2 years ago, I decided to try to create a brief, digestible manual on the expectations of management for senior engineers at my company who are considering making the shift. At the time, I had about 3 years of management experience, including two prior companies. Enough to feel like I knew how to do the job, but not enough to feel like I should be some kind of authority on management. After letting this marinate for a couple years, I’m ready to share what I have learned.

Find Your Sweet Spot

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 17:09:17 -0600

Find Your Sweet Spot

Charged with extending their unit’s product lines and boosting top-line growth over the next three years, product managers at one global consumer goods company wanted to identify the most attractive customer segments to target and how best to reach them. So they turned to their market research department for guidance.

And why not? The market researchers at the company–we’ll call it ProdCorp–were world class and skilled at using the latest tools in demographics, psychometrics, and statistical analysis. Every two or three years, they would field an ambitious research project that pinpointed large, attractive customer segments and lots of tantalizing “white space” where the company could expand its offerings.

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 22:02:05 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

39.8497327-104.6739819

Taking Your 1:1s to the Next Level | by Alison Randel | The Ready | Apr, 2022 | Medium

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 19:56:18 -0600

Taking Your 1:1s to the Next Level | by Alison Randel | The Ready | Apr, 2022 | Medium

Yes, there is a next level. You can reach it with 4 simple steps.

Photo by Anotia Wang @anotia

Most people in manager-like positions spend a lot of time in 1:1s. And most people on a team have regular 1:1s with managers. 1:1s can be a precious space to build relationships and dig into challenging topics. But many of us don’t realize the potential actually lurking inside the 1:1 format. So most of the time that potential is wasted — on small talk (“How was your weekend?”), surface-level updates (“Yeah, the project is going pretty well”), and venting (“Ugh, the marketing team isn’t stepping up the way I want them to”).

The Anatomy of a 1:1

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 19:41:12 -0600

The Anatomy of a 1:1

Broadly speaking, my overarching agenda for any 1:1 is as follows:

It starts with the checkin, “how’s it going?”, an open ended question that some people respond with a status update, and some do not. The important thing is what comes next – finding out how the person feels. Sometimes a status update is useful context for that, sometimes it’s just how we get there. Either is fine.

Making Operational Work More Visible

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 19:35:49 -0600

Making Operational Work More Visible

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” – Sir Isaac Newton

Chasing down a ‘blipperdoodle’

It’s 2019, back when I was on the CORE team at Netflix. I’m watching a teammate, the on-call site reliability engineer (SRE), investigate a spike in video playback errors reported by a number of smart TVs. The temporary spike lasted just a few minutes. But investigating these sorts of transient operational issues—“blipperdoodles” asthe team sometimes calls them—can reveal operational issues. It’s also good practice for the newer team members. The SRE on call happens to be new, so he digs in.

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 09:11:29 -0600

Checked in at El Taco Loco .

Breakfast

37.7523547-122.4180901

Exploring the Gestalt Principles of Design | Toptal

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 08:53:07 -0600

Exploring the Gestalt Principles of Design | Toptal

Listen to the audio version of this article

Negative space has long been a staple of good design. Leaving white space around elements of a design is the first thing that usually comes to mind. But then there are designs that use that white space to infer an element that isn’t actually there (the arrow hidden between the E and X in the FedEx logo immediately comes to mind as an example).

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 08:25:14 -0600

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

37.616764-122.3870194

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 05:22:05 -0600

Checked in at Gate B35 .

39.8587649-104.6749271

How to Find Great Developers by Having Them Read Code

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 08:30:34 -0600

How to Find Great Developers by Having Them Read Code

When hiring developers, there are many things we are looking for, but over the years I have found that raw coding ability is easily the most important quality to look for. I can quickly train a person to have knowledge in some domain, but I’ve never seen raw coding ability come from anything other than personal commitment to extensive and deep practice. Because of this, I have found that some methods work better than others to discover talent.

Motivating Developers to Care About Documentation

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 22:44:28 -0600

Motivating Developers to Care About Documentation

The following is a transcription of our interview with Paulo André . Paulo is a former VP of Engineering who now coaches CTOs, VPs of Engineering, and Engineering Managers. He also writes a weekly newsletter for technical leaders (sign up for it here ).

Paulo: Let me set the stage here. Internal documentation is something I’m passionate about because I’ve seen how important it is. But in most of my roles I’ve been fairly reactive, having created documentation after there was an apparent need for it. (Being a coach now, I don’t have the opportunity to be more intentional about documentation but if I do join another company I will be.)

Why you should work asynchronously

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 22:34:30 -0600

Why you should work asynchronously

Most corporations (and their employees) made the shift to remote work during the pandemic. Many of these shifts were to remote-capable workflows (moving offline workflows online), but they never made the maturity leap to fully remote-first , rendering their employees less productive and more likely to burn out. The difference between being able to work remotely and being able to thrive remotely is the ability to work not just digitally, but also to work asynchronously, and it brings with it a number of benefits not possible under legacy workflows.

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 15:11:57 -0600

Checked in at New Terrain Brewing Co .

39.7794665-105.1860322

This Is What Happens When There Are Too Many Meetings

Sat, 23 Apr 2022 23:56:37 -0600

This Is What Happens When There Are Too Many Meetings

After two years of working from home, I don’t have one unified period of getting things done. I have several mini periods. Work isn’t a contiguous landmass of focus; it’s more like an archipelago of productivity amid a sea of chores, meals, mental breaks, and other responsibilities.

In particular, I’ve noticed a new island of work at the end of the day. Sometime around 9 p.m., I’ll open my computer and see that I have about a dozen urgent-ish emails and Slack messages. So, while in front of the television or with a podcast playing in the background, I’ll spend a late-night hour or more replying to these messages, typing the same intro over and over: “Sorry for the delay …” “Oops, I missed this …” “Hey, just seeing that you …”

Sat, 23 Apr 2022 18:59:46 -0600

Checked in at Coda Brewing Co .

with erika

39.734615-105.178506

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 19:30:44 -0600

Checked in at Crate & Barrel .

with erika

39.7185734-104.9561229

Building Infrastructure Platforms

Sun, 17 Apr 2022 22:33:20 -0600

Building Infrastructure Platforms

Software has come a long way over the past 20 years. Not only has the

pace of delivery increased, but the architectural complexity of systems

being developed has also soared to match that pace.

Not that building software was simple in the “good” old days. If you

wanted to stand up a simple web service for your business, you’d probably

have to:

Schedule in some time with an infrastructure team to find a spare

Under stress at work? Just remember: Don’t believe what you think. – ideas.ted.com

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 23:16:47 -0600

Under stress at work? Just remember: Don’t believe what you think. – ideas.ted.com

Eugenia Mello

Here’s how you can take control of your brain’s knee-jerk reactions to distressing situations, says psychology researcher Lisa Penney.

This post is part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from people in the TED community; browse through all the posts here.

Question: When you’re under stress at work, are you able to do your best thinking?

A new era of WordPress themes is finally here — Rich Tabor

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 23:11:11 -0600

A new era of WordPress themes is finally here — Rich Tabor

We all knew the landscape of WordPress themes was shifting with the introduction of Gutenberg.

What we didn’t know, was by how much.

With the arrival of the anticipated Full Site Editing experience into WordPress 5.9, themes are starting to look very different. This new class of block-based WordPress themes arguably introduces the biggest change to themes, since well… themes existed.

Transcript: Ezra Klein Interviews C. Thi Nguyen

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 23:04:44 -0600

Transcript: Ezra Klein Interviews C. Thi Nguyen

The Ezra Klein Show

Send any friend a story

As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.

Feb. 25, 2022

Every Tuesday and Friday, Ezra Klein invites you into a conversation about something that matters, like today’s episode with C. Thi Nguyen. Listen wherever you get your podcasts .

Transcripts of our episodes are made available as soon as possible. They are not fully edited for grammar or spelling.

Be Plainspoken

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 11:59:14 -0600

Be Plainspoken

It takes practice to communicate well. Being a great

writer or

communicator is a kind of

superpower that makes nearly every aspect of your life easier. But with great

power comes great responsibility; the clarifying power of language can also be

used to confound.

I am worried about the escalation of document length I have observed recently.

Simple questions receive lengthy responses.

People blow past guidelines on document lengths. Paragraphs have five

Problem exploration, selection and validation. | Irrational Exuberance

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 11:59:13 -0600

Problem exploration, selection and validation. | Irrational Exuberance

Most engineering organizations separate engineering and product leadership into distinct roles. This is usually ideal, not only because these roles benefit on distinct skills, but also because they thrive from different perspectives and priorities. It’s quite hard to do both well at the same time.

I’ve met many product managers who are excellent operators, but few product managers who can operate at a high degree while also getting deep with their users’ needs. Likewise, I’ve worked with many engineering managers who ground their work in their users needs, but few who can affix their attention on those users when things start getting rocky within their team.

Preserving Optionality: Preparing for the Unknown – Farnam Street

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 11:59:11 -0600

Preserving Optionality: Preparing for the Unknown – Farnam Street

We’re often advised to excel at one thing. But as the future gets harder to predict, preserving optionality allows us to pivot when the road ahead crumbles.

***

How do we prepare for a world that often changes drastically and rapidly? We can preserve our optionality.

We don’t often get the advice to keep our options open. Instead, we’re told to specialize by investing huge hours in our passion so we can be successful in a niche.

Refactor → Organisation

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 18:12:37 -0600

Refactor → Organisation

In this blog post, rather than focus just on the technical challenges, I want to share:

Some of the organisational history that led to WebCore
How we went about re-organising for success
How we viewed the team topologies and interaction modes between teams
How we view the role of the platform (and the Core teams who build it) in enabling many teams to interact with one another

First — some history…

The BBC website is made up of several digital services, including iPlayer , Sounds , News and Sport . Each is a major service in its own right — with millions of visits every week — and they have grown independently of one another over several years. This was reflected in the way the organisation was shaped — with separate departments owning each digital service.

The Principles and Habits of Healthy Software

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 18:12:36 -0600

The Principles and Habits of Healthy Software

I believe both can help us be better people and drive positive change around us – in general, but in software in particular.

Principles help us go in the direction we want, towards an ideal state. Developing software with this in mind is fulfilling. (If you want to feel inspired about principles, read Design Principles Behind Smalltalk by Daniel Ingalls).

Habits are powerful. They help us to get from point A to B at a constant pace, starting small and taking many small steps. They allow us to work towards a higher goal, with purpose. It’s like developing muscles; it’s not possible to get there with a magic meal, you need strict gym activity and a lot of discipline. You also need small increments otherwise you’ll get hurt. So what are the muscles in the software we write, and what habits can we adopt to maintain those muscles and avoid injury?

What You Give Up When Moving Into Engineering Management

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 18:12:33 -0600

What You Give Up When Moving Into Engineering Management

My wife recently took a management position for the first time. While my first management role was much different in many ways (I was with a small startup, and she works for a state healthcare system), her mixed feelings reminded me of the roller-coaster ride I felt when I was first put in charge of a team of engineers.

On the one hand, I was excited. This was an opportunity to make a bigger impact on the organization and my teammates’ careers.

The Data-Informed Product Cycle

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 14:06:03 -0600

The Data-Informed Product Cycle

I recently shared this Tweet:

Most teams jump from high level strategy/goals straight to feature ideas (w/ “success metrics”) The most successful teams 1. Have a strategy 2. Translate that into models 3. Add minimally viable measurement 4. Identify leverage points 5. Explore options 6. Run experiments

Along with this image:

A number of people asked me to write about it. Here goes!

Data-informed product is a loop (or series of loops).

The Latest E-Commerce Trend: What You Need To Know About Social Commerce

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 22:44:25 -0700

The Latest E-Commerce Trend: What You Need To Know About Social Commerce

Jessica is the Founder & CEO of Valux Digital , a nationally recognized full-service marketing and PR firm.

getty

As e-commerce businesses globally are getting ready for the holiday season, one trend is shaking up the online shopping scene. Social commerce looks set to make an impact on e-commerce sales this season.

What Is Social Commerce?

Social commerce is the convergence of e-commerce and social media. Brands engaging in social commerce use social media platforms as vehicles to sell products and services. If your business relies on e-commerce sales, you are likely already involved in social commerce. However, are you maximizing the potential of this trend for your business?

Diffusion of innovations – Wikipedia

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 13:25:31 -0700

Diffusion of innovations – Wikipedia

Theory on how and why new ideas spread The diffusion of innovations according to Rogers. With successive groups of consumers adopting the new technology (shown in blue), its market share (yellow) will eventually reach the saturation level. The blue curve is broken into sections of adopters.

Diffusion of innovations is a theory that seeks to explain how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spread. Everett Rogers , a professor of communication studies , popularized the theory in his book Diffusion of Innovations; the book was first published in 1962, and is now in its fifth edition (2003). Rogers argues that diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated over time among the participants in a social system. The origins of the diffusion of innovations theory are varied and span multiple disciplines.

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 14:16:28 -0700

Checked in at Bros Bike Shop .

Changing tires turned into changing brake pads.

39.73936-105.139184

5 Questions Every Manager Needs to Ask Their Direct Reports

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 14:07:24 -0700

5 Questions Every Manager Needs to Ask Their Direct Reports

Krittiraj Adchasai/Getty Images

Sara, a departing employee, sat across from her company’s HR leader for an exit interview . As a marketing executive for a financial services company, she was resigning after five years to take a CMO role at a fintech startup.

When the HR director asked Sara, “Is there anything else we could have done to keep you here?” Sara paused. “Yes. I wish there had been conversations about my career goals and opportunities for growth,” she said.

Getting Up and Running Quickly When Joining a Project

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 14:07:24 -0700

Getting Up and Running Quickly When Joining a Project

Getting up to speed when you join a large project is not an easy thing to do.

In addition to astonishing amounts of code and history, joining a new project

usually coincides with getting to know new colleagues and wanting to cause a

great first impression, which raises the stakes and makes things even more

difficult.

Here are a few things that have worked best for me when trying to get up to

How I Learned to Onboard Effectively in an Engineer Manager Role

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 14:07:20 -0700

How I Learned to Onboard Effectively in an Engineer Manager Role

Understanding my behaviors from starting new roles over the years

Doug Arcuri Follow

Nov 8, 2021 · 9 min read

Photo by Zan on Unsplash

Onboarding at a new company is an immensely engaging experience, where the difference between an effective or ineffective onboarding is an action away. As a software engineer manager , I’ve reflected on the unique behaviors I prioritize. This post will cover the gestalt of my successful onboarding experiences within the first 90 days.

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 19:10:31 -0700

Checked in at Sushi Uokura .

Sushi to go 🍣

39.7295621-105.1781247

This scientist busts myths about how humans burn calories—and why | Science | AAAS

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 12:46:44 -0700

This scientist busts myths about how humans burn calories—and why | Science | AAAS

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 15:37:29 -0700

Checked in at Applewood Gas Express .

39.7469052-105.1426874

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 15:26:50 -0700

Checked in at Applejack Wine & Spirits .

Love this place. Stocking up.

39.7634617-105.1407349

Sun, 20 Feb 2022 11:28:03 -0700

Checked in at South Table Mtn .

39.7508778-105.1632085

Sat, 19 Feb 2022 12:52:01 -0700

Checked in at Bivouac Coffee .

Love this place. Picked up they cool new tumbler as well — with erika

39.687253-105.361011

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 21:59:41 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Home.

39.8497327-104.6739819

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 19:31:43 -0700

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

SFO:DEN

37.616764-122.3870194

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 17:44:12 -0700

Checked in at Automattic Mission .

37.7553259-122.4183361

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 12:53:56 -0700

Checked in at Tacolicious .

37.7609404-122.4214507

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 11:15:37 -0700

Checked in at Abanico Coffee Roasters .

37.763123-122.4193

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 10:22:12 -0700

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

Touchdown. I don’t want to see another airport for like…. 8 hrs.

37.616764-122.3870194

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 07:16:37 -0700

Checked in at Concourse B .

DEN:SFO

39.8587595-104.6737003

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 07:02:42 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

39.8497327-104.6739819

Being a First Time Exec at an Early Stage Startup

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 22:08:10 -0700

Being a First Time Exec at an Early Stage Startup

This week I talked with Jean Hsu , VP of Engineering at Range , a company that helps make teamwork way less work. We spoke about being a first time exec, how she navigated being a mother and exec during a pandemic and what she enjoys about early stage startups.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

So we met speaking on the same panel.

Yeah. It was about challenging the default performance management systems that companies have, and we got those mugs with our faces on them, which was amazing. My partner loves it. He’s like, “Oh, then I can use it and then you’re just there with me,” which is very sweet. It feels weird to use a mug with your own face on it.

Delicious Brains – 2021 Year in Review: Tripled, Acquired, Reborn, and Humming

Sat, 12 Feb 2022 10:42:15 -0700

Delicious Brains – 2021 Year in Review: Tripled, Acquired, Reborn, and Humming

TL;DR — Despite the pandemic, we had a great year as a team and as a business. We tripled the size of the team, acquired ACF, shipped and published a ton of awesome stuff that we’re proud of, and had a nice bump in revenue.

This is my seventh year in review post since I started writing them:

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 11:29:19 -0700

Checked in at Miami International Airport (MIA) .

25.7955637-80.2781296

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 08:01:00 -0700

Checked in at Bay Of Pigs Monument .

25.7657009-80.2164436

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 20:40:41 -0700

Checked in at Mini Bar .

25.7740145-80.1363574

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 17:11:02 -0700

Checked in at Santorini by Georgios .

25.7695532-80.1319214

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 15:02:45 -0700

Checked in at The ScapeGoat .

25.7698829-80.134387

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 11:56:26 -0700

Checked in at Kimpton Angler’s Boutique Resort .

25.77651-80.134192

Sun, 06 Feb 2022 15:45:33 -0700

Checked in at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) .

Everything is a highway in Texas, even the airports

29.986479-95.3415442

Sun, 06 Feb 2022 12:46:20 -0700

Checked in at Concourse B .

39.8587595-104.6737003

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 12:17:06 -0700

Checked in at Bonfire Burritos .

Meeting up with some #a12s

39.747854-105.210745

Minto Pyramid

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 22:38:33 -0700

Minto Pyramid

In business, communication needs to be clear and efficient. People are busy and don’t have time to read long walls of text or listen to long presentations where the key info is shared at the very end.

Use the Minto Pyramid to give your communication a top-down structure and get your message across quickly and clearly. Lead with the conclusion, then provide key arguments and finally support them with detailed information.

How to Size and Assess Teams From an Eng Lead at Stripe, Uber and Digg | First Round Review

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 17:15:04 -0700

How to Size and Assess Teams From an Eng Lead at Stripe, Uber and Digg | First Round Review

Say your startup has an on-call rotation that follows the sun. Someone’s always on. One day, a member of your team gets an alert that disk space will run out on the primary PostgreSQL server in two hours. An hour later, he gets another page. Then thirty minutes later, disk space runs out and your entire site goes down. For 18 hours. The silver lining is that your two-tier architecture can keep your site and app online, but the backend of your business has come to a halt. Your CTO is furious. He says you must fire the engineer who was on call to make a point.

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 15:57:22 -0700

Checked in at IKEA .

I’m so sick of driving all the way here

39.5716467-104.87437

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 20:29:27 -0700

Checked in at Coda Brewing Co .

This place is good — with erika

39.734615-105.178506

The baseline for web development in 2022 – LINE ENGINEERING

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 19:40:55 -0700

The baseline for web development in 2022 – LINE ENGINEERING

**TL;DR:**The baseline for web development in 2022 is: low-spec Android devices in terms of performance, Safari from two years before in terms of Web Standards, and 4G in terms of networks. The web in general is not answering those needs properly, especially in terms of performance where factors such as an over-dependence on JavaScript are hindering our sites’ performance.

Hello there! I’m Alan Dávalos, a front-end engineer at LINE. You might have thought this article’s title is just clickbait but bear with me for a while, I promise it’s worth it. The main reason for that is that there were some big changes in the web between 2021 and 2022 and those affect the way we should face web development as a whole.

Your guide to self-serve onboarding: How to get your product to sell itself – OpenView

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 12:10:57 -0700

Your guide to self-serve onboarding: How to get your product to sell itself – OpenView

In a self-serve environment, your product has to sell itself.

The first-day experience is the most critical part of the user journey. And it’s where most products fall flat.

It’s on the first day that you have a user’s full attention and you have an extremely narrow window to impress them.

Why should you care?

The Three Altitudes of Leadership | INSEAD Knowledge

Sun, 23 Jan 2022 20:10:34 -0700

The Three Altitudes of Leadership | INSEAD Knowledge

High altitudes hold a special place in the history of human achievement. We remember Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese sherpa, Tenzing Norgay as the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Other altitude pioneers include Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, the first human to fly in outer space, and Neil Armstrong, the first person on the moon. More recently, in 2012, Austrian Felix Baumgartner skydived from a capsule at 127,000 feet.

Managing Managers: Words of Wisdom From Experienced Engineering Executives

Sun, 23 Jan 2022 19:55:17 -0700

Managing Managers: Words of Wisdom From Experienced Engineering Executives

I recently stepped into the role of Director of Engineering at Lemonade

Though I’ve been leading teams for quite a few years now, managing managers is a new challenge.

Left to right: Eti Noked, Shay Cohen, and Anton Drukh.

I turned to managers of managers, whom I value and don’t work with on a daily basis, to gain a wider perspective on what it takes to succeed in this role:

Sun, 23 Jan 2022 18:00:45 -0700

Checked in at Costco Gasoline .

39.55893-104.87579

Sun, 23 Jan 2022 13:54:36 -0700

Checked in at Highline Canal Trailhead .

39.5643891-104.9972002

Everything Must Be Paid for Twice

Sun, 23 Jan 2022 10:07:43 -0700

Everything Must Be Paid for Twice

One financial lesson they should teach in school is that most of the things we buy have to be paid for twice.

There’s the first price, usually paid in dollars, just to gain possession of the desired thing, whatever it is: a book, a budgeting app, a unicycle, a bundle of kale.

But then, in order to make use of the thing, you must also pay a second price. This is the effort and initiative required to gain its benefits, and it can be much higher than the first price.

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 18:52:38 -0700

Checked in at Coda Brewing Co .

Back again already — with erika

39.734615-105.178506

Memo: China Strategy Revisited

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 13:33:10 -0700

Memo: China Strategy Revisited

This is a continuation of the original essay: The China Strategy (2018)

At 8 am on May 10, 2003, Taobao went online on the fourth day of the SARS quarantine . The homepage read: “Think of those who start a business in trying times.” Nineteen years later, and China’s online retail economy is the envy of the world. Currently with a nearly 37% online penetration and growing, analysts estimate that rate will reach 63.9% by 2023. It’s evident that online retailers like Alibaba, which owns Taobao, used the crisis to move China into eCommerce leadership that then belonged to the United States. China owes its eCommerce dominance to Alibaba, but its future may be with JD.com. This as the U.S. Government is becoming increasingly adversarial with Alibaba.

The Power Of An API

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 11:59:38 -0700

The Power Of An API

Hugging the X-Axis

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 22:37:49 -0700

Hugging the X-Axis

I’ve always struggled with commitment. In a world as grand as ours, shouldn’t we try to experience it all? Change it up. Visit every country. Try a bunch of careers. The menu of life is vast, and it’d be a shame to only order a single entrée.

When I say I was allergic to restraint, I mean it. I was the tantrum-throwing 3rd grader who refused to RSVP to birthday parties because I didn’t want to be tied down on a Saturday afternoon. Early in my career, I was also the guy who kept up with ten different industries so I wouldn’t have to define myself by any single one of them. But recently, my values have started to change. I now want multi-decade friendships and a professional life where I can build things that compound in value at an exponential rate; I want a place I call home and a large family I can share that home with; and I want to become an expert in the ideas that resonate with me most instead of suffering from shiny object syndrome.

Reborn in the cloud | McKinsey

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 22:24:55 -0700

Reborn in the cloud | McKinsey

DOWNLOADS

Open interactive popup

Over the past five years, Adobe Systems has remade itself as a cloud company. It no longer offers its publishing and design tools in the form of physical, shrink-wrapped products to be deployed at customers’ sites under a perpetual

license—where customers pay once and can use the software indefinitely. Rather, customers subscribe to Creative Cloud, the company’s online suite of publishing and design tools, and receive frequent software upgrades as well as a range of new online-only and mobile services.

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 15:59:14 -0700

Checked in at Coda Brewing Co .

Post ride brews with Alex

39.734615-105.178506

(2022) 13 Best Asynchronous Communication Tools for Remote Teams – NoHQ Remote Work Guides

Sat, 15 Jan 2022 23:10:33 -0700

(2022) 13 Best Asynchronous Communication Tools for Remote Teams – NoHQ Remote Work Guides

Day-to-day communication happens asynchronously when working with a remote team. While startups try to conquer the synchronous space, there is far less work happening on the other side. Let’s look at 13 of the best tools for asynchronous work.

The Classic: Slack

With asynchronous communication apps, there’s the well-known combination of Slack + Zoom . The two tools perfectly complement each other and make synchronous and asynchronous communication perfectly.

The Best Leaders are Feedback Magnets — Here’s How to Become One

Sat, 15 Jan 2022 23:03:33 -0700

The Best Leaders are Feedback Magnets — Here’s How to Become One

Introduction

This article is written by Shivani Berry **, founder and CEO of Ascend **, which offers online leadership programs to empower women from top companies with the skills and community to advance into management. Previously, she was at PayPal, Intercom, and GetYourGuide.

After interviewing dozens of top executives in fireside chats — including Kim Scott of Radical Candor fame — I started to notice a pattern. Even though they were all well-practiced with tons of public speaking experience under their belts, every single one of them asked me for feedback after the event. That’s when it hit me: The best leaders are feedback magnets. Getting actionable feedback is a skill, and the top performers have excelled largely because they’ve never stopped honing it.

Managing Managers: Words of Wisdom From Experienced Engineering Executives

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 23:17:45 -0700

Managing Managers: Words of Wisdom From Experienced Engineering Executives

I Asked Managers of Managers I Look Up To for Advice As I Transitioned From Team Lead to Director of Engineering

Daniel Korn

Jan 5·7 min read

I recently stepped into the role of Director of Engineering at Lemonade . Though I’ve been leading teams for quite a few years now, managing managers is a new challenge.

Left to right: Eti Noked, Shay Cohen, and Anton Drukh.

Tweet from Marc Hedlund

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 23:07:54 -0700

Tweet from Marc Hedlund

I’m often asked how best to interview VP Engineering or other engineering leadership candidates. It’s a hard problem. One of my standard answers seems to work for a lot of people, so here it is.

I think it matters a lot to probe for a leadership candidate’s beliefs about their ability to create change. There are plenty of passive managers: hire to budget, run the standup, file the performance report, repeat. A leader should not be passive.

Cost of (Employee) Attrition

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 23:06:28 -0700

Cost of (Employee) Attrition

What if we could visualise the cost of attrition?

Here’s a team. Someone leaves. We hire a replacement.
We get lucky and manage to find someone more skilled. Looks like we’re better off?

Really when someone leaves we lose all the relationships they had with the rest of the team as well. The team is a diminished more like 40% than the apparent 20% by their loss. It takes longer to rebuild the team than is apparent. Relationships take time.

(2022) How to Do Employee Performance Reviews Virtually & Best Practices – NoHQ Remote Work Guides

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 12:08:36 -0700

(2022) How to Do Employee Performance Reviews Virtually & Best Practices – NoHQ Remote Work Guides

Measuring job performance is an essential practice when measuring a business. They provide valuable metrics that provide insight into the employee’s skill and cost value.

Many employees scoff at the idea of performance reviews because they feel they are not appropriately appraised of nonperformance factors.

Therefore, in an employee performance review, it’s important to only review based on performance and nothing that can get the business in trouble with the courts based on protections under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Changing Lanes – Becoming a Platform Product Manager

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 11:47:06 -0700

Changing Lanes – Becoming a Platform Product Manager

I’m a product manager for a content management system that runs some of the most-visited websites in the world. Our team reports to the CTO, and we sit within the engineering arm of the organization. Prior to this I’d had a year’s product experience at a customer-facing SaaS company and naively I believed I could copy-paste this experience. I was wrong. At its heart a CMS is a platform, not a product. I quickly found that I needed to become a platform product manager.

Measuring KPIs for a Platform vs a Revenue-Generating Product

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 11:39:20 -0700

Measuring KPIs for a Platform vs a Revenue-Generating Product

There are some important differences between managing a solutions vs a platform product, in terms of providing product value. One of the key differences is in how you determine and track valuable key performance indicators (KPIs).

This post focuses on the differences for managing KPIs not just for platforms overall, but for content management systems – products used by web sites to build their content, which include the tools that editors use to publish content to the site.

Measuring output, outcomes and impact in platform teams at Adevinta

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 11:25:47 -0700

Measuring output, outcomes and impact in platform teams at Adevinta

What we learned from implementing a metrics-based approach to measure results in a platform team

Adevinta May 20, 2021 · 8 min read

By Xavier Gumara Rigol (Medium , Twitter , LinkedIn ), Senior Engineering Manager for Experimentation and Analytics Solutions at Adevinta

As a manager of an internal platform team at Adevinta (that is, a team whose customers are other employees at the company) it has been hard to deliver results in our team by following a metrics-driven approach. This has been accentuated by the fact that our platforms can be used by employees from our marketplaces around the world.

25 Habits of Highly Effective Managers

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 21:28:55 -0700

25 Habits of Highly Effective Managers

Introduction

Management can at times seem like staring down a large block of marble — an intimidating task that requires the right tools. And in our experience, most management advice tends to focus on tackling the biggest chunks: assembling high-performing teams through hiring, delivering tough feedback and checking in regularly. Of course, holding regular 1:1 meetings and honest performance reviews are critical items on your manager checklist to get right — but sculpting a magnificent piece of art also relies on the finer chiseling work of shaping that rock, bit by bit. After all, it’s the smallest movements and the intricate detail work that makes a statue worthy of display in a museum. However, this tends to be overlooked.

# 6 A Strategy for Each Swimlane

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 16:54:41 -0700

# 6 A Strategy for Each Swimlane

How to define the strategies, proxy metrics, and projects for each pod

Gibson Biddle

Jul 11, 2019·3 min read

The “Ratings Wizard,” part of an explicit taste strategy, collected many ratings in the late 2000s.

So far, I have focused on defining the overall product strategy for a company. It’s essential that each product leader within an organization also articulate their pod’s strategy. I’ll provide an example from the personalization team at Netflix, circa 2006. At the time, Todd Yellin was the product leader of a group of engineers, designers, and data analysts. (Today, Todd is VP of Product Innovation at Netflix.)

#7 The Product Roadmap

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 16:54:19 -0700

#7 The Product Roadmap

A roadmap is an expression of your strategy. It shows how projects fit together, along with a rough time estimate

Gibson Biddle

Jul 11, 2019·3 min read

I’m a lover of Bojack Horseman.

Roadmaps are a richly debated topic. On the one hand, they help teams to see how all the projects fit together. And with technology teams, who have long lead-time projects, it’s good to have advance notice of upcoming projects. On the other hand, a four-quarter roadmap provides false confidence, given uncertainty about what will work or not. It’s especially hard to guess the timing of projects, given this uncertainty.

#4 Proxy Metrics

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 16:53:44 -0700

#4 Proxy Metrics

How to define a metric to prove or disprove your hypotheses and measure progress

Gibson Biddle

Jul 11, 2019·6 min read

At Netflix, the metric we used to evaluate overall product quality was monthly retention. This high-level product engagement metric improved significantly over twenty years. In the early days, about 10% of members canceled each month. In 2005 the monthly cancel rate was around 4.5%. Today, it’s close to 2%.

#2 From DHM to Product Strategy

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 23:02:32 -0700

#2 From DHM to Product Strategy

You have ideas to delight customers, to build hard to copy advantages and experiment with your business model. Now what?

Gibson Biddle

Jul 11, 2019·5 min read

In 2007, Netflix’s exclusive content effort, “Red Envelope Studios,” failed. But by 2012, with its economies of scale, Netflix had a hard to copy advantage through its original content.

The next step is to tease out high-level hypotheses that combine delight, hard to copy advantage, and margin. Achieving two or three of these objectives with a single strategy is at the heart of an effective product strategy.

#1 The DHM Model

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 22:54:14 -0700

#1 The DHM Model

Product strategy answers the question, “How will your product delight customers, in hard to copy, margin-enhancing ways?”

Gibson Biddle

Jul 11, 2019·6 min read

The audience at my Product Strategy Workshop at TomTom in Amsterdam

When I join a company as a product leader, advisor, or board member, I brainstorm ideas to answer three questions:

How will the product delight customers?
What will make the product hard to copy?

#3 The Strategy/Metric/Tactic Lockup

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 22:44:10 -0700

#3 The Strategy/Metric/Tactic Lockup

How to assign metrics and tactics to each product strategy.

Gibson Biddle

Jul 11, 2019·2 min read

Learning comes from equal part success and failure. Above, John Oliver reflects on Netflix’s failed attempt to separate its DVD-by-mail and streaming services, and the failure of “Qwikster.”

In 2005, Netflix explored six key product strategies. For each strategy, we had a team focused on experiments to prove or disprove each theory. Here’s the 2005 high-level product strategy for Netflix, coupled with metrics and tactics/projects:

#5 Working Bottom-up

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 22:44:08 -0700

#5 Working Bottom-up

Scan your project list to identify themes and define your product strategy.

Gibson Biddle

Jul 11, 2019·2 min read

Teams at Glassdoor define their product strategy at one of my Product Strategy workshops.

The key to the Strategy/Metric/Tactic lockup is to identify a high-level product strategy, assign a proxy metric to measure the strategy’s effectiveness, then brainstorm a set of projects that will move the metric. If you get “stuck,” however, sometimes it helps to turn this process on its head.

#10 The Quarterly Product Strategy Meeting

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 22:44:02 -0700

#10 The Quarterly Product Strategy Meeting

#10 How to Run A Quarterly Product Strategy Meeting

How to keep strategy “front and center” and accelerate both results & learning.

Gibson Biddle

Jul 11, 2019·6 min read

That’s me, many years ago at the end of a Netflix Quarterly Product Strategy Meeting. (Photo: Michael Rubin.)

As companies grow, one of the critical challenges is to keep everyone aligned. Product strategy helps folks to stay on the same page, but I’ve learned to overcommunicate to ensure the strategy is fully understood and remembered. My peers describe my communication style as “Lather, Rinse, Repeat,” which is a fair assessment.

#8 The GLEe Model. A long-term, phased approach to create… | by Gibson Biddle | Medium

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 22:39:51 -0700

#8 The GLEe Model. A long-term, phased approach to create… | by Gibson Biddle | Medium

A long-term phased approach to crafting a product vision.

Gibson Biddle

Jul 12, 2019·6 min read

I confess. One of my guilty pleasures on Netflix is “Glee.”

As companies grow, there are a few common criticisms about the product strategy:

Teams see and understand the projects, but not how they fit together.
Investors complain that there’s not a big enough product vision.
The product team feels too focused on the short-term.

The GLEe model helps product leaders to form a product vision to address these criticisms. The model encourages teams to think big, think long-term, and describes a phased, step-by-step approach to build a product that “dents the universe.”

#9 The GEM Model

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 22:39:49 -0700

#9 The GEM Model

Prioritizing growth, engagement, and monetization to keep organizations aligned.

Gibson Biddle

Jul 12, 2019·3 min read

That’s me, explaining the GEM model at our Product Leader Summit in 2018, using Chegg as an example.

As companies grow, product strategy helps teams maintain focus. But misalignment, especially across product, marketing, sales, and finance, happens often. One of the biggest causes is differing opinions on how to prioritize growth, engagement, and monetization. The GEM model forces cross-functional teams to prioritize these factors and helps build a metrics-focused organization.

The Mysterious Story of the Man from Taured | by Trevor Mahoney | Predict | Medium

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 11:29:57 -0700

The Mysterious Story of the Man from Taured | by Trevor Mahoney | Predict | Medium

If you woke up one morning and started to go about your business, only to realize a few small things weren’t quite right, what would you do?

Your warm coffee maker has been replaced with a metallic looking object with a green liquid inside. You could have…

100 ways to slightly improve your life without really trying

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 12:39:33 -0700

100 ways to slightly improve your life without really trying

1 Exercise on a Monday night (nothing fun happens on a Monday night).

2 On the fence about a purchase? Wait 72 hours before you buy it.

3 Tip: the quickest supermarket queue is always behind the fullest trolley (greeting, paying and packing take longer than you think).

PLAY

Great Engineering Teams Focus on Milestones Instead of Projects

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 17:47:07 -0700

Great Engineering Teams Focus on Milestones Instead of Projects

Most engineering organizations focus on delivering projects. They should focus on milestones instead.

Managing projects is hard. Companies contort themselves to do it well. Instead of playing chess, switch to checkers. Milestones are an easier game, and you get better results.

More importantly, milestones unlock powerful behavior. One example is project shaping. Milestones make it easy to play with the contours of a project.

On Schelling Points in Organizations

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 16:40:29 -0700

On Schelling Points in Organizations

Tapping into the emergent undercurrents of coordination

Alex Komoroske

Dec 13, 2021·23 min read

The Coordination Headwind (AKA why organizations are like slime molds, AKA that deck with all of the 🧫🕸🏆) tells the story of how even in the best organizations — with individuals who are good at what they do, hard-working, and collaborative — situations still arise where it’s nearly impossible to get anything done.

Conflict Resolution Diagram | Untools

Sat, 08 Jan 2022 22:56:02 -0700

Conflict Resolution Diagram | Untools

Handling conflicts carefully is important. Conflict Resolution Diagram (also called “Evaporating Cloud”) is a tool that will help you resolve them peacefully while making sure that needs of both sides are met.

It’s one of the thinking tools developed as part of the Theory of Constraints by Eliyahu Goldratt. Let’s see how it works.

How to use it

The best time to use this tool is when you run into a conflict that seems impossible to resolve by accepting the proposal of either side. This can be a conflict with others but also internal. It can be professional or personal. You can draw the diagram on a whiteboard, piece of paper or run through it in your head.

Hard Edges, Soft Middle

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 22:28:21 -0700

Hard Edges, Soft Middle

Have you had that feeling of being several weeks into a project, and you find yourself wandering around, struggling to wrangle the scope back to what you thought it was when you started?

It’s an easy trap to fall into. It’s why I’m always thinking about ways to make targets smaller (or closer, if you’re thinking about real physical targets). The bigger and more ambitious you want to be with an objective, the more confidence you need to have that the objective is the right one. What happens often is we decide a project scope — a feature or product prototype we think has legs — but the scope gets bigger than the confidence that we’re right. A few weeks in and there’s hedging, backtracking, redefining. You realize you went down a blind alley that’s hard to double-back on.

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 18:33:04 -0700

Checked in at Crate & Barrel .

Is it weird to fall in love with a chair? — with erika

39.7185734-104.9561229

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 17:19:36 -0700

Checked in at The Joint Colorado Mills .

39.730896-105.1638184

Sun, 02 Jan 2022 13:57:56 -0700

Checked in at The Home Depot .

Time for another project.

39.7228376-105.1898082

Hunting Tech Debt via Org Charts

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 12:46:52 -0700

Hunting Tech Debt via Org Charts

Marianne Bellotti

Dec 20, 2021·8 min read

Knowing where to look for problems by figuring out who reports up to whom

“Let’s see…. no backups, twenty convoluted stored procedures and old C++ code”

After a couple years in government I used to blow peoples’ minds with a fairly simple party trick. Before going into our first meeting with a new agency stakeholder I would predict several key details of what their problems were going to be. All I needed was the name and title of the person we were meeting.

Lead by Leading

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 12:46:52 -0700

Lead by Leading

Managers have to wait for permission, because management requires authority.

But in every area of our lives, if we choose to lead, we can lead. Simply by beginning.

It might be that few will choose to follow, but then we can learn to get better at leading.

First we begin.

The web3 stack: how web3 will offer superior UX than web2 | by Polynya | Medium

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 23:07:20 -0700

The web3 stack: how web3 will offer superior UX than web2 | by Polynya | Medium

Polynya

Oct 30·5 min read

Please note that this is my semi-informed opinion, and only one possible outcome on how web3 plays out.

A lot of web3 skeptics are quick to criticize the terrible UX. Even web3 advocates have often conceded that UX may not be as good, but we’ll make up for it with the nice properties enabled by decentralization. Turns out, all of the building blocks for better UX than web2 already exists, and in this post, I’ll attempt to put it all together to give a clearer vision of one possible outcome where web3 out-UXs web2.

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 12:07:39 -0700

Checked in at Bonfire Burritos .

39.747854-105.210745

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 09:12:24 -0700

Checked in at Jefferson County Fairgrounds .

39.721745-105.1730204

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 18:39:47 -0700

Checked in at Mythology Distillery .

with erika

39.7672489-105.0109935

The Eight Archetypes of Leadership

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 11:51:36 -0700

The Eight Archetypes of Leadership

Although the ghost of the Great Man still haunts leadership studies, most of us have recognized by now that successful organizations are the product of distributive, collective, and complementary leadership. The first step in putting together such a team is to identify each member of the team’s personality makeup and leadership style, so that strengths and competences can be matched to particular roles and challenges. Getting this match wrong can bring misery to all concerned and cause considerable damage.

Employers Want Workers in the Office for the Company Culture, Not Productivity – Bloomberg

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 19:59:43 -0700

Employers Want Workers in the Office for the Company Culture, Not Productivity – Bloomberg

Ask executives why they’re desperate to get workers back in offices, and productivity—the corporate north star and initial obsession of pandemic anxiety—suddenly has nothing to do with it. Many sound like Judith Carr-Rodriguez, the chief executive officer of FIG, a New York City-based advertising firm. She was shocked at how well things went when her staff of 80 pivoted to remote work; the firm actually grew. Yet, she’s resisting a fully remote future because of the je ne sais quoi of the office. “I know people are being productive,” she says. “But are they learning, growing, being challenged? I worry we’re creating a culture where people are not exposing themselves in ways they would be in the office.”

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 11:08:21 -0700

Checked in at Mountain Side Gear Rental .

39.73439-105.17916

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 10:47:59 -0700

Checked in at The Joint Colorado Mills .

39.730896-105.1638184

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 09:09:26 -0700

Checked in at Jefferson County Fairgrounds .

39.721745-105.1730204

Sun, 26 Dec 2021 14:58:46 -0700

Checked in at Brass Armadillo Antique Mall .

It goes on forever — with erika

39.7847012-105.1242245

Remote Work Should Be (Mostly) Asynchronous

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 16:17:26 -0700

Remote Work Should Be (Mostly) Asynchronous

Leer en español

Ler em português

Digital transformation should be a means to an end, but it often gets mistaken for an end in itself. This is partly why 70% of all digital transformation efforts fail — because they’re done purely for the sake of going digital without full consideration of the bigger picture.

The pandemic accelerated many trends, from streaming, e-commerce, and food delivery platforms to the widespread adoption of remote work. But instead of taking advantage of this opportunity to improve how we work, most organizations simply took their offices online, along with the bad habits that permeated them.

You Can’t Optimize For Rest

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 15:56:44 -0700

You Can’t Optimize For Rest

Welcome to the Convivial Society, a newsletter about technology and culture. In this installment I write a bit about burnout, exhaustion, and rest. It doesn’t end with any neat solutions, but that’s kind of the point. However, I’ll take up the theme again in the next installment, and will hopefully end on a more promising note.

As many of you know, the newsletter operates on a patronage model. The writing is public, there is no paywall, but I welcome the support of readers who value the work. Not to be too sentimental about it, but thanks to those who have become paying subscribers this newsletter has become a critical part of how I make my living. And for that I’m very grateful. Recently, a friend inquired about one-time gifts as the year draws to a close, however this platform doesn’t allow that option. So for those who would like to support the Convivial Society but for whom the usual subscription rates are a bit too steep, here’s a 30% discounted option that works out to about $31 for the year or about $2.50 a month. The option is good through the end of December. Cheers!

My Smart Home 2021

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 15:35:54 -0700

My Smart Home 2021

Hi! It’s me, Joris.

It looks like I’ve linked you here myself. Linking people to a blogpost I wrote is often a bit

akward, especially at work.

I likely shared this blog in an attempt to further a conversation. Usually the post does a better

job at succinctly sharing information

than I could by talking.

In any case, I hope me sharing this post doesn’t come across as

Can Matt Mullenweg save the internet?

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 15:23:03 -0700

Can Matt Mullenweg save the internet?

In the early days of the pandemic, Matt Mullenweg didn’t move to a compound in Hawaii, bug out to a bunker in New Zealand or head to Miami and start shilling for crypto. No, in the early days of the pandemic, Mullenweg bought an RV. He drove it all over the country, bouncing between Houston and San Francisco and Jackson Hole with plenty of stops in national parks. In between, he started doing some tinkering.

Metrics-Driven Product Development Is Hard

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 14:56:17 -0700

Metrics-Driven Product Development Is Hard

The way that the FAANG companies use metrics to build products is vital to their success. They invest an army of people and homegrown tools to pull it off. My last article, Balancing short-term and long-term product bets , describes Google’s process.

While the very top companies are great at using metrics, after talking to the hundreds of PMs who signed up for DoubleLoop, I’ve learned that almost everyone else is struggling.

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 18:05:34 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

First trip success

39.8497327-104.6739819

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 14:33:52 -0700

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

37.616764-122.3870194

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 16:14:04 -0700

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

37.616764-122.3870194

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 13:13:30 -0700

Checked in at Gate B35 .

DEN:SFO

39.8587649-104.6749271

Intent Matters in Product Development – by Alex Johnson

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 08:03:44 -0700

Intent Matters in Product Development – by Alex Johnson

My favorite fintech product of all time was a mobile wallet, launched by Square in 2011. Originally called Card Case (and later Square Wallet), the app created a startlingly seamless and enjoyable mobile payments experience.

Here’s how it worked:

A consumer downloaded the Card Case app to their smartphone and was able to see a map of all the nearby merchants that were using Square’s POS Register.
In the app, the consumer was able to look up information on these merchants (operating hours, menus, special offers, etc.) and choose to ‘open a tab’ at any merchant that they wanted to shop with.
When the consumer visited a merchant that they had an open tab with, the merchant’s Square POS Register would automatically detect their smartphone (using geofencing) and would pop up the consumer’s name and face on the screen.
When the consumer was ready to make a purchase, all they had to do was give the cashier their name to complete the transaction.
In the background, Square would charge the card on file, send the consumer a digital receipt, and give them the option of adding a tip.

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:40:32 -0700

Checked in at The Joint Colorado Mills .

39.730896-105.1638184

OOPS Writeups

Sun, 28 Nov 2021 17:22:57 -0700

OOPS Writeups

A couple of people have asked me to share how I structure my OOPS write-ups. Here’s what they look like when I write them. This structure in this post is based on the OOPS template that has evolved over time inside of Netflix, with contributions from current and former members of the CORE team.

My personal outline looks like this (the bold sections are the ones that I include in every writeup)

Is Crypto Bullshit?

Sun, 28 Nov 2021 10:02:08 -0700

Is Crypto Bullshit?

Planet-wrecking money laundry or the next phase of human evolution? Why not both?

As you may have gathered from my previous post, I’ve become interested in cryptocurrency and blockchain regulation. I’ve honestly been a little hesitant to write about this stuff because opinions on the subject are oddly polarized. I know I’ve got crypto-skeptical readers, followers and friends who would be exasperated if I suddenly started spouting off about it all the time. Last week, Venkatesh Rao noted the hostile reaction after tweeting about minting his first NFT (non-fungible token):

Agility ≠ Speed

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 15:52:21 -0700

Agility ≠ Speed

Software development benefits from a sense of direction

Kevlin Henney

10 hours ago·9 min read

This article first appeared in Tips From The agile Trenches

I was changing a lightbulb this morning and was struck by a shift that has occurred in recent years. Lightbulbs used to be sold according to their power consumption. People were entrained to buy bulbs according to power rating — what the bulb consumed from the electrical grid — rather than brightness — what they, as consumers, actually benefited from.

Why Trying to Clean Up All the Ocean Plastic Is Pointless

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 12:49:03 -0700

Why Trying to Clean Up All the Ocean Plastic Is Pointless

Time Management – Paolo Belcastro

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 12:31:29 -0700

Time Management – Paolo Belcastro

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 19:52:39 -0700

Checked in at Coda Brewing Co .

Finally trying out this local spot! — with erika

39.734615-105.178506

Becoming a CTO – Puppies, Flowers, Rainbows and Kittens

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 19:56:06 -0700

Becoming a CTO – Puppies, Flowers, Rainbows and Kittens

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 15:54:59 -0700

Checked in at The Joint Colorado Mills .

Crunch

39.730896-105.1638184

Sun, 21 Nov 2021 16:20:16 -0700

Checked in at North Table Mountain Park .

39.7815012-105.2245574

Sat, 20 Nov 2021 12:24:21 -0700

Checked in at Costco .

39.7085943-105.01428

Sat, 20 Nov 2021 10:51:28 -0700

Checked in at Star Kitchen .

Dang it’s been too long! — with erika

39.6973116-105.0242791

A New Way to Think About Product-Market Fit

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 23:22:24 -0700

A New Way to Think About Product-Market Fit

I made my team waste two years of their lives building and refining the wrong product. Yes, we had a good time and we learned a few things, but nobody wishes to spend two grueling years on something that doesn’t matter.

What went wrong? I had an oversimplified understanding of product-market fit. And there’s a chance that you do too.

If you’re looking for product-market fit, by the end of this article you’ll have a better chance of finding it.

My Software Estimation Technique – Jacob Kaplan-Moss

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 22:26:54 -0700

My Software Estimation Technique – Jacob Kaplan-Moss

My Software Estimation Technique

Last time, I explained that, although estimating software project timelines is hard, you should do it anyway . With that background, I want to go into some detail and share the technique I use when I need to develop a project timeline.

The critical characteristic: capture time and uncertainty

This isn’t an area where I think there’s a “correct” technique; this is one system that works well for me, and I’ve been able to teach others to use it successfully. There are any number of other systems that might work as well; .

How 3D Printing Could Change the Future of Gear

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 21:55:42 -0700

How 3D Printing Could Change the Future of Gear

You don’t have to be able to follow the intricately complex plot threads of HBO’s hit sci-fi series Westworld — who can? — to see the hypothetical picture in its fabric: by the early 2050s, theme park robots will be so lifelike that it’ll be impossible to tell the difference between them and us. Though not inherently a problem, their verisimilitude will complicate matters when a few become sentient and decide to take over.

What Would It Look Like If We Treated Climate Change as an Actual Emergency? ❧ Current Affairs

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 23:12:40 -0700

What Would It Look Like If We Treated Climate Change as an Actual Emergency? ❧ Current Affairs

As the dust settles on COP26, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, the results do not look good. Despite a flurry of headline-grabbing pledges, national commitments bring us nowhere near to meeting the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees. According to Climate Action Tracker, 73% of existing “net-zero” pledges are weak and inadequate—“lip service to climate action .” What is more, a yawning gap remains between pledges, which are easy enough to make, and actual policies, which are all that really count. You can pledge all you like, but what we need is action. Right now existing government policies have us hurtling toward 2.7 degrees of heating in the coming decades.

The Worst of Both Worlds: Zooming From the Office – The New York Times

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 22:13:44 -0700

The Worst of Both Worlds: Zooming From the Office – The New York Times

Work life for many is in a mushy middle ground, and what’s at stake isn’t just who is getting talked over in meetings. It’s whether flexibility is sustainable, even with all the benefits it confers.

Send any friend a story

As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.

Don’t Let Architecture Astronauts Scare You

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 22:04:30 -0700

Don’t Let Architecture Astronauts Scare You

When great thinkers think about problems, they start to see patterns. They look at the problem of people sending each other word-processor files, and then they look at the problem of people sending each other spreadsheets, and they realize that there’s a general pattern: sending files. That’s one level of abstraction already. Then they go up one more level: people send files, but web browsers also “send” requests for web pages. And when you think about it, calling a method on an object is like sending a message to an object! It’s the same thing again! Those are all sending operations, so our clever thinker invents a new, higher, broader abstraction called messaging, but now it’s getting really vague and nobody really knows what they’re talking about any more. Blah.

Free software maintenance – Adding Features

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 20:34:36 -0700

Free software maintenance – Adding Features

This was written sometime in 2004, I think

How does the maintainer of a free software project decide which features to

add? The guiding principle is simple: ask “why,” rather than “why not.”

Let’s start with some mails from Linus Torvalds on the subject,

since people are more likely to listen to him than me:

here

and here

(local mirror if the links died ).

How Product Engineering Teams Avoid Dependencies — The Independent Executor Model

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 21:36:02 -0700

How Product Engineering Teams Avoid Dependencies — The Independent Executor Model

What is the Independent Executor model?

It is natural to need things from other teams. It can be tempting to wait for them or depend on them to provide something for you. This happens because they own the area you need to do work in.

For example, you might need a team to add a field into their API. Or you might need them to build a new API for you. Sometimes without these changes, you can’t deliver what you need to.

MTTR Is a Misleading Metric—Now What?

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 21:26:43 -0700

MTTR Is a Misleading Metric—Now What?

By Courtney Nash | November 4, 2021

12 minute read

Editor’s note: This is the second part of a series that will focus on each one of The VOID Report 2021 key findings. If you haven’t had a chance to download the report, it’s not too late. You can download the report at thevoid.community/report .

Software organizations tend to value measurement, iteration, and improvement based on data. These are great things for an organization to focus on; however, this has led to an industry practice of calculating and tracking Mean Time to Resolve, or MTTR. While it’s understandable to want to have a clear metric for tracking incident resolution, MTTR is problematic for a couple of reasons.

Calendar Link

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 17:50:31 -0700

https://calndr.link/

Really cool little utility for creating “add to calendar” links, that allow people to add rich events to their calendar.

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 16:17:52 -0700

Checked in at The Joint Colorado Mills .

Crunch

39.730896-105.1638184

Sun, 14 Nov 2021 16:29:44 -0700

Checked in at Walgreens .

🍄⭐️ Booster time

39.7384115-105.1958533

Sun, 14 Nov 2021 13:54:37 -0700

Checked in at Zoka’s .

39.4075594-105.3158132

Sat, 13 Nov 2021 15:52:27 -0700

Checked in at REI .

with erika

39.755622-105.009853

Software Estimation Is Hard. Do It Anyway.

Sat, 13 Nov 2021 13:04:04 -0700

Software Estimation Is Hard. Do It Anyway.

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 18:50:23 -0700

Checked in at The Fort Restaurant .

with erika

39.6288709-105.1923664

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 15:37:26 -0700

Checked in at The Joint Colorado Mills .

39.730896-105.1638184

How to Foster Healthy Disagreement in Your Meetings

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 22:51:09 -0700

How to Foster Healthy Disagreement in Your Meetings

Leer en español

Ler em português

We often consider ourselves lucky if we’re on a team with little conflict and minimal office politics. When a team works together for a long time, they find a rhythm of collaborating and fall into regular patterns of behavior, minimizing disagreements. But over time, this habitual way of working can limit the team’s performance. We don’t often step back to assess if the team dynamics that we consider “good” are getting in the way of generating breakthrough ideas and results.

B2B Payments: Unlocking a Multi-Trillion-Dollar Opportunity – by Michael Spiro – The Takeoff

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 11:47:38 -0700

B2B Payments: Unlocking a Multi-Trillion-Dollar Opportunity – by Michael Spiro – The Takeoff

Hiring: Assessing Communication – Essays and stories

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 11:38:26 -0700

Hiring: Assessing Communication – Essays and stories

We’re hiring for the Data team at Bevy . One of our core values is “communicate like a legend,” and it’s about communicating with respect, candor, clarity, courage, and empathy. We are building for the long term at Bevy, so it’s also about communicating to our future selves and future colleagues.

Of all the attributes we are looking for in Bevy data team members, I’ve been thinking a lot about communication lately. I’m trying to learn a lot about a candidate during relatively few interactions, and the nature of our communication during the hiring process is different from how we’d communicate if the person is hired to the team. An interview is different from a team meeting because the objective is different and there is more at stake. A take-home challenge is different from a team project because there is less discussion and there is more at stake. And there is a lot more talking than writing during the hiring process, with about 6 hours of live interviews. So how do you “get signal” on communication?

9 Ways to “Rewild Your Attention”

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 22:41:02 -0700

9 Ways to “Rewild Your Attention”

How to inject more weirdness and randomness into the stuff you read and see

Clive Thompson

Oct 29·9 min read

“Forest ,” by Jennifer C.

Back in August, I wrote about the concept of “rewilding your attention ” — why it’s good to step away from the algorithmic feeds of big social media.

I’d originally encountered the idea via a tweet by Tom Critchlow , referencing a post by CJ Eller , riffing off an essay by Ali Montag . You can go read my original essay , but basically the concept was that the algorithms in big-tech feeds have two problems…

Stand-up Meetings Are Dead (and What To Do Instead) – Honeycomb

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 22:28:00 -0700

Stand-up Meetings Are Dead (and What To Do Instead) – Honeycomb

Stand-up meetings. Is anyone happy with them at this point? They were supposed to help teams work in a more agile manner but they were already controversial in the before times and moving to fully distributed teams hasn’t made things any better. The same old habits, the same tired questions. There must be something better, right?

We began meandering syncs to replace stand-ups as an experiment at Honeycomb, but loved the results so much that we have adopted it across the engineering org. We think you might love it, too! But before I share how that works, let’s first take a look at how we got here.

Why the Status Quo Is So Hard to Change in Engineering Teams

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 22:17:20 -0700

Why the Status Quo Is So Hard to Change in Engineering Teams

A BigCo Story

Welcome to BigCo Inc!

It’s your first day as a software engineer and you’re excited to start your first commit. As your new co-worker Bill shows you around the codebase, you can’t help but notice how often Bill answers notifications on his phone. “Do you want to continue later?”, you ask. “Nah it’s just that I’m on-call this week. Don’t worry I’m used to it – those are not that important”. You’re a little perplexed but, as the phone vibrations keep rattling your desk, you let Bill show you the innerworkings of BigCo’s codebase.

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 14:03:11 -0700

Checked in at Deer Creek Canyon Park .

39.5433493-105.1519512

Cut Out Time Estimates on Roadmaps: Get Into a Product Delivery Rhythm

Sat, 06 Nov 2021 23:07:24 -0600

Cut Out Time Estimates on Roadmaps: Get Into a Product Delivery Rhythm

All of the business of software, but especially the delivery of product capabilities, is inextricably bound up in questions about time. What’s the estimate? If we have N people working on it, how long will it take? When will we ship?

Putting a finer point on it, if you’re building products iteratively, incorporating customer feedback from early prototypes, tacking and jibing your way toward the right solution, there’s no way you’ll be able to accurately estimate the work it will take to get there. Trying to do so is performative and it sets teams up for disappointment or even conflict when the date “slips.”

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 16:58:29 -0600

Checked in at IKEA .

39.5716467-104.87437

What is a decentralized autonomous organization, and how does a DAO work?

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 15:40:14 -0600

What is a decentralized autonomous organization, and how does a DAO work?

A decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) is an entity with no central leadership. Decisions get made from the bottom-up, governed by a community organized around a specific set of rules enforced on a blockchain.

DAOs are internet-native organizations collectively owned and managed by their members. They have built-in treasuries that are only accessible with the approval of their members. Decisions are made via proposals the group votes on during a specified period.

Why Do Companies Have So Many Managers? – The Atlantic

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 11:53:54 -0600

Why Do Companies Have So Many Managers? – The Atlantic

Lars Tunbjörk / Agence VU / Redux

America has too many managers.

In a 2016 Harvard Business Review analysis , two writers calculated the annual cost of excess corporate bureaucracy as about $3 trillion, with an average of one manager per every 4.7 workers. Their story mentioned several case studies—a successful GE plant with 300 technicians and a single supervisor, a Swedish bank with 12,000 workers and three levels of hierarchy—that showed that reducing the number of managers usually led to more productivity and profit. And yet, at the time of the story, 17.6 percent of the U.S. workforce (and 30 percent of the workforce’s compensation) was made up of managers and administrators—an alarming statistic that shows how bloated America’s management ranks had become.

Spotify for readers: How tech is inventing better ways to read the internet

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 16:29:06 -0600

Spotify for readers: How tech is inventing better ways to read the internet

Protocol | Fintech

Profiting from a missed fintech opportunity: Renters

Esusu’s co-founders say renters deserve credit.

Esusu, co-founded by Samir Goel and Abbey Wemimo, makes it possible for landlords to report rental payments to credit bureaus, helping tenants boost their credit scores.

Photo: Esusu

November 1, 2021

Benjamin Pimentel

Benjamin Pimentel (

@benpimentel ) covers fintech from San Francisco. He has reported on many of the biggest tech stories over the past 20 years for the San Francisco Chronicle, Dow Jones MarketWatch and Business Insider, from the dot-com crash, the rise of cloud computing, social networking and AI to the impact of the Great Recession and the COVID crisis on Silicon Valley and beyond. He can be reached at bpimentel@protocol.com or via Signal at (510)731-8429.

Process People

Sat, 30 Oct 2021 17:39:04 -0600

Process People

For many years I’ve subscribed to the idea that in a product organization, there are essentially two types of contributors: makers and managers .

Makers definitely include your designers and your engineers, and supporting roles like user research and data analysts. Makers design and build the products we love, so most people understand the critical contribution of makers.

Managers definitely include the managers of designers, engineers, and product managers. Managers are primarily responsible for the staffing and coaching of the makers, so most people understand their importance, especially if you’re a maker fortunate enough to work for a manager committed to helping you progress in your career.

Agents of Doom: Who is creating the apocalypse and why

Sat, 30 Oct 2021 09:19:23 -0600

Agents of Doom: Who is creating the apocalypse and why

There are a handful of actors who are the most likely to cause a global catastrophe, but their power goes unchecked, says Luke Kemp. I

In 1995, a doomsday cult in Japan killed 13 people and injured more than 6,000 others. They were the victims of a Sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway committed during rush hour by the apocalyptic terrorist group known as Aleph (at the time called Aum Shinrikyo). Afterwards, 13 of the perpetrators were tried and executed.

The Next Big Challenge for Data Is Organizational

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 20:11:39 -0600

The Next Big Challenge for Data Is Organizational

In the past few years, much has been written about problems like discoverability, observability, data quality, and the need for data teams to become more “engineering oriented” in their mindset. Movements like analytics engineering and open source tooling like dbt, Dagster, and Great Expectations have done an amazing job arming data practitioners with the tools that they need to start adopting the best practices of software engineering like modularity, testing, and release management. This shift in mindset has resulted in very real and very exciting progress in data as a discipline over the past 3-5 years, and will likely be looked back upon similarly to how React changed the frontend (Laurie Voss does a good job articulating this ). It is clear that much has improved in data land, yet many of the core problems outlined at the start of this post remain quite painful. Why is this?

What Is Underneath Productivity?

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 20:11:38 -0600

What Is Underneath Productivity?

[

Superorganizers](https://every.to/superorganizers )

🔒 October 22, 2021

♥ 55

I’ve been obsessing about productivity for a long time. I used to spend a lot of time thinking about tools for thought and second brains. But these days, I spend most of my time thinking about metacognitions , the stress response , and interpersonal relationships .

In other words, it looks like I’m going soft. Or, at the very least, my interests are changing. But I’d actually argue that my interests are the same—I’m just approaching the same problems from a new angle. And it’s leading me to be a lot more productive than I have been in the past.

Are Pull Requests Holding Back Your Team?

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 11:00:54 -0600

Are Pull Requests Holding Back Your Team?

Pull requests are great for open source. But they can hinder the team performance

David Masters Follow

Apr 1 · 14 min read

Photo by David Ballew on Unsplash

Intro

The rise of Git, GitHub, and Pull Requests (PR) has resulted in some big changes to the practices and workflows within the software industry. In particular, they’ve revolutionised the world of open source, providing a robust…

Working Backwards

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 10:44:07 -0600

Working Backwards

This is a summary of a great 🌳 tree book . Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon is the first book that explains how Amazon really works, written by two insiders who were there when the techniques were invented. This is not a comprehensive summary; tree books don’t lend themselves to easy summarisation. You should buy the book and read it — the stories that the authors tell about the origins of each technique are absolutely critical if you want to apply them; do not rely on this summary alone. Read more about book classifications here .

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 21:09:51 -0600

Checked in at IKEA .

Maxed out the elevator — with erika

39.5716467-104.87437

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 17:09:59 -0600

Checked in at REI .

39.6204787-105.0922376

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 12:01:13 -0600

Checked in at Seasoned Swine .

Lunch on the run, and checking out this place that I keep driving past.

39.728793-105.176895

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 11:39:44 -0600

Checked in at The Home Depot .

Time for another project.

39.7228376-105.1898082

The Most Heated Tech Job Market in History: Advice for Software Engineers

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 15:09:04 -0600

The Most Heated Tech Job Market in History: Advice for Software Engineers

The tech job market is on fire, across the globe, for people with a few years of industry experience under their belt. This is especially true for software engineers, but other tech functions are also following.

I talked with dozens of hiring managers – from engineering managers to CTOs and CEOs – and they all shared the same perspective. Here is a typical quote from an executive at a global tech company:

Being the DRI of Your Career

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 14:48:16 -0600

Being the DRI of Your Career

Credit: Pexels

At DuckDuckGo, there’s an expression: “You are the DRI of your career” (DRI: Directly Responsible Individual). I like this, both as an individual who has always felt like the DRI of my own career, and I like it as a manager because I think it makes the boundaries of what you can and can’t do for people clear.

What does it mean to be the DRI of your career? To me, 5 things:

To Tame Burnout, Microdose Nature

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 14:39:55 -0600

To Tame Burnout, Microdose Nature

A neuroscientist is discovering that time in nature is one of the best ways to reduce stress and increase happiness and productivity. Here are the specific doses that work the magic.

Michael Easter

Jul 23·3 min read

Photo by Silvestri Matteo on Unsplash

In my new book The Comfort Crisis , which looks at the benefits of engaging with forms of mind-and-body-enhancing discomfort our ancestors faced every day, I spend a section unpacking all the benefits of the outdoors … of which, I found, there are a metric shit-ton.

What We Talk About When We Talk About the Metaverse

Sun, 24 Oct 2021 00:11:11 -0600

What We Talk About When We Talk About the Metaverse

In science fiction, the end of the world is a tidy affair. Climate collapse or an alien invasion drives humanity to flee on cosmic arks , or live inside a simulation . Real-life apocalypse is more ambiguous. It happens slowly, and there’s no way of knowing when the Earth is really doomed. To depart our world, under these conditions, is the same as giving up on it.

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 19:00:20 -0600

Checked in at Applewood Vietnamese Pho ☆Grill .

Trying another local place — with erika

39.7458212-105.1433731

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 17:01:56 -0600

Checked in at Joyride Brewing Company .

39.753086-105.0535794

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 13:49:16 -0600

Checked in at Eagle Diner .

Lunch break.

39.6582775-106.8265726

Sat, 16 Oct 2021 16:42:41 -0600

Checked in at Switzerland Of America .

… which is heavily under construction so there a no hot springs available. Uuuggghhhh

38.0219567-107.6720001

Sat, 16 Oct 2021 12:28:55 -0600

Checked in at Himalayan Pun Hill Kitchen .

Lunch, on the way to Ouray (will stop and ride near Ridgway).

38.4843962-107.8838274

Who Is the Bad Art Friend?

Sat, 16 Oct 2021 11:24:19 -0600

Who Is the Bad Art Friend?

Credit…Photo illustration by Pablo Delcan

The Great Read

Art often draws inspiration from life — but what happens when it’s your life? Inside the curious case of Dawn Dorland v. Sonya Larson.

Credit…Photo illustration by Pablo Delcan

Published Oct. 5, 2021Updated Oct. 11, 2021

Listen to This Article

Audio Recording by Audm

To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android .

The case for slacking off at work

Sat, 16 Oct 2021 10:25:52 -0600

The case for slacking off at work

The word agile is pretty frustrating. Not because it’s the wrong word, but because it’s been so badly coopted it longer means anything.

At the heart of it, Agile software development is simply the practice of executing work in small batches, measuring the impact quickly, and then starting a new batch with that new information. It is quite simply optimizing for learning.

The Great Resignation Is Accelerating

Sat, 16 Oct 2021 10:22:39 -0600

The Great Resignation Is Accelerating

I first noticed that something weird was happening this past spring.

In April, the number of workers who quit their job in a single month broke an all-time U.S. record. Economists called it the “Great Resignation.” But America’s quittin’ spirit was just getting started. In July, even more people left their job. In August, quitters set yet another record. That Great Resignation? It just keeps getting greater.

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 20:34:15 -0600

Checked in at Nordic Inn .

38.9029752-106.9678293

Composability Is the Only Game in Town – Roam, Shipping Containers, Lego and Twitter.

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 19:33:07 -0600

Composability Is the Only Game in Town – Roam, Shipping Containers, Lego and Twitter.

Lego Blocks, Shipping Containers, Roam Research, Open Source, and any other unreasonably successful endeavor follows the fractal design of composability.

Epistemic confidence: 3/5. I intend to return to this post in the future.

Shipping containers

The current iteration of global capitalism is built on the backbone of a shipping container. Not the car nor the plane. As much as I do think the washing machine is transformative (and do check out this TED talk by Hans Rosling ), it didn’t have an impact as huge as the shipping container.

How to Safely Think in Systems

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 19:33:07 -0600

How to Safely Think in Systems

The second most impactful book I’ve read is George Lakoff’s Don’t Think of an Elephant which lays out his theory of communication. Lakoff explores a fundamental organizational challenge: as you grow, it becomes increasingly difficult to communicate when you’re not in the room where a discussion happens. I once worked with a staff engineer who described their most significant contribution as giving initiatives catchy names and slogans to propel ideas further than any supporting data might.

What Makes a Great Leader?

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 19:33:07 -0600

What Makes a Great Leader?

It’s very difficult question to answer. How do you judge a leader? Is it financial success? The loyalty they engender? Their ability to inspire? There are war-time leaders and peace-time leaders. Leaders may be understated or zealous. I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to say definitively what constitutes a great leader. Regardless, we all want to improve our ability to lead, whether it’s a small team or a Fortune 500. But how?

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 18:33:40 -0600

Checked in at Breadery CB .

Super cool space and apparently the best food in town.

38.869877-106.98699

Why Limiting WIP, Starting Together, Being Less Busy, and Working Together Is SO HARD

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 16:48:11 -0600

Why Limiting WIP, Starting Together, Being Less Busy, and Working Together Is SO HARD

(Twitter is great. This week I had some great back and forths with Jacob Singh about normalizing being idle. He cranked out a wonderful post that you should check out called The Case for Slacking Off at Work . I took a different approach.)

Ask an executive “do you think we should optimize for keeping people busy?”

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 12:15:16 -0600

Checked in at Hartman Rocks Recreation Area .

38.5056052-106.9428844

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 11:42:51 -0600

Checked in at Double Shot Cyclery .

It’s snowing, so I’m sitting in a bike shop instead of actually riding 😭

38.5456729-106.9274649

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 09:47:35 -0600

Checked in at Tributary Roasters .

I really like this little place.

38.54479-106.92657

Against Platform Determinism

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 22:11:51 -0600

Against Platform Determinism

There is no doubt that platform corporations are among the most significant economic, political, and cultural actors in contemporary life. Platforms are powerful because they position themselves both beneath and in-between users — that is, they are both the place in which and the means by which users interact online. This not only gives platform owners privileged access to data about users, but it also enables them to dictate the rules about how the many people who depend on platforms interact with one another. As a result, current discussions on platforms—both in popular media and in academia — tend to focus on how central platforms are to the textures of daily life, taking on an “infrastructural” quality as they synchronize and standardize actors across industries in ways that often pit collective values — such as democracy — against private gain . In our upcoming workshop Against Platform Determinism , we are inviting scholars, technologists, and activists to flip the script on platformization to ask how institutions, individuals, and infrastructures mediate and shape platform power.

Learn To Hire Well And You’ll Never Lose

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 22:03:46 -0600

Learn To Hire Well And You’ll Never Lose

Three Tips For Leaders Who Want To Up Their Recruiting Game

Hunter Walk

Just now·4 min read

Show me the first 20 employees of a startup and I’ll tell you whether it’s going to be successful or not. In my mind there’s no greater indicator of success than the quality and characteristics of the individuals you’re able to bring on board. Success is a signal of two meaningful truths: you have the talent you need to execute your roadmap and A+ people have decided that you are worth working for. When I encounter founders who know how to hire, or founders who are self-aware enough to know it’s an area they want to get better at, it’s a huge plus in our investment decision.

Tweet from Corey Quinn

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 21:46:30 -0600

Tweet from Corey Quinn

And now, a thread of Ancient Sysadmin Wisdom: an incomplete list of things we have learned from decades of outages.

“It’s always DNS.” Yup. Everything relies upon DNS, those relationships are non-obvious, and some things like to cache well beyond your TTL.

“If an outage lasts more than ten minutes, it’s likely to last for hours.” Yup. Usually related to electric power, but this is a good rule of thumb for “do we activate our DR plan” decisions.

Metaverse! Metaverse? Metaverse!! — Benedict Evans

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 21:04:02 -0600

Metaverse! Metaverse? Metaverse!! — Benedict Evans

Over and over again, the tech industry asks ‘what’s the next cycle?’ Smartphones were the locomotive that drove the industry and all the innovation for 15 years, but now 4.5-5bn people have a smartphones and the market is mature, so what’s the next fundamental trend? Crypto people don’t ask – they know it’s crypto – but everyone else in tech thinks that crypto is almost certainly a thing but not necessarily the thing, and wonders what else might come together.

Eating the Cloud from Outside In

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 20:45:39 -0600

Eating the Cloud from Outside In

Cloudflare launched on September 27, 2010, and every year since, it has made it a point to celebrate “Birthday Week ” with a raft of launches. By far, the show-stopper this year was the announcement of R2 Storage , an S3-compatible Object Storage service that directly takes aim at AWS’ “Hotel California” business model . This has been extremely well received, going by the response on HN and Twitter . In its past 5 birthdays, Cloudflare has gone from world-class CDN to offering:

Reid Hoffman’s Two Rules for Strategy Decisions

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 20:33:59 -0600

Reid Hoffman’s Two Rules for Strategy Decisions

Leer en español

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Reid Hoffman — the co-founder and chairman of LinkedIn and partner at the venture capital firm Greylock — is a preeminent Silicon Valley strategist. I recently ended my tour of duty as Reid’s chief of staff and wrote a long essay about that experience — “10,000 Hours with Reid Hoffman: Lessons Learned on Business and Life .” These are the two major strategic decision-making lessons that I learned from working so closely with him.

The Mysterious Case of the COVID-19 Lab-Leak Theory

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 19:47:24 -0600

The Mysterious Case of the COVID-19 Lab-Leak Theory

Since the coronavirus first appeared, at the end of 2019, four and a half million people have died, countless more have suffered, whole economies have been upended, schools have been shuttered. Why? Did the virus jump from an animal to its first human host, its patient zero? Or, as some suspect, was the catastrophe the result of a laboratory accident in Wuhan, a city of eleven million people in central China?

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 17:10:42 -0600

Checked in at Tomichi Creek Trading Post .

38.4063375-106.416712

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 12:53:14 -0600

Checked in at Gateway Inn & Suites Salida .

38.5246085-105.987262

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 12:40:32 -0600

Checked in at Salida Trails .

38.545433-105.98411

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 10:30:30 -0600

Checked in at Little Red Hen Bakery .

Super cute little bakery with a range of breads, pastries, and a few sandwiches and soups.

38.5355568-105.9956131

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 20:44:36 -0600

Checked in at Gateway Inn & Suites Salida .

38.5246085-105.987262

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 20:22:47 -0600

Checked in at Tacos El Tapatio .

And dinner.

38.53507-105.99175

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 18:20:02 -0600

Checked in at Tres Litros Beer Co. .

Today is beer day.

38.536062-105.990539

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 17:26:58 -0600

Checked in at Gateway Inn & Suites Salida .

38.5246085-105.987262

Can Nuclear Fusion Put the Brakes on Climate Change?

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 15:00:25 -0600

Can Nuclear Fusion Put the Brakes on Climate Change?

Let’s say that you’ve devoted your entire adult life to developing a carbon-free way to power a household for a year on the fuel of a single glass of water, and that you’ve had moments, even years, when you were pretty sure you would succeed. Let’s say also that you’re not crazy. This is a reasonable description of many of the physicists working in the field of nuclear fusion. In order to reach this goal, they had to find a way to heat matter to temperatures hotter than the center of the sun, so hot that atoms essentially melt into a cloud of charged particles known as plasma; they did that. They had to conceive of and build containers that could hold those plasmas; they did that, too, by making “bottles” out of strong magnetic fields. When those magnetic bottles leaked—because, as one scientist explained, trying to contain plasma in a magnetic bottle is like trying to wrap a jelly in twine—they had to devise further ingenious solutions, and, again and again, they did. Over decades, in the pursuit of nuclear fusion, scientists and engineers built giant metal doughnuts and Gehryesque twisted coils, they “pinched” plasmas with lasers, and they constructed fusion devices in garages. For thirty-six years, they have been planning and building an experimental fusion device in Provence. And yet commercially viable nuclear-fusion energy has always remained just a bit farther on. As the White Queen, in “Through the Looking Glass ,” said to Alice, it is never jam today, it is always jam tomorrow.

The Curse of Xanadu

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 14:37:35 -0600

The Curse of Xanadu

It was the most radical computer dream of the hacker era. Ted Nelson’s Xanadu project was supposed to be the universal, democratic hypertext library that would help human life evolve into an entirely new form. Instead, it sucked Nelson and his intrepid band of true believers into what became the longest-running vaporware project in the history of computing – a 30-year saga of rabid prototyping and heart-slashing despair. The amazing epic tragedy.

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 13:59:21 -0600

Checked in at Soulcraft Brewing .

Snow day calls for… just a bunch of eating and drinking.

38.5245293-106.0064178

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 13:25:00 -0600

Checked in at The Crossroads Cafe .

Ribs.

38.524457-106.004917

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 11:50:03 -0600

Checked in at Gateway Inn & Suites Salida .

38.5246085-105.987262

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 11:59:01 -0600

Checked in at Walmart Supercenter .

38.4486727-105.1918411

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 11:04:03 -0600

Checked in at Brews And Bikes .

LOL starting out this road trip with a beer before riding 30+ miles

38.438907-105.2436617

20 Years After the Anthrax Attacks, We’re Still Unprepared

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 10:22:04 -0600

20 Years After the Anthrax Attacks, We’re Still Unprepared

The first fatal bioterror attack in the US killed five people and caused a national panic—and we’re still short of funding and tech to handle health emergencies.

It was still early when Larry Bush reached the gurney in the emergency room of JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, Florida, part of a strip of towns that stretches from Miami to West Palm Beach. Bush was the hospital’s chief of staff and an infectious diseases physician, on his way to a regular morning meeting, but some ER physicians had asked that he drop by. A 63-year-old man named Bob Stevens had been brought in about 2:30 am with a roaring fever. Now he was comatose and plugged into a ventilator, with his frightened wife by his side.

America Is Choking Under an ‘Everything Shortage’

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 10:04:05 -0600

America Is Choking Under an ‘Everything Shortage’

Is it just me, or does it feel like America is running out of everything?

I visited CVS last week to pick up some at-home COVID-19 tests. They’d been sold out for a week, an employee told me. So I asked about paper towels. “We’re out of those too,” he said. “Try Walgreens.” I drove to a Walgreens that had paper towels. But when I asked a pharmacist to fill some very common prescriptions, he told me the store had run out. “Try the Target up the road,” he suggested. Target’s pharmacy had the meds, but its front area was alarmingly barren, like the canned-food section of a grocery store one hour before a hurricane makes landfall.

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 21:18:22 -0600

Checked in at Ogden Theatre , for Japanese Breakfast.

Japanese Breakfast — with erika

39.7401664-104.9753563

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 19:41:14 -0600

Checked in at Hudson Hill .

Finally trying this place out, which opened just after we moved away from the area — with erika

39.7369602-104.9794068

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 16:18:26 -0600

Checked in at The Home Depot .

39.7228376-105.1898082

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 14:05:20 -0600

Checked in at Él Bohio Criollo Cuban Cuisine .

39.748523-105.1422071

Engineering Teams Are Just Networks

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 09:29:54 -0600

Engineering Teams Are Just Networks

Marianne Bellotti

Sep 30·7 min read

To be a great hiring manager don’t be distracted by rockstar engineers, study up on network theory.

As a manager I like to build teams out of spare parts. I hire candidates who are rejected from other pipelines, I pick up people with middling performance in other teams, sometimes I even hire people whose skills are weak or out of date. My proudest accomplishments all involve teams constructed in such a manner completely out performing best-of-the-best rockstar teams assembled elsewhere. I’ve often struggled to explain how I tell the difference between a diamond in the…

A P O P H E N I A

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 13:39:40 -0600

A P O P H E N I A

The easier it becomes to produce information, the harder that information becomes to consume — and the harder we have to work to separate the spurious from the significant.

Humans are meaning-making machines, seeking order in the chaos. Our pattern recognition capabilities are a key determinant in defining intelligence. But we now live in a dystopian digital landscape purpose-built to undermine these capabilities, training us to mistake planned patterns for convenient and even meaningful coincidences.

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 13:03:33 -0600

Checked in at Bivouac Coffee .

Coffe break on a longer ride. Lunch and then back home.

39.687253-105.361011

What I’ve Learned From the 16 Engineers Who Turned Down Job Offers at Our Startup

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 10:10:50 -0600

What I’ve Learned From the 16 Engineers Who Turned Down Job Offers at Our Startup

I’m the cofounder and CEO of Kapwing , a 30-person company based in San Francisco. In our three years of trying to recruit top engineering talent, we’ve made 36 job offers to engineering candidates, and 16 of them turned us down.

Like a sales or fundraising rejection, every startup founder and recruiter knows the disappointment of rejection from an engineer who you’ve pitched and gone through the interview process with. In this article, I’ll share my experience with closing engineering candidates, my own insight into how engineering candidates make decisions on job offers from startups, and advice for other entrepreneurs trying to grow their teams quickly.

Creatures of the dawn: How radioactivity unlocked deep time

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 09:59:59 -0600

Creatures of the dawn: How radioactivity unlocked deep time

When scientists discovered the energy embedded within atoms, it transformed how we think about the long-term future of humanity, writes the historian Thomas Moynihan. J

Just over 100 years ago, an ocean liner – twin to the Titanic – returned to Normandy from the US with a very special item. It was a summer’s day in 1921, and travelling on board was the scientist Marie Sklodowska-Curie, accompanied by her daughters, Irène and Ève. In their possession was a single gram (0.04oz) of radium, locked away in a lead box within the ship’s safe. In today’s money, it would be worth $1,500,000.

Why we need to be repressed

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 09:59:59 -0600

Why we need to be repressed

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 12:28:39 -0600

Checked in at Zoka’s .

Fancy lunch on the way back from camping — with erika

39.4075594-105.3158132

Is Going to the Office a Broken Way of Working?

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 08:36:10 -0600

Is Going to the Office a Broken Way of Working?

Earlier this month, a technology entrepreneur named Chris Herd posted a thread on Twitter. “I spoke to 10 x Billion $ companies who canceled return to the office due to the delta variant,” he began. “A few predictions on what else is going to happen.” His first salvo was titled “Office Death,” and claimed that “by the time people can return to the office a lot of companies will no longer have space to return to.” His next prediction was about “City Flight.” He stated that workers would continue to flee cities and would quit if their employers forced them back into urban offices. The thread continued with sixteen more tweets.

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 13:53:14 -0600

Checked in at Moose Hill Cantina .

Trying out a local. It’s even got a moose.

39.7403456-105.1321094

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 14:03:35 -0600

Checked in at The Ditch .

Quesadilla time

39.9178727-105.7839991

This Is What Impactful Engineering Leadership Looks Like

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 22:21:10 -0600

This Is What Impactful Engineering Leadership Looks Like

Jessica McKellar is now the founder and CTO of Pilot **.

In 2012, Jessica McKellar and a group of friends from MIT started stealthy chat startup Zulip. Less than two years later, it was acquired by Dropbox . And this wasn’t an anomaly. They’d done it once before, selling Ksplice to Oracle just as fast. This wild ride has given McKellar a more diverse set of management opportunities than the average engineer ever sees — she’s been a team lead, a founder, a technical leader at a massive corporation, and today, is the manager of dozens at a rapidly growing global startup. (Oh, and on the side, she’s a major figure in the Python community .)

Speed! Nuance, and Learning.

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 22:21:08 -0600

Speed! Nuance, and Learning.

Speed, Nuance and Learning | Flight Levels Academy

How Big Tech Runs Tech Projects and the Curious Absence of Scrum

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 22:21:05 -0600

How Big Tech Runs Tech Projects and the Curious Absence of Scrum

Project management is a topic most people have strong opinions on, and I’m no exception. To answer the question of how different companies run engineering projects, I pulled in help from across the industry. In this issue we’ll cover:

Project management approaches across the industry. An overview of a survey with over 100 companies represented, plus key takeaways.
Project management at Big Tech. How are these done? How does the organizational setup of Big Tech influence how projects are executed?
The lack of Scrum at Big Tech. Why is the popular framework missing from most of Big Tech, and are there takeaways for companies operating outside this model?
How should you run projects in your team? I’ll share my personal take.

Before we jump in, here’s a personal story about why it’s sometimes hard to put a finger on how important project management approaches are.

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 20:35:07 -0600

Checked in at TAVERNETTA .

39.7530991-105.0017543

Inside the Trillion-Dollar E-Commerce Trend Boston Tech Is Building

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 22:19:46 -0600

Inside the Trillion-Dollar E-Commerce Trend Boston Tech Is Building

Image: Shutterstock

There’s a trillion-dollar, modern-day gold rush taking shape. It’s not happening in the foothills and creeks of the American West, but rather the vast landscape of Amazon.com. And the much sought-after “gold” isn’t gold at all, but it is valuable: a successful Amazon third-party seller.

Acquiring Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) businesses has become an increasingly popular trend, with dozens of “roll-up” companies cropping up throughout the world. In a nutshell, they purchase third-party sellers for thousands and even millions of dollars, and then take over the ins and outs of the business. These private aggregators have scooped up hundreds of third-party sellers and attracted billions of dollars in venture funding over the last few years, and two of the top dogs are located right here in Boston: Perch and Thrasio .

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 11:49:47 -0600

Checked in at Horseshoe Gulch .

39.5301278-105.9982798

Biological Deterrence for the Shadow War – War on the Rocks

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 09:47:13 -0600

Biological Deterrence for the Shadow War – War on the Rocks

The inadequate initial U.S. response to COVID-19, coupled with new advances in biotechnology, could make biological weapons more appealing for U.S. adversaries. The biological weapons capability achieved by the United States in the 1960s and by the Soviet Union in the 1980s suggests that it is very likely that near-peer adversaries have the capabilities to launch a biological attack with the same destructive capacity as a nuclear strike. However, in future decades, less lethal biological attacks may become more appealing. The risk is a new biological component to the low-boil actions by China and Russia that have been dubbed the “Shadow War .”

Students who grew up with search engines might change STEM education forever

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 09:47:11 -0600

Students who grew up with search engines might change STEM education forever

Catherine Garland, an astrophysicist, started seeing the problem in 2017. She was teaching an engineering course, and her students were using simulation software to model turbines for jet engines. She’d laid out the assignment clearly, but student after student was calling her over for help. They were all getting the same error message: The program couldn’t find their files.

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 12:51:36 -0600

Checked in at Taco Bell .

🌮

39.7593112-105.1421274

Jade Rubick – No-bullshit tenets for faster decision-making

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 10:46:38 -0600

Jade Rubick – No-bullshit tenets for faster decision-making

Tenets are mental shortcuts that help an organization make decisions faster. They are a way to bias the decision-making of an organization in a particular direction.

An example tenet might be, “we build our software to scale by ten times our current baseline traffic”. This tenet helps reduce the number of decisions people have to make in the future, and aligns the organization around HOW we do things.

Coordination Models – Tools for Getting Groups to Work Well Together

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 10:41:44 -0600

Coordination Models – Tools for Getting Groups to Work Well Together

As an organizational leader, you’ll be faced with many situations where the solution will be to improve the way people work together.

Today, I’ll list some coordination models you can use to address these situations. These models are very much like tools in a toolbox. You want to have a lot of familiarity with the tools you can use, and which tools make sense in what situation.

Jade Rubick – Implementing Amazon’s single threaded owner model a retrospective

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 10:40:00 -0600

Jade Rubick – Implementing Amazon’s single threaded owner model a retrospective

I’d like to share the results of one of the most interesting management experiments I’ve been a part of. At a company I worked at recently, we implemented the Single Threaded Owner (STO) model from Amazon, where you have everyone on the team report to a single leader, including product, design, and engineering. You can think of the STO model as a more extreme form of cross-functional teams, where the team has everything it needs to deliver on its mission.

The Third Revolution in Warfare

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 23:01:20 -0600

The Third Revolution in Warfare

On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, against the backdrop of the rushed U.S.-allied Afghanistan withdrawal, the grisly reality of armed combat and the challenge posed by asymmetric suicide terror attacks grow harder to ignore.

But weapons technology has changed substantially over the past two decades. And thinking ahead to the not-so-distant future, we must ask: What if these assailants were able to remove human suicide bombers or attackers from the equation altogether? As someone who has studied and worked in artificial intelligence for the better part of four decades, I worry about such a technology threat, born from artificial intelligence and robotics.

The Builder’s High

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 22:53:02 -0600

The Builder’s High

When I am in a foul mood, I have a surefire way to improve my outlook – I build something. A foul mood is a stubborn beast and it does not give ground easily. It is an effort to simply get past the foulness in order to start building, but once the building has begun, the foul beast loses ground.

I don’t know what cascading chemical awesomeness is going down in my brain when it detects and rewards me for the act of building, but I’m certain that the hormonal cocktail is the end result of millions of years of evolution. Part of the reason we’re at the top of the food chain is that we are chemically rewarded when we are industrious – it is evolutionarily advantageous to be productive.

Imaginable Tech vs Unimaginable Tech | by Nick Hilton | Aug, 2021 | OneZero

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 17:54:53 -0600

Imaginable Tech vs Unimaginable Tech | by Nick Hilton | Aug, 2021 | OneZero

Voice commands wouldn’t shock someone from the 1960s — so what technologies are we failing to imagine in 2021?

Nick Hilton

Aug 31·5 min read

Pete Campbell, inventing Alexa

Earlier this week, I asked Alexa — the Amazon-designed voice-activated assistant, which is accessible via a worrying number of Echo devices in my house — to turn the radio on. I do this several times a day, but I’ve…

Revolt of the NYC Delivery Workers – The Verge

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 17:54:46 -0600

Revolt of the NYC Delivery Workers – The Verge

This article is a collaboration between New York Magazine and The Verge.
Lea el reportaje en español aquí.

The Willis Avenue Bridge, a 3,000-foot stretch of asphalt and beige-painted steel connecting Manhattan and the Bronx, is the perfect place for an ambush. The narrow bike path along its west side is poorly lit; darkened trash-strewn alcoves on either end are useful for lying in wait. All summer, food-delivery workers returning home after their shifts have been violently attacked there for their bikes: by gunmen pulling up on motorcycles, by knife-wielding thieves leaping from the recesses, by muggers blocking the path with Citi Bikes and brandishing broken bottles.

The Road to Self-Reproducing Machines

Sun, 19 Sep 2021 13:11:43 -0600

The Road to Self-Reproducing Machines

Illustration:

Tomasz Walenta

Frank Wilczek

Sept. 2, 2021 1:58 pm ET

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Frank Wilczek explores the secrets of the cosmos. Read previous columns here ..

Throughout history, creative human engineers have taken inspiration from artifacts of the biological world. Leonardo da Vinci designed flying machines, submarines and tanks with birds, fish and tortoises in mind. Today, artificial neural nets, a computer architecture directly inspired by animal nervous systems, are the cutting edge of machine learning. But none of those applications get to the deep structure of biology—likely a beacon of future creativity.

A Second Major Seasonal Virus Won’t Leave Us Any Choice

Sun, 19 Sep 2021 13:04:57 -0600

A Second Major Seasonal Virus Won’t Leave Us Any Choice

This pandemic will eventually be over, and the Delta surge—in which most of those not yet vaccinated against the coronavirus could become infected—may well be America’s last destructive wave. But just because we’re eager to move past the virus doesn’t mean it’s finished with us.

In our large, open, and globally connected society, getting to zero COVID, the goal that Australia and New Zealand have pursued , is as politically unrealistic as it is biologically implausible. Americans are mostly done with the onerous shutdowns that such a goal would require. The virus has now spread so widely in the world that even tight, long-lasting limits on Americans’ movement—restrictions far beyond what we would tolerate—could not stamp it out entirely. Instead, SARS-CoV-2 will become an endemic virus, settling alongside the other four strains of coronaviruses that circulate widely among us.

TBM 16/52: Goal Clarity (and Embracing Different Perspectives)

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 22:43:11 -0600

TBM 16/52: Goal Clarity (and Embracing Different Perspectives)

Huge favor to ask. Have you learned a new analytics product in the last year or so? If so, and you have 5 minutes to spare, It would be a big help for my team.

Twelve people look at a proposed quarterly goal. They respond. Note the differences (you will inevitably encounter all of these in your career).

Person A looks at the goal and says “looks good to me!”

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 08:47:48 -0600

Checked in at Perkatory Coffee House .

37.168503-104.50546

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 20:28:27 -0600

Checked in at Days Inn .

Passing out for the night.

37.1625099-104.5124226

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 19:41:06 -0600

Checked in at Mission at the Bell .

The chips and salsa are ON POINT. I have high hopes.

37.1682261-104.5061204

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 18:31:52 -0600

Checked in at Paradox Beer Company, Trinidad Outpost .

There’s always beer.

37.170906-104.506564

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 15:36:57 -0600

Checked in at COLORADO WELCOME CENTER AT TRINIDAD .

Essential reading.

37.1700275-104.5106391

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 14:46:19 -0600

Checked in at Trinidad Smokehouse LLC .

37.1680054-104.5070609

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 13:56:37 -0600

Checked in at Days Inn .

Living the ‘Dad dream

37.1625099-104.5124226

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 16:42:47 -0600

Checked in at The UPS Store .

39.7336667-105.1631658

4 Lessons From the Improbable Rise of QR Codes

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 23:04:41 -0600

4 Lessons From the Improbable Rise of QR Codes

Top highlight

Tech that seems totally useless can suddenly become crucial — like during a pandemic

Clive Thompson

Jul 28·7 min read

The first time I saw a QR code, I scoffed.

It was 2010 and the code was in the bottom corner of a movie poster. To scan it, I had to download a special app on my Iphone. The software was still buggy and fiddly — I was hunched over for 15 seconds, scanning and rescanning, until finally it worked. Lo and behold: A crappy browser opened up, showing me the website for the movie.

Serving cell-grown meat to high-end restaurants

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 22:52:16 -0600

Serving cell-grown meat to high-end restaurants

A food tech startup is partnering with an avant-garde San Francisco chef to serve the company’s cultivated, cell-grown chicken at her restaurant.

Why it matters: Cultivated meat — animal products grown from cells, rather than processed from slaughtered animals — faces technical and economic challenges, but it also has to gain consumer acceptance.

Placing the products in high-end restaurants could help speed that process.

What’s happening: Cultivated chicken from the Oakland-based startup Upside Foods will be served in San Francisco chef Dominique Crenn’s Atelier Crenn restaurant, Upside announced on Thursday — the first such partnership between a cultivated meat maker and a three-star Michelin chef.

Lawyer Is Shot Months After Unsolved Killing of His Wife and Son

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 21:06:47 -0600

Lawyer Is Shot Months After Unsolved Killing of His Wife and Son

Alex Murdaugh, the descendant of a prominent family of lawyers in rural South Carolina, was shot on Saturday, nearly three months after his wife and son were killed at their home.

An entrance to the rural estate of Alex and Maggie Murdaugh in Colleton County, S.C., in June.Credit…Michael M. DeWitt, via Imagn Content Services

Published Sept. 4, 2021Updated Sept. 6, 2021

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 14:33:07 -0600

Checked in at Tributary Market & Drinkery .

39.755807-105.220434

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 12:41:49 -0600

Checked in at Mayhem Gulch .

39.7371628-105.3713045

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 10:40:43 -0600

Checked in at Floyd Hill .

39.7199635-105.4042368

Opinion | The Simplest Tool for Improving Cities Is Also Free

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 22:55:08 -0600

Opinion | The Simplest Tool for Improving Cities Is Also Free

Guest Essay

The Simplest Tool for Improving Cities Is Also Free

July 16, 2021

Credit…Son Eunkyoung

Ms. Hendren is an artist and design researcher, a professor at Olin College of Engineering and the author of “What Can a Body Do? How We Meet the Built World.”

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — For decades, a stretch of Memorial Drive here that runs along the Charles River has been closed to automobiles on Sundays for the warmer half of the year. In the absence of cars on a four-lane thoroughfare beside the water, all kinds of other street uses blossom: skateboards, bicycles, hoverboards, strollers, wheelchairs and walkers, people on feet and on wheels now moving slowly enough to witness the late spring goslings, the ever-present sea gulls or the rarer magic and grace of a heron feeding along the water’s edge. A towering line of stately, centenarian sycamores forms an unbroken canopy over several blocks.

When **it Gets Real

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 22:41:11 -0600

When **it Gets Real

The heat has come.

In Portland, Oregon, it was hotter (108ºF) Saturday than it’s ever been there. . Yesterday, it was hotter still (114ºF). Records are dropping in Seattle and Vancouver and scores of smaller Pacific Northwest cities. That green and rainy corner of the world is baking in greenhouse sun and drought.

All this is, the National Weather Service informs us, “unprecedented.” No one has ever experienced what it’s like to live in these places at these temperatures. We’re in the unknown, now; Terra incognita. And here be dragons.

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 19:32:59 -0600

Checked in at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews .

#malllife — with erika

39.7362672-105.1589893

How Many People Can Someone Lead?

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 18:24:04 -0600

How Many People Can Someone Lead?

Contents

The Short Answer

A common question I hear in my technical leadership workshops is, “How many people can someone (e.g. a Tech Lead or Engineering Manager) lead?”

What’s the magic number?

My answer is generally 5-7 people for an experienced leader, but many factors affect the final number. Some of these factors include their leadership scope, other leadership roles, the experience level of the leader, the experience level of the team, and the level of organisational bureaucracy.

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 15:49:38 -0600

Checked in at Central Denver Eyecare .

Picking up new eyeballs.

39.732798-104.989246

Why does it cost so much to build things in America?

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 11:47:05 -0600

Why does it cost so much to build things in America?

As Congress argues over the size of the infrastructure bill and how to pay for it, very little attention is being devoted to one of the most perplexing problems: Why does it cost so much more to build transportation networks in the US than in the rest of the world?

In an interview in early June, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg acknowledged the problem, but he offered no solutions except the need to study it further.

Google’s New AI Photo Upscaling Tech is Jaw-Dropping

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 10:11:19 -0600

Google’s New AI Photo Upscaling Tech is Jaw-Dropping

Photo enhancing in movies and TV shows is often ridiculed for being unbelievable , but research in real photo enhancing is actually creeping more and more into the realm of science fiction. Just take a look at Google’s latest AI photo upscaling tech.

In a post titled “High Fidelity Image Generation Using Diffusion Models ” published on the Google AI Blog (and spotted by DPR ), Google researchers in the company’s Brain Team share about new breakthroughs they’ve made in image super-resolution.

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 11:14:43 -0600

Checked in at Little Scraggy TH .

39.3449083-105.2574834

Sun, 05 Sep 2021 14:51:10 -0600

Checked in at King Soopers .

with erika

39.7645661-105.1399987

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 19:04:36 -0600

Checked in at El Camino .

Friday night continues. — with erika

39.7621287-105.0353644

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 15:57:46 -0600

Checked in at Little Machine Beer .

Two breweries in one day? Why not, it’s Friday.

39.747316-105.024345

Structure Eats Strategy

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 15:22:14 -0600

Structure Eats Strategy

Again and again, I run into situations in which change agents in organizations that I work with run into organizational boundaries that stop them from moving forward in a way that makes perfect sense from a business and innovation perspective. For various reasons, within the current organization, agreements have been reached where some functions have responsibilities that others can not intrude upon without causing major hassle and disturbance in the company. The result is a situation where the current organization dictates what the company looks like going forward, no matter if this is the right setup or not.

The Art of Not Taking Things Personally

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 15:22:04 -0600

The Art of Not Taking Things Personally

Psychology

Why other people’s emotions might not be about you — and your emotions might not be about them

Dave Bailey Follow

Aug 18 · 6 min read

Photo by Norbu Gyachung on Unsplash

‘That’s irrational.’

‘That’s stupid.’

‘They’re making things difficult for the sake of it.’

When we encounter emotions and behaviours that don’t make sense to us, it’s often because we don’t have all the information. And in the absence of information, we tend to assume the worst.

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 14:02:24 -0600

Checked in at Auto Glass Now Denver .

39.711511-105.009592

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 12:54:48 -0600

Checked in at Chain Reaction Brewery .

Seems like a good spot to wait while my windshield is being replaced.

39.699577-105.0013346

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 12:32:36 -0600

Checked in at Auto Glass Now Denver .

39.711511-105.009592

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 10:59:12 -0600

Checked in at Edgewater Public Market .

Lunch with Scott.

39.749124-105.057063

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 10:36:16 -0600

Checked in at Apex Park .

39.7160542-105.2097546

How to take a vacation – Jo VanEvery

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 10:10:49 -0600

How to take a vacation – Jo VanEvery

Just because your work doesn’t always look like work , doesn’t mean you don’t get to take a real vacation.

You already deserve this vacation; it’s not a reward for achieving summer goals. In fact, not only do you deserve a vacation, you need a vacation.

Why you need a holiday.

You work hard. Fatigue impairs cognitive function . Being tired at the end of the academic year is a feature, not a bug. Rest of all kinds helps you recharge so that you are able to do the work you do. Taking a vacation is an important part of that.

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 16:37:03 -0600

Checked in at curve feed store .

Chicken supplies.

39.695626-105.071169

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 08:53:56 -0600

Checked in at Unravel .

Morning ritual. Super cool looking cafe inside a hotel (Gravity Haus), with a #cafeworking space upstairs (Starter Haus)

39.918855-105.784542

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 19:00:25 -0600

Checked in at GREEN MOUNTAIN PARK .

39.6904016-105.1522934

Better Coordination, or Better Software?

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 22:53:18 -0600

Better Coordination, or Better Software?

TL;DR: When different parts of an organization need to coordinate, it seems like a good idea to help them coordinate smoothly and frequently. Don’t. Help them coordinate less — more explicitly, less often.

Software systems get big, and they have lots of parts, and those parts need to talk to each other. Maybe we’re building a new customer portal, and the new web services need to talk with existing CRM, and with warehouse systems for returns, and with invoicing. The software crosses organizational boundaries.

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 15:36:30 -0600

Checked in at The Home Depot .

39.7228376-105.1898082

Sun, 22 Aug 2021 10:43:41 -0600

Checked in at Coalton Trailhead .

39.9289008-105.1666641

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 16:24:06 -0600

Checked in at K’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers .

I am dying of hunger

38.8400757-106.1317436

A Manager’s Guide to Holding Your Team Accountable

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 20:03:15 -0600

A Manager’s Guide to Holding Your Team Accountable

Management

If you struggle with holding people to account, try this.

Dave Bailey

Jun 30·7 min read

Being held to account for our decisions, actions, and results can drive high performance. It helps clarifies our commitments, increases our diligence, and improves our self-awareness.

Most of us report to someone. For CEOs, it’s a board of directors. For others, it’s their manager or their coach. But despite all our reporting structures, real accountability is elusive for many teams.

People Who Brag About Being in Back-to-Back Meetings Deeply Misunderstand Productivity

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 20:03:03 -0600

People Who Brag About Being in Back-to-Back Meetings Deeply Misunderstand Productivity

The Buddha’s empty calendar explains an alternate reality.

Tim Denning Jun 23 · 5 min read

Image Credit: Kingsman/RexFeatures

Looking back at corporate life, it becomes apparent: I don’t miss meetings.

One recruiter I encountered left me with a moment I will never forget. They reached out to me on LinkedIn. They wanted…

How Figma Became Design’s Hottest Startup, Valued At $10 Billion

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 09:49:35 -0600

How Figma Became Design’s Hottest Startup, Valued At $10 Billion

As Google Docs did for word processing and GitHub for code, so Dylan Field’s Figma is doing for design. Employees at companies like Netflix, AirBNB, Zoom and Discord are all users.

BY ALEX KONRAD

In April, Dylan Field had his craziest day since he skipped out on Brown University to try his hand at startups nearly a decade ago. At the virtual conference of his design software company, Figma, popular with customers including Airbnb, BMW and Zoom, he announced just its second-ever product, a tool for online whiteboarding sessions punnily called FigJam. Hours later, he found out his wife, Elena, was pregnant with their first child.

Discovery When Working Remotely

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 22:23:46 -0600

Discovery When Working Remotely

Normally the question I focus on in my work and in my writing is “How can we leverage the best practices of the very best companies in order to give ourselves the very best chance for continuous innovation?”

While there are many practices that are important and contribute to this, I have long been a champion of the power of the co-located product team.

This Jeff Bezos quote sums up my experiences quite well:

Simple Systems Have Less Downtime

Sun, 15 Aug 2021 22:42:16 -0600

Simple Systems Have Less Downtime

The Maersk Triple-E Class container ship is 1,300 feet long, carries over 18,000 containers across 11,000 miles between Europe and Asia, and… Its entire crew can fit inside a passenger van.

As a former naval architect and a current marketing consultant to startups , I found that the same principle that lets a 13-person crew navigate the world’s largest container ship to a port halfway around the world without breaking down also applies to startups working towards aggressive growth goals:

Sat, 14 Aug 2021 13:41:51 -0600

Checked in at H Mart Westminster .

Special outing for her birthday 😂 — with erika

39.8625296-105.0518169

Shifting Modes: Creating a Program to Support Sustained Resilience

Sat, 14 Aug 2021 12:03:21 -0600

Shifting Modes: Creating a Program to Support Sustained Resilience

Key Takeaways

Incidents cannot be prevented because incidents are the inevitable result of success.
Organizations must shift from a “prevent and fix” safety mode to a “learn and adapt” (Learn & Adapt) safety mode to manage reliability and resilience. This shift helps to more effectively cope with increasing complexity and scale.
Finding advocates to help socialize the movement and communicating broadly are key aspects of creating a sustained shift to a Learn & Adapt mode.
Normalizing behaviors — such as stating assumptions, asking more questions, increasing cooperation between diverse roles, and broadly sharing incident write-ups across the organization — help with the mode shift by increasing the flow of information.
Developing the cultural traits of opportunity creation, flexibility, agility, and trust are necessary for an organization poised to shift to Learn & Adapt.

To most software organizations,Covid-19 represents a fundamental surprise- a dramatic surprise that challenges basic assumptions and forces a revising of one’s beliefs (Lanir, 1986).

He predicted the dark side of the Internet 30 years ago. Why did no one listen?

Sat, 14 Aug 2021 12:02:28 -0600

He predicted the dark side of the Internet 30 years ago. Why did no one listen?

In 1994 — before most Americans had an email address or Internet access or even a personal computer — Philip Agre foresaw that computers would one day facilitate the mass collection of data on everything in society.

That process would change and simplify human behavior, wrote the then UCLA humanities professor. And because that data would be collected not by a single, powerful “big brother” government but by lots of entities for lots of different purposes, he predicted that people would willingly part with massive amounts of information about their most personal fears and desires.

Metaverses

Sun, 08 Aug 2021 10:08:09 -0600

Metaverses

Satya Nadella, for the record, was first: on May 25, 2021, during the keynote for Microsoft’s Build developer conference , he characterized a collection of Azure offerings as a metaverse:

Finally, as the virtual and physical worlds converge the metaverse made up of digital twins, simulated environments, and mixed reality, is emerging as a first-class platform. With the metaverse the entire world becomes your app canvas. With Azure Digital Twins you can model any asset or place with Azure IoT and keep the digital twin live and up-to-date. Synapse tracks the history of digital twins and finds insights to predict future states, and with Azure you can build autonomous systems that continually learn and improve. Power Platform enables domain experts to expand on and interact with digital twin data using low-code/no-code solutions. And Mesh and Hololens brings real-time collaboration.

Team Meeting Audit: 3 Tests for an Effective Meeting OS

Sat, 07 Aug 2021 13:29:49 -0600

Team Meeting Audit: 3 Tests for an Effective Meeting OS

Copy this doc Connect with a Rituals Architect

Meetings are important — and they suck.

No matter the size of your team, some amount of meetings are necessary to get work done. The problem is that most people don’t actually like their Meeting Operating System

. Have you ever wondered how much time your team spends in meetings? Or which of them has the best technique for managing free time? Or wanted to take a hacksaw to a particularly ineffective meeting?

Sat, 07 Aug 2021 13:02:33 -0600

Checked in at New Terrain Brewing Co .

Paying for parking. Smoky ride on NT

39.7794665-105.1860322

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 16:55:35 -0600

Checked in at O’Toole’s Garden Center .

with erika

39.7383846-105.1224276

Reducing Product Risk and Removing the MVP Mindset

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 23:42:33 -0600

Reducing Product Risk and Removing the MVP Mindset

I originally wrote this piece internally at Eventbrite and thought it might be valuable to folks who do not work at Eventbrite as well. Slightly edited to remove Eventbrite jargon.

What is the right way to build products? Earlier in my career, I would have told you everything should be AB tested, and that you should build only as little as you need to validate a hypothesis. Every problem should have user research involved at the beginning, aligned on the problem instead of just validating or invalidating solutions. Every key result should be outcome based. Every engineer, designer and product manager on the team should be involved in defining the problem and the solution. These are all good ideas. However, once you add enough of these “best practices” up, it reads kind of like those articles talking about the morning habits of the most successful people in the world. If you actually try to follow all of those habits, it would take you six hours a day and cost a lot of money. I was once reading an article about what a futurist at Google eats for breakfast every morning to live longer. The article added up that his diet of food and pills cost him $1 million per year. My morning ain’t that long, and I ain’t got that much money.

Mind the Platform Execution Gap

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 23:06:51 -0600

Mind the Platform Execution Gap

Leaders of software development organisations are under great pressure to

ensure that their employees spend their time on value-adding activities. One

way to achieve this is to use SaaS to outsource functionality that isn’t

part of their organisation’s core business. Another way is to consolidate

infrastructure capabilities required by many teams and services into a

digital platform (which might in turn rely upon SaaS and cloud providers).

The Problem With Prioritization Frameworks

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 07:48:06 -0600

The Problem With Prioritization Frameworks

Why prioritization frameworks have little value for empowered product teams

Product managers often complain that prioritization is one of the most challenging aspects of the job: there is always so much to do and so little time. It is therefore not a surprise that there are a ton of frameworks out there that are meant to help make difficult prioritization decisions, for example:

These frameworks are used to make prioritization decisions by classifying opportunities (or features) according to some measures, and then making prioritization decisions based on the resulting list or matrix.

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 14:34:35 -0600

Checked in at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema , for Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain.

Anthony Bourdain docco — with erika

39.7406011-105.0423464

Sat, 31 Jul 2021 15:17:34 -0600

Checked in at Raices Brewing Company .

with erika

39.7387784-105.0173354

Sat, 31 Jul 2021 12:48:17 -0600

Checked in at Cherry Creek Shopping Center .

with erika

39.7164298-104.9531385

How to Find Your Zone of Genius

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 22:18:54 -0600

How to Find Your Zone of Genius

Mathilde Collin

1 day ago·6 min read

The saying goes: “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” I don’t think it’s accurate: if you want to do your best work, it’s going to take a lot of effort. The opposite, however, is absolutely true: if you do what you hate, you’ll be miserable every single day. Yet a lot of people find themselves in that very situation, spending their time on tasks that drain their energy, fully convinced that there’s no other way. There is another way: to find your zone of genius, and to progressively move to a job where you spend 80% of your time in it. Hat tip to Matt Mochary who shared this method with me years ago.

Mark Zuckerberg is betting Facebook’s future on the metaverse

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 22:18:53 -0600

Mark Zuckerberg is betting Facebook’s future on the metaverse

As June came to an end, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told his employees about an ambitious new initiative. The future of the company would go far beyond its current project of building a set of connected social apps and some hardware to support them. Instead, he said, Facebook would strive to build a maximalist, interconnected set of experiences straight out of sci-fi — a world known as the metaverse.

The Metaverse Has Always Been a Dystopian Idea – VICE

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 22:18:53 -0600

The Metaverse Has Always Been a Dystopian Idea – VICE

A big shift is apparently underway in Silicon Valley.

The company that operates the world’s largest and most profitable social media network will not, according to its CEO, be a social media company much longer. In an announcement that inspired a fervid wave of speculation, analysis, and mockery, Mark Zuckerberg proclaimed that Facebook is going to become a “metaverse company” instead.

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 13:18:08 -0600

Checked in at Five Guys .

I’ve earned lunch

39.7320939-105.1638079

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 13:17:52 -0600

Checked in at Jefferson County Fairgrounds .

Spitting in a tube, for science.

39.7235701-105.1658187

Guiding Critical Projects Without Micromanaging: The Limits of Flexible Management

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 22:14:27 -0600

Guiding Critical Projects Without Micromanaging: The Limits of Flexible Management

The limits of flexible management

Camille Fournier

Jul 17·5 min read

I’m a big believer in flexibility as a senior manager. I do not think I know or even can know the exact way to run any given team in my organization. The magic of effective teams is a combination of the personalities involved, the project lifecycle they’re in, and so many other factors. Forcing every team into a single process, whether it’s classic Agile-type two week sprints or Scrum or whatever is optimizing for uniformity of process at the likely expense of the needs of the teams themselves. Being outcomes-driven (is the work getting done, with good quality, in reasonable time, without burning out the people involved) is the only way I know how to work.

Incremental Note-Taking

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 22:14:25 -0600

Incremental Note-Taking

I’ve been delving deeper into the vast and strange world of knowledge organizing tools (notes apps, contact organizers, personal search engines). During this rather abstract expedition, one of my goals has been to emerge with some opinionated thesis about the way these tools should be designed to harbor and extend our knowledge effectively.

Though I’m hesitant to say I’m there yet, I’ve found myself repeatedly coming back to a group of related ideas I’m going to call incremental note-taking about how to best gather knowledge into notes, and how we should design tools built around this workflow . This post is one attempt (of hopefully many more) to share them with you. This is a longer post, so here’s a roadmap. If you’re impatient, I suggest you begin with the principles.

Sun, 25 Jul 2021 18:46:03 -0600

Checked in at Outback Steakhouse .

39.734552-105.1646087

Sun, 25 Jul 2021 10:04:44 -0600

Checked in at Rooster’s Crow Cafe .

Need some fuel for the day — with erika

38.8459263-106.1345874

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 19:32:53 -0600

Checked in at Deerhammer Distilling Company .

with erika

38.8425122-106.1298434

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 17:50:12 -0600

Checked in at Surf Chateau Boutique Hotel .

Here for a wedding… and maybe for the riding — with erika

38.8426056-106.119606

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 15:45:34 -0600

Checked in at Barbara Whipples BV Trail .

38.846895-106.121368

MIT Predicted in 1972 That Society Will Collapse This Century. New Research Shows We’re on Schedule.

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 12:43:45 -0600

MIT Predicted in 1972 That Society Will Collapse This Century. New Research Shows We’re on Schedule.

A remarkable new study by a director at one of the largest accounting firms in the world has found that a famous, decades-old warning from MIT about the risk of industrial civilization collapsing appears to be accurate based on new empirical data.

As the world looks forward to a rebound in economic growth following the devastation wrought by the pandemic, the research raises urgent questions about the risks of attempting to simply return to the pre-pandemic ‘normal.’

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 08:30:14 -0600

Checked in at Red Silo Coffee Roasters .

39.815666-105.162326

Concepts I Use Every Day: BAPO

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 22:15:33 -0600

Concepts I Use Every Day: BAPO

Jason Yip Jul 4 · 3 min read

Because org structure change can get messy, there’s a tendency to have structure drive strategy

Changing org structure can be messy

There are several reasons why org structure changes can get messy:

Changing org structure can mean changing managers. Given “people leave managers, not companies”, the org structure change can trigger problems including departures;
Changing org structure typically means responsibilities are re-allocated. People are no longer responsible for work they used to be responsible for and/or they are now responsible for work that they might not want to do. This can lead to disengagement or even departures;
From the manager side, changing org structure can mean more or less direct reports. This can mean overwork with too many reports and contexts to stay on top of. This can mean status threat and political jockeying with too few reports;

Organisation constrains architecture; architecture constrains strategy

“Any organization that designs a system (defined broadly) will produce a design whose structure is a copy of the organization’s communication structure.”

The Limits of Optimization

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 22:15:32 -0600

The Limits of Optimization

Welcome to the Convivial Society*, a newsletter about technology and society, broadly speaking. If you find the writing helpful, you can sign up if you haven’t already, share it with others, or subscribe.*

I’m a Mets fan. Right at this moment, that’s not such a bad thing. Despite having up to 17 players on the injured list earlier this season, they’ve been in first place in their division for nearly two months. Over the past three decades, however, being a Mets fan has meant mostly disappointment and frustration, punctuated by rare moments of joy. Naturally, I’m bequeathing this legacy of emotional turmoil to my daughters.

Developing Resilience: Overcoming and Growing from Setbacks

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 23:09:52 -0600

Developing Resilience: Overcoming and Growing from Setbacks

Find the strength to keep going.

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. – American inventor, Thomas Edison

According to legend, Thomas Edison made thousands of prototypes of the incandescent light bulb before he finally got it right. And, since the prolific inventor was awarded more than 1,000 patents, it’s easy to imagine him failing on a daily basis in his lab at Menlo Park.

Focus on Your First 10 Systems, Not Just Your First 10 Hires

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 08:07:11 -0600

Focus on Your First 10 Systems, Not Just Your First 10 Hires

Introduction

In his six years at HashiCorp , **Kevin Fishner **has strung together a unique set of startup experiences. He joined the cloud infrastructure automation company in 2014 as the first business hire, going on to spin up the sales, solutions engineering, account management, and marketing teams. Afterwards, he spent a few years building out the product management and education groups as VP of Product. But for the last year and a half, he’s had a different perch — as the Chief of Staff.

David Rock’s SCARF Model – Career Skills From Mindtools.com

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 07:49:44 -0600

David Rock’s SCARF Model – Career Skills From Mindtools.com

Enhance the “feel-good factor” by maximizing your people’s reward response.

Jan is managing a new team, and she notices that one of her team members, Carl, is using a new piece of software incorrectly. She offers him some advice and returns to her work. But later, she notices that he’s still misusing it. So, she decides to sit with him until he gets it right.

The invisible addiction: is it time to give up caffeine?

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 07:40:39 -0600

The invisible addiction: is it time to give up caffeine?

After years of starting the day with a tall morning coffee, followed by several glasses of green tea at intervals, and the occasional cappuccino after lunch, I quit caffeine, cold turkey. It was not something that I particularly wanted to do, but I had come to the reluctant conclusion that the story I was writing demanded it. Several of the experts I was interviewing had suggested that I really couldn’t understand the role of caffeine in my life – its invisible yet pervasive power – without getting off it and then, presumably, getting back on. Roland Griffiths, one of the world’s leading researchers of mood-altering drugs, and the man most responsible for getting the diagnosis of “caffeine withdrawal” included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the bible of psychiatric diagnoses, told me he hadn’t begun to understand his own relationship with caffeine until he stopped using it and conducted a series of self-experiments. He urged me to do the same.

Sat, 10 Jul 2021 16:17:49 -0600

Checked in at Ohm Brewing .

Back to the local for a post-ride/fish bevvie — with erika

39.746067-105.143901

What we learned after one month of operating a hybrid office

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 22:21:24 -0600

What we learned after one month of operating a hybrid office

Fifteen months after shutting down “out of an abundance of caution,” Quartz’s office in New York City reopened to employees on June 1 under new guidelines befitting our changed world, increasingly far-flung workforce, and rapidly evolving ideas about the future of work. We’ve learned a lot in our first month operating a hybrid office, and wanted to share those lessons for managers and executives thinking through similar questions right now.

An Incomplete List of Skills Senior Engineers Need, Beyond Coding

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 22:48:04 -0600

An Incomplete List of Skills Senior Engineers Need, Beyond Coding

For varying levels of seniority, from senior, to staff, and beyond.

Camille Fournier

Jun 6·2 min read

How to run a meeting, and no, being the person who talks the most in the meeting is not the same thing as running it
How to write a design doc, take feedback, and drive it to resolution, in a reasonable period of time
How to mentor an early-career teammate, a mid-career engineer, a new manager who needs technical advice
How to indulge a senior manager who wants to talk about technical stuff that they don’t really understand, without rolling your eyes or making them feel stupid
How to explain a technical concept behind closed doors to a senior person too embarrassed to openly admit that they don’t understand it
How to influence another team to use your solution instead of writing their own
How to get another engineer to do something for you by asking for help in a way that makes them feel appreciated
How to lead a project even though you don’t manage any of the people working on the project
How to get other engineers to listen to your ideas without making them feel threatened
How to listen to other engineers’ ideas without feeling threatened
How to give up your baby, that project that you built into something great, so you can do something else
How to teach another engineer to care about that thing you really care about (operations, correctness, testing, code quality, performance, simplicity, etc)
How to communicate project status to stakeholders
How to convince management that they need to invest in a non-trivial technical project
How to build software while delivering incremental value in the process
How to craft a project proposal, socialize it, and get buy-in to execute it
How to repeat yourself enough that people start to listen
How to pick your battles
How to help someone get promoted
How to get information about what’s really happening (how to gossip, how to network)
How to find interesting work on your own, instead of waiting for someone to bring it to you
How to tell someone they’re wrong without making them feel ashamed
How to take negative feedback gracefully

Enjoy this post? You might like my book, The Manager’s Path , available on Amazon and Safari Online!

Single Decisive Reasoning (SDR) at Superhuman

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 22:45:14 -0600

Single Decisive Reasoning (SDR) at Superhuman

At Superhuman, we use Reid Hoffman’s “Single Decisive Reason” (SDR) principle

. It’s an incredibly powerful decision-making tool, especially for rapidly scaling startups.

Here’s why you should use SDR — and how to apply it to your next big decision.

The perils of “blended reasoning”

When you have a dozen reasons to do something… don’t .

As Nassim Nicholas Taleb explains in Antifragile

, giving myriad justifications for an action exposes inner uncertainty.

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 18:19:50 -0600

Checked in at Simms Steakhouse .

Anniversary dinner! — with erika

39.7267038-105.1326328

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 15:28:10 -0600

Checked in at O’Toole’s Garden Center .

Our new local garden spot — with erika

39.7383846-105.1224276

Mise-en-Place for Knowledge Workers: 6 Practices for Working Clean – Forte Labs

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 22:25:32 -0600

Mise-en-Place for Knowledge Workers: 6 Practices for Working Clean – Forte Labs

Knowledge work is unique among skilled professions in that we lack a culture of systematic improvement.

Other skilled trades – from carpenters to welders to nurses to pilots – have been around long enough and are repeatable enough that the best practices are widely understood.

How to frame a door, how to weld a seam, how to prepare an IV, how to prepare for landing – these tasks aren’t a mystery. Other professions have developed training over time to teach every novice how to master them.

How to Work Hard

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 22:25:31 -0600

How to Work Hard

June 2021

It might not seem there’s much to learn about how to work hard.

Anyone who’s been to school knows what it entails, even if they

chose not to. There are 12 year olds who work amazingly hard. And

yet when I ask if I know more about working hard now than when I

was in school, the answer is definitely yes.

One thing I know is that if you want to do great things, you’ll

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 11:10:42 -0600

Checked in at Teller’s Taproom & Kitchen .

Brunching. Like adults. — with erika

39.747036-105.1419412

Protein, Carbs, or Fat? Choose the Right Calories for Cycling

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 23:27:27 -0600

Protein, Carbs, or Fat? Choose the Right Calories for Cycling

Home

Selle Anatomica Blog

Protein, Carbs, or Fat? Choose the Right Calories for Cycling

June 23, 2021

If you’re serious about cycling, there’s a good chance you’re serious about nutrition. You may closely track your calories each day to make sure you’re getting enough to meet the demands you’re putting on your body.

So why, if you haven’t changed your total calorie consumption, would you suddenly feel like you don’t have enough energy for your long rides? Well, there’s more to calories than a simple number. If you’ve changed the source of those calories, it could have a significant effect on your cycling success.

The 4 Ds of Time Management | Definition and Overview

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 23:22:35 -0600

The 4 Ds of Time Management | Definition and Overview

What are the 4 Ds of Time Management?

The 4 Ds of time management, sometimes referred to as the 4 Ds of productivity, is a popular strategy for discerning whether or not a task or project is worth your time. It involves making a quick decision about what to act on now either by doing it yourself or delegating to someone else, what to act on in the future, or what to drop from your to-do list.

Why We Need to Rethink the Computer ‘Desktop’ as a Concept

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 07:07:51 -0600

Why We Need to Rethink the Computer ‘Desktop’ as a Concept

Thoughts about a new direction for desktop UI

Ben Zotto

May 18·13 min read

Just contemplating some Serious Business before hitting the tennis court. From “Macintosh ” (1984) by Apple Computer.

The long-lived “desktop” operating system has been with us for almost 40 years. Although some of the mechanics have proven remarkably durable, contemporary computer usage is very different from the context these were born in, and it’s time to do some rethinking.

The Rotting Internet Is a Collective Hallucination – The Atlantic

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 22:18:58 -0600

The Rotting Internet Is a Collective Hallucination – The Atlantic

Sixty years ago the futurist Arthur C. Clarke observed that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. The internet—how we both communicate with one another and together preserve the intellectual products of human civilization—fits Clarke’s observation well. In Steve Jobs’s words, “it just works ,” as readily as clicking, tapping, or speaking. And every bit as much aligned with the vicissitudes of magic, when the internet doesn’t work, the reasons are typically so arcane that explanations for it are about as useful as trying to pick apart a failed spell.

A Project of One’s Own

Sun, 27 Jun 2021 21:34:17 -0600

A Project of One’s Own

June 2021

A few days ago, on the way home from school, my nine year old son

told me he couldn’t wait to get home to write more of the story he

was working on. This made me as happy as anything I’ve heard him

say — not just because he was excited about his story, but because

he’d discovered this way of working. Working on a project of your

Sat, 26 Jun 2021 20:28:19 -0600

Checked in at Ohm Brewing .

New local is pretty solid! — with erika

39.746067-105.143901

Sat, 26 Jun 2021 14:04:23 -0600

Checked in at DLM Sand & Gravel .

Back to this kinda thing. Feeling rural – spring cleaning on the chicken coop. — with erika

39.799633-105.0554765

On Workplace Productivity – Future

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 23:09:14 -0600

On Workplace Productivity – Future

What does it mean to be productive? At the beginning of the pandemic, when many workers went remote, some managers were tempted to start counting things — whether hours, objects, or other things. But they’re about 100 years and two industrial revolutions too late: In the mechanical and electrical revolutions, productivity was indeed a measure of output, and it helped drive the economy. We created cars, machines, widgets by successfully measuring things this way.

No Code Reviews by Default

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 23:03:47 -0600

No Code Reviews by Default

At Raycast, we do not require code reviews. Engineers push to the main branch and request reviews when they think it’s necessary. In this blog post, I outline how we built an engineering culture that is based on trust and allows us to move incredibly fast.

The beginning

When Petr and I started Raycast, we were sitting next to each other in the same flat for three months. Every day, we built features to iterate as fast as possible to something users want. At this time, we didn’t do any code reviews and trusted each other blindly. If there was a technical question, we solved it in person, committed the code to the main branch and moved on to the next problem.

Becoming an engineering director | LeadDev

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 08:41:53 -0600

Becoming an engineering director | LeadDev

I was promoted to director less than a year after becoming a manager. In the movie version of my life, getting promoted was a recognition of years of hard work and undeniable, innate leadership ability. The truth is probably closer to me being the available warm body to throw at the problem.

To set the scene, it had been about eight months since I had switched tracks from individual contributor (IC) to manager. I walked into a meeting with the VP of Engineering for what I thought would be a compensation adjustment to go along with the change in my role. Instead, I got a hearty handshake and a ‘Congratulations, you’re the new Director of Infrastructure. Keep doing what you’re doing.’ And, mustering as much fake confidence as I could, I smiled, mewled a quick thank you, and walked out the door.

Why It’s Difficult to Build Teams in High Growth Organisations

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 08:23:24 -0600

Why It’s Difficult to Build Teams in High Growth Organisations

Jason Yip

May 31·4 min read

By “high growth”, I mean in terms of employee count and roughly doubling or more every year. Even at slower growth rates, some of the phenomena I’ll describe may be relevant.

Two reasons why building teams in high growth is difficult: can’t assume stable teams, can’t rely on cultural osmosis.

In high growth, the odds are the teams won’t be stable

There are several options to accommodate new people:

Product Management in Infrastructure Engineering

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 23:15:46 -0600

Product Management in Infrastructure Engineering

Recently a bunch of teams I work with have turned the corner, having paid down technical debt to a long-term sustainable level. The future unfurls with possibility. We can do anything. That’s exciting! It can also be pretty disorienting. For me, this is the most inspiring moment of management, and one of the hardest.

When we were completely focused on system reliability or churning tasks, most teams pulled their roadmaps down to a month or two, and we got so focused that we disconnected from our internal users. With less time soaked by maintenance, we’ve scurried to understand our users’ needs and define an optimistic, future-facing roadmap to support them.

Incident Writeup as Sociological Storytelling

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 22:36:38 -0600

Incident Writeup as Sociological Storytelling

Back when Game of Thrones was ending, the sociology professor Zeynep Tufekci wrote an essay titled The Real Reason Fans Hate the Last Season of Game of Thrones . Up until the last season, Game of Thrones was told as a sociological story. Even though the show followed individual characters, the story wasn’t about those characters as individuals. Rather, it was a story about larger systems, such as society, norms, external events, and institutions, told through these characters. The sociological nature of the story was how the series maintained cohesion even though major characters died so often. In the last season, the showrunners switched to telling psychological stories, about the individual characters.

The Power of Product Thinking

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 22:13:51 -0600

The Power of Product Thinking

In many design, product management, engineering, or even venture capital interviews and pitches, you’ll be assessed on a dimension called “product thinking,” sometimes also called “product sense.” If you’re a builder aspiring to create something new and valuable (or someone who invests in such builders), having well-honed product thinking will help you — and the products you work on — stand out from the crowd.

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 16:25:19 -0600

Checked in at Joyride Brewing Company .

Great rooftop weather — with erika

39.753086-105.0535794

Sat, 19 Jun 2021 19:40:43 -0600

Checked in at On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina .

We’re all about that mall life — with erika

39.7349123-105.1608467

Sat, 19 Jun 2021 14:30:04 -0600

Checked in at River North Brewery .

Coffee/beer launch with Bivouac! — with erika

39.8067557-104.978612

Sat, 12 Jun 2021 14:21:25 -0600

Checked in at Five Guys .

I am not sad that this is right here.

39.7320939-105.1638079

Jade Rubick – Unusual tips to keep Slack from becoming a nightmare

Sun, 06 Jun 2021 09:04:01 -0600

Jade Rubick – Unusual tips to keep Slack from becoming a nightmare

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 14:07:39 -0600

Checked in at Chipotle Mexican Grill .

Really living up this mall-life.

39.7341005-105.1599753

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 08:30:16 -0600

Checked in at Einstein Bros Bagels .

39.7338355-105.1631344

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 14:06:34 -0600

Checked in at Costco Gasoline .

39.78785-105.0831161

Mon, 31 May 2021 19:53:42 -0600

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

Last drink here as a local 😭 — with erika

39.7550951-104.9770794

Mon, 31 May 2021 14:16:27 -0600

Checked in at The Home Depot .

New home base. — with erika

39.7228376-105.1898082

Humans Were Born to Carry Weight on Our Backs

Sat, 29 May 2021 22:38:08 -0600

Humans Were Born to Carry Weight on Our Backs

Carrying weight for distance — or rucking — is part of the human design and it can keep us fit and healthy

Michael Easter

May 17·7 min read

Photo: Sicmanta

Last fall I found myself standing on the Arctic Tundra, about 120 miles from civilization. One hundred pounds of caribou filled my pack. I had to hoof the weight back to camp, which was five miles away. All uphill and across the tundra. And the tundra is a savage landscape comprised of dirt that exists in an ice-cream-like state: spongy layers of dense moss, mucky swamp, and basketball-sized tufts of grass called tundra tussocks. A mile out there is like five on a regular trail.

The future of war is bizarre and terrifying

Sat, 29 May 2021 10:28:31 -0600

The future of war is bizarre and terrifying

On December 11, 1941, Winston Churchill received a phone call informing him that the Prince of Wales and the Repulse, a British battleship and battlecruiser in the South China Sea, had both been sunk by Japanese aircraft. At first he couldn’t believe it; no capital ships, moving under their own power and actively defending themselves, had been sunk by airplanes ever before. These were the first. But they would not be the last.

Why Your Huge Tech Team Isn’t Delivering

Fri, 28 May 2021 22:47:13 -0600

Why Your Huge Tech Team Isn’t Delivering

Roger Nesbitt Follow

Sep 10, 2018 · 10 min read

“Our team used to go fast when it was small. Now we have ten times as many people and less work gets done. What happened?!”

Short answer:

Your workstream is controlled by people whose job it is to ship more features, and your software engineers think their job is to write code.

Long answer:

Hiring vs Nurturing Managers

Thu, 27 May 2021 23:33:24 -0600

Hiring vs Nurturing Managers

Over the last few years, companies put a lot of effort and money into developing their engineering management teams: one-on-ones, yearly goal setting, feedback, coaching, and whatnot. I believe there are two primary reasons for such investments:

As software eats the world, there are more development teams. As organizations get bigger, they start to create more management structures to make sure they can scale. That increases the demand for such profiles.
Hiring and keeping good engineering talent is a Sisyphean task. The more capable management teams are, the odds of succeeding in doing those tasks increase.

In my journey of becoming an engineering manager, some start-up CTOs and good friends asked me:

The Cost of Cloud, a Trillion Dollar Paradox – Andreessen Horowitz

Thu, 27 May 2021 22:51:13 -0600

The Cost of Cloud, a Trillion Dollar Paradox – Andreessen Horowitz

There is no doubt that the cloud is one of the most significant platform shifts in the history of computing. Not only has cloud already impacted hundreds of billions of dollars of IT spend, it’s still in early innings and growing rapidly on a base of over $100B of annual public cloud spend. This shift is driven by an incredibly powerful value proposition — infrastructure available immediately, at exactly the scale needed by the business — driving efficiencies both in operations and economics. The cloud also helps cultivate innovation as company resources are freed up to focus on new products and growth.

True Product Market Fit is a Minimum Viable Company | by Ann Miura-Ko | The Startup | Medium

Wed, 26 May 2021 22:39:38 -0600

True Product Market Fit is a Minimum Viable Company | by Ann Miura-Ko | The Startup | Medium

Ann Miura-Ko Feb 15, 2020 · 11 min read

Hi, I’m Ann . I was one of the first investors in Lyft, Refinery29, and Xamarin. I have been on the Midas List for the past 3 years and was recently named on The New York Times’ list of The Top 20 Venture Capitalists worldwide. In 2008, I co-founded Floodgate , one of the first seed-stage VC funds in Silicon Valley.

Building Products at Stripe: Go Deep, Move Fast, and Build Multi-Decade Abstractions

Wed, 26 May 2021 22:39:37 -0600

Building Products at Stripe: Go Deep, Move Fast, and Build Multi-Decade Abstractions

This is the next part of my ongoing series about product culture. If you missed it, check out my previous piece about Airbnb and my article on strong product cultures that kicked everything off.

Stripe co-founders Patrick and John Collison

This month we’re going deep on Stripe. As you’re about to learn, “going deep” is a core product principle at Stripe. The company is now the most valuable startup in the United States, raising a round in March at a breathtaking $95 billion valuation. (Disclosure: I am an investor in Stripe and have a relationship with the company dating back to 2015.)1

Mon, 24 May 2021 15:27:13 -0600

Checked in at Denver Botanic Gardens .

with erika

39.7317459-104.960289

Sun, 23 May 2021 17:44:16 -0600

Checked in at Costco Gasoline .

39.78785-105.0831161

Sun, 23 May 2021 14:00:45 -0600

Checked in at Palisade Rim Trailhead .

39.1179558-108.320466

Sun, 23 May 2021 12:37:41 -0600

Checked in at Peach Street Distillers .

One for the road — with erika

39.1112451-108.3526465

Sun, 23 May 2021 09:51:35 -0600

Checked in at Best Slope .

Meeting up with Marjorie! — with erika

39.159593-108.731657

Fri, 21 May 2021 15:12:56 -0600

Checked in at Russo’s Pizza Glennwood Springs Co .

Carb loading — with erika

39.553908-107.343577

Understanding Denver Streets’ decimal system; Or why the intersection of Broadway and Ellsworth is so important

Thu, 20 May 2021 23:05:04 -0600

Understanding Denver Streets’ decimal system; Or why the intersection of Broadway and Ellsworth is so important

Whether you’ve just moved to the Mile-High City or you’ve lived here your whole life, decoding Denver’s street can be a real challenge. But the mystery of how the Denver street grid is laid out can be somewhat easily solved once you understand the importance of the intersection of Broadway and Ellsworth to the streets off the downtown grid.

Efficiency is the Enemy

Thu, 20 May 2021 22:58:56 -0600

Efficiency is the Enemy

There’s a good chance most of the problems in your life and work come down to insufficient slack. Here’s how slack works and why you need more of it.

Imagine if you, as a budding productivity enthusiast, one day gained access to a time machine and decided to take a trip back several decades to the office of one of your old-timey business heroes. Let’s call him Tony.

Thu, 20 May 2021 19:54:22 -0600

Checked in at Terminal East .

39.8489391-104.6732391

The Memex Method

Sun, 16 May 2021 14:55:28 -0600

The Memex Method

Top highlight

When your commonplace book is a public database

Cory Doctorow

4 days ago·9 min read

I’ve been a blogger for a little more than 20 years and in that time I’ve written a little more than 20 books : novels for adults; novels for teens; short story collections; essay collections; graphic novels for adults, highschoolers and middle-schoolers; a picture-book for small children, and book-length nonfiction on various subjects. I’ve written and delivered some hundreds of speeches as well, for several kinds of technical and non-technical audience, as well as for young kids and teens.

Sun, 16 May 2021 13:53:06 -0600

Checked in at Goed Zuur .

Post-pedaling ramen and beer.

39.7559033-104.9768421

Sat, 15 May 2021 10:16:19 -0600

Checked in at Green Mountain .

39.6965627-105.1922167

Why Your New Strategy Will Fail

Sat, 15 May 2021 08:38:16 -0600

Why Your New Strategy Will Fail

As organizational transformation consultants , we’re often invited to help functions, departments, and teams of all kinds within massive enterprises recover from failed strategy implementations. Regardless of the industry or organization, the narrative of each failure follows a familiar arc. A “new strategy” is developed over several months of backbreaking creative and consensus-building efforts. It ultimately results in a key artifact (usually an exceedingly beautiful deck of slides) that clearly articulates a smart and cogent shift in priority. There is (seemingly) buy-in from all the key players and generally a sense of, “Okay, this makes sense. Now we just have to implement it.” Inevitably, the strategy fails to manifest in any major positive changes and after 18–36 months of middling returns, it’s decided that a shift in strategy is needed and the cycle begins anew.

Why Your One-On-One’s Should Probably Be Longer

Sat, 15 May 2021 08:19:52 -0600

Why Your One-On-One’s Should Probably Be Longer

Don Neufeld Mar 25 · 5 min read

As an Engineering Manager, one-on-ones with your team members are a core responsibility of your role, and often one of the largest consumers of your time.

As a leadership coach, I often work with individuals who are struggling with their calendars. One of the most effective ways to improve their effectiveness is to re-evaluate how they are scheduling their one-on-ones.

Why “Standups” are Useless and How to Run Great Product Team Meetings

Sat, 15 May 2021 08:11:32 -0600

Why “Standups” are Useless and How to Run Great Product Team Meetings

Andy Johns Oct 14, 2019 · 11 min read

The majority of meetings are a waste of time. And in my opinion, one flavor of meeting that tops the charts in uselessness is the “status update” meeting. You know this meeting — the meeting where everyone gets together to share what they’ve been doing. It’s ironic that meetings like this exist because it gets in the way of people actually doing something productive. A cross-functional group of people (product, design, engineering, marketing and so on) working on a new product doesn’t greatly benefit from status updates.

Career Development: What It Really Means to Be a Manager, Director, or VP

Fri, 14 May 2021 22:43:38 -0600

Career Development: What It Really Means to Be a Manager, Director, or VP

It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of big-company HR practices. I’m more of the First Break all the Rules type. Despite my general skepticism of many standard practices, we still do annual performance reviews at my company, though I’m thinking seriously of dropping them. (See Get Rid of the Performance Review .)

Another practice I’m not hugely fond of is “leveling” — the creation of a set of granular levels to classify jobs across the organization. Leveling typically results in something that looks like this:

Harnessing Everyday Genius

Fri, 14 May 2021 22:43:28 -0600

Harnessing Everyday Genius

Idea in Brief

The Problem

The number of “good jobs” in the United States and other countries is declining despite sustained government and policy efforts.

Why It Happens

There is a widespread assumption that low-wage jobs are filled with minimally capable people—a prejudice that has denied millions of employees the opportunity to enhance their skills and use their brains.

The Solution

Companies like Michelin have challenged that mindset and dramatically increased the authority and accountability of workers on the front lines. Michelin kick-started this change through a bottom-up process involving targeted experiments in select plants and eventually scaled up the most successful approaches across the organization.

Thinking Subtractively – Simple Thread

Thu, 13 May 2021 22:31:58 -0600

Thinking Subtractively – Simple Thread

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In some news from my backyard, UVA researchers at the Batten School and the school of Engineering recently published an interesting paper in Nature: People systematically overlook subtractive changes .

The gist is that when people are looking at a problem and thinking about solutions, we typically think of adding something to solve the problem – even when removing something is an easier, simpler solution.

The Art of Self-Organizing Engineering Teams

Thu, 13 May 2021 08:43:10 -0600

The Art of Self-Organizing Engineering Teams

So, it is no wonder that we want to know what makes those teams special . A few ideas that come to mind right away are:

Everybody on the team is a genius and top of their class
The team’s manager is able to perfectly define and scope the work
Everybody is paid lots of money for the successful completion of their work.

All of the above scenarios might help, but none of them guarantee high performance. More important for the success of the team is how well people work together. It is the collective intelligence that counts.

35 Principles for 35 Years

Mon, 10 May 2021 22:51:10 -0600

35 Principles for 35 Years

I turn 35 today. Here are 35 principles I have accumulated and try to live by (you can listen to the narrated version here ):

Life is too Short for Short Term Games. We only have so many years for long term games to compound.
Writing is Stupendously High Leverage.

It helps to organize my thoughts and learning (aka Building My Second Brain ). I win even if nobody reads me.
It enables me to share great ideas even while I sleep (as a Friendcatcher ). I am constantly shocked at the caliber of people that read my work and DM me their thoughts. There is absolutely no other way I would be on their radar.
Blogging helped me sell $4k worth of an empty PDF on the day I decided to write my book because people trusted me.
It’s led to multiple job opportunities from great companies (e.g. Netlify , AWS , Temporal ) that I would have otherwise struggled to be hired at.

Learn in Public. Most of you know me for this one… (read up if you’re new round here, welcome! )
Good Enough is Better than Best. In a world of infinite abundance, you can lose yourself constantly chasing the hottest new thing. Satisfice rather than Maximize.
Less is More. Minimalism wins: Subtracting is harder than Adding . Quantity reduces perceived quality. Depth and whitespace stand out. (yes I realize the irony of this principle in a list of 35)
Create Clarity. Simple Explanations of What, Why, and How are extremely underrated and extremely useful. This is also a core skill of all leaders.
Optimize for Change. Optimizing for anything else tends to make systems MORE fragile, not less. If you learn only one lesson from React and GraphQL , learn this. https://overreacted.io/optimized-for-change/
Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood. Don’t get defensive about your point of view or perception of reality – understand theirs first. Either you will learn something new or you’ll understand how to better get your point across. Hold multiple perspectives in your head and be able to summarize the best arguments of all major parties in a way that THEY agree with.
Praise in Public, Criticize in Private.

As satisfying as it might be to dump on someone publicly, I need to remember how it makes them feel.
Everything is not awesome, and I despise fake positivity. But I can either help or make them feel bad about it and the former is more effective than the latter.
Exception for companies and people that are actively harming or misleading the vulnerable.

Build an Empathy Check Habit. I can’t take back an impulsive response that hurts someone. When I can’t check with trusted friends, I need to think before I tweet.
People remember how you made them feel, before what you said. A good story has more power than a good argument.
Treat Others How They Want To Be Treated. The Golden Rule is -sadly- not good enough when your privilege is higher or expectations are lower than others’. Time for The Platinum Rule .
Complete Truths are Not Welcome.

Most people are more interested in…
- being entertained
- sharing outrage
- feeling good about themselves
- defending their reputation
…than debating truth or improving themselves.
Trying to change them is ineffectual.
Let them be, and seek out like minds.

Organize IRL Events. You can do a lot to create excitement and connection in a community simply by organizing dinners and meetups and conferences. Svelte Society started on a whim exactly like this . Now there are thousands of members drawn to the Svelte community that wouldn’t have before.
Don’t offer unsolicited help. Make Sure Help Is Wanted Before Offering It. Men – be especially wary about this when women are talking about their problems. Sometimes they just need support, not solutions. (But sometimes it really IS about The Nail …)
Ask For Help More. People are happy to help and like you more when they have helped you. Don’t worry about showing weakness; you are getting something far more valuable in return. Use a Help Timeout .
Log Your Wins. e.g. when you ship something big or small, or when someone says nice things about you. They can help when you are feeling emotionally down, or when writing a brag document . Help others celebrate their wins too. P.S. a brag slack channel can serve as an OLTP store of personal wins.
Don’t End The Week With Nothing. The reason you don’t see any of my work prior to 2017 is because I thought it was sufficient to just work hard at my finance job. Now all of my intellectual output from my 20’s – some of the best research and writing I have ever done – is locked up in some mailbox somewhere. Never again.
Pick Up What They Put Down. Guarantee feedback by giving feedback. https://www.swyx.io/PUWTPD
Speak Succinctly. Stop speaking in trailing sentences and double-barreled questions. Set the general direction and shut up. If they’re off-track, interject. This is preferable to preempting all conversation paths to show how smart you are.
Optimize for Retention, not Consumption. We are the sum total of still-relevant knowledge we still remember, not the total of the volume of content we consume.
Illustrate Your Point. Adding code samples or drawing 2×2’s and system diagrams makes your idea much more effective. A picture IS worth a thousand words! Even this shitty example works, you can do better than me.
Separate Your Identity from Your Work. You can learn a lot on the Internet for the low, low price of $YOUR_EGO .
Build Tools For Yourself. This is a superpower and a sandbox all rolled in one that is guaranteed to make you happy.
Collect Questions

Obsess on collecting good answers and you might be precise but irrelevant.
Obsess on collecting good questions and you will be approximately right.
My Work-in-Progress list of questions here , but see also the Reverse Interview repo and Feynman’s 12 Problems .

Systems > Goals. “You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” — James Clear
Play Games You Cannot Win. Our world is full of “winnable” games – likes, retweets, #1 of the day, employee of the month. External motivators destroy our intrinsic drive. You don’t play infinite games to win. Only way to keep childlike creativity is to play games that you cannot win.
Use Your Calendar as a Todo List. Normal todo lists don’t force you to make tradeoffs. Sequence your work, set limits, and know when to decline or delegate tasks. When time block planning, eat your frog: Put First Things First.
Practice Stoicism. It’ll never stay as great as you want, it’s never really as bad as you feel. This, too, shall pass.
Have a Productivity Keystone. If you start a day unproductive, you are extremely likely to be unproductive the rest of the day. Instead, start off with something productive that you do every morning, you reinforce the idea that today is going to be a productive day.
Incorporate. Companies pay expenses before taxes, People pay taxes before expenses. (Singapore is pretty great if you have this choice).
Stay in the Game. Berkshire Hathaway originally had a third partner, Rick Guerin. He got caught out with margin loans and had to sell out. Warren and Charlie survived 14 recessions. https://www.swyx.io/psychology-of-money/
Don’t Skimp On Your Equipment. Spending a few hundred dollars on your keyboard and monitor setup will save tens of thousands of physiotherapy and pain in future .
Earn White Collar, Spend Blue Collar. Don’t let your expenses rise as fast as your income – you probably don’t need what you’re thinking of buying. Spend part of your white collar income making up for white collar downsides – gym, group classes, personal trainer .
Always Turn Lessons To Principles. When we make mistakes or have great success, we should form them into principles so we can write them down and learn from or repeat them. It is the only way for past versions of you to communicate lessons to future you.

The full thread and discussions are here:

The Paradox of Genius: Why Long-Term Thinking Wins

Mon, 10 May 2021 22:35:23 -0600

The Paradox of Genius: Why Long-Term Thinking Wins

by James Currier (@JamesCurrier ). James is a General Partner at NFX, a seed-stage venture firm headquartered in San Francisco.

By necessity, Founders are rooted in the “here and now” mental framework required for launching a new startup.

But *great* Founders do something different at the same time: They are obsessed with what will endure 10 or 50 years from now.

I Could Build This During the Weekend

Mon, 10 May 2021 22:33:18 -0600

I Could Build This During the Weekend

Every time people buy a new house, car, or TV, they say lovely things first. It’s the honeymoon phase. Then, they realize their expensive, fancy stuff has flaws too. Engineers tend to take it one step further. We enter solution mode and start thinking about solutions for those flaws and how we’d design those items. We are so intelligent. We’d make it better, wouldn’t we? However, when we do this kind of analysis, we may miss the context. Maybe the folks responsible for the design had constraints. It can be a tight timeline, low-quality, or too-expensive materials. Sometimes, it’s a waterfall process, and it’s too late or too expensive to fix it. We often ignore how most people prefer to have something that works rather than something perfect. There are plenty of reasons why some things are flawed or, at least, they look one order of magnitude more complicated than they should be. I still remember when Andrew Houston submitted Dropbox on Hackernews. The first and most infamous comment read like this:

Crazy New Ideas

Mon, 10 May 2021 22:32:40 -0600

Crazy New Ideas

May 2021

There’s one kind of opinion I’d be very afraid to express publicly.

If someone I knew to be both a domain expert and a reasonable person

proposed an idea that sounded preposterous, I’d be very reluctant

to say “That will never work.”

Anyone who has studied the history of ideas, and especially the

history of science, knows that’s how big things start. Someone

proposes an idea that sounds crazy, most people dismiss it, then

The Other Side of Languishing Is Flourishing. Here’s How to Get There.

Mon, 10 May 2021 13:21:21 -0600

The Other Side of Languishing Is Flourishing. Here’s How to Get There.

Research shows that the pandemic took a toll on our overall well-being and left many of us drained. Here are seven simple steps to get you thriving again.

The New York Times

3 days ago·7 min read

A Guide to Better Meetings

Sat, 08 May 2021 17:24:58 -0600

A Guide to Better Meetings

Dick Brouwer

Dec 6, 2018·6 min read

“Meetings are useless”

Do you also hear that all the time? But stepping back, that’s like saying “screwdrivers are bad”. Meetings are a tool, and they are indispensable for effective, transparent communication.

Transparency is critical if you want to build trust in your organization. I have been in situations where “coffee walks” were the norm. As a result, information was delivered to each individual slightly differently. This information asymmetry generates distrust in the organization and its leadership. As the saying goes “Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair”. Transparent communication is a cornerstone of building trust. Distributing information in meetings that involve all relevant stakeholders is essential if you want to build trust. A friend who works at a successful analytics company even told me that “we don’t do meetings, everything is communicated in one-on-ones”. This is a sure way to inject unnecessary politics into an organization. Meetings are a tool to direct verbal and non-verbal information flow between stakeholders.

Remote work culture: Lessons from top companies – NoHQ Remote Work Guides

Thu, 06 May 2021 12:41:03 -0600

Remote work culture: Lessons from top companies – NoHQ Remote Work Guides

Are you looking to understand — and improve — your remote work culture?

While useful, digital tools are not stand-ins for remote work culture. Many remote work employers start with tools and leave culture for last, mistaking Slack, Zoom, and Calendly as their company “culture.”

Factors such as different employee cultural backgrounds, nationalities, life experiences, and more can make constructing and supporting a digital-first team difficult. This is where the importance of your remote culture comes in: a thriving company culture is what allows remote work companies to develop a well-oiled team that runs on its own.

The tragedy of the commons is a false and dangerous myth – Michelle Nijhuis | Aeon Essays

Thu, 06 May 2021 12:40:59 -0600

The tragedy of the commons is a false and dangerous myth – Michelle Nijhuis | Aeon Essays

Locals at the Marienfluss Conservancy in Namibia meet to discuss conservation. Photo courtesy of NACSO/WWF Namibia

In December 1968, the ecologist and biologist Garrett Hardin had an essay published in the journal Science called ‘The Tragedy of the Commons’. His proposition was simple and unsparing: humans, when left to their own devices, compete with one another for resources until the resources run out. ‘Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest,’ he wrote. ‘Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all.’ Hardin’s argument made intuitive sense, and provided a temptingly simple explanation for catastrophes of all kinds – traffic jams, dirty public toilets, species extinction. His essay, widely read and accepted, would become one of the most-cited scientific papers of all time.

Inside Elon Musk’s plan to build one Starship a week—and settle Mars | Ars Technica

Wed, 05 May 2021 22:53:06 -0600

Inside Elon Musk’s plan to build one Starship a week—and settle Mars | Ars Technica

Enlarge / Three barrels welded together are lowered onto a pressure dome for SN2 at the South Texas Launch Site this week.

BOCA CHICA BEACH, Texas—How badly does Elon Musk want to get to Mars? Let me tell you a story. On Sunday, February 23, Musk called an all-hands meeting at the South Texas site where SpaceX is building his Starship spacecraft.

The Emerging Architectures for Modern Data Infrastructure

Tue, 04 May 2021 16:29:36 -0600

The Emerging Architectures for Modern Data Infrastructure

As an industry, we’ve gotten exceptionally good at building large, complex software systems. We’re now starting to see the rise of massive, complex systems built around data – where the primary business value of the system comes from the analysis of data, rather than the software directly. We’re seeing quick-moving impacts of this trend across the industry, including the emergence of new roles, shifts in customer spending, and the emergence of new startups providing infrastructure and tooling around data.

Your brain on progress – Increment: Reliability

Tue, 04 May 2021 16:28:59 -0600

Your brain on progress – Increment: Reliability

My favorite engineering role was working on web page performance at Etsy. My team and I made tweaks, found small opportunities for page load time improvement, and shipped incremental updates that made the site—often imperceptibly—faster.

Management work often consists of building up your team’s resilience to organizational storms.

But no matter how small the improvement we made to site speed, you could see it on our dashboards. The graphs, they were glorious. We celebrated changes in milliseconds! We even created an internal site to acknowledge “performance heroes” on other teams, complete with graphs that illustrated our coworkers’ site performance improvements and descriptions of their implemented solutions. We’d email every designer and developer at Etsy when we updated the dashboard with a new hero so everyone could chime in and high five the person who’d improved the site.

Sun, 02 May 2021 12:51:19 -0600

Checked in at Bivouac Coffee .

Summer series. Checking out some Five10 shoes

39.687253-105.361011

The Process Is Not the Product — The Software Methodology Anti-Manifesto.

Sun, 02 May 2021 08:44:43 -0600

The Process Is Not the Product — The Software Methodology Anti-Manifesto.

The Process is not the Product — The Software Methodology Anti-Manifesto.

Michael Karliner

Feb 20·3 min read

TLDR;
TheSoftware Methodology Anti-Manifesto – The Process is not the Product
– Leading not Managing
– Dialog not Dictation

That’s it, you can work out the rest for youselves, but for those of you who want to, read on.

The Process is not the ProductIn a (very) long technical career, I must have been exposed to the majority of software methodologies, and experience has shown that they are, by and large, more of a liability than a help. In fact, I’ll go further and say that I think that too much methodology is much more dangerous that too little. However, the cult of the One True Methodology continues to thrive, and it worth taking a few moments to consider why.

Engineering Productivity Can Be Measured – Just Not How You’d Expect

Sun, 02 May 2021 08:39:54 -0600

Engineering Productivity Can Be Measured – Just Not How You’d Expect

From each of our two experiences starting out as introductory-level engineers at Box, to becoming first-time managers overseeing five-person teams, then directors overseeing 30-50, and ultimately VPs managing hundreds, we’ve experienced software engineering from every angle.

At every step of the way, we asked ourselves: “how do we know if we are bringing value as engineering leaders?” Effective leadership uniquely blends human qualities – influence, empathy, courage, and results. This latter quality always brings the question of productivity – how effective are you at producing results through enabling others?

Execute Like a Rookie, Lead Like a Multiplier | First Round Review

Sun, 02 May 2021 08:39:28 -0600

Execute Like a Rookie, Lead Like a Multiplier | First Round Review

In 1989, Liz Wiseman took her first job out of business school at a mid-size startup called Oracle . With no previous experience, she was recruited as a technical trainer, charged with teaching programming to all of the company’s new engineering recruits. She admits she barely knew what the company did, much less how to teach engineers. A year later, she was promoted to manage the training department and make CEO Larry Ellison ‘s vision for what he called ‘Oracle University’ a reality. She was 24.

How to Prepare for a “Megadisaster” | Columbia Magazine

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 23:14:18 -0600

How to Prepare for a “Megadisaster” | Columbia Magazine

Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, the director of Columbia’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness , discusses the cataclysmic events that may threaten our future and how planning and research can help save us.

What does your work entail?

The center’s mission is to conduct research that helps the US prevent, prepare for, and respond to natural and human-driven disasters. Our faculty and staff investigate nearly all aspects of the country’s capacity for dealing with disasters, from the readiness of governmental and nongovernmental organizations to the effectiveness of on-the-ground emergency-response strategies to public awareness of disaster risk.

Ringelmann effect – Wikipedia

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 23:07:57 -0600

Ringelmann effect – Wikipedia

A tug of war is often used as an illustration of the Ringelmann effect. As more people are involved in a task, their average performance decreases, each participant tending to feel that their own effort is not critical.

The Ringelmann effect is the tendency for individual members of a group to become increasingly less productive as the size of their group increases. This effect, discovered by French agricultural engineer Maximilien Ringelmann (1861–1931), illustrates the inverse relationship that exists between the size of a group and the magnitude of group members’ individual contribution to the completion of a task. While studying the relationship between process loss (i.e., reductions in performance effectiveness or efficiency ) and group productivity , Ringelmann (1913) found that having group members work together on a task (e.g., pulling a rope) actually results in significantly less effort than when individual members are acting alone. Ringelmann discovered that as more and more people are added to a group, the group often becomes increasingly inefficient, ultimately violating the notion that group effort and team participation reliably leads to increased effort on behalf of the members.

How to Hire an Engineering Manager: From Within or Without?

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 22:55:45 -0600

How to Hire an Engineering Manager: From Within or Without?

Hiring, onboarding & retention

Posted: 19 April 2021

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Fri, 30 Apr 2021 17:09:38 -0600

Checked in at Hop Alley .

Dining in an ice fishing tent. Because these are weird times. — with erika

39.7669586-104.9742803

Who were we and what were we thinking? A return to offices frozen in time.

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 23:13:31 -0600

Who were we and what were we thinking? A return to offices frozen in time.

Ellery Frahm is an archaeologist who unearths artifacts spanning half a million years of human history, all around the globe. But he recently unearthed a perplexing ancient artifact close to home. It was a Post-it note from last March, recovered from the debris of his Yale University office.

Written on it? A phone number. Whose number? A mystery.

Director to VP Engineering: What Is Expected and How to Prepare?

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 15:10:23 -0600

Director to VP Engineering: What Is Expected and How to Prepare?

Director to VP Engineering: what is expected and how to prepare?

Director to VP of Engineering

A lot of engineering leaders made it to the director level and now wonder what it looks like at a VP level, and even more importantly, how to prepare for that level in day to day job as a director.

I was there and shared the same curiosity. Now that I took both a senior director role in a $1.5B unicorn startup and a VP role in a seed stage company, I am glad to share thoughts on this topic.

7 Reasons to Get Serious About Your Open-Source Strategy

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 15:09:57 -0600

7 Reasons to Get Serious About Your Open-Source Strategy

Does your company help steer the open-source projects it relies on? Would in-house software projects benefit from outside contributors? Is there somebody in the organization responsible for answering those questions?

These days, admitting that open source is a viable software-development model isn’t enough. Companies also have to set open-source strategies that make sense for their technical and business goals.

Cheryl Hung, VP of ecosystem at Cloud Native Computing Foundation, heads up the foundation’s community of users and advises startups about their open-source strategies. Often, she told me, companies’ open-source programs are entirely bottom up, with individual developers taking the reins. That’s not a bad thing, but more organized programs can help companies make the most of developers’ time — and the available open-source tools.

Solve the Product Maze Backwards | Psychohistory

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 23:11:45 -0600

Solve the Product Maze Backwards | Psychohistory

As the father of young children, I can tell you that there is a special place in my heart for restaurants that provide puzzles and crayons for small children to pass the time.

On a recent trip out to The Counter in Mountain View, Jordan (who is 8) was really struggling with a large maze puzzle on one of these activity sheets. It was a fairly large maze, and he was frustrated by his inability to see the dead ends ahead, forcing him to retrace his somewhat tortured crayon path.

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 16:26:23 -0600

Checked in at Denver Botanic Garden Sculpture Garden .

39.7322222-104.9608208

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 15:55:48 -0600

Checked in at Blossoms Of Light .

with erika

39.7320188-104.9601821

Robin Rendle › Newsletters

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 09:57:43 -0600

Robin Rendle › Newsletters

Robin Rendle ∙ January 2021

Newsletters; or, an enormous rant about writing on the web that doesn’t really go anywhere and that’s okay with me

My friend Lucy once told me that she falls in love with the way that someone thinks…

…and that’s what newsletters make possible for me; they’re a record of how strangers see the world.

Newsletters give me permission to fall in love with someone I’ll never meet…

Adding is favoured over subtracting in problem solving

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 09:49:25 -0600

Adding is favoured over subtracting in problem solving

Consider the Lego structure depicted in Figure 1, in which a figurine is placed under a roof supported by a single pillar at one corner. How would you change this structure so that you could put a masonry brick on top of it without crushing the figurine, bearing in mind that each block added costs 10 cents? If you are like most participants in a study reported by Adams et al. in Nature , you would add pillars to better support the roof. But a simpler (and cheaper) solution would be to remove the existing pillar, and let the roof simply rest on the base. Across a series of similar experiments, the authors observe that people consistently consider changes that add components over those that subtract them — a tendency that has broad implications for everyday decision-making.

We mentor early-career developers. Here’s what they need to succeed.

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 15:41:41 -0600

We mentor early-career developers. Here’s what they need to succeed.

Note: This article first appeared on LinkedIn .

Knowing how to code is just one aspect of being a professional web developer. Another super important skill is knowing how to collaborate effectively on a software team. Most coding bootcamps don’t teach this skill or don’t teach it effectively. This leads early-career developers to stumble in interviews and require a lot of ramp up time in their first tech jobs. The Collab Lab is a program Stacie Taylor and I created to help solve this problem.

Blogumentation – Writing Blog Posts as a Method of Documentation

Sat, 24 Apr 2021 09:57:12 -0600

Blogumentation – Writing Blog Posts as a Method of Documentation

Written by

Jamie Tanna
on June 25, 2017
CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0

Apache-2.0
4 mins

Blogumentation – Writing Blog Posts as a Method of Documentation

Table of Contents

You may have noticed that recently I’ve been writing more articles, often tagged under blogumentation . These short articles are concerned with documenting a piece of information about certain workflow-enhancing tips, and I find they fit under a term I have coined blogumentation, that is, blog posts as a form of documentation.

“Asynchronous” Working in 2021

Sat, 24 Apr 2021 09:57:10 -0600

“Asynchronous” Working in 2021

“…the mere consciousness of an engagement will sometimes worry a whole day.” — Charles Dickens

Inspired by a friend, Sahil Lavingia, and his stance over the last year to work “asynchronously” (aka, instead of having to line up “synchronous” meetings with multiple people, choose somewhat arbitrary time blocks of 30 minutes or 60 minutes, and waiting days for relevant communication to take place when calendars align), I am going to adopt an asynchronous working style in 2021.

The Feynman Technique Can Help You Remember Everything You Read

Sat, 24 Apr 2021 09:57:08 -0600

The Feynman Technique Can Help You Remember Everything You Read

Books give you access to the smartest brains on our planet. And learning from the greatest thinkers and doers is your fast track to health, wealth, and wisdom.

Yet, reading per se doesn’t elevate your life. You can read 52 books a year without changing at all.

Member Brief: It’s Not Us, It’s Them

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 12:53:29 -0600

Member Brief: It’s Not Us, It’s Them

This report is supported by 2PM’s Executive Membership and is temporarily unlocked for the Monday letter. To be a part of what we’re building, you can join here: The Executive Membership .

The concept of opportunity is deeply personal to me. Opportunity is earned through hard work, proximity, favor, and luck. For many, luck is the variable that wavers. But for others, it is often proximity. One of the last obstacles in eCommerce is the democratization of access and proximity to opportunity.

A framework for balancing and budgeting engineering resourcing | by Matt Eccleston | Engineering Operations | Medium

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 16:12:35 -0600

A framework for balancing and budgeting engineering resourcing | by Matt Eccleston | Engineering Operations | Medium

Matt Eccleston Jun 25, 2020 · 13 min read

Matt Eccleston formerly served as VP of Engineering and Growth at Dropbox, and from 2013–2019 helped the company scale from hundreds to thousands of employees. Prior to that, Matt spent 13 years in various Engineering leadership positions at VMware, helping it scale from tens to tens of thousands. Matt now advises late stage startups as part of ICONIQ Growth’s Technical Advisory Board. Balancing and budgeting engineering resourcing as a company scales is one of the most frequent topics that comes up.

American Idle — Remains of the Day

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 15:09:58 -0600

American Idle — Remains of the Day

I promised one final piece on TikTok, focused primarily on the network effects of creativity. And this is that, in part. But it discusses a bunch of other topics, some only tangentially related to TikTok.

All the points I wanted to cover seem hyperlinked in a sprawling loose tangle. This could easily have been several standalone posts. I’ve been stuck on how to structure it.

People are spending millions on NFTs. What? Why?

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 15:09:07 -0600

People are spending millions on NFTs. What? Why?

Image: Cryptokitties.co

There’s nothing like an explosion of blockchain news to leave you thinking, “Um… what’s going on here?” That’s the feeling I’ve experienced while reading about Grimes getting millions of dollars for NFTs or about Nyan Cat being sold as one . And by the time we all thought we sort of knew what the deal was, the founder of Twitter put an autographed tweet up for sale as an NFT.

Open Source: From Community to Commercialization

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 13:22:37 -0600

Open Source: From Community to Commercialization

Editor’s Note: The open source software (OSS) movement has created some of our most important and widely used technologies, including operating systems, web browsers, and databases. Our world would not function, or at least not function as well, without open source software.

While open source has delivered amazing technological innovation, commercial innovation – most recently and notably the rise of software-as-a-service – has been just as vital to the success of the movement. And since open source is by definition software that is free for anyone to use, modify, and distribute, open source businesses have required different models and a different go to market than other kinds of software companies.

Google Aims to Be the Anti-Amazon of E-Commerce. It Has a Long Way to Go. – The New York Times

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 14:09:57 -0600

Google Aims to Be the Anti-Amazon of E-Commerce. It Has a Long Way to Go. – The New York Times

Google presents itself to independent sellers as cheaper and less restrictive. But it is not clear whether it can change people’s habits of going straight to Amazon.

When Fritzy’s Roller Skate Shop in San Diego set up a storefront on Shopify, the owner linked her Shopify account to Google’s retail software.Credit…John Francis Peters for The New York Times

Companies are about to get pelted by employee turnover as the pandemic ends – Axios

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 14:04:32 -0600

Companies are about to get pelted by employee turnover as the pandemic ends – Axios

Millions of workers are planning to jump to new jobs or new lines of work after the pandemic eases up.

Why it matters: High-skilled workers with plenty of opportunities are the hardest to replace. This massive reshuffling also will create major headaches for employers, and will likely expand the gaps between men and women in the workplace.

You Might Not Realize How Much You Miss the Office

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 20:18:21 -0600

You Might Not Realize How Much You Miss the Office

How to Build a Life

Switching to Zoom forever might be convenient, but it’s a recipe for loneliness.

Arthur C. Brooks

April 1, 2021

JAN BUCHCZIK

” is a weekly column by Arthur Brooks, tackling questions of meaning and happiness.

Arthur C. Brooks will discuss the science of happiness live at 11 a.m. ET on May 20. Register for In Pursuit of Happiness here .

Fifth-Generation Management

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 13:03:38 -0600

Fifth-Generation Management

In today’s episode, I want to talk about an idea I call fifth-generation management.

1/ Fifth-generation management is an emerging style of management we don’t know much about because it doesn’t actually exist yet. But it is guaranteed to emerge post-Covid because historically, big sharp disruptions have reliably triggered discontinuous changes in management culture, and it is already clear that this one is doing that.

2/ The idea of generations in management, in the form I’m going to lay it out, is causally related to the idea of generations of warfare, and in particular the idea that contemporary styles of warfare strongly shape future styles of management. So if there are generations in warfare, they are going to cause generations in management. Military ideas are not the only cause of course, but I’m going to argue that historically they’ve been the strongest one. Strong enough to almost be determinative. During WW2 for instance, business and military culture became almost the same thing for a few years.

Things Your Manager Might Not Know

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 12:24:12 -0600

Things Your Manager Might Not Know

When people talk about “managing up”, sometimes it’s framed as a bad thing –

massaging the ego of people in charge so that they treat you well.

In my experience, managing up is usually a lot more practical. Your manager

doesn’t (and can’t!) know every single detail about what you do in your job,

and being aware of what they might not know and giving them the information

What I wish I knew before building a Shopify App

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 12:12:09 -0600

What I wish I knew before building a Shopify App

I spent the last week building an App for the Shopify Marketplace. It was unlike anything I’ve done before on the Web. Knowing some of the things I’m going to share, before you start building, could save you some headache.

Here is the summary of my experience, more details below.

Key insights

They expect you to make a onepage application (SPA)

The polaris design system officially only supports react

Integration with the shop frontend is difficult if you’re not making a theme

Integrating functionality via webhooks is more tedious than it needs to be

Payments are simple to implement, once you understand how

The API is constantly changing in big ways

The API is surprisingly unreliable

Backend reliability isn’t great

Local development of integrated apps is hard

Modifying the checkout is not possible

They expect you to make a onepage application

Once you start studying the documentation and examples you’ll quickly notice all the examples use NodeJS and React. No big deal, right? That’s what’s all the rage these days, so it makes sense to build the docs to match that.

The Passion Economy and the Future of Work – Li Jin

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 12:00:30 -0600

The Passion Economy and the Future of Work – Li Jin

Also published on a16z.com

The top-earning writer on the paid newsletter platform Substack earns more than $500,000 a year from reader subscriptions. The top content creator on Podia, a platform for video courses and digital memberships, makes more than $100,000 a month. And teachers across the US are bringing in thousands of dollars a month teaching live, virtual classes on Outschool and Juni Learning.

Those Pesky Pull Request Reviews

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 11:48:32 -0600

Those Pesky Pull Request Reviews

They’re everywhere. In Slack: “hey, can I get a review on this?” In email: “Your review is requested!” In JIRA: “8 user stories In-Progress” (but code-complete). In your repository: 5 open pull requests. They’re slowing your delivery. They’re interrupting your developers.

How can we get people to review pull requests faster??

We could blame the people . We could nag them more . We could even automate the nagging !

Building Products at Airbnb

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 11:47:23 -0600

Building Products at Airbnb

“Snow White Storyboards” at Airbnb

I asked Bring the Donuts readers to tell me more about the product culture at their own companies. I figured I’d get a handful of volunteers that I could interview. Instead, more than 150 of you offered up detailed thoughts and observations from a diverse set of companies. There are familiar big tech names, of course, but also startups, non-tech companies, and even government agencies. I’m overwhelmed by your response and grateful.

Making the case to decision makers: the presentation format to follow

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 11:25:35 -0600

Making the case to decision makers: the presentation format to follow

I wrote before about the five questions you should be asking yourself before putting together a presentation. These questions should offer guidance on what you need to think about as you prepare your content, but they don’t offer a simple format to articulate that content well.

Over the last few years, I’ve spent a good amount of time presenting to our executive leadership team. A couple of years ago, one of these presentations was directly to our CEO. As I prepared for it, I spent dozens of hours, 50 different presentation styles and outlines, and many different pre-meetings to test out my template until I came around to this one. Since then, I’ve been using this as my guiding format to build the case for decisions makers. It’s also the format that runs in my head as I get a presentation where I need to make a call.

Bidenomics, explained

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 11:09:52 -0600

Bidenomics, explained

“When the formula stops working, you change the formula.” — Arin Hanson

“The era of ‘big government is over’ is over.” — James Medlock

I know this post has a very Vox-like title, but in fact I’m not going to go through Biden’s new infrastructure plan point by point and tell you what’s in it. if you want that, you can check out the actual Vox explainer , or the always-excellent writeup by the WaPo’s Jeff Stein et al. You can also check out Brad DeLong’s thoughts and David Roberts’ deep dive into the climate aspects. I’m sure there will be more in the days to come, and I’ll have plenty of thoughts on the specific provisions as well.

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 10:55:36 -0600

Checked in at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge .

39.8198151-104.8611075

Sat, 03 Apr 2021 12:20:53 -0600

Checked in at Waterton Canyon .

39.491323-105.0936893

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 09:33:21 -0600

Checked in at Chase Bank .

Trying to close on our house. Starting to hate Chase — with erika

39.752-105.001559

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 17:31:23 -0600

Checked in at Slohi City Park .

39.74032-104.94953

The Let-Down Effect: Why You Might Feel Bad After the Pressure Is Off | Wellness | US News

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 21:01:25 -0600

The Let-Down Effect: Why You Might Feel Bad After the Pressure Is Off | Wellness | US News

How to Successfully Join a Company as Engineering Manager

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 17:10:21 -0600

How to Successfully Join a Company as Engineering Manager

Shut up and listen

Before joining the company, a friend, who’s also kind of a mentor, gave me invaluable advice: “Use the first three months to learn as much as you can about the organization and its culture, decision-making methodologies, processes, ownership, development cycle, and more. Observe, ask many questions, document, but keep feedback and suggestions for changes to yourself.”

If you knew me, you’d know that this isn’t my nature, yet I followed his advice. I resisted the urge of pointing out problems that seemed crucial because I knew I didn’t have the full picture. It’s a good thing I did, because many times, these problems turned out to be marginal when I became aware of the greater context. I kept reminding myself not to try to fix things that are not broken, simply because I’m used to doing them differently.

A concept from physics called negentropy could help your life run smoother

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 16:22:38 -0600

A concept from physics called negentropy could help your life run smoother

Energy loss in your daily life is just like heat leaking out of a badly sealed house. Credit: Passivhaus Institut , CC BY-SA

Life is full of small decisions: Should I pick up that sock on the floor? Should I do the dishes before bed? What about fixing the leaky faucet in the bathroom?

Leaving a sock on the ground is a manifestation of a concept from physics you may have heard of: entropy . Entropy is a measure of how much energy is lost in a system. If a system loses too much energy, it will disintegrate into chaos. It takes only a little bit of energy to pick up one sock. But if you don’t take care of your yard, let pipes stay clogged and never fix electrical problems, it all adds up to a chaotic home that would take a lot of energy to fix. And that chaos will leach away your time and ability to accomplish other things .

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 12:07:24 -0600

Checked in at GREEN MOUNTAIN PARK .

39.6904016-105.1522934

The Elusive Pursuit of Getting It (all) Done

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 11:17:20 -0600

The Elusive Pursuit of Getting It (all) Done

20 Mar The elusive pursuit of getting it (all) done

Posted at 12:37h in Blog by

Growing up, my French-speaking parents always warned me about having “plus de gueule que de sac.”

While the Google translation is entertaining, English has its own version: “Having eyes bigger than your stomach.” Growing up, this idiom always stayed with me, whether it was at the all-you-can-eat hotel buffet or a post-soccer practice McDonalds run.

Healthy Goals

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 11:12:42 -0600

Healthy Goals

Goal Setting by Julian Cutler

I worked with a manager once who explained his rationale behind goal-setting:

Without goals, no one will do anything! There’s no accountability on the team. People don’t take their commitments seriously. They give me silly excuses. Whenever I turn around, they are chatting on Slack or on Reddit. I’m not sure what they do all day. It feels like we are going in circles. Without goals, it will be impossible to keep score, and if I need to manage someone out, it will be hard! So yes, goals are important!

Outgrowing software — Benedict Evans

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 08:30:47 -0600

Outgrowing software — Benedict Evans

Ten years ago Marc Andreessen wrote an article in the WSJ called ‘Software is eating the world ’, arguing that there was a fundamental shift in the role that software plays in the economy. In the past, IBM, Oracle or Microsoft sold technology to other companies, as a tool. They sold computers and software to GE, P&G and Citibank. Now there’s a generation of companies that both create software and use it themselves to enter another industry, and often to change it. Uber and Airbnb don’t sell software to taxi companies and hotel companies, Instacart doesn’t sell software to grocery companies, and Transferwise doesn’t sell software to banks.

Terror in a Boulder supermarket: How the King Soopers shooting unfolded

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 08:55:07 -0600

Terror in a Boulder supermarket: How the King Soopers shooting unfolded

BOULDER, Colo. — Dean Schiller was nearby shopping when he heard the shots. So Schiller, who regularly live-streams crime scenes on YouTube, hustled over to the entrance of the King Soopers supermarket.

Immediately, he came upon two bodies, sprawled on the pavement.

“Whoa, someone’s down right here,” he narrated. At the store entrance, he asked a man, “Did you see which way the shooter went?”

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 09:32:07 -0600

Checked in at Birdcall .

39.7544788-104.9766835

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 09:15:59 -0600

Checked in at Queen City Coffee Collective .

39.757412-104.9744

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 12:07:29 -0600

Checked in at Children’s Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora .

39.7417805-104.8348737

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 10:07:19 -0600

Checked in at Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen .

Breakfast on the move. Kicked out of our house for more showings — with erika

39.7548357-104.9775313

Sat, 20 Mar 2021 18:52:42 -0600

Checked in at Tacos Tequila Whiskey .

39.7620121-105.0300189

Presentations — Benedict Evans

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 22:36:31 -0700

Presentations — Benedict Evans

The Great Unbundling

Every year, I produce a big presentation digging into macro and strategic trends in the tech industry. This year, ‘The Great Unbundling’.

Covid brought shock and a lot of broken habits to tech, but mostly, it accelerates everything that was already changing. 20 trillion dollars of retail, brands, TV and advertising is being overturned, and software is remaking everything from cars to pharma. Meanwhile, China has more smartphone users than Europe and the USA combined, and India is close behind – technology and innovation will be much more widely spread. For that and lots of other reasons, tech is becoming a regulated industry, but if we step over the slogans, what does that actually mean? Tech is entering its second 50 years.

Keyring 3.0

Sun, 28 Feb 2021 13:16:27 -0700

Well it’s been a while, but I’ve just pushed a 3.0 release of Keyring .

Keyring is a generalized framework for WordPress which handles authentication with, and authenticated requests to remote services. It provides a set of predefined “Services” which describe how to communicate with a collection of popular platforms, and also makes it easy for you to plug into that framework and define your own Services for other systems.

This version includes a bunch of improvements and compatibility updates, including all sorts of contributions from other folks. There are a lot of fixes and tweaks that have come back into the project as part of it being used on WordPress.com, and as part of the hiring process at Automattic.

Your Engineering Team Is (probably) Too Big

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 22:11:11 -0700

Your Engineering Team Is (probably) Too Big

David Adams Nov 5, 2019 · 5 min read

Source: Rob Curran via Unsplash

Of all the places you can spend money in a tech company, the engineering team is often by far the largest cost-centre. Similar to digital ads, it’s also a place where, if you aren’t careful, you can waste a lot of money.

If less is more, think how much more more would be

Short Fat Engineers Are Undervalued

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 23:11:34 -0700

Short Fat Engineers Are Undervalued

Professionals supposedly come in two shapes: either short and fat, or tall and skinny, meaning their skill set is either broad or deep. They can also be T-shaped —knowing a lot about a little and a little about a lot—but in this metaphor, that’s a compromise. After all, even a T need not have a 1:1 aspect ratio.

Should we prefer either dimension over the other when studying or hiring? Both dimensions can be useful; but breadth gives us perspective, and thus wisdom. On a long enough time line, wisdom is always more valuable than knowledge.

Leading Without Managing

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 23:07:30 -0700

Leading Without Managing

What does it mean to lead when you don’t have coercive power to get your way?

Good managers are often good leaders. But managers don’t have to be good

leaders to get their way because they have authority to make decisions

unilaterally.

What if you don’t have that authority?

Perhaps you’re an individual contributor. Perhaps you are a manager, but

want to show leadership when you’re the junior person in the room. In both

Take Your Full Lunch Break. Schedule Your PTO.

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 22:20:09 -0700

Take Your Full Lunch Break. Schedule Your PTO.

Christina M. Tapper

12 hours ago·3 min read

Photo: Westend61/Getty Images

Many of us are either caught up in multitasking a day’s worth of work (for both for the job and home) or frozen on our couches, trying to make sense of the stunning events of the last year. Our bodies are fatigued; our minds are fogged. And while we may already have an intimate (and unfortunate) relationship with exhaustion due to oppressive societal demands, the indefatigable enervation that we are experiencing is on a whole new level.

Shopify — Benedict Evans

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 22:21:52 -0700

Shopify — Benedict Evans

This is an impressive story of entrepreneurship, and of the acceleration of ecommerce in lockdown, but it’s interesting more generally because it illustrates three pretty important trends in tech and ecommerce.

1: “No-one can compete with Amazon”

Shopify isn’t doing what Amazon does – it isn’t competing directly and it wouldn’t fit inside a competition lawyer’s market definition (I wrote more about the market definition challenge here ). But it challenges Amazon at a very basic point of leverage by doing something different, but relevant. This is very often what competitive threats look like in technology. In markets with strong network effects or winner-takes-most effects, it’s very hard to displace a new incumbent directly, but pretty common to address an underlying customer need in another way. So, Google doesn’t think about Bing nearly as much as it thinks about Amazon and Facebook, and Amazon thinks about Shopify, because they change what the businesses might be, and offer your customers a different way to solve their problem.

Why did I leave Google or, why did I stay so long?

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 08:58:47 -0700

Why did I leave Google or, why did I stay so long?

It’s been two weeks since I left Google and I keep getting asked “why did I leave now”? I think the better question is “why did I stay for so long”? When Waze was acquired by Google, most of the people who know me did not believe I would last 7 weeks, let alone 7 years…

So the question of why I stayed has many different aspects to it. When we were evaluating the offers to sell the company, we asked ourselves what would really change by being acquired? Due to a bunch of mistakes early on, we did not own substantial amounts of equity and had a pretty bad relationship with some of our board members. I remember the bottom line: “wouldn’t you rather work for Larry Page than our current board”? We were committed to our mission and saw this as a change in the cap table rather than a change of mission. This counted on the fact that Google had promised us autonomy to continue to act as Waze and we believed them.

Microsoft Analyzed Data on Its Newly Remote Workforce

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 15:18:44 -0700

Microsoft Analyzed Data on Its Newly Remote Workforce

Teams that don’t communicate. Market disruption. Unidentified logjams. Employee burnout. Lost efficiency. As part of a group of data scientists, management consultants, and engineers at Microsoft, we help companies harness behavioral data to measure and solve these kinds of challenges — the kinds that firms feel but usually cannot see.

Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) | GitLab

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 15:04:52 -0700

Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) | GitLab

You are here:
About GitLab
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)

Maintained by:

[ Stella Treas

@streas](https://gitlab.com/streas )

Most recent OKRs

All our OKRs are public and listed on the pages below.

What are OKRs?

OKRs stand for Objectives and Key Results and are our quarterly objectives.

OKRs are how to achieve the goal of the Key Performance Indicators KPIs .

The Jagged Stones of Dublin

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 14:38:08 -0700

The Jagged Stones of Dublin

This is a true story about my last trip to Dublin. It happened over two years ago. Some details may have blurred over time. You have my permission to laugh at my discomfort.

Sunny Dublin

I was going to Dublin, Ireland for a payments conference. This was my second trip to Dublin. I love the pub food. I love the Guinness. And I love the people. I think we resonate on a similar frequency. There’s a blue collar, wise-cracking attitude that reminds me of growing up in the Midwest.

Be a Schedule Builder, Not a To-Do List Maker

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 14:17:47 -0700

Be a Schedule Builder, Not a To-Do List Maker

Imagine you bought a new phone, but at the end of each day, every day, the operating system crashed. Would you keep using the faulty phone? Of course not. You’d take it back to the store, complain, and get a new one.

And yet, many people run their entire lives on a faulty operating system. It’s called the to-do list. Have you ever met someone who runs their day using a to-do list and actually finishes everything they said they’d do? Me neither.

There Are Spying Eyes Everywhere—and Now They Share a Brain

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 13:27:24 -0700

There Are Spying Eyes Everywhere—and Now They Share a Brain

Security cameras. License plate readers. Smartphone trackers. Drones. We’re being watched 24/7. What happens when all those data streams fuse into one?

One afternoon in the fall of 2019, in a grand old office building near the Arc de Triomphe, I was buzzed through an unmarked door into a showroom for the future of surveillance. The space on the other side was dark and sleek, with a look somewhere between an Apple Store and a doomsday bunker. Along one wall, a grid of electronic devices glinted in the moody downlighting—automated license plate readers, Wi-Fi-enabled locks, boxy data processing units. I was here to meet Giovanni Gaccione, who runs the public safety division of a security technology company called Genetec. Headquartered in Montreal, the firm operates four of these “Experience Centers” around the world, where it peddles intelligence products to government officials. Genetec’s main sell here was software, and Gaccione had agreed to show me how it worked.

Strategies for Learning from Failure

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 15:57:46 -0700

Strategies for Learning from Failure

The wisdom of learning from failure is incontrovertible. Yet organizations that do it well are extraordinarily rare. This gap is not due to a lack of commitment to learning. Managers in the vast majority of enterprises that I have studied over the past 20 years—pharmaceutical, financial services, product design, telecommunications, and construction companies; hospitals; and NASA’s space shuttle program, among others—genuinely wanted to help their organizations learn from failures to improve future performance. In some cases they and their teams had devoted many hours to after-action reviews, postmortems, and the like. But time after time I saw that these painstaking efforts led to no real change. The reason: Those managers were thinking about failure the wrong way.

Scaling Product Delivery: The “Dirty” Secret of High Performing Product Teams

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 15:27:35 -0700

Scaling Product Delivery: The “Dirty” Secret of High Performing Product Teams

Andy Johns

Andy Johns is a Partner at Unusual Ventures, ex-Wealthfront, Quora, Facebook and co-creator of the Scaling Product Delivery program.

Matt Greenberg

Matt Greenberg is the CTO at Reforge, former VP Engineering at Credit Karma, and co-creator of the Scaling Product Delivery program.

Now Accepting Applications for All Live Programs. Click Here to Apply

The Dirty Secret of High Performing Product Teams

The dirty secret of Silicon Valley is that most great product teams follow a system that resembles waterfall (gasp!) to launch new innovative features/products repeatably. The system starts with high conviction based on judgment, intuition, and instinct rather than relying on iterative customer feedback to build conviction over time.

Some Open-Source Projects Are More Open Than Others

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 07:37:27 -0700

Some Open-Source Projects Are More Open Than Others

Piotr Zakrzewski is a sometime-contributor to open source projects. He’s not a regular on any one project, but more of a dabbler — a self-described “outsider contributor” who sometimes submits pull requests to projects he enjoys using.

In fact, Zakrzewski said, many contributors to open-source projects are outsiders.

“We are talking about people who usually use the project,” he said. “They don’t work on the project directly, they just use it for something else. And they found a bug or a missing feature, and because they were passionate about it and they like open source, they decided to give it a chance and make a contribution.”

Tools for Effective Delegation in Engineering Management

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 23:31:00 -0700

Tools for Effective Delegation in Engineering Management

Maybe it’s a piece of code that we’ve shepherded for many years, or maybe it’s a program or project that has special importance. And, while many times we will have confidence in the person to whom we are delegating, it may still feel uncomfortable letting go. Delegating has been a frequent topic among my clients of late, so I thought I’d share some of the lessons I’ve learned over the years.

Leading your engineering team with ‘experiments’ not ‘processes’

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 23:14:23 -0700

Leading your engineering team with ‘experiments’ not ‘processes’

Process monster (n): a manager for whom the answer is always, always ‘process’. The process monster will add more and more processes to the team until the team collapses under the weight of them. Eventually, the monster will move to another role, and the failure of the team will be explained as ‘resistance to process’.

I’m sure you’ve encountered process monsters in the wild before. Some have enough empathy and are in the right roles to be successful, while some have the effect of strong glue: slowly grinding a team to a halt under the illusion of improving efficiency that never materializes.

6 Lessons I Learned While Implementing Technical RFCs as a Decision Making Tool

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 19:49:13 -0700

6 Lessons I Learned While Implementing Technical RFCs as a Decision Making Tool

Process is what I ship 🚢

This situation was the result of a process failure, and given that process is what I ship as the VP of Engineering, I was also responsible for improving the process so the team doesn’t find itself in these positions. We needed a way to make decisions as a team that would allow us to:

How We Introduced Levels to Our Engineering Organisation Without Losing People or Hurting Our Productivity

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 00:09:29 -0700

How We Introduced Levels to Our Engineering Organisation Without Losing People or Hurting Our Productivity

#### Dafna Rosenblum

Jan 30·6 min read

Photo by Chad Greiter on Unsplash

Why

The good thing about levels, is the transparency. When it’s clear to people what’s expected of them, stress goes down. It’s much easier to give frequent feedback with reference. “Remember that expectation from the list? I think you can improve in it by doing this and that”. With frequent feedback and low stress levels, productivity goes up. Aspiring to progress towards the next level can encourage managers to be more mindful about careers when allocating people to certain projects or tasks.

What I’ve Learned in 45 Years in the Software Industry

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 17:19:14 -0700

What I’ve Learned in 45 Years in the Software Industry

BTI360 teammate Joel Goldberg recently retired after working in the software industry for over four decades. When he left he shared with our team some of the lessons he learned over his career. With his permission, we reshare his wisdom here.

Looking back on four decades in the software industry, I’m struck by how much has changed. I started my career with punch cards and I am ending in the era of cloud computing. Despite all this change, many principles that have helped me throughout my career haven’t changed and continue to be relevant. As I step away from the keyboard, I want to share six ideas I’ve learned from my career as a software engineer.

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 12:59:57 -0700

Checked in at Costco .

with erika

39.7898409-105.0825361

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 11:22:51 -0700

Checked in at Whole Foods Market .

39.73635-105.1612972

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 16:31:41 -0700

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

39.7550951-104.9770794

2021 State of Remote Work

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 13:30:24 -0700

2021 State of Remote Work

Overview

The world of remote work is growing more than ever before. This year, we not only surveyed people who were remote by choice, but also people who started working remotely suddenly and during a pandemic. Forty-five percent of respondents to this year’s State of Remote Work survey are working remotely due to COVID-19 (see chart #5).

Despite nearly half of the respondents being pushed to work from home in 2020, the responses to our first two questions stayed nearly the same as in previous years when that wasn’t the case. Overwhelmingly, remote workers would like to work remotely at least some of the time for the rest of their careers (see chart #1) and, just as we’ve seen in the past few years, 97 percent of remote workers would recommend remote work to others (see chart #2).

What Is Product-Led Growth & Why It’s Taking Off?

Sun, 07 Feb 2021 12:38:23 -0700

What Is Product-Led Growth & Why It’s Taking Off?

Product-Led Growth is defined as a go-to-market strategy that relies on using your product as the main vehicle to acquire, activate, and retain customers. If you’ve used Slack or Dropbox, you’ve witnessed this first-hand-you didn’t read a lengthy whitepaper on the benefits of strong internal communication or cloud-based file sharing. You wanted to see the product in action!

What Makes Product-Led Growth Unique?

Unlike sales-led companies where the whole goal is to take a buyer from Point A to Point B in a sales cycle, product-led companies flip the traditional sales model on its head. Product-led companies make this possible by giving the buyer the “keys” to use the product and helping them experience a meaningful outcome while using the product. At this point, upgrading to a paid plan becomes a no-brainer.

How to Join a Team and Learn a Codebase

Sun, 07 Feb 2021 11:58:13 -0700

How to Join a Team and Learn a Codebase

Home > Articles > new codebase, who dis? (How to Join a Team and Learn a Codebase)

new codebase, who dis? (How to Join a Team and Learn a Codebase)

I have switched teams more often than I have had to implement an AVL tree, and you can guess which one of those two was taught in school. I wish someone had taught me how to join a new team! While learning a new codebase can be daunting, I’ve found a few things that work for me.

How Big Technical Changes Happen at Slack

Sun, 07 Feb 2021 11:51:35 -0700

How Big Technical Changes Happen at Slack

Most new things in technology turn out to be fads: patterns of talking and doing that come and go without leaving a permanent mark. Microkernels; EPIC architectures like IA-64; object request brokers; and 1990s’-style neural nets are gone, and will not return. Sorry for the deep throwbacks; only time proves which things are fads, so for uncontroversial examples we have to reach pretty far back.

How to Measure and Improve Success in Your Engineering Team

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 23:01:12 -0700

How to Measure and Improve Success in Your Engineering Team

Eric Rabinovich

Jan 24·13 min read

As an engineering leader, senior developer, or founder of a new startup, I want you to take a minute and think — really think — about a project you are currently working on.

Now, let me ask you four questions about that project:

What will you consider a huge success?
What will you consider a massive failure?
How do you know that you are currently on the right path towards success?
And my last question is, once finished, how can you tell if you nail what you wanted to achieve?

As developers or engineering managers, we run many projects — including:

“How Do I Feel Worthwhile as a Manager When My People Are Doing All the Implementing?”

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 23:20:54 -0700

“How Do I Feel Worthwhile as a Manager When My People Are Doing All the Implementing?”

“How do I feel worthwhile as a manager when my people are doing all the implementing?”

— An Engineering Manager

Hey, real quick: how long have you been managing? If it’s less than two years, honey, the answer is “you don’t.” Your feelings about your performance don’t mean much in a new role. If you think you’re crushing it, you probably aren’t. But hey, if you think you’re screwing it up royally, you probably aren’t that either. ☺️

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:43:34 -0700

Checked in at Natural Grocers .

39.7729348-104.9758995

From Software Engineer to CTO. Cathy Polinsky, former CTO @ Stitch Fix… | by Pear VC | Sep, 2020 | Medium | Medium

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 23:00:35 -0700

From Software Engineer to CTO. Cathy Polinsky, former CTO @ Stitch Fix… | by Pear VC | Sep, 2020 | Medium | Medium

Laying the groundwork as a software engineer scaling early Amazon

Like many young graduates in computer science today, Cathy’s first job out of school was as a software engineer at a fast growing company — Amazon, in 1999, right before the dotcom crash.

“I thought I’d missed the interesting times at Amazon. I thought I’d missed the early stage startup. Little did I know, I was living the interesting times. It was a gritty time. I was there during the dotcom collapse and all my stock was underwater,” Cathy recalls.

How to Start a New Tech Exec Job

Sun, 31 Jan 2021 10:51:50 -0700

How to Start a New Tech Exec Job

#### Nir Rubinstein

Jan 21·5 min read

This will be a bit different from the usual stuff I write about, which usually deals with tech stacks and architecture. Why? Well, I recently took on a new position and I knew that I had to set up some clear basic guidelines to myself on how I’m going to tackle this new challenge.
See, my last place of employment was the longest stint of my career — close to 9 years. In that time, I had the privilege of joining a startup of 2 co-founders and watching it grow to a 1000+ people company. Needles to say, growing a company means that you get to witness, firsthand, a lot of new people take on new roles. That being the case, and if you’re a vigilant learner, you can learn a lot about the dos and don’tsof how tostart a new job.

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 12:57:05 -0700

Checked in at New Terrain Brewing Co .

Mid-ride refresher. Windy AF.

39.7794665-105.1860322

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 17:30:34 -0700

Checked in at REI .

Picking up Leroy.

39.755622-105.009853

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 16:03:09 -0700

Checked in at Chimney Gulch .

39.750258-105.2312998

The Codeless Code: Case 154 A Bridge To Nowhere

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 23:09:06 -0700

The Codeless Code: Case 154 A Bridge To Nowhere

A bridge builder was completing his inspection

of Zjing’s Bridge when he spied master Kaimu standing nearby.

The builder said to Kaimu: “I have heard your monks

speak of themselves as ‘software engineers.’ As a true

engineer I find such talk absurd…

“In my profession we analyze all aspects of our task

before the first plank is cut.

When our blueprints are done I can tell you exactly how much

Strategy Turns

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 23:05:29 -0700

Strategy Turns

Real rockets don’t go straight up. They go up, and then they turn.

Rockets do this to transition from “mostly going up” to “mostly going sideways” in order to achieve orbit. This is known as a gravity turn (technically, they pitchover , but that’s a less catchy title).

I see a lot of “turns” in life – when something makes sense to do at first, but becomes a bad idea once you’re established, and you notice the “pros” do something else instead.

Feedback

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 23:32:26 -0700

Feedback

1/12/2021

By: Josh Sloat

Why do we stink at giving feedback?

Giving feedback is hard … really hard … because we tend to focus more on the criticism and less on the human receiving it. As a giver of feedback, we must learn to separate these and deliver our message in a more emotionally friendly manner.

Humans are highly emotional creatures and receiving feedback puts us in a highly vulnerable position. If navigated without awareness and sensitivity, feedback often leads to an emotional response. It’s well understood by psychologists that our brain’s emotional muscle is far more dominant than its objective counterpart. Once engaged – especially in a negative manner – any logical, constructive conversation immediately becomes an impossible journey.

The Middle Slump: The Power of Weekly Project Goals

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 07:17:02 -0700

The Middle Slump: The Power of Weekly Project Goals

There’s a thing writers call the middle slump. It’s that period in the middle of writing something when the author has lost initial momentum, feels stuck and has difficulty making forward progress.

A post in the writing subreddit frames it well: “The beginning of your story is so far behind you and yet the end is nowhere in sight”.

The idea of the middle slump is pretty universal. There are examples everywhere. From the infamous mid-life crisis to the way 2/3ds of the population feels in the afternoon .

How to Do Pay Transparency Right | Built In CO

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 23:20:40 -0700

How to Do Pay Transparency Right | Built In CO

For most of her career, Caryn Hubbard thought of salaries as a private matter. Then, she joined Buffer as its VP of finance.

Known for its culture of radical transparency, Buffer posts salary information for its employees online. That means anyone — not just other employees — can find her and her coworkers’ salaries on Buffer’s website. The exposure took some getting used to at first, she said, but it’s also had a profound impact on how she thinks about salaries.

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 18:28:35 -0700

Checked in at REI .

Back for more, always.

39.755622-105.009853

No, Engineers Don’t Suck at Time Estimates

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 22:48:50 -0700

No, Engineers Don’t Suck at Time Estimates

No, engineers don’t suck at time estimates – and generally speaking humans are better estimators than what most people believe. This seems rather surprising given all we’ve heard about the problems of bad time estimations, projects going overboard, etc and of course, your personal experience with software time estimates. But if people are really bad at estimation, how does that fit with our obvious evolutionary need to make quick decisions based on partial data? if we can’t estimate well how did we decide if a gap is wide enough to jump over, if an animal is worth the hunt, if a certain area is more likely to have water and shade? Without estimation skills we wouldn’t survive. So what’s going on?

Principles of the Urban Sky

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 22:35:12 -0700

Principles of the Urban Sky

Image: World Economic Forum

Safety

The dawn of the jet age unlocked new possibilities for long-distance travel and commerce, with commercial aviation becoming the world’s safest form of travel. The aviation industry’s ability to effectively manage operational risk has created expectations among the travelling public, regulatory authorities and other government stakeholders regarding safety. Therefore, to gain acceptance, new forms of air transport will need to achieve levels of safety performance consistent with conventional aviation operations. UAM operations will need to assure safety through adherence to regulatory requirements and industry standards that have contributed to aviation’s current safety record.

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 15:49:42 -0700

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

Patio beers — with erika

39.7550951-104.9770794

Best Satellite Messengers: Comparison & Reviews | REI Co-op Journal

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 13:45:26 -0700

Best Satellite Messengers: Comparison & Reviews | REI Co-op Journal

With the recent launch of two new satellite messengers, the Garmin inReach Mini and the SPOT X, backcountry enthusiasts have more options than ever for staying connected when venturing off the grid. You might be wondering, “Which satellite messenger is best for me?”

We’re here to help you make that decision with a rundown of the major differences between four of the most popular satellite messengers we carry at REI—the Garmin inReach Mini , Garmin inReach Explorer+ , SPOT X and SPOT Gen3 .

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 12:02:51 -0700

Checked in at REI .

with erika

39.755622-105.009853

[DATA] Post-Pandemic Silicon Valley Isn’t A Place

Sat, 23 Jan 2021 07:34:20 -0700

[DATA] Post-Pandemic Silicon Valley Isn’t A Place

Where are tech companies going to go once the pandemic subsides as vaccines reach more and more Americans?

I wanted to provide granular data to the question of how concentrated the technology in the Bay Area will be after the pandemic. I’ve been tracking data on this question for several years internally within the Initialized Capital portfolio, both through annual founder surveys and in looking at the geographic composition of company headquarters across funds. Typically, we get around 90 companies responding per survey.

Think You Don’t Have Enough Time? Think Again.

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 21:46:00 -0700

Think You Don’t Have Enough Time? Think Again.

“Not enough time” is likely not the source of your inability to get things done. The “Vicious Cycle of Distraction” is to blame.

#### Nir Eyal

6 hours ago·5 min read

A few weeks ago I saw this chart, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it:

According to this data, the average working American spends more than two hours watching TV per day, and has more than four hours per day of overall leisure time.

Principles of the Urban Sky | World Economic Forum

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 21:31:51 -0700

Principles of the Urban Sky | World Economic Forum

The future of the skies is in development today, as next-generation aviation technologies are tested, certified and piloted for commercial operations in coming years. A different type of aircraft – one better suited to urban transport – is emerging. This reflects a mix of novel designs (combining vertical take-off-and-landing configurations with distributed propulsion), improvements in alternative energy sources, and greater quality and availability of digital connectivity.

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 13:50:20 -0700

Checked in at New Terrain Brewing Co .

39.7794665-105.1860322

Business, Product, and Marketing Concepts for Engineers

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 13:24:30 -0700

I worked as a full stack engineer/developer for many years before going into more leadership type positions, where an understanding of the business itself became much more important than specific product experiences, features, or codebases. Along that journey I’ve needed to learn a lot of acronyms and concepts that aren’t a part of pure engineering, and would like to summarize some of the more fundamental pieces below in case they’re useful for others making a similar transition.

They Can’t Leave the Bay Area Fast Enough

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 07:06:44 -0700

They Can’t Leave the Bay Area Fast Enough

San Francisco doesn’t have the same hold on the tech world, now that remote work is here to stay.Credit…Lucas Foglia for The New York Times

As a tech era draws to an end, more workers and companies are packing up. What comes next?

San Francisco doesn’t have the same hold on the tech world, now that remote work is here to stay.Credit…Lucas Foglia for The New York Times

Cracking the Engineering Manager Interview

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 23:03:49 -0700

Cracking the Engineering Manager Interview

Cracking the Engineering Manager interview — Part 1

Srivatsan Sridharan Dec 14, 2020 · 9 min read

Practical steps to prepare for and ace your next engineering manager interview

Image credits: Nick Youngson

While coding interviews have become more or less standardized across the industry, there is still a big variability when it comes to hiring for Engineering Manager roles. What questions get asked in an EM interview, is a concern on many peoples’ minds. It certainly was on my mind during my recent job search a few months ago. I ended up interviewing for EM roles at several top tech companies and learned a lot through the process. I’ve also built EM interview loops in the past and have been a hiring manager for EMs.

My Favorite Management Hack of 2020

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 22:50:15 -0700

My Favorite Management Hack of 2020

2020 was a rough year for everyone, even for those of us blessed to be able to work from home. Psychologically and emotionally, it’s easy to feel disconnected and lonely when you don’t see people outside your household for weeks and months on end. And this presents some unique challenges for maintaining culture and productivity, and keeping morale up in general.

The Challenge

When the pandemic hit in March and everyone in the world started working remotely, we were worried about how to keep people connected and plugged in. We had to adapt quickly to keep communication flowing and make sure that everyone felt connected and a part of the community that we somewhat lost when everyone stopped going into the office.

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 12:52:32 -0700

Checked in at Teller Farm Trailhead .

40.0217297-105.1586724

100 Tips For A Better Life

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 17:12:27 -0700

100 Tips For A Better Life

The other day I made an advice thread based on Putanumonit’s from last year! If you know a source for one of these, shout and I’ll edit it in.

Possessions

1 .If you want to find out about people’s opinions on a product, google reddit. You’ll get real people arguing, as compared to the SEO’d Google results.

Some banks charge you $20 a month for an account, others charge you 0. If you’re with one of the former, have a good explanation for what those $20 are buying.

3. Things you use for a significant fraction of your life (bed: 1/3rd, office-chair: 1/4th) are worth investing in.

Beer Mode and Coffee Mode – David Perell

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 07:28:01 -0700

Beer Mode and Coffee Mode – David Perell

Creatives have two ways of working: open mode and closed mode.

Open mode is a state of unfocused play where you discover new ideas. In contrast, closed mode is a state of focus where you work towards a specific outcome.

The problem with traditional productivity advice is that it doesn’t take open mode seriously. Standard tropes like turn off the Internet, tune out distractions, and turn towards your goals are all examples of closed mode thinking. The productivity world is oriented around closed mode because it’s easy to define, easy to measure, and therefore, easier to write about.

A Team Charter Template You Can Use Today

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 21:58:32 -0700

A Team Charter Template You Can Use Today

August 17, 2018

Digital Collaboration

Remote Work

Visual Thinking

Templates

[

Back to All Posts](https://www.mural.co/blog ) David Chin

Design Strategist at MURAL // Moving beyond the pixels to connect intuition, reason, and opportunity.

What qualities define a successful, productive team?

✔︎ Dedication

✔︎ Transparency

✔︎ Empathy

✔︎ …

The list goes on and on…

There are many concepts that qualify as “positive team attributes”, but not every team works in the same way or values the same things – so there’s no universal guide that every team can follow to find success.

The 3 most effective ways to build trust as a leader – Know Your Team | Blog

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 21:54:18 -0700

The 3 most effective ways to build trust as a leader – Know Your Team | Blog

Based on data from 597 people, the best ways to build trust as a leader aren’t what you think they are.

How do you build trust as a leader? The answer seems intuitive enough.

For many of us, we hold company off-sites and run team-building activities. Informal lunches, monthly social get-togethers, and one-on-one meetings are part of how we build trust at work.

A 25-Year-Old Bet Comes Due: Has Tech Destroyed Society?

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 09:48:59 -0700

A 25-Year-Old Bet Comes Due: Has Tech Destroyed Society?

In 1995, a WIRED cofounder challenged a Luddite-loving doomsayer to a prescient wager on tech and civilization’s fate. Now their judge weighs in.

On March 6, 1995, WIRED’s executive editor and resident techno-optimist Kevin Kelly went to the Greenwich Village apartment of the author Kirkpatrick Sale. Kelly had asked Sale for an interview. But he planned an ambush.

Kelly had just read an early copy of Sale’s upcoming book, called Rebels Against the Future. It told the story of the 19th-century Luddites, a movement of workers opposed to the machinery of the Industrial Revolution. Before their rebellion was squashed and their leaders hanged, they literally destroyed some of the mechanized looms that, they believed, reduced them to cogs in a dehumanizing engine of mass production.

Reverse Engineering the source code of the BioNTech/Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine – Articles

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 09:46:53 -0700

Reverse Engineering the source code of the BioNTech/Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine – Articles

Welcome! In this post, we’ll be taking a character-by-character look at the

source code of the BioNTech/Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine.

*I want to thank the large cast of people who spent time previewing this

article for legibility and correctness. All mistakes remain mine though,

but I would love to hear about them quickly at bert@hubertnet.nl or

@PowerDNS_Bert *

Now, these words may be somewhat jarring – the vaccine is a liquid that gets

Owning Your Onboarding (Specially in Remote Work)

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 18:46:25 -0700

Owning Your Onboarding (Specially in Remote Work)

Career moves like starting a new role are challenging, can often be unnerving, and for sure requires leveling up.

A few months back, I accepted an offer with another business group at Intel. To me, it was a great way of exploring new opportunities within the company and experiencing another flavor of its engineering culture. This new role was a scale-up from my previous one, a lot of new areas for me to contribute, learn, and explore.

3 Ways to Increase Running Cadence for Speed – PodiumRunner

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 18:08:49 -0700

3 Ways to Increase Running Cadence for Speed – PodiumRunner

To run faster, you either need to take longer strides or quicker strides. While both stride length and rate will increase as you become a fitter, stronger, more experienced runner, focusing on increasing your running cadence, or stride rate, may help you get faster quicker and more safely.

Runners, especially inexperienced or developing runners, often take longer strides when they speed up. “Among most distance runners, bias is always toward stride length initially,” says Bryan Heiderscheit, Director of the Runner’s Clinic through the University of Wisconsin Sports Medicine Center and a leading researcher on cadence. “Then they start to have that overstriding, overreaching landing.”

The Rise Of Everywhere – AVC

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 17:46:37 -0700

The Rise Of Everywhere – AVC

This is a theme I have come back to many times over the last decade but in the wake of all of the headlines about high profile founders, VCs, and companies leaving the bay area, I thought I would return to it.

There is no question that the bay area is losing some talent to other markets but I don’t think that is anywhere near the most important thing. It is also the case that Google and Apple show no signs of leaving the bay area any time soon. Silicon Valley will remain a mecca for talent and tech for as far into the future as I can see.

Sat, 02 Jan 2021 12:27:49 -0700

Checked in at Coalton Trailhead .

39.9289008-105.1666641

Doing Old Things Better vs. Doing Brand New Things

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 14:55:35 -0700

Doing Old Things Better vs. Doing Brand New Things

New technologies enable activities that fall into one of two categories: 1) doing things you could already do but can now do better because they are faster, cheaper, easier, higher quality, etc. 2) doing brand new things that you simply couldn’t do before. Early in the development of new technologies, the first category tends to get more attention, but it’s the second that ends up having more impact on the world.

Manager OKRs, Maker OKRs: How Early Stage Startups Should Think About Goal-Setting

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 14:55:33 -0700

Manager OKRs, Maker OKRs: How Early Stage Startups Should Think About Goal-Setting

You’re Not Yet Google, So Don’t Blindly Mimic Their Processes

#### Hunter Walk

Dec 21, 2020·4 min read

Google’s internal management approach has sustained and scaled pretty impressively over the years. Quantitative goal-setting, setting stretch targets — these principles are as evident in the 2020s as they were when I arrived in 2003. Underpinning it all are OKRs — Objectives and Key Results — the framework by which individuals, teams and the entire company is managed. Xoogler Don Dodge did a…

Team Initiatives — Stop Starting and Start Finishing

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 14:55:32 -0700

Team Initiatives — Stop Starting and Start Finishing

Dennis Nerush Dec 31, 2020 · 5 min read

Let me know if this sounds familiar: your teammate comes up with an idea to do something great with our infrastructure, a suggestion to improve some bad process, or just a question that is worth discussing with the team, however, it stops there — in the “idea” or “suggestion” phase. How about another scenario where the team actually agrees to change something in their process, but, a few weeks later, everyone forgets about it as it wasn’t fully adopted. A week later another teammate suggests a different thing, and this cycle repeats itself.

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 15:54:04 -0700

Checked in at Molly’s Spirits .

39.7787255-105.0594376

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 14:08:23 -0700

Checked in at REI .

39.755622-105.009853

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 16:06:23 -0700

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

One on the way home

39.7550951-104.9770794

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 13:22:56 -0700

Checked in at Joyride Brewing Company .

Bike and beer, again! — with erika

39.753086-105.0535794

Freezing, Ornot. Tips for cool weather riding.

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 12:20:21 -0700

Freezing, Ornot. Tips for cool weather riding.

December 22, 2020

4 min read

Riding in the summer is 100% more comfortable than the winter. No argument. But, zwifting all winter may be 100% of a bummer. So, get out in the cold, ride your bike, feel that cold air in your lungs. Below are some tips beyond the typical, “dress in layers”, “wear our wool cap “, “use this jacket “, you need these full length bib tights , etc.

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 15:35:51 -0700

Checked in at City Park Lake .

39.746241-104.949138

Sat, 26 Dec 2020 12:43:10 -0700

Checked in at Highline Canal Trailhead .

39.5643891-104.9972002

Thu, 24 Dec 2020 12:39:49 -0700

Checked in at Waterton Canyon .

39.491323-105.0936893

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 14:03:55 -0700

Checked in at Joyride Brewing Company .

Ride here on Leroy. Very distanced, on the rooftop. Still feels weird — with erika

39.753086-105.0535794

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 13:05:14 -0700

Checked in at REI .

39.755622-105.009853

Gather & Give – Snow Peaker Responses

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 23:24:28 -0700

Gather & Give – Snow Peaker Responses

< Back to Blog

Written by: Savanna Frimoth

November

30th

2020

During the week of Thanksgiving, we asked our community of Snow Peakers to join us in spreading the spirit of giving through a series of giveaways. Your answers blew us away and we’re grateful to each person who participated. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorites and hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did! Despite the year’s challenges, we hope you all can find some solace in the outdoors, gratitude for loved ones and hope for the new year to come.

Stripe: Platform of Platforms – Stratechery by Ben Thompson

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 22:08:47 -0700

Stripe: Platform of Platforms – Stratechery by Ben Thompson

Today Stripe is announcing Stripe Treasury ; from the company’s press release :

Stripe, the technology company building economic infrastructure for the Internet, today announced that it is launching Stripe Treasury. This gives Stripe’s platform users powerful APIs to embed financial services, enabling their customers to easily send, receive and store funds…

Stripe Treasury…enabl[es] platforms like Shopify to easily offer its merchants access to critical financial products to manage their businesses’ finances. With Stripe Treasury, platforms can offer their users interest-earning accounts eligible for FDIC insurance in minutes, enabled by Evolve Bank & Trust. Platform business customers can have near-instant access to revenue earned through Stripe, spend this directly from their balance with a dedicated card, transfer it via ACH or wire transfer, pay bills, and more.

Stripe’s Remote Engineering Hub, One Year In

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 22:54:44 -0700

Stripe’s Remote Engineering Hub, One Year In

Last May, Stripe launched our remote engineering hub, a virtual office coequal with our physical engineering offices in San Francisco, Seattle, Dublin, and Singapore. We set out to hire 100 new remote engineers over the year—and did. They now work across every engineering group at Stripe. Over the last year, we’ve tripled the number of permanently remote engineers, up to 22% of our engineering population. We also hired more remote employees across all other teams, and tripled the number of remote Stripes across the company.

7 ways of giving feedback that encourage change – Know Your Team | Blog

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 22:38:57 -0700

7 ways of giving feedback that encourage change – Know Your Team | Blog

You’re giving feedback because you want your team to improve. Here’s how to give feedback that precisely helps nudge your team in the right direction.

The reason you’re giving feedback is that you want something to be different, in the first place. You want a direct report to make sure he’s not rubbing the rest of the team the wrong way. You want a new hire to improve how she interacts with clients.

Brutal Honesty And Radical Candor: 6 Ways You’re Getting Radical Candor Wrong And 5 Ways To Get It Right | Radical Candor

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 22:28:28 -0700

Brutal Honesty And Radical Candor: 6 Ways You’re Getting Radical Candor Wrong And 5 Ways To Get It Right | Radical Candor

We have learned something really important from the way that the press sometimes covers Radical Candor. And we want your advice on how to communicate this idea more clearly. We want to learn to describe Radical Candor in a way that is not open to misinterpretation: too often press articles assert that Radical Candor is the same thing as brutal honesty, as front-stabbing, or that it is some sort of license to be a jerk. It is none of those things!

Open-source excursions: A journey into remote record keeping – Increment: Remote

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 13:22:03 -0700

Open-source excursions: A journey into remote record keeping – Increment: Remote

Can you list the key points of the last meeting you attended? No? You’re not alone.

Let’s be real: We spend way too much time in meetings to leave them wondering what the point was.

Why is this so often the case?

Because we tend to leave meetings without a record of what happened, we don’t have useful artifacts to guide further action. Whether 30 minutes or two hours, the time spent in these discussions is unfulfilling, lost, and—dare I say—depleting.

How to Ruthlessly Prioritize Tasks to Get More Done

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 12:31:45 -0700

How to Ruthlessly Prioritize Tasks to Get More Done

Checking items off your to-do list is a beautiful thing—but it’s also easier said than done. The best way I’ve found to make sure you complete your tasks is through ruthless prioritization. That means deciding not to do things you’d really like to do. It also means deciding what’s the most important task even when everything on your list feels crucial.

Why Everyone’s Suddenly Hoarding Mason Jars

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 09:41:21 -0700

Why Everyone’s Suddenly Hoarding Mason Jars

How the must-have hipster vessel of DIY authenticity also became a foreboding signal of the economy.

#### Jen Doll

12 hours ago·12 min read

Illustration: Ariel Davis

Late this summer, after the pandemic turned everyone into an amateur gardener and home cook , a frenzy erupted on Facebook. Food historian Sarah Wassberg Johnson first spotted it while perusing a private Facebook group called Recipes of North Dakota — everyone was talking about mason jars. “For many of them, food preservation is a part of their daily life,” says Wassberg Johnson, who grew up in Fargo. They were keeping tabs on where they saw canning jars and lids, trying to nail down a fast-moving target. “It was this live tracking of them — this store in this town, this hardware store had them — where can you get them?”

Relax for the Same Result

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 09:23:14 -0700

Relax for the Same Result

from the book “Hell Yeah or No ”:

Relax for the same result

2015-10-02

A few years ago, I lived in Santa Monica, California, right on the beach.

There’s a great bike path that goes along the ocean for seven and a half miles.

So, fifteen miles round trip.

On weekday afternoons, it’s almost empty.

It’s perfect for going full speed.

So a few times a week, I’d get on my bike and go as fast as I could for the fifteen-mile loop.

The Future of Work Is Written

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 09:20:25 -0700

The Future of Work Is Written

Contrary to popular belief, distributed work isn’t a modern invention. The Roman Catholic Church, for example, has been working at a distance for centuries; so have organizations like the Hudson’s Bay Company.1 Distributed work is the evolution of telecommuting, which originated with in-home sales like the Tupperware parties of the 1950s. Telecommuting itself was later adopted by government institutions like NASA, motivated by the 1970s energy crisis , and eventually found its way to technology companies like IBM .

Can You Really Measure Individual Developer Productivity?

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 16:53:01 -0700

Can You Really Measure Individual Developer Productivity?

A reader asks a question that comes up at some point in every engineer’s and engineering manager’s career, where their manager, or the one above will pop the question. Can you measure engineering productivity? And if so, how can we measure it right now? They ask:

I work as an engineering manager for a company whose non-technology leadership insists there has to be a way to measure the individual productivity of a software engineer. I have the opposite belief. I don’t believe you can measure the productivity of “professional” careers, or thought workers (ex: how do measure productivity of a doctor, lawyer, or chemist?). For software engineering in particular, I feel that metrics can be gamed, don’t tell the whole story, or in some cases, are completely arbitrary.

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 12:43:23 -0700

Checked in at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge .

39.8198151-104.8611075

The Age of Infinite Leverage

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 18:08:36 -0700

The Age of Infinite Leverage

Guest Author & Illustrator: Andrew Yu Text adapted from Eric Jorgensen and The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

Leverage allows you to accomplish 100x what others can – it is a force multiplier for your effort, skill, and judgement.

Today, we live in an age of infinite leverage where our work can be replicated at no cost, and we don’t need permission to get started.

The economic rewards for genuine intellectual curiosity have never been higher – it’s time to make today’s labor tomorrow’s leverage.

Product Thinking vs. Project Thinking

Sat, 21 Nov 2020 00:28:59 -0700

Product Thinking vs. Project Thinking

Kyle Evans Follow

Oct 22, 2018 · 8 min read

One of the biggest challenges a product manager will face (or an organization for that matter) is trying to elevate thinking and culture from a project level to a product level.

Project Thinking

Project thinking is fairly pervasive. Many folks, especially in software development, have spent a lot of their careers focused on projects and project management. Large organizations often have PMO departments, focused exclusively on project management. It’s not surprising, because project management has been around a very long time. And we as humans tend to think in terms of projects: things we need to get done.

How The ‘Lost Art’ Of Breathing Can Impact Sleep And Resilience

Sat, 21 Nov 2020 00:17:39 -0700

How The ‘Lost Art’ Of Breathing Can Impact Sleep And Resilience

Breathing slowly and deeply through the nose is associated with a relaxation response, says James Nestor, author of Breath.As the diaphragm lowers, you’re allowing more air into your lungs and your body switches to a more relaxed state.

Sebastian Laulitzki/ Science Photo Library

Humans typically take about 25,000 breaths per day — often without a second thought. But the COVID-19 pandemic has put a new spotlight on respiratory illnesses and the breaths we so often take for granted.

When Covid hit, I started walking 20,000 steps a day. It’s changed my life | Walking | The Guardian

Sat, 21 Nov 2020 00:08:16 -0700

When Covid hit, I started walking 20,000 steps a day. It’s changed my life | Walking | The Guardian

Show caption

Walkers at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York. Photograph: Caitlin Ochs/Reuters

The uplift

When Covid hit, I started walking 20,000 steps a day. It’s changed my life

Setting a daily goal made me fitter, boosted my mood and allowed me to explore parts of New York I’d never seen before

Your First Day as a New Engineering Manager

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 23:04:46 -0700

Your First Day as a New Engineering Manager

When you join a new team as a manager, it may seem like complete chaos to you. Everything and everyone is unfamiliar. The amount of information you need to absorb is immense. It feels overwhelming and confusing. You’re trying to understand the product, meet the team, learn architecture, and, at the same time, make sure the execution continues.

Usually, you have to push back on requests and demands to protect the team from over-commitment on day one. It may feel uncomfortable or even stressful as a new person on the team, but necessary.

Growing with your company’s complexity.

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:54:41 -0700

Growing with your company’s complexity.

When finishing up a difficult project, I sometimes pause to dream

about how it’ll nudge my career forward. My thinking advances

down the storyline of “If I bundle this project with a few others, mix in good team health,

add a dash of time for the flavor to deepen, and undoubtedly this

will get me to the coveted next level.”

Then I’ll take a few minutes to savor the future.

How Real Product Teams Make OKRs work: Survey Results – Mind the Product

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:45:33 -0700

How Real Product Teams Make OKRs work: Survey Results – Mind the Product

In collaboration with NEO Culture , Mind the Product conducted a short survey on OKRs investigating their use in product teams in real companies. Now, the results are in.

In this post, we’ll provide an overview of the survey results and, if you’re a Mind the Product member you can access an extended report including analysis of all the areas covered below – go to the extended report .

Assign Problems (Not Work) to Your Teams to Build Extraordinary Products

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:40:15 -0700

Assign Problems (Not Work) to Your Teams to Build Extraordinary Products

To leverage the huge unused potential, we need to define the primary role of product managers and their collaboration with development teams quite differently. Product managers should be assigning their teams problems to solve instead of predefined work to get done. We need product managers and team leads to become experts in facilitating inclusive participatory problem-solving in their teams to build innovative products long-term, and to solve the hard problems of their businesses.

Frameworks

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:30:51 -0700

Frameworks

#### Sarah Tavel

Sep 28·3 min read

A successful framework distills the complex, and in that synthesis, gets to a timeless insight. That’s always my aspiration, to varying degrees of success.

Here’s a running list of frameworks I’ve written on a range of topics.

Recipes to build enduring, mass-market businesses:

10x and Cheaper — What do Airbnb, Amazon, Netflix, Uber, and WhatsApp all have in common? They created a 10x better product and made it cheaper by recasting cost structures of incumbents.
Saving people money — Fintech edition for 10x and Cheaper. It’s not just about being able to buy something better for less. This recipe also applies if you help someone do more with their money.
Democratizing development — If you can democratize something that is valuable but previously the domain of a few specialized talents, you can dramatically expand (and capture) a market. In this (very old) post I talk about this framework with a focus on software development.
Rocks, Sand, Water —We know that consumer companies fight a zero-sum game for a user’s attention, but some companies find it easier to get that DAU than others. Why? A framework for thinking about how a consumer divides their time up in a day.

Product / Strategy

3 Keys to Career Success: The Pieces of PIE – Mondo Frank

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:27:07 -0700

3 Keys to Career Success: The Pieces of PIE – Mondo Frank

How well you do your job has very little to do with how successful you are in your professional career. Or, more precisely, how well you do your prescribed work will account for about 10% of your overall success. That’s according to Harvey Coleman in his book Empowering Yourself, The Organizational Game Revealed . Briefly stated, Coleman asserts that career success is based on the 3 key elements of Performance, Image and Exposure (a.k.a. PIE):

Paint Drip People

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 20:40:46 -0700

Paint Drip People

Keith Adams worked on kernels at VM Ware. Then virtual machines. Then search performance at Facebook. Then the HHVM implementation of PHP. Then machine

Keith Adams worked on kernels at VM Ware. Then virtual machines. Then search performance at Facebook. Then the HHVM implementation of PHP. Then machine learning. Now he’s Chief Architect at Slack. In between he worked on hundreds of little projects that lasted hours or days or weeks. Keith is a Paint Drip Person.

The Pyramid of Clarity: A Way to Achieve Strategic Alignment

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 16:21:08 -0700

The Pyramid of Clarity: A Way to Achieve Strategic Alignment

Leading with clarity

& Jennifer Nan

How do you get your company to produce great results? This can be hard, even if your company is comprised of smart, well-intentioned people. It’s hard to get everyone aligned in the same direction, and it’s even harder to get everyone to continue running in the same direction.

Part of the challenge is keeping sight of the forest for the trees. Most people spend the majority of their time executing on day-to-day work, so it’s easy to get caught up in daily details and lose sight of the bigger picture. This is a dangerous mistake because it can lead to inadvertently optimizing for the wrong goal.

Jeffrey Paul: Your Computer Isn’t Yours

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 16:17:47 -0700

Jeffrey Paul: Your Computer Isn’t Yours

It’s here. It happened. Did you notice?

I’m speaking, of course, of the world that Richard Stallman predicted in 1997 . The one Cory Doctorow also warned us about .

On modern versions of macOS, you simply can’t power on your computer, launch a text editor or eBook reader, and write or read, without a log of your activity being transmitted and stored.

It turns out that in the current version of the macOS, the OS sends to Apple a hash (unique identifier) of each and every program you run, when you run it. Lots of people didn’t realize this, because it’s silent and invisible and it fails instantly and gracefully when you’re offline, but today the server got really slow and it didn’t hit the fail-fast code path, and everyone’s apps failed to open if they were connected to the internet.

Sat, 14 Nov 2020 09:29:31 -0700

Checked in at Costco .

Nothing stops us from visiting this place. Apparently. — with erika

39.7898409-105.0825361

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 12:00:13 -0700

Checked in at Denver Botanic Gardens .

Things are looking a bit dead, but still love this place — with erika

39.7317459-104.960289

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 11:59:09 -0700

Checked in at Copper Door Coffee Roasters .

New spot at the Gardens — with erika

39.733362-104.959918

How to Structure Teams for Building Better Software Products

Sat, 07 Nov 2020 20:44:33 -0700

How to Structure Teams for Building Better Software Products

Team Topologies Book Summary

Matt Lane Jun 25, 2020 · 8 min read

Book by Manuel Pais and Matthew Skelton

The team topology approach treats humans and technology as a single sociotechnical ecosystem, and thus it takes a team-sized architecture approach (people first) rather than a technology-first approach, e.g., the monolith vs microservices debate. NOTE: If you have microservices but are still waiting to do…

Good Decision-Making Depends on an ‘Archer’s Mindset’

Sat, 07 Nov 2020 20:44:30 -0700

Good Decision-Making Depends on an ‘Archer’s Mindset’

A professional poker player’s advice for optimizing outcomes

#### Annie Duke

Oct 16·4 min read

Photo: hobo_018/Getty Images

Most decisions are ultimately a guess. You can’t be certain that anything you do will lead to a specific outcome, and you can’t know the exact likelihood of any outcome at all. Part of becoming a better decision-maker is shifting your mindset about guessing.

Sat, 07 Nov 2020 16:14:00 -0700

Checked in at Zoka’s .

Been a while since I dropped in here. Felt like I should celebrate Biden/Harris.

39.4075594-105.3158132

Sat, 07 Nov 2020 13:14:10 -0700

Checked in at Buffalo Creek .

39.3631894-105.2536716

Memento Mori — i4design

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 21:19:06 -0700

Memento Mori — i4design

Memento mori (Latin ‘remember that you [have to] die’) is an artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death. – Wikipedia

When you’re young and healthy, it’s understandable to feel invincible and for death to be an abstract concept, either happening to those belonging to earlier generations or the unlucky. At some point, we all come to realize that we are actually mortal; when people close to us die we are reminded of mortality, but I didn’t realize how differently it would feel when faced with my own. Surviving a heart attack , having surgery, and making the necessary adjustments to my life has made an already unusual 2020 even more poignant.

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 16:12:11 -0700

Checked in at New Terrain Brewing Co .

Gotta pay for my parking… 🍺

39.7794665-105.1860322

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 16:11:27 -0700

Checked in at North Table Mountain Park .

Needed a ride today, so cut out early.

39.7815012-105.2245574

Managers: what do you do when your teammate shares their grief? | Lara Hogan

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 12:42:12 -0700

Managers: what do you do when your teammate shares their grief? | Lara Hogan

Managers: what do you do when your teammate shares their grief?

Originally posted Oct 29, 2020

Most of us aren’t taught how to respond when someone shares with us a really heavy piece of information.

My mom is a pastor, so growing up, I watched her model how to have tough conversations about grief, loneliness, and despair. Though I haven’t always gotten it right, this informal education helped me navigate conversations with direct reports as they shared tough news (e.g. a parent dying, miscarriage, divorce, or needing to leave the country). These days it’s helped me more and more with friends who are processing old trauma, and new grief.

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 16:17:51 -0700

Checked in at Ratio Beerworks .

with erika

39.7615117-104.981292

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 11:52:47 -0700

Checked in at West Mag Trailhead .

39.9473132-105.5169941

Sat, 31 Oct 2020 15:01:53 -0600

Checked in at Costco .

with erika

39.7898409-105.0825361

Sat, 31 Oct 2020 12:10:12 -0600

Checked in at Mt. Falcon Vantage Point .

39.6373189-105.2191351

Sat, 31 Oct 2020 11:00:18 -0600

Checked in at Summer White House .

39.6403391-105.2184838

The Myth Of the Grand Unified UX Metric

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 11:46:09 -0600

The Myth Of the Grand Unified UX Metric

In 2003, The Harvard Business Review published an article by a consultant named Fred Reichheld, called The One Number You Need to Grow. In this article, Fred described how asking a single question, on a numeric scale, could predict customer loyalty and, subsequently, business success. He called his measure the Net Promoter Score (NPS).

Though lots of businesses still use it, it turns out that the Net Promoter Score doesn’t predict either loyalty or business success. By itself, the score proves to not be any more useful than following the horoscope in the daily newspaper.

A Navy SEAL, a Quadcopter, and a Quest to Save Lives in Combat

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 11:44:01 -0600

A Navy SEAL, a Quadcopter, and a Quest to Save Lives in Combat

On the battlefield, any doorway can be a death trap. A special ops vet, and his businessman brother, have built an AI to solve that problem.

Fifteen years ago, when I returned home after fighting in Iraq, a friend asked me to describe the bravest thing I saw anyone do. I had led a Marine platoon in the Second Battle of Fallujah, in 2004, and had seen plenty of heroism—Marines dragging their wounded off machine-gun-swept streets, or fighting room to room to recover a comrade’s body. But none of these compared to the cumulative heroism of the 19- and 20-year-old infantrymen who placed their bodies across that fatal funnel—a doorway with a potential enemy inside—every day. Clearing the enemy from the city, house by house, was a game of Russian roulette played on a grand scale. You never knew who might be waiting on the other side of the door.

Netflix’s ‘Keeper Test’ and Why You Need It | Lorne Rubis

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 21:10:16 -0600

Netflix’s ‘Keeper Test’ and Why You Need It | Lorne Rubis

Key Point: I was revisiting the now famous set of slides developed by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and then (2012) Netflix chief talent officer, Patty McCord . The Netflix “people philosophy” was posted on the web for anyone to read. Over five million people have now viewed the principles behind Netflix culture and HR strategy. The PowerPoint itself is without any “whiz bang.” In fact, by presentation standards, it’s lousy. It went viral primarily based on the merits of the slide content and challenge to much conventional thinking regarding people and culture .

Collaborative Single Player Mode

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 21:06:12 -0600

Collaborative Single Player Mode

The Product Hunt engineering team has always been remote and it’s surprisingly small for all the features and products we are shipping. One of our “secret” weapon for this is what we call “collaborative single-player mode”.

The single-player mode was something I heard for the first time from Andreas Klinger , the previous CTO of Product Hunt. He often talks about it .

The core of the idea is simple – everyone should be able to execute without depending on other people. Especially in a remote environment, when people work at different times, this is essential.

Early Work

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 21:00:57 -0600

Early Work

October 2020

One of the biggest things holding people back from doing great work

is the fear of making something lame. And this fear is not an

irrational one. Many great projects go through a stage early on

where they don’t seem very impressive, even to their creators. You

have to push through this stage to reach the great work that lies

beyond. But many people don’t. Most people don’t even reach the

How a one line change decreased our build times by 99%

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 08:06:44 -0600

How a one line change decreased our build times by 99%

Pinterest Engineering Oct 23 · 3 min read

Urvashi Reddy | Software Engineer, Engineering Productivity Team
Adam Berry | Tech Lead, Engineering Productivity Team
Rui Li | Software Engineer, Engineering Productivity Team

The Engineering Productivity team at Pinterest came across a small change that had a large impact in reducing build times across pipelines. We found that setting the refspec option during git fetch reduced our build times by 99%.

The Days Are Long but the Decades Are Short

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 17:22:57 -0600

The Days Are Long but the Decades Are Short

I turned 30 last week and a friend asked me if I’d figured out any life advice in the past decade worth passing on. I’m somewhat hesitant to publish this because I think these lists usually seem hollow, but here is a cleaned up version of my answer:

Never put your family, friends, or significant other low on your priority list. Prefer a handful of truly close friends to a hundred acquaintances. Don’t lose touch with old friends. Occasionally stay up until the sun rises talking to people. Have parties.

The Decision Matrix: How to Prioritize What Matters

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 17:16:12 -0600

The Decision Matrix: How to Prioritize What Matters

The decisions we spend the most time on are rarely the most important ones. Not all decisions need the same process. Sometimes, trying to impose the same process on all decisions leads to difficulty identifying which ones are most important, bogging us down and stressing us out.

I remember once struggling at the intelligence agency shortly after I received a promotion. I was being asked to make too many decisions. I had no way to sort through them to figure out which ones mattered, and which ones were inconsequential.

A Framework for Making Smarter Decisions and Fewer Errors

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 17:10:17 -0600

A Framework for Making Smarter Decisions and Fewer Errors

Few things will change your trajectory in life or business as much as learning to make effective decisions.

The decision-making principles in this article aren’t pulled out of thin air. They’re the result of many years of experience and experimentation. They draw upon the combined expertise of some of history’s deepest thinkers. They summarize the core insights and skills from influential books on decision-making.

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 11:46:52 -0600

Checked in at Park Hill Supermarket .

with erika

39.7721936-104.9434538

11 Essential Communication Skills for the Workplace

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 22:58:03 -0600

11 Essential Communication Skills for the Workplace

You probably believe you’re a decent communicator. You know how to fire off an email or a Slack message; you smile and nod when your colleague is talking; you have a firm handshake (remember those?).

Then again, similar to how 73% of people think they’re above-average drivers (which is, of course, a mathematical impossibility), many of us are likely over-estimating our abilities when it comes to communicating.

Limiting Work in Progress

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 23:14:41 -0600

Limiting Work in Progress

In many organizations today there is one thing that almost always is true: there

are too many things done in parallel, there is too much work-in-progress,

everyone is busy but nothing gets done. If this is so ubiquitous why is no one

doing anything about it? Are people not aware or do they not know how to fix it?

This is so predominant, that it almost is too easy to just claim:

A Manifesto for Small Teams Doing Important Work

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 23:03:15 -0600

A Manifesto for Small Teams Doing Important Work

We are always under tight deadlines, because time is our most valuable asset.

If you make a promise, set a date. No date, no promise.

If you set a date, meet it.

If you can’t make a date, tell us early and often. Plan B well prepared is a better strategy than hope.

Clean up your own mess.

Clean up other people’s messes.

Groups Search for Consensus, Individuals Search for Truth

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 23:01:16 -0600

Groups Search for Consensus, Individuals Search for Truth

Naval: What’s considered to be true is fought over. Individuals search for truth but groups search for consensus —and society is the largest group. So the biggest problem we run into is this: What society wants for you is not always what’s good for you.

Even smart people go along with society’s lies

Even smart, critical thinkers go along with many of society’s truths, knowing deep down they are lies.

Working With Cross Functional Teams: Master Effective Collaboration in the Workplace

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 14:32:00 -0600

Working With Cross Functional Teams: Master Effective Collaboration in the Workplace

As I played multiple roles in cross functional teams over years – developer on a small part of the product to leading engineering teams to guidance in a leadership role, I experienced feelings of frustration, anger, disappointment and at times even helplessness. With continued focus on cross functional team collaboration in every organisation, I failed to understand why there’s so little investment in setting up these teams for success.

healthOS

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 22:28:01 -0600

healthOS

This essay was co-authored by Rob Litterst and Nathan Baschez

1

“What do we do with Apple,” Jim Cramer barked, sleeves rolled above his elbows, “now that it’s become one of the most hated stocks around?”

It was January 2019, and AAPL was in free fall . The main concern was the iPhone. Growth seemed to be slowing, and investors were panicked.

Shares cost just $150 — 35% down from the all-time high they hit a few months prior. Things were so bad that Ben Thompson published an article that week titled “Apple’s Errors ” and led with this chart:

Four Vital Signs of SaaS | Scale Venture Partners

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 19:14:00 -0600

Four Vital Signs of SaaS | Scale Venture Partners

SaaS metrics should be to a management team what patient vital signs are to an emergency room doctor: a simple set of universally understood numbers that allow a doctor to quickly know how ill a patient is and what needs fixing first.

Heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature are the big four vital signs in the ER. Everyone knows what they are, what they mean, and what good and bad looks like. When a patient is wheeled in, the doctor does not start by asking the EMT, “How exactly are we defining heart rate?” This shared understanding allows for rapid evaluation then fast, focused action.

Asking Better Questions

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 23:28:55 -0600

Asking Better Questions

At Amplitude, I facilitate lots of workshops. Many of these workshops center around deciding what to measure. This starts, of course, with asking good questions. Good questions help teams focus their measurement/telemetry efforts, and increase the likelihood that what they measure will enable valuable insights. A couple of well chosen events and event properties beat out a firehose of data and/or an autotrack solution any day.

In this post, I’d like to share some helpful approaches to eliciting impactful questions so that your team can make better decisions about what to measure. This takes practice, but better question asking is within any team’s reach.

Dropbox goes Virtual First

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 23:11:46 -0600

Dropbox goes Virtual First

Dropbox has always prioritized creativity and collaboration as key to building a thriving business, and our office spaces were designed for it. Though we make software that helps people work from anywhere, most of our employees came to an office every day.

This year’s abrupt shift to remote work was jarring for us, along with everyone else. But we’re fortunate that our product helped us transition pretty seamlessly, and that it helped others too—we’ve seen increased adoption and usage this year. As virtually all work becomes digital, organizing all your team’s content in one place has never felt so important.

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 19:15:05 -0600

Checked in at Insomnia Cookies .

Dessert because we deserve it — with erika

39.6790964-104.9596617

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 18:51:34 -0600

Checked in at Yum Yum Spice .

Fooooood. Not doing dine-in at all. Take out only. — with erika

39.6795024-104.9597084

What’s Luck Got to Do With It? (Postmortems)

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 23:01:13 -0600

What’s Luck Got to Do With It? (Postmortems)

October 6, 2020

One element I’ve seen repeatedly is reference to “How did we get lucky in this incident?” It’s an aspect of incidents some like to discuss, because I also hear it in conversations and stories about incidents: “Oh man, we were so lucky that Beth happened to be on-call that particular night!”

But I’ve always wondered: why do people bother asking this question? What’s the goal of discussing what amounts to the finer points of randomness and “noise” in a complex socio-technical system? Unless you happen to be in possession of one of those probability-altering devices from the second season of Deep Space Nine, it seems like a pretty pointless digression.

How narcissistic leaders infect their organizations’ cultures | Haas News | Berkeley Haas

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 21:58:00 -0600

How narcissistic leaders infect their organizations’ cultures | Haas News | Berkeley Haas

Image credit: Olivier Le Moal for iStock

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? The answer: not the organizations led by narcissists.

A new paper by Berkeley Haas Prof. Jennifer Chatman and colleagues shows not only the profound impact narcissistic leaders have on their organizations, but also the long-lasting damage they inflict. Like carriers of a virus, narcissistic leaders “infect” the very cultures of their organizations, the researchers found, leading to dramatically lower levels of collaboration and integrity at all levels—even after they are gone.

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 11:55:47 -0600

Checked in at 11 Mile Reservoir .

38.9478044-105.5008087

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 17:09:36 -0600

Checked in at King Soopers .

Final supplies. Heading camping! — with erika

39.7021648-104.9415049

Post-Commit Reviews

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 23:12:09 -0600

Post-Commit Reviews

Cindy Sridharan Jul 12 · 9 min read

I recently read an excellent article in the Amazon Builder’s Library by Clare Liguori which goes into great detail about AWS’s CI/CD architecture. It’s a truly brilliant post and I recommend everyone interested in CI/CD infrastructures read the article. The article covers the gamut from unit testing to integration testing (in production) to staged rollouts in “waves” to automated rollbacks. I guarantee there’s something valuable you’ll learn from the article even if you’re not building the largest distributed systems in the world like AWS does.

What Working At Stripe Has Been Like | Kalzumeus Software

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 22:52:26 -0600

What Working At Stripe Has Been Like | Kalzumeus Software

I joined Stripe four years ago to make starting an Internet business easier, mostly by work on Stripe Atlas . This has been a series of adjustments for me: to working as an employee, to experiencing hypergrowth, to being closer to the Silicon Valley culture, and to some of the challenges in balancing career and other commitments during my life stage and the global coronavirus pandemic of 2020.

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 14:55:13 -0600

Checked in at A.F. Williams University Physicians .

39.7603891-104.9009681

How to take meeting notes – Beyond Bare Hands

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 23:31:03 -0600

How to take meeting notes – Beyond Bare Hands

Hi friend,

Long time no chat. I’ve spent August figuring out how learning works and how we can apply spatial cognition and computers to improve how we learn. And I’ve got some pretty exciting stuff coming out in the next few weeks. Spoiler: if you’ve ever tried learning how to program but failed miserably, you’ll appreciate this even more.

But today I want to talk memory.

Planning a remote offsite. The team I support has traditionally… | by Uma Chingunde | Oct, 2020 | Medium

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 23:19:04 -0600

Planning a remote offsite. The team I support has traditionally… | by Uma Chingunde | Oct, 2020 | Medium

Uma Chingunde Oct 3 · 5 min read

The team I support has traditionally done offsites twice a year. We are very distributed and find it useful to spend time together in the same location as a team at a planned cadence. This is important to get to know each other socially, plan work, and have some planning and strategy conversations. We usually do them in the summer as a team and the entire company does a large gathering in the winter. Due to Covid this year’s plan was delayed but after some thought we decided to do a “remote offsite”. I shared our experience via a Twitter thread and got questions around logistics so I’m sharing notes on what worked for us. A lot of these ideas came from the entire team, particularly my stellar staff team which is the managers and engineers who report directly to me.

Unlock Your Productivity by Taking Better Notes

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 23:10:44 -0600

Unlock Your Productivity by Taking Better Notes

As managers, we have to multitask a lot. Switching between meetings, random conversations, one on ones, status updates, planning, presentations all the time. It feels overwhelming and exhausting. Keeping everything organized is the key to be productive and supporting your team. Context switching is draining your energy and focus. It gets even worse if you don’t have a system that helps you arrange everything in order, prioritized with clear action items.

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 15:04:42 -0600

Checked in at Eddyline Restaurant & Brewery .

Boooo line. I’m so hungry.

38.8412445-106.1195122

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 08:15:40 -0600

Checked in at Coffee Lab .

Coffee line out the door!

38.900404-106.966597

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 20:22:03 -0600

Checked in at Elevation Hotel & Spa .

Take out banquet and cocktails back on my room. Could be a lot worse.

38.899347-106.9663892

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 19:31:12 -0600

Checked in at Slogar’s .

I’m going to die after this meal, and I can’t wait.

38.8682107-106.9875736

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 18:50:16 -0600

Checked in at The Dogwood Cocktail Cabin .

I absolutely love this place. Only just caught it before their off season!

38.8702125-106.9860392

Coinbase is a mission focused company

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 23:16:19 -0600

Coinbase is a mission focused company

Brian Armstrong Follow

Sep 27 · 8 min read

There have been a lot of difficult events in the world this year: a global pandemic, shelter in place, social unrest, widespread protests and riots, and west coast wildfires. On top of that we have a contentious U.S. election on the horizon.

Everyone is asking the question about how companies should engage in broader societal issues during these difficult times, while keeping their teams united and focused on the mission. Coinbase has had its own challenges here, including employee walkouts. I decided to share publicly how I’m addressing this in case it helps others navigate a path through these challenging times.

A Primer on Engineering Delivery Metrics

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 23:45:31 -0600

A Primer on Engineering Delivery Metrics

Before joining Stripe , I had the opportunity to build, grow, and lead the Splice engineering organization for almost four years (yes, still I mix up the names). The most challenging engineering problem I’ve had to tackle so far has been working on accelerating software delivery in an organization that grew from 5 to 55+ engineers in my first 18 months. As the Splice team expanded, our ability to deliver software ground to a halt. The processes that worked when the company was small couldn’t support the explosive growth, and we needed to find a way to get back on track. By focusing on delivery metrics, we were able to increase the rate of software delivery drastically, and you don’t have to take my word for it, let’s look at a graph of cycle time (or delivery lead time) from May 2018 to April 2019.

How exclusion and trauma impact workforces

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 23:31:41 -0600

How exclusion and trauma impact workforces

As an epigenetic and executive coach to some of the world’s largest technology companies, I have dedicated my career to understanding the biology of belonging and the toxic, pervasive effects of exclusion in the workplace.

In the past five years, there has been a significant push for inclusion in the workplace, encouraging leaders to absorb an abundance of programming on how to build inclusive cultures, teams, and brands. But to build anything “inclusively,” we must first saliently understand where we are excluding. We need to focus on the insidious ways in which we permit exclusion in our corporate culture and commit to behaving and thinking differently.

How to Prioritize Your Company’s Projects

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 23:02:27 -0600

How to Prioritize Your Company’s Projects

Leer en español

Every organization needs what I call a “hierarchy of purpose.” Without one, it is almost impossible to prioritize effectively.

When I first joined BNP Paribas Fortis, for example, two younger and more dynamic banks had just overtaken us. Although we had been a market leader for many years, our new products had been launched several months later than the competition — in fact, our time to market had doubled over the previous three years. Behind that problem was a deeper one: We had more than 100 large projects (each worth over 500,000 euros) under way. No one had a clear view of the status of those investments, or even the anticipated benefits. The bank was using a project management tool, but the lack of discipline in keeping it up to date made it largely fruitless. Capacity, not strategy, was determining which projects launched and when. If people were available, the project was launched. If not, it stalled or was killed.

Building Great Engineering Teams

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 22:30:36 -0600

Building Great Engineering Teams

If you have ever come across The Pragmatic Engineer , you probably know the man behind it, Gergely Orosz . More than a simple blog, or newsletter, it is a treasure trove of knowledge on the ins and outs of Engineering, Engineering Management and, in general, all things leadership in tech. As the website name implies, Gergely is all about pragmatism and helping engineering leaders develop themselves, while delivering massive value to their companies and those around them.

The Management Flywheel

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 15:42:05 -0600

The Management Flywheel

Camille Fournier Sep 22 · 5 min read

Have you ever worked on a team that felt like it was just stuck in a rut? Somehow things were always just one fix away from improving: the next project, the next quarter, the next hire, this would turn the situation around. And yet these projects came, the quarters went by, new people were hired and joined and left and nothing ever really improved. It’s a sadly common situation, and one of the few that I believe can be laid squarely at the feet of the team’s manager.

Sat, 26 Sep 2020 10:33:07 -0600

Checked in at Alderfer/Three Sisters Park .

39.6233801-105.3464171

10 tips for growing a globally distributed engineering team

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 22:49:27 -0600

10 tips for growing a globally distributed engineering team

Jason Smale Dec 27, 2019 · 14 min read

Zendesk has built out a global engineering team spread across four continents, nine countries and 10 cities around the world. We started the journey relatively early in our company’s life, it’s been difficult, and we’ve learned lessons along the way. Many of the things we got right, came from key people who had run global teams before (and knew the mistakes they didn’t want to repeat). Many of the things we got wrong, were based on assumptions that Zendesk would work as another business did. We’ve learned there’s no perfect strategy for expanding beyond head office, but we have been able to refine down some of the core beliefs that anchor us. These seem applicable beyond Zendesk, so I wanted to share. To do that, it’s worth spending a little time talking about how Zendesk grew up, so you can understand the incremental decisions we made to get to where we are today.

Thoughts on Managerial Practices. Preface | by Toby Murdock | Aug, 2020 | Medium

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 22:26:22 -0600

Thoughts on Managerial Practices. Preface | by Toby Murdock | Aug, 2020 | Medium

Photo by Brian Scott on Unsplash

Toby Murdock Aug 28 · 14 min read

Preface

This document expresses my thoughts on best managerial practices to drive business success based upon my experience in many organizations and in particular upon my tenure as CEO of Kapost . There are many drivers of business success — function-specific practices, external strategy decisions, culture, organizational health, etc. By managerial practices I refer to internal practices that are applicable across functions. In defining success I include the various perspectives of the many stakeholders involved: customers, shareholders and colleagues. Many of these concepts I learned the hard way, i.e. by doing the opposite. My own practice of the concepts is a work in progress.

Written Communication Is Remote Work Super Power

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 23:32:39 -0600

Written Communication Is Remote Work Super Power

Update: An interesting discussion around this started in hacker news

The remote work environment is different from the office. Different environments call for different communication systems. A communication system that is adapted to the remote work reality can unlock amazing benefits: (even) better productivity, a competitive advantage in the long run and much a better work-life balance on top of it all.

Asynchronous written communication is the tool best suited for remote work. We are so used to talking to each other in the office, expecting immediate responses in work chat, and having meetings all day, that we tried to replicate that at home with zoom and slack.

The traits of good remote leaders · Intense Minimalism

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 23:22:20 -0600

The traits of good remote leaders · Intense Minimalism

A study based on 770 people over six months analyzed which sets of traits are more effective at different levels of remoteness, thus helping us answering the question of what are the differences between remote leads and in-person leads that make them successful? I’ve distilled two sets of traits from the paper.

In-person leads are defined by matching and projecting the idea of leadership to the people in the team (projecting “being”).
These are their traits:

A Quick Primer on the Rule of 40 | Scale Venture Partners

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 09:20:35 -0600

A Quick Primer on the Rule of 40 | Scale Venture Partners

There is an expansive universe of SaaS metrics out there. Which is great for tracking performance internally, as it allows a company to customize metrics to reflect its operating realities. But what if you want to compare performance between companies? That’s when the lack of standard definitions becomes a problem. Just look at how many ways customer retention is calculated .

The Passion Economy and the Future of Work

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 23:13:57 -0600

The Passion Economy and the Future of Work

These stories are indicative of a larger trend: call it the “creator stack” or the “enterprization of consumer.” Whereas previously, the biggest online labor marketplaces flattened the individuality of workers, new platforms allow anyone to monetize unique skills. Gig work isn’t going anywhere—but there are now more ways to capitalize on creativity. Users can now build audiences at scale and turn their passions into livelihoods, whether that’s playing video games or producing video content. This has huge implications for entrepreneurship and what we’ll think of as a “job” in the future.

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 10:32:56 -0600

Checked in at Creekside Mountain Bike Loop .

Looking forward to what promises to be a beautiful ride!

39.9259592-105.8588833

Things to Know About Engineering Levels

Sat, 19 Sep 2020 10:19:50 -0600

Things to Know About Engineering Levels

This twitter thread seemed to strike a chord with people, rather astonishingly so. I am transcribing parts of it for the sake of longevity and findability.

I keep talking to engineers who are antsy to get to senior and beyond, frustrated that it is taking so long. And I’ve encountered one very, very widespread blind spot around leveling

Which is …✨not every opportunity exists✨at every company✨at every time.✨

Options, Not Roadmaps

Sat, 19 Sep 2020 10:11:35 -0600

Options, Not Roadmaps

Since Shape Up came out, many people asked some version of this question:

I understand you make bets six weeks at a time. But how do you plan in the longer term? Don’t you have some kind of a roadmap?

The short answer is: no. We don’t have roadmaps. We think about what to do at the timescale larger than single bets, but we do it in a different way.

Using Drones to Disrupt the Status Quo

Sat, 19 Sep 2020 10:01:22 -0600

Using Drones to Disrupt the Status Quo

From Standing Rock to Syria, drones are being used to hold the powerful to account. Let’s keep it that way.

Drone-based digital imagery can be used to better estimate the size of large crowds. Source: author image

By: Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick

The civil rights movement and Moore’s law are colliding to transform politics. On the street, smartphone technology is being used to document social life as never before, putting power into the hands of the public and making eyewitnesses of us all .

An Open Letter to Matt Mullenweg: What folks often get wrong about Jamstack

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 23:20:55 -0600

An Open Letter to Matt Mullenweg: What folks often get wrong about Jamstack

WordPress Co-Founder Matt Mullenweg claims the Jamstack isn’t ready for prime time, here’s what he’s missing.

Richard MacManus had an interesting email exchange with Matt Mullenweg, creator of WordPress and co-founder/CEO of Automattic, about the Jamstack. It resulted in an Aug 31, 2020, writeup in TheNewStack . I have a deep appreciation for Matt’s role in shaping web publishing but also feel that his points (e.g. “JAMstack is a regression for the vast majority of the people adopting it”) are a bit misleading. Matt chooses to compare a modern architecture like the Jamstack to a monolithic product like WordPress. I don’t expect a recently popularized architecture to provide the tailored features that a 15-year-old product has. We should be asking whether Jamstack is a better architecture than LAMP and what gaps currently exist with products and solutions built on top of the Jamstack.

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 17:51:00 -0600

Checked in at GREEN MOUNTAIN PARK .

with erika

39.6904016-105.1522934

When a Jump Down to a Smaller Scope is a Jump up in Maturity and Wisdom – Plato

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 23:25:03 -0600

When a Jump Down to a Smaller Scope is a Jump up in Maturity and Wisdom – Plato

Problem

In 2016 I was leading supply growth with four subteams totaling 35 people, which was a pretty large scope. As a part of a reorganization, I was asked to join a much smaller team of only a PM and one and a half engineer (one person being part-time). It was a humbling moment — I went down in scope in terms of reports but that helped me understand what really matters and allowed me to work in a high leverage area of the company. Eventually, the scope increased and the team became larger, but learning what I did was far more important.

Can Engineering Productivity Be Measured?

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 23:19:58 -0600

Can Engineering Productivity Be Measured?

I follow you on Twitter and read your blog. I particularly enjoy this post: https://charity.wtf/2019/05/01/friday-deploy-freezes-are-exactly-like-murdering-puppies / I’m reaching out looking for some guidance.

I work as an engineering manager for a company whose non-technology leadership insists there has to be a way to measure the individual productivity of a software engineer. I have the opposite belief. I don’t believe you can measure the productivity of “professional” careers, or thought workers (ex: how do measure productivity of a doctor, lawyer, or chemist?).

When Your Coworker Does Great Work, Tell Their Manager

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 23:12:31 -0600

When Your Coworker Does Great Work, Tell Their Manager

I’ve been thinking recently about anti-racism and what it looks like to support

colleagues from underrepresented groups at work. The other day someone in a

Slack group made an offhand comment that they’d sent a message to an engineer’s

manager to say that the engineer was doing exceptional work.

I think telling someone’s manager they’re doing great work is a pretty common

Stephen Olmstead of inVision about approaching remote work as a fully distributed team – NoHQ Remote Work Guides

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 23:02:25 -0600

Stephen Olmstead of inVision about approaching remote work as a fully distributed team – NoHQ Remote Work Guides

Stephen Olmstead is the Chief of Staff at the fully remote company inVision , the well-known digital product design platform. As the right-hand to the inVision CEO he takes part in a lot of parts of a well-working fully distributed remote-first company. What it took to grow a fully distributed business over almost a decade and how this all changes in the times of COVID-19 in our interview.

Replacing Wink with Home Assistant

Sun, 13 Sep 2020 15:57:03 -0600

I used to have Wink set up, managing some smart home devices throughout our house. I liked it because the app UI was quite nicely done, and it seemed to be compatible with “everything”. I had even upgraded from their version 1 hub, to the version 2. But then a few months ago they decided (somewhat out of the blue) that they were going to start charging a subscription fee. Coupled with some recent outages and frequent command delays, and it was the “motivation” I needed to invest in a Home Assistant system, and move away from Wink entirely.

The surprising traits of good remote leaders – BBC Worklife

Sat, 12 Sep 2020 19:09:33 -0600

The surprising traits of good remote leaders – BBC Worklife

Strong in-person leadership skills don’t necessarily translate to being a good virtual leader. Instead, organisation and competency reign supreme. F

Fifteen years ago, Steven Charlier, chair of management at Georgia Southern University in the US, had a hunch that in-person charisma and leadership skills don’t translate virtually. “Before I became an academic, I worked for IBM for a number of years on a lot of virtual teams,” he says. “I had a boss who was a wonderful guy and great manager, and he drove me crazy trying to communicate. He was incredibly slow and unresponsive.”

If Management Isn’t a Promotion, the Engineering Isn’t a Demotion

Sat, 12 Sep 2020 19:03:10 -0600

If Management Isn’t a Promotion, the Engineering Isn’t a Demotion

I wrote a piece this week about what motivates people to become managers (tldr mostly org dysfunction), and Julian Dunn replied with some typically insightful tweets:

(I originally titled this article “Julian Dunn and the Case of the Bad Manager”, lol)

God, YES. This is something that has been on my queue of “topics to write about” for so long, and I haven’t because it’s just too big (and sometimes I tell myself, optimistically, it’s just too obvious?).

Sat, 12 Sep 2020 17:16:43 -0600

Checked in at REI .

39.755622-105.009853

Sat, 12 Sep 2020 13:47:19 -0600

Checked in at Centennial Cone Park .

39.7497555-105.383095

Sat, 12 Sep 2020 10:44:53 -0600

Checked in at Centennial Cone Park .

Back to conquer Travois.

39.7497555-105.383095

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 14:18:22 -0600

Checked in at Pepsi Center Parking Lot .

#covid-19 test 💀

39.7457733-105.0101729

Useful randomness & how we play

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 23:17:08 -0600

Useful randomness & how we play

This week we uncovered an assorted collection of signals that focus on how randomness can be used to Useful randomness & how we play

By Ethical Futures Lab • Issue #30 • View online

This week we uncovered an assorted collection of signals that focus on how randomness can be used to obscure and inspire, and how tech breakthroughs are changing how we play with machines. Save some time to poke around at beautiful devices from Soviet history and to draw lots of very wrong cats. —Alexis & Matt

Principles Trump Processes

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 23:06:41 -0600

Principles Trump Processes

Photography is a hobby for me. As a novice photographer, I believed the camera makes the photo. Whenever I met a fellow hobby photographer, I would discuss things related to photography, but mostly would gravitate to cameras. That was until I stumbled on Sephi . He shoots exquisite photos on an iPhone , debunking the myth that the “camera makes the photo.”

Camera, lenses, bags, and filters are the visible parts of photography, and they are easy to debate, discuss, and dissect. Learning the fundamentals of lighting, composition, and creativity is the hardest, so many photographers are not interested in them.

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 11:52:58 -0600

Checked in at King Soopers .

with erika

39.6933489-105.3584421

Sun, 06 Sep 2020 18:06:53 -0600

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

Picking up our monthly beer club… and some extra — with erika

39.7550951-104.9770794

Sun, 06 Sep 2020 10:32:34 -0600

Checked in at Little Scraggy TH .

39.3449083-105.2574834

Sat, 05 Sep 2020 20:34:31 -0600

Checked in at The Plimoth .

Actually dining out 😱 — with erika

39.7571239-104.9588845

Independence, Autonomy, and Too Many Small Teams

Fri, 04 Sep 2020 17:55:32 -0600

Independence, Autonomy, and Too Many Small Teams

“The two pizza team” paradigm has become really popular in the context of organizing software teams. The idea is to have small, self-reliant teams working independently to solve problems. The “two-pizza” refers to the guidance to keep the team small enough that we need not order more than two pizzas to feed them.

These teams are all around us today, but we are not seeing the kind of productivity or shipping velocity that we expected to see. Most developers, especially in larger organizations, complain about meetings, the burden of communication, the slow pace of change etc. Startups often sell themselves to potential candidates by touting their agility. But why should larger companies be slow if everyone is using the same “empowered team”/”autonomous team” model for organizing themselves?

How to Spot and Magnify the Powers of Your Engineering Superheroes

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 19:37:37 -0600

How to Spot and Magnify the Powers of Your Engineering Superheroes

It may not be instinctual to link director Christopher Nolan and Looker founder Lloyd Tabb , but the two might view the world through a shared lens. A serial entrepreneur, Tabb has assembled development teams for his startups by classifying engineers by their superhero personas, rather than by standard roles. As Nolan created a reality that hinges on the counterbalance of heroes and antiheroes in The Dark Knight Trilogy , so does Tabb with his engineering team.

Why Johnny Won’t Upgrade · Jacques Mattheij

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 18:20:36 -0600

Why Johnny Won’t Upgrade · Jacques Mattheij

Software distribution has over the years gone through an enormous revolution in efficiency. Originally, software was developed on things called ‘plug boards’, a matrix of sockets that allowed quick (or so they thought) re-configuration of computing hardware to adapt it to different problems. This was soon followed by papertape, then the punched card deck, a stack of paper cards that contained the program code in a series of holes punched into the paper. Special readers and writers took care of reading, ordering and punching the cards. Woe to you if you dropped a deck of such cards or if your reader jammed or you spilled coffee all over a deck. (From personal experience: if you don’t immediately copy such a deck; within 10 minutes or so the cards will swell to the point that the reader will jam, this will not make your boss happy.) That principle plus miniaturization caused a quick succession of hardware based software distribution models culminating in ROM cartriges, a physical device that you buy which contains the program.

Skydio Engagement and Responsible Use Principles

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 23:13:24 -0600

Skydio Engagement and Responsible Use Principles

Skydio Jul 13 · 3 min read

Our mission is to make the world more productive, creative, and safe with autonomous flight.

We consider the holistic impact our products have on communities and countries. Our focus is on advancing our mission to make the world more productive, creative, and safe. We are shaped by core values of accountability, transparency, and the protection of privacy and civil liberties. Informed by these values, we seek positive impact. This also requires us to proactively understand and mitigate potential misuse.

Feedback Equation | Lara Hogan

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 22:43:44 -0600

Feedback Equation | Lara Hogan

Feedback Equation

Originally posted Jul 15, 2018

As I mention in my book Demystifying Public Speaking , humans are mostly bad at giving feedback. We’re also really bad at preparing ourselves to receive feedback.

Many of us are paralyzed by the fear of having these awkward conversations. We actively avoid asking for feedback because it’s just so painful sometimes, and often we receive nonspecific, general feedback from others. I wrote a whole chapter in that book about feedback, because I so deeply want folks to learn how to deliver (and request!) better feedback at work.

Debugging Engineering Velocity and Leading High-Performing Teams

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 22:40:06 -0600

Debugging Engineering Velocity and Leading High-Performing Teams

Problem

You have a solid set of engineers, you’ve embraced OKRs and Agile, you’ve got standups, and you also do Sprint planning and retrospectives. But have you still felt frustrated by your team’s speed of execution? Have you asked yourself, perhaps in the middle of a Sprint planning session, are we stuck?

Why do some teams seem to work faster than others? Why do some people perceive a team as too slow, while others think the same team is working at a good pace? And why do engineers on some teams appear to be more satisfied and more motivated than those on other teams?

Product Operating Rhythm

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 23:15:45 -0600

Product Operating Rhythm

One of the toughest challenges I’ve faced while running product teams in the past is knowing which level to engage a team and when. Anyone can easily get caught up in debates about specific product details and unpacking a singular OKR status. And while that level of granularity is important, going there at the wrong time is often a major distraction for a team.

As teams scale, there’s an inflection point when you add a layer of product leadership between yourself and the teams closest to the work. I most recently felt this when Thumbtack moved from a totally flat product org to one with a lead in each key area. The processes that worked for a flat org led to a lack of clarity as the org matured.

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 15:11:30 -0600

Checked in at Denver Botanic Gardens .

with erika

39.7317459-104.960289

Why Tech Companies Need Science Fiction Writers On Staff

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 09:41:21 -0600

Why Tech Companies Need Science Fiction Writers On Staff

Sat, 29 Aug 2020 16:59:44 -0600

Checked in at Big Shooter Coffee .

40.059231-106.3915863

Sat, 29 Aug 2020 16:50:36 -0600

Checked in at Kremmling .

40.057949-106.393674

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 13:49:34 -0600

Checked in at Skull Creek Greek .

Kind of #burritofriday

40.4850772-106.8335321

Convergent Evolution

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 22:58:31 -0600

Convergent Evolution

This entry is part 9 of 9 in the series Recognitions

Gabriel Ugueto. “Chamosaurine Phylogeny.” 2016.

Similarly to how social media collapsed high and low culture into a sinuous, middling unibrow; it made room for the fringe to graze the mainstream while allowing outliers and niche practitioners a foot in the door. Though institutional barriers to entry persist, a new art world has never been more possible. It would however be blinkered to consider it only in terms of finished and sanctified outputs; which often makes parameters of fault lines ripe for the pushing. Because it’s structural, the revolution won’t be televised until it’s irreversible and given us its first, fixed forms. The bet is safe, though: anticipate swerves wherever generalised crisis meets new media, patronage and deep shifts in values. The history of the avant-garde has never been more forward-facing.

Thoughts on Conway’s Law and the Software Stack

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 22:57:35 -0600

Thoughts on Conway’s Law and the Software Stack

Ramblings from Jessie

I’ve been talking to a lot of people in different layers of the stack during my

funemployment. I wanted to share one of the problems I’ve been thinking about

and maybe you can think of some clever solutions to solve it.

Conway’s Law states “organizations which design systems … are constrained

to produce designs which are copies of the communication structures of these

The Cadence: How to Operate a SaaS Startup

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 22:50:02 -0600

The Cadence: How to Operate a SaaS Startup

You think you need a COO. What you really need is an operating philosophy.

David Sacks Jul 1 · 13 min read

Let’s face it: most startups are a shitshow. Perhaps the most pervasive problem afflicting venture-backed startups, once they achieve a basic level of product-market fit, is managing the organizational chaos that results from rapid growth. Almost by definition, this is a chronic challenge of Series A-C stage startups since the rapid expansion of the team to chase a new market opportunity is the purpose of that venture funding in the first place. During this time, the growing pains of the startup will reach such a crescendo that the founders and board will cry out as one, “we need a COO!”

The Magic Wand Approach to Surfacing People’s Strengths

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 23:19:52 -0600

The Magic Wand Approach to Surfacing People’s Strengths

Everyone wants to succeed, and for managers, that means leading highly capable teams that deliver excellent results. In order to drive team members to deliver successfully, managers need to identify what those capabilities are and harness them in a way that serves the organizational goals.

There are many approaches to identifying and evaluating employees’ skills. Some rely on measurable tests and assessment methodologies. Others are less formal and rely on observation, such as what people are known for, and are asked to do again and again (more on that in Whitney Johnson’s HBR article ).

How We Experience Code

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 23:12:10 -0600

How We Experience Code

How your first programming language shapes your perspective

DEV.BIZ.OPS Aug 13 · 5 min read

It was a simple question. I did not expect a large response. I was genuinely curious though when the thought popped in my head while I was taking a shower that morning. So I posted the following on Twitter and LinkedIn and moved on with work:

What was your first programming language?

What I got was a steady stream of responses that are still going strong since a week ago. It was both a blast from the past and a pleasant journey looking back into how many of us geeks and techies got our start in the software business. I welcome you to share your first experience with programming in the comments!

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 12:21:39 -0600

Checked in at Dushanbe Teahouse .

This place is such a random, cool addition to Boulder.

40.0154171-105.2773564

Build effective remote design teams with the right communication model – Automattic Design

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 10:36:54 -0600

Build effective remote design teams with the right communication model – Automattic Design

As designers, we are often very comfortable in working together using the physical space to our own advantage — critiques, workshops, brainstorming sessions, etc. It’s usually part of our education, and it evolves with our practice and experience. Facilitating an in-person workshop is second nature to many of us. Which is why one of the most common questions about working without being in the same room is: how do you design remotely?

Tools of the trade: How I communicate at GitHub (and why)

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 09:09:33 -0600

Tools of the trade: How I communicate at GitHub (and why)

One of my favorite “laws” is Conway’s Law , an adage that organizations will design systems that mirror their communication structure. As I’ve long said , “how you work is as important as what you work on”:

The tools you choose matter. Tools are more than mere convenience. Tools force teams into particular workflows, workflows that constrain not just how software is produced, but what software is possible. It’s no coincidence then that the open source community, in order to produce the type of software it produces, adopts vastly different tools than most enterprise developers have available to them at their office.

Growth Without Goals

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 09:00:08 -0600

Growth Without Goals

Four years ago, soon after learning that my wife was pregnant with our first child, I was sitting on the Metro-North commuter train, reading. I was thinking about being a father; specifically, I was wondering what it would take to be a great father. Unconditional love and support seemed obvious. Patience too. But what could I teach my son Pierce and future kids that would help them live good, fulfilling lives? That day, I read the following passage from Jiddu Krishnamurti:

Chipping Away at a Monolith

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 23:25:29 -0600

Chipping Away at a Monolith

My team recently embarked on a journey toward unbundling our part of Gusto’s monolithic Ruby on Rails app.

A monolithic app is a single application that contains code across many domains. The boundaries are unclear. The domains are fuzzy. Typically, as a monolithic app grows, it becomes increasingly difficult for developers to make changes due to unexpected consequences. This is especially true for Ruby on Rails applications, as the ✨ Rails magic ✨ encourages side effects, indistinct domains, and generally spaghetti code .

How to Manage a Remote Engineering Team

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 22:46:42 -0600

How to Manage a Remote Engineering Team

One good thing that has come out of the recent quarantine is that we’ve begun to explore what’s truly possible when all kinds of teams work from home. Though there have been growing pains for many in-person office jobs, most people have been able to make it work. Remote engineering teams are no different; they suffer from the same challenges, but they also have an advantage thanks to the great collaborative software options available.

Why Balanced Teams work better together | by Pam Dineva | Product Labs | Medium

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 23:27:48 -0600

Why Balanced Teams work better together | by Pam Dineva | Product Labs | Medium

Pam Dineva Apr 28, 2016 · 5 min read

What is Balanced Team?

Balanced Team is a global movement of people who value multi-disciplinary collaboration and iterative delivery focused on customer value as a source for innovation.

https://cutle.fish/blog/when-you-hear-pay-attention/

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 18:45:54 -0600

https://cutle.fish/blog/when-you-hear-pay-attention/

Note: With dad-hood I’m doing more lists. They’re easier to write while learning to care for this awesome little farting/burping/pooping/smiling human. Apologies if you’re a fan of the longer posts. I’ll get back to them eventually/occasionally.

A quick list of hints that there may be an opportunity for improvement (and/or that you’re about to fall into a trap and need to pay attention):

Might as well do [some extra thing] while we [do the original thing]

Opinion | We’ve Hit a Pandemic Wall – The New York Times

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 18:43:13 -0600

Opinion | We’ve Hit a Pandemic Wall – The New York Times

It’s Not Just You. We’ve All Got a Case of the Covid-19 Blues.

New data show that Americans are suffering from record levels of mental distress.

Opinion Columnist

Lyfe Tavarres in his apartment in Portland, Ore. He has found support during the coronavirus crisis by reaching out to family members and friends.Credit…Leah Nash

I am trying to think of when I first realized we’d all run smack into a wall.

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 09:34:55 -0600

Checked in at Winter Park Resort .

🚵🏼 #MTB #transition #sentinel

39.886844-105.76248

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 17:11:59 -0600

Checked in at Costco .

with erika

39.7898409-105.0825361

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 16:14:40 -0600

Checked in at The Home Depot .

39.7922976-105.0825917

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 18:25:02 -0600

Checked in at Joyride Brewing Company .

39.753086-105.0535794

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 18:13:16 -0600

Checked in at Skyline Pub .

39.748151-105.0536632

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 13:39:54 -0600

Checked in at West Mag Trailhead .

39.9473132-105.5169941

Don’t Work on Vacation. Seriously.

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 11:55:50 -0600

Don’t Work on Vacation. Seriously.

Loading…

Managing yourself

8.95 Buy Copies

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Executive Summary

As more and more employees shift to flexible work schedules, it’s become increasingly common for people to work during time off. But new research shows that working on weekends or holidays can have a significant impact on intrinsic motivation, leading to both lower employee satisfaction rates and lower quality work product. To combat this, the authors suggest a simple but effective strategy for situations in which working during time off is unavoidable: by mentally reframing time off as “work time,” you’re likely to feel more motivated, find your work more meaningful, and put more effort into your work.

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 17:55:36 -0600

Checked in at New Terrain Brewing Co .

Thursday bike n beer.

39.7794665-105.1860322

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 16:41:04 -0600

Checked in at North Table Mountain Park .

39.7815012-105.2245574

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 19:18:18 -0600

Checked in at Ratio Beerworks .

Feels super weird to sit in a brewery right now — with erika

39.7615117-104.981292

Stepping Stones Not Milestones

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 09:12:01 -0600

Stepping Stones Not Milestones

A mythology often develops around successful large engineering projects . We celebrate the end results and reflect on the positive steps taken to get there but quickly forget about all the missteps and uncertainty along the way. These “moonshot projects” teach engineers a terrible anti-pattern: Large projects addressed via completely disjoint phases of design, execution, and delivery.

This anti-pattern typically manifests itself in one of two ways:

Sat, 25 Jul 2020 15:15:39 -0600

Checked in at Flux Studio and Gallery .

39.709696-105.001738

Sat, 25 Jul 2020 12:47:04 -0600

Checked in at Milk Market .

with erika

39.7531976-104.9971416

Sat, 25 Jul 2020 11:30:47 -0600

Checked in at Patagonia .

39.759197-104.985748

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 18:40:36 -0600

Checked in at GREEN MOUNTAIN PARK .

39.6904016-105.1522934

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 17:41:29 -0600

Checked in at Costco .

with erika

39.7898409-105.0825361

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 14:14:58 -0600

Checked in at Jaime’s Mexican Restaurant .

with erika

39.68155-105.05692

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 14:16:29 -0600

Checked in at Collegiate Peaks Overlook .

38.8167424-106.0866697

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 11:34:51 -0600

Checked in at Tributary Roasters .

Back again! Love this place. — with erika

38.54479-106.92657

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 13:41:29 -0600

Checked in at Eddyline Restaurant & Brewery .

38.8412445-106.1195122

Tiny Wins

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 20:29:30 -0600

Tiny Wins

Over the years, I’ve worked on many important, large-scale projects, from figuring out high level strategy and blue sky products, to overhauling core flows and IA, to implementing design systems from the ground up.

Working on these big projects can be exhilarating. They’re often deemed critical by company leadership and various stakeholders, and it’s validating to be trusted with and attached to something so visible and impactful.

I recently shipped two things at GitHub that had an impact beyond my wildest dreams. The amount of gratitude and love that spilled out of the community is like nothing I’ve seen before.

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 18:12:15 -0600

Checked in at REI .

39.755622-105.009853

Spotify’s Failed #SquadGoals

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 12:17:29 -0600

Spotify’s Failed #SquadGoals

Failed#SquadGoals

Spotify doesn’t use “the Spotify model”
and neither should you.

By Jeremiah Lee

Sunday, April 19, 2020 • Listen • En français • 日本語で • Português (Brasil)

Of all the allures of startup culture, few are more desireable than the speed and nimbleness of a small team. Maintaining that feeling as a company grows is a challenge. In 2012, Spotify shared its way of working and suggested it had figured it out.

Human-scale digital spaces

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 21:23:59 -0600

Human-scale digital spaces

#### Alexis Lloyd

Jul 13·3 min read

Jane Jacobs. Photo: Phil Stanziola

I was watching Citizen Jane last night (a documentary on everyone’s favorite urbanist, Jane Jacobs), and thinking through the parallels between urban planning philosophies and internet ecosystems. In many ways, the tensions between the open web and the platform web perfectly reflect the Jane Jacobs vs. Robert Moses theories of urban planning.

Jacobs’s perspective was that urban life happens at street level, and that access to a wide range of other people on the sidewalks of a city allow for an emergent culture that is unpredictable and messy, vital and communal. On the other hand, Moses’s idea of progress involved sweeping away the mess and unpredictability, creating regimented highways and high-rises that would allow for urban life to be planned, and therefore improved. In many ways the contrast is also about scale — for Jacobs, the city should work at the scale and speed of the pedestrian, whereas Moses believed a modern city should reflect the scale and speed of the automobile.

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 18:16:55 -0600

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

with erika

39.7550951-104.9770794

Covid-19 Is Accelerating Human Transformation—Let’s Not Waste It

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 23:02:47 -0600

Covid-19 Is Accelerating Human Transformation—Let’s Not Waste It

The Neobiological Revolution, is here. Now’s the time to put lessons from the Digital Revolution to use.

Back when we started WIRED magazine, it was all digital, all the time. In Silicon Valley, bodies were treated like the somewhat inconvenient and sometimes embarrassing things that needed to be fueled and occasionally rested so that they could support big heads that housed big ideas about the future. Human biology wasn’t exactly on our radar, except in science fiction, where pandemics always seemed du jour.

Gravel Bike Adventures

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 15:21:26 -0600

Excellent curated list of gravel bike rides in Colorado (mostly), and beyond.

https://gravelbikeadventures.com/index/

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 14:22:14 -0600

Checked in at Outer Range Brewing .

39.5892086-106.0989465

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 12:00:48 -0600

Checked in at Peaks Trail .

39.488014-106.0853423

A Guide to Making Better Decisions

Sat, 04 Jul 2020 17:41:42 -0600

A Guide to Making Better Decisions

Villi Iltchev Apr 10 · 4 min read

Making decisions is one of the main jobs of a founder and a manager. The average organization, big and small, makes thousands of decisions every day. How teams make these decisions is one of the most important factors in the health, culture, and success of an organization. I believe the cadence and effectiveness with which an organization makes decisions is directly correlated to its ability to stay ahead of competitors and win in the marketplace. Most decisions are sequential and impact other decisions downstream, which means that an inefficient decision making process has magnifying implications as it reverberates through an organization. Today, in this challenging and disruptive business environment, leaders in every organization are facing difficult and important decisions that will impact the trajectory and success of their companies going forward. Strong culture and processes that facilitate clear and efficient decision making are critical to success, which is why I wanted to offer a few thoughts and observations about making decisions.

How to Overcome Dread Tasks

Sat, 04 Jul 2020 17:30:51 -0600

How to Overcome Dread Tasks

April 2019

There are things you want to do. There are things you need to do. Sometimes these are the same. This post is how to handle life when they aren’t.

The sensation of thinking of a task can be pleasant or painful. This is because your brain is always predicting how rewarding any future scenario will be. You experience joy when your mind is imagining a future fantasy where you’ll be engaged in flow (“when you get to that weekend side-project, things will be interesting, time will fly by”).

Proposal for Near-Future Blogging Megastructures

Sat, 04 Jul 2020 13:23:51 -0600

Proposal for Near-Future Blogging Megastructures

This post is part of Blogging Futures , a collaborative blogchain-based learning adventure exploring how we can reimagine blogging. Feel free to join the conversation!

Blogging is great, but it sometimes feels like every blog is an island. To have a robust blog society requires connection, community, conversation. Part of the problem is we don’t have many great ways to connect blogs together into larger conversation structures.

Addressable ideas & the connective tissue of the web

Sat, 04 Jul 2020 13:16:11 -0600

Addressable ideas & the connective tissue of the web

We’re forgoing our usual format this week to do a deeper dive on signals in a space that’s very close Addressable ideas & the connective tissue of the web

By Ethical Futures Lab • Issue #28 • View online

We’re forgoing our usual format this week to do a deeper dive on signals in a space that’s very close to our hearts (and work) — reading and writing on the internet. We look at the foundational affordances for writing and linking on the web, and explore how some nascent alternatives might change the way we share ideas and have conversations. —Alexis & Matt

Building Strong OKR’s – Plato

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 23:11:53 -0600

Building Strong OKR’s – Plato

Problem

Teams say that they want to be empowered, but when everything is in front of you, it’s really hard to make decisions, defend them, and show how you measure against them.

Actions taken

The simplest OKR’s are the best ones. I spend a lot of time with my teams distilling down their OKR’s. I steer them away from flashy words and big adjectives that take them away from what they are actually doing.
We participate in OKR drafts in a Google Doc that everyone reads and comments on so that it is understood in simple terms by all.
With metrics, I like to put myself in the mindset of a product manager and work with my product counterpart to decide how the feature is being used and what is most important. I then use that as part of my key results for the things I want to measure while trying to achieve those objectives.

Lessons learned

The two questions of ‘what you are doing’ and ‘how you will measure it’ are extremely powerful. Those who are really good at explaining the impact know how to write their OKR’s in a way that is simple and easy to measure. If a non-technical person can’t understand what you are doing you have not written your OKR well. Technical background or not, we are all shareholders and fully empowered to make the decisions around what we want to build within a set of constraints and governance.
I have been in organizations where you do the feature and then you make sure there are enough metrics on it. It doesn’t work that way. Unless you’ve defined the business impact of what you are looking for in your metrics and logs, then it’s just a bunch of garbage data that is being spewed out.
I am really impressed with how many conversations that were originally happening after features had already been built are now part of a Google Docs document early on in the cycle.

Triggered: How one of Colorado’s smallest protests became its most violent

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 21:57:12 -0600

Triggered: How one of Colorado’s smallest protests became its most violent

ALAMOSA — The protesters, about a dozen in all, gathered on June 4 in the intersection of State Avenue and Main Street. Like protesters across the country in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing by police, they were demanding police accountability and racial justice.

The group occupied the crosswalk during red lights, then stepped to the curb on green. Letting traffic pass, they figured, would help keep things peaceful.

To Be a Great Leader, You Need To Find Time for Yourself – Plato

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 10:17:32 -0600

To Be a Great Leader, You Need To Find Time for Yourself – Plato

Problem

As a leader, you often feel short of time. Blocking time for yourself — free of meetings and calls — is vital for boosting your creativity and setting you up in a pro-active mode. Oftentimes great people have their escape; they run marathons, fly planes, or cycle like I do — they are immersed in activities that are taking them away from the noise of the world. As you climb a career ladder you will have increasingly less time and exceedingly more things that will require your attention. The first thing to get compromised will be your time for yourself. While this is true for almost anyone, leaders will particularly experience it. Your time will become the most significant scarcity and you will have to learn how to secure time for yourself.

Leading Virtually – AVC

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 08:40:31 -0600

Leading Virtually – AVC

Most (all?) of our portfolio companies have been working remotely for over three months now. So have we at USV.

The initial experience with remote work has been mostly positive. The typical comment has been “we are doing a lot better than I expected.” Productivity is up in some places, down in some places, but overall our portfolio companies have adapted to the remote work model quickly and well.

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 13:50:49 -0600

Checked in at Costco Gasoline .

39.78785-105.0831161

Loving this new label at @spangalangbrewery !

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 19:29:15 -0600

https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t50.2886-16/105330423 _579297246107529_8734484796582320243_n.mp4?_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&_nc_ohc=l7Kkkm21wM0AX_6gTq4&oe=5EFA241F&oh=71a22a01cef7187805081caaf699bad3

Loving this new label at @spangalangbrewery !

39.7552419-104.9770576 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_me553738f6e4f375e658824a787ada88b = { positions : { 570 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7552419’, ‘-104.9770576’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_me553738f6e4f375e658824a787ada88b’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_me553738f6e4f375e658824a787ada88b.positions ) { gmap_me553738f6e4f375e658824a787ada88b.bounds.extend( gmap_me553738f6e4f375e658824a787ada88b.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_me553738f6e4f375e658824a787ada88b.positions ) { gmap_me553738f6e4f375e658824a787ada88b.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_me553738f6e4f375e658824a787ada88b.map, position : gmap_me553738f6e4f375e658824a787ada88b.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_me553738f6e4f375e658824a787ada88b.map.setCenter( gmap_me553738f6e4f375e658824a787ada88b.positions[570] ); });

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 18:51:59 -0600

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

This is our first time consuming anything at a public place since mid-March #covid19 — with erika

39.7550951-104.9770794

What we can learn from early adopters of distributed work

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 23:02:22 -0600

What we can learn from early adopters of distributed work

A conversation with InVision and Automattic, two organizations with a combined 24 years of office-less work experience

Filed under

Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, has been fully distributed since its 2005 inception. In 2017, they experimented with a 15,000 square foot event and community space in San Francisco as an option for Bay Area employees. It looked the part: converted warehouse, open design, a custom-made barn door for good measure. But Automattic’s existing work model was so effective that the space was used infrequently, and the company abruptly ended its lease. No good deed, as it were.

WP-Admin Reference

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 12:59:08 -0600

This is a place where you can quickly reference elements from wp-admin. You can use them in your own plugins.

This is an actual WordPress Dashboard loaded. All the styles and scripts are already available on the admin side. You can just grab the HTML and you are all set.

https://wpadmin.bracketspace.com/

5 Engineering Manager Archetypes – patkua.com

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 14:44:53 -0600

5 Engineering Manager Archetypes – patkua.com

Contents

“There are only two hard things in Computer Science: cache invalidation and naming things.”

— Phil Karlton

Introduction

In today’s tech organisations, you find 2 types of technical leadership roles in teams – Tech Leads and Engineering Managers. Tech Leads are better defined with The Definition of a Tech Lead but the Engineering Manager (EM) role remains unclear. In this article, we will explore 5 Engineering Manager archetypes commonly found in the industry.

The Majestic Monolith

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 23:19:06 -0600

The Majestic Monolith

Monolith by Rene Aigner

Some patterns are just about the code. If your code looks like this, and you need it to do that, here’s what to do. You’d do well to study such patterns , as they give you a deep repertoire of solutions ready to apply and make your code better every time you hit their context.

Then there are other patterns that are less about the code and more about how the code is being written, by whom, and within which organization. The Majestic Monolith is one of those patterns. But before we dive into all its glory, let’s first examine its opposite pattern: Micro/services oriented architecture.

Using OKR Based Leadership to Empower Teams – Plato

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 23:07:56 -0600

Using OKR Based Leadership to Empower Teams – Plato

Problem

In most of the previous companies I have worked with, our goal was to keep empowering teams, yet there was somewhat of a confined matrix around it. So much so, that the teams never truly felt empowered. What we were going to do in the matrix had already been decided. Teams were empowered to find the ‘how’ and maybe contest or argue about estimates in order to inform the ‘what’, and make trade-off decisions around that. These companies would continue to claim that teams were empowered, but in talking to the teams, we all felt rather disempowered.

What comes after Zoom? — Benedict Evans

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 23:00:43 -0600

What comes after Zoom? — Benedict Evans

We had video calls in science fiction, and we had video conferencing in the 1990s, just as the web was taking off, as a very expensive and impractical tool for big companies. It was proposed as a use case for 3G, which didn’t happen at all, and with the growth of consumer broadband we got all sorts of tools that could do it, but it never really became a mass-market consumer behaviour. Now, suddenly, we’re all locked down, and we’re all on video calls all the time, doing team stand-ups, play dates and family birthday parties, and suddenly Zoom is a big deal. At some point many of those meetings will turn back into coffees, we hope, but video will remain.

Time Management as an Engineering Leader — enrich

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 23:32:56 -0600

Time Management as an Engineering Leader — enrich

Many engineering leaders are finding that remote work in today’s circumstances is causing fatigue. Kids and roommates are home, you may not have a proper desk setup, there’s no commute time to zone out and collect your thoughts, and you have to call or type questions to your coworkers and wait for answers instead of looking over your shoulder and quickly asking them. If you’re not able to properly manage your time you’re liable to burn out real quick, and so will your team.

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 12:40:21 -0600

Checked in at Pence Park .

39.6355328-105.2788356

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 10:48:03 -0600

🍆🍆🍆

Posted on Instagram 10:48 am, June 18, 2020

How to never lose another memory again

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 08:46:33 -0600

How to never lose another memory again

Editor’s note: We’ve anonymized the interview subject’s identity at his request.

Seven years ago on July 4th, MC bought his mom a Mother’s Day gift.

We don’t know why MC bought his mom a gift on that date, two months after Mother’s Day. All we know is that it happened on a day when he did laundry, went for a light jog, and finally finished the sixth season of 30 Rock.

How to Run Engineering Team Meetings (and not waste anyone’s time) | Hacker Noon

Sun, 14 Jun 2020 23:52:09 -0600

How to Run Engineering Team Meetings (and not waste anyone’s time) | Hacker Noon

February 3rd 2017

@cat.the.red Catherine Miller

Growing pains: the affliction of all mid-size startups, Flatiron included. It used to be that everyone fit in a single room and overheard everything that was going on; now we barely fit in an auditorium. While there are many struggles in this process (office space, not knowing everyone’s name, needing a second overflow volleyball team), communication is by far the biggest. We want everyone to to be empowered with information, and we want input from as many people as possible; before you know it, our calendars are covered with meetings of all shapes and sizes with tiny “BLOCK: Work” rectangles few and far between.

Betting on Things That Never Change

Sun, 14 Jun 2020 00:55:49 -0600

Betting on Things That Never Change

Amazon launched 22 years ago this week.

Its first web page shows its early days:

What’s neat about this isn’t what’s changed. It’s what’s stayed the same.

The line, “One million titles, consistently low prices” seems like marketing guff. But it helps explain why Amazon has dominated where others have failed.

The allure of the Internet in 1995 was betting on change. New paradigms born. Old strategies discarded. Something requiring radically different thinking.

Avoiding Employee Burnout: How to Help You & Your Team Thrive in Quarantine

Sun, 14 Jun 2020 00:47:59 -0600

Avoiding Employee Burnout: How to Help You & Your Team Thrive in Quarantine

How are you feeling right now?

Like really…how are you doing?

If you’re like most people I’ve spoken to, things are pretty rough with quarantine continuing. You may be feeling it, and there is likely some employee burnout on your team.

An informal poll of my followers on Twitter showed that over 2/3rds of respondents are already feeling burnout symptoms, or feel fully burned out now.

Obsidian

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 18:42:09 -0600

Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files.

https://obsidian.md/

Our grimdark meathook cyberpunk now – TechCrunch

Sun, 31 May 2020 23:23:24 -0600

Our grimdark meathook cyberpunk now – TechCrunch

Our grimdark meathook cyberpunk now

@rezendi /

6:00 am PDT • May 31, 2020

Image Credits: Ethan Zhan / Pixabay under a Pixabay License license.

Jon Evans

Contributor

Jon Evans is the CTO of the engineering consultancy HappyFunCorp; the award-winning author of six novels, one graphic novel, and a book of travel writing; and TechCrunch’s weekend columnist since 2010. More posts by this contributor

Ten years ago, the joke was: “It’s weird how, once everyone started carrying phones with cameras all the time, UFOs stopped visiting, and the cops started beating everyone up.” It was darkly funny, then. Now it feels something more like despairing.

Sat, 30 May 2020 12:56:34 -0600

Checked in at Molly’s Spirits .

Booze Mecca — with erika

39.7787255-105.0594376

Fri, 29 May 2020 21:12:44 -0600

Fri, 29 May 2020 14:45:14 -0600

Checked in at Centennial Cone Park .

39.7497555-105.383095

Why Everyone Always Hates Redesigns, Even When They’re Good

Tue, 26 May 2020 23:40:04 -0600

Why Everyone Always Hates Redesigns, Even When They’re Good

The strange psychology that shapes your reactions

Angela Lashbrook May 19 · 6 min read

Photo illustration: Angela Lashbrook

In Microprocessing , columnist Angela Lashbrook aims to improve your relationship with technology every week. Microprocessing goes deep on the little things that define your online life today to give you a better tomorrow.

Whenever a popular web interface gets any kind of significant visual change, a lot of people react with confusion, dismay, and even anger. This month, it’s the new Google Docs sharing interface: The Next Web wrote an entire piece detailing complaints about the new sharing menu. One podcaster says she “just doesn’t like it,” and others are “completely baffled .”

The Work of Byron Katie

Tue, 26 May 2020 23:30:29 -0600

The Work of Byron Katie

By Tom Moon, MFT–

Corey came to see me, consumed with hurt and rage. Two years ago, his partner Lyle, whom Corey said “was the love of my life,” abruptly moved out of their apartment and disappeared while Corey was at work. In the following days, Corey discovered that Lyle had been involved with Lyle’s “best friend” for more than a year, and that the two had left the state together. Corey subsequently spent most of his waking hours so preoccupied with angry and vengeful thoughts that his life came to a standstill. He wanted to let go, but he felt completely stuck.

Scrum Made Zero Sense for My Young Startup. So I Designed an Alternative.

Tue, 26 May 2020 00:08:01 -0600

Scrum Made Zero Sense for My Young Startup. So I Designed an Alternative.

Nowadays there are more opinions on how to develop software than there are firms actually doing the development. Some people call programming a science. Others call it engineering, a craft, or even art. Just as coding’s 70-year history has produced hundreds (if not thousands) of languages, it’s also spawned countless processes and frameworks purporting to have the best model for guiding a team to build software.

Product for Internal Platforms

Mon, 25 May 2020 00:43:58 -0600

Product for Internal Platforms

For the past 3 years, I have been running a platform engineering organization. Since that term is vague, where I work it means the software side of infrastructure. Compute platforms like kubernetes, storage systems, software development tools, and frameworks for services are part of the mandate. Our customers are other engineers at the company.

I also oversee the product team for this area. Now, I’m not a product manager (which I’ll shorten to PM for the rest of this post, not to be confused with project manager), and I rely on my PM team heavily for their expertise. But that doesn’t mean that I can personally neglect the product side, and indeed I spend a lot of time thinking about the products and strategy for my org as part of my day-to-day work.

Sun, 24 May 2020 15:18:27 -0600

Checked in at Echter’s Nursery and Garden Center .

with erika

39.7897415-105.0998002

Had a pretty cool little visitor in the garden this evening, slurpin’ on our honeysuckle. #moth

Sat, 23 May 2020 20:11:53 -0600

https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t50.2886-16/98176221 _1185865921779341_1219548950954559011_n.mp4?_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&_nc_ohc=qHlN50Nhlc8AX_jsZvA&oe=5ECBD798&oh=258bb8055963c8a939791ec353d0ccea

Had a pretty cool little visitor in the garden this evening, slurpin’ on our honeysuckle. #moth

39.7572-104.967 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m45197d8dbea7668015202ae7c29df75b = { positions : { 858 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m45197d8dbea7668015202ae7c29df75b’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m45197d8dbea7668015202ae7c29df75b.positions ) { gmap_m45197d8dbea7668015202ae7c29df75b.bounds.extend( gmap_m45197d8dbea7668015202ae7c29df75b.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m45197d8dbea7668015202ae7c29df75b.positions ) { gmap_m45197d8dbea7668015202ae7c29df75b.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m45197d8dbea7668015202ae7c29df75b.map, position : gmap_m45197d8dbea7668015202ae7c29df75b.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m45197d8dbea7668015202ae7c29df75b.map.setCenter( gmap_m45197d8dbea7668015202ae7c29df75b.positions[858] ); });

Sat, 23 May 2020 13:25:51 -0600

Checked in at REI .

39.755622-105.009853

In defense of the modern web – DEV

Fri, 22 May 2020 23:13:35 -0600

In defense of the modern web – DEV

I expect I’ll annoy everyone with this post: the anti-JavaScript crusaders, justly aghast at how much of the stuff we slather onto modern websites; the people arguing the web is a broken platform for interactive applications anyway and we should start over; React users; the old guard with their artisanal JS and hand authored HTML; and Tom MacWright , someone I’ve admired from afar since I first became aware of his work on Mapbox many years ago. But I guess that’s the price of having opinions.

Fri, 22 May 2020 07:49:29 -0600

Yesterday’s ride was much-needed. #sentinel

39.4934-105.38177

#sentinel

Posted on Instagram 7:49 am, May 22, 2020 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mb634d302d00ef66c1f606e49c35c1bf0 = { positions : { 664 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.4934’, ‘-105.38177’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mb634d302d00ef66c1f606e49c35c1bf0’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mb634d302d00ef66c1f606e49c35c1bf0.positions ) { gmap_mb634d302d00ef66c1f606e49c35c1bf0.bounds.extend( gmap_mb634d302d00ef66c1f606e49c35c1bf0.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mb634d302d00ef66c1f606e49c35c1bf0.positions ) { gmap_mb634d302d00ef66c1f606e49c35c1bf0.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mb634d302d00ef66c1f606e49c35c1bf0.map, position : gmap_mb634d302d00ef66c1f606e49c35c1bf0.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mb634d302d00ef66c1f606e49c35c1bf0.map.setCenter( gmap_mb634d302d00ef66c1f606e49c35c1bf0.positions[664] ); });

Thu, 21 May 2020 13:20:45 -0600

Checked in at Stauton State Park .

39.4967784-105.3821254

50 Ideas That Changed My Life — David Perell

Tue, 19 May 2020 22:43:10 -0600

50 Ideas That Changed My Life — David Perell

Here are the 50 ideas that changed my life.

These are my guiding principles and the light of my intellectual life. All of them will help you think better, and I hope they inspire curiosity.

Inversion: Avoiding stupidity is easier than trying to be brilliant. Instead of asking, “How can I help my company?” you should ask, “What’s hurting my company the most and how can I avoid it?” Identify obvious failure points, and steer clear of them.

Spotify vs. Fitbit and the Model of Agile at Scale

Tue, 19 May 2020 22:04:22 -0600

Spotify vs. Fitbit and the Model of Agile at Scale

I thought I was done with the series of articles on the importance of empowered engineers , but then an article came out a few days ago criticizing the Spotify model of Agile at scale , and I could not pass up the opportunity to try to turn this into a teachable moment.

The author criticizes the Spotify model of scaled Agile, but neglects to mention that Spotify built a company now worth more than $25B, while competing – and often winning – against both Apple and Amazon, two of the very best product companies in the world.

Not even wrong: ways to predict tech — Benedict Evans

Tue, 19 May 2020 21:57:36 -0600

Not even wrong: ways to predict tech — Benedict Evans

“That is not only not right; it is not even wrong”

– Wolfgang Pauli

A lot of really important technologies started out looking like expensive, impractical toys. The engineering wasn’t finished, the building blocks didn’t fit together, the volumes were too low and the manufacturing process was new and imperfect. In parallel, many or even most important things propose some new way of doing things, or even an entirely new thing to do. So it doesn’t work, it’s expensive, and it’s silly. It’s a toy.

Mon, 18 May 2020 15:54:17 -0600

Checked in at GREEN MOUNTAIN PARK .

39.6904016-105.1522934

Sun, 17 May 2020 18:43:23 -0600

My first commissioned “piece”. Made this table for @melbrace303 today from reclaimed fence and pergola wood.

Sun, 17 May 2020 13:09:19 -0600

Checked in at The Home Depot .

39.7119654-105.0700042

Thu, 14 May 2020 14:10:43 -0600

Checked in at Table Mountain .

39.7661706-105.2141266

Using Dynalist as a Productivity Tool

Wed, 13 May 2020 16:49:59 -0600

I’ve been searching for years for the “perfect tool” to help me take notes, organize ideas, and keep track of all the tasks I need to do. I’ve also been deeply obsessed with lists forever. At some point I came across Workflowy , which I quite liked. I don’t remember why, but I then discovered and switched over to Dynalist.io . I don’t know if it’s the perfect tool, but I’ve adapted a way of using it that’s working well for me. I now pay for a yearly subscription, and use it for most things.

Three signs of a poor hiring process—and four ways to fix it

Wed, 13 May 2020 14:00:04 -0600

Three signs of a poor hiring process—and four ways to fix it

When given the opportunity to establish a process, we’re all biased to advocate for one in which we would be successful ourselves. In hiring, this plays out in two main ways: “A” players build monocultures, hiring people just like them, and “B” players hire “C” players, hiring people who won’t threaten them.

In other words, top performers too narrowly define what top performance is, and okay performers hire mediocre people; in both cases, they’re making selections that bolster their own position.

Seniorless — 4 Tips for Effectively Onboarding Juniors

Wed, 13 May 2020 13:47:26 -0600

Seniorless — 4 Tips for Effectively Onboarding Juniors

Gabriel Grinberg Mar 30 · 8 min read

The previous post — “Seniorless — 5 Reasons You Should Hire More Juniors ” was about why juniors are a great, and even essential, assets to your engineering group.

Of course, hiring non-experienced members comes with risks/costs. The main reasons I get from other team leaders for not doing so are:

Second-guessing the modern web – macwright.org

Sun, 10 May 2020 20:34:43 -0600

Second-guessing the modern web – macwright.org

The emerging norm for web development is to build a React single-page application, with server rendering. The two key elements of this architecture are something like:

The main UI is built & updated in JavaScript using React or something similar.
The backend is an API that that application makes requests against.

This idea has really swept the internet. It started with a few major popular websites and has crept into corners like marketing sites and blogs.

Sun, 10 May 2020 13:42:15 -0600

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

39.7550951-104.9770794

The Berkshire Hathaway of the Internet

Sat, 09 May 2020 23:15:46 -0600

The Berkshire Hathaway of the Internet

Andrew Wilkinson Mar 19, 2017 · 8 min read

Warren Buffett is famous for handshake deals and one-page contracts. He often buys multi-billion-dollar companies after a few phone calls, usually without ever meeting the management team in person or visiting their facilities. Not only that, but he typically pays below market prices and avoids dealing with investment bankers. Despite all this, he has amassed a collection of over 65 wholly owned companies, ranging from See’s Candies, to Dairy Queen, to Fruit of The Loom.

Sat, 09 May 2020 16:08:46 -0600

Checked in at Turin Bicycles .

Back door deals. Getting tubeless set up and new baby tuned in.

39.7274751-104.9857864

The Most Terrifying Thought Experiment of All Time

Thu, 07 May 2020 23:54:19 -0600

The Most Terrifying Thought Experiment of All Time

Before you die, you see Roko’s Basilisk. It’s like the videotape in The Ring. Dreamworks LLC

WARNING: Reading this article may commit you to an eternity of suffering and torment.

Slender Man. Smile Dog. Goatse. These are some of the urban legends spawned by the Internet. Yet none is as all-powerful and threatening as Roko’s Basilisk. For Roko’s Basilisk is an evil, godlike form of artificial intelligence, so dangerous that if you see it, or even think about it too hard, you will spend the rest of eternity screaming in its torture chamber. It’s like the videotape in The Ring . Even death is no escape, for if you die, Roko’s Basilisk will resurrect you and begin the torture again.

Engineering OKR examples for different levels in the organisation

Tue, 05 May 2020 23:40:00 -0600

Engineering OKR examples for different levels in the organisation

3. Engineering

Team Level OKRs

Objective 1: Create a high performing engineering team

Key results:

Hire 10 new engineers by end of Q2 FY 2017-18
Agree & document performance measurement metrics for individual contributions
Increase knowledge & enhance skill sets of team members by ensuring each one participates in at least one of the industry-wide hackathons

Discussion:

Look at the objective & it will become crystal clear that the same objective can be equally applicable to any company. The actual difference is made by the key results, how are you measuring your success. These key results will definitely be different for different teams, although they may have the same objective.

The Anti-Amazon Alliance

Mon, 04 May 2020 15:36:25 -0600

The Anti-Amazon Alliance

Manage your Stratechery subscription.

The nonsensical tie-in has long been one of my favorite PR genres, and the coronavirus crisis has created a whole host of examples; Casey Newton posted a particularly egregious one:

Using a current news event as cover is hardly limited to bad PR pitches;

1 look no further than this announcement from Google , which used the coronavirus crisis to frame a major change in Google Shopping:

Plot Economics

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 23:24:38 -0600

Plot Economics

For the fourth time in my adult memory, humanity has collectively, visibly lost the plot at a global level. My criteria are fairly restrictive: The dotcom bust and the 2007 crash don’t make my list for instance, and neither do previous recent epidemics like SARS or Ebola. Global narrative collapse is a fairly severe condition, but apparently no longer as rare as it once was. Here’s my shortlist:

Everything Is Content: WordPress in the 2020s

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 19:45:37 -0600

Everything Is Content: WordPress in the 2020s

Over the last decade, WordPress has established itself as the go-to content management platform for online newspapers, magazines, and blogs of all sizes. It’s also begun to gain footholds in the broader world of publishing: corporate newsrooms, brand sites, and content marketing vehicles. Despite WordPress’ commanding presence – nearly a third of the web’s top million sites – there’s still significant opportunity in up-ending more bluechip offerings, like Adobe Experience Manager and SiteCore, as the “first CMS” for large enterprises.

Notes on Escaping the Build Trap

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 19:36:20 -0600

Notes on Escaping the Build Trap

Last year while thinking about product management in infrastructure

I read Cagan’s Inspired: How to Create Products Customers Love ,

which I thought was a solid book, roughly summarized as “use rapid experimentation to guide product innovation.”

It’s apparently the time of year when I read about product management, and having heard quite a bit of praise for

Melissa Perri ‘s

Escaping the Build Trap , I decided

What Do Executives Do, Anyway?

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 11:46:31 -0600

What Do Executives Do, Anyway?

What do executives do, anyway?

An executive with 8,000 indirect reports and 2000 hours of work

in a year can afford to spend, at most, 15 minutes per year per

person in their reporting hierarchy… even if they work on

nothing else. That job seems impossible. How can anyone make any

important decision in a company that large? They will always be

the least informed person in the room, no matter what the topic.

Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How. – POLITICO

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 11:03:58 -0600

Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How. – POLITICO

Magazine

A crisis on this scale can reorder society in dramatic ways, for better or worse. Here are 34 big thinkers’ predictions for what’s to come.

Illustration by DAQ

By POLITICO MAGAZINE

03/19/2020 07:30 PM EDT

For many Americans right now, the scale of the coronavirus crisis calls to mind 9/11 or the 2008 financial crisis—events that reshaped society in lasting ways, from how we travel and buy homes, to the level of security and surveillance we’re accustomed to, and even to the language we use.

Brick by Brick

Sat, 25 Apr 2020 23:32:16 -0600

Brick by Brick

6 min read

Brick by Brick

by Josh Sloat | Mar 17, 2020 | Commentary |

A lot of folks have been asking what I’ve been up to since moving on from my post as Head of Product and Tech at Axios . The short answer is, things I should’ve focused on much sooner. The longer answer is shared below, expressed with far more digital vulnerability than comes with my default programming.

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 13:45:27 -0600

Quarantine project complete. New pergola for the patio area. @tojagrid frame with custom diagonal slats.

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 14:09:53 -0600

https://dentedreality-content.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/03122829/91332028_652674875482255_8824208381062844614_n.mp4

Quarantine project complete. New pergola for the patio area. @tojagrid frame with custom diagonal slats.

39.7391-104.9836 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m56034dcc68fbe51266baca3eefe54b04 = { positions : { 215 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7391’, ‘-104.9836’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m56034dcc68fbe51266baca3eefe54b04’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m56034dcc68fbe51266baca3eefe54b04.positions ) { gmap_m56034dcc68fbe51266baca3eefe54b04.bounds.extend( gmap_m56034dcc68fbe51266baca3eefe54b04.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m56034dcc68fbe51266baca3eefe54b04.positions ) { gmap_m56034dcc68fbe51266baca3eefe54b04.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m56034dcc68fbe51266baca3eefe54b04.map, position : gmap_m56034dcc68fbe51266baca3eefe54b04.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m56034dcc68fbe51266baca3eefe54b04.map.setCenter( gmap_m56034dcc68fbe51266baca3eefe54b04.positions[215] ); });

Leader as Avatar (Ed Batista)

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 23:26:31 -0600

Leader as Avatar (Ed Batista)

The English word avatar is derived from the Sanskrit avatāra, meaning “to descend,” which came to signify a deity who has come down to earth and taken human form. Lord Rama, above, was the seventh avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, summoned to defeat a demon-king.

In a secular context, an avatar is a personification that represents a larger entity, and it’s a concept that comes up frequently in my coaching practice. We often view leaders–especially CEOs–as avatars of the organizations they lead, and leaders may see themselves in the same way–especially founders.

Selling into a Crisis (Rights and Wrongs)

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 09:17:48 -0600

Selling into a Crisis (Rights and Wrongs)

Sell to the need – not the situation. In times of any crisis people are managing and adapting to it 24×7. They know their problems all too well and so will most likely react negatively when being “educated” to what their situation is. Rather, most people will be tuned to the problem they have and any matter of fact messaging about what your product does will be picked up. For example, most people have been busily expanding their remote working/collaboration capabilities and capacity and will likely be ripe to hear about anything that can help them with that – you don’t need to mention it’s because of Covid-19, or any other crisis.
Support your existing customers and make genuine offers of help. Many businesses are doing extraordinary things to support their customers. A lot of companies are actively networking with others in particular sectors and across supply chains and so, if you have a great solution with great support then word will get out.
Amplify learning. In times of crisis people innovate in the use of products/services, in fact they may stretch the hell out of them to get what they need. Therefore, figure out a way of sharing such innovation with your wider customer base – with permission or suitably anonymized. This will help people, and will likely drive new sales or an increase in deployments at existing customers over time.
Seek feedback. This is a prerequisite of 2 and 3: ask your customers what else they need and seek to be maximally flexible especially in eliminating bureaucracy, for example: if your customer needs another 5000 users deployed on your product/service then enable it – figure out the contract/payment details later, they will come through.
Start planning your products for the new normal. The stretching of your products/services now are, in essence, your customers defining your product roadmaps for the next 24 months. Listen to it. A lot of things won’t return to the way they were after this crisis, just like other crises have been jolts to create new modes of working or entirely new business models.
Support hardship. There are plenty of small businesses, medical facilities, not-for-profits, and other entities that might need your products/services. If you can, then set them up with some capability. Do this for altruism – it might pay off later (brand, future sales, adjacent benefits) but it might not.
Look after your employees. You can’t do 1 through 6 if your employees, your contractors or supply chain, aren’t feeling protected.

We’re not going back to normal

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 10:31:56 -0600

We’re not going back to normal

Getty images

Tech Policy

Mar 17, 2020

Getty images

To stop coronavirus we will need to radically change almost everything we do: how we work, exercise, socialize, shop, manage our health, educate our kids, take care of family members.

Open Space, Deep Work, and Self-Care

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 10:22:07 -0600

Open Space, Deep Work, and Self-Care

My coaching clients are typically senior leaders with rapidly growing or very large organizations who are responsible for hiring a management team, identifying a winning strategy, and building a culture that supports their goals. A theme that emerges consistently in my work with them is the importance of open space, deep work, and self-care. What do I mean by these terms, and what’s their significance for effective leadership?

Your Mission Is To Produce Outcomes, Not Outputs | Barry O’Reilly

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 23:25:03 -0600

Your Mission Is To Produce Outcomes, Not Outputs | Barry O’Reilly

Most companies are looking for outcomes, unfortunately the majority of what they get is output.

Everyone from executives to entrepreneurs don’t want to create products, they want what a product can create for them—truly extraordinary customer benefits. They don’t want to solve point problems, they want better, faster and cheaper results. They are looking for a competitive advantage for their customers to experience, value and love.

How to Think (More on Open Space and Deep Work)

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 23:20:09 -0600

How to Think (More on Open Space and Deep Work)

Most of my coaching clients are senior leaders in rapidly growing companies, and they often find themselves in the midst of a difficult transition. Previously they were in a position to add value by doing–because they knew the most about the product, or were closer to the customer, or were more experienced than their colleagues, they could simply execute more effectively than everyone around them. But as the company has grown larger and more complex, and as they’ve hired people with greater expertise and stronger functional skills, they find that they’re no longer able to add value in the same way. As I’ve written before,

Leadership as Professional Practice (Ed Batista)

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 22:26:59 -0600

Leadership as Professional Practice (Ed Batista)

In the Enchiridion (or handbook) of Epictetus [1], the Stoic philosopher offers guidance to those of us with high aspirations:

In every act observe the things which come first, and those which follow it… A man wishes to conquer at the Olympic games, I also wish indeed, for it is a fine thing. But observe both the things which come first, and the things which follow… You must do everything according to rule, eat according to strict orders, abstain from delicacies, exercise yourself as you are bid at appointed times, in heat, in cold, you must not drink cold water, nor wine as you choose… And sometimes you will strain the hand, put the ankle out of joint, swallow much dust, sometimes be flogged, and after all this be defeated. When you have considered all this, if you still choose, go to the contest.

Firebreaks and Rapid Repairs

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 22:13:13 -0600

Firebreaks and Rapid Repairs

I don’t get to write very often about productivity these days. I’m too busy doing things. There’s some sad irony there.

Yet, there’s two points that have been so critical, so valuable, so life-affirming… that I so often see people doing the exact opposite of what’s correct in… that I thought I’d spend my morning writing this up.

Images via Wikipedia article on “firebreak.”

1. Firebreaks: Because When Your Mind Can’t Be Trusted, It Really Can’t Be Trusted

The Making of a Corporate Athlete

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 11:15:01 -0600

The Making of a Corporate Athlete

Leer en español

If there is one quality that executives seek for themselves and their employees, it is sustained high performance in the face of ever-increasing pressure and rapid change. But the source of such performance is as elusive as the fountain of youth. Management theorists have long sought to identify precisely what makes some people flourish under pressure and others fold. We maintain that they have come up with only partial answers: rich material rewards, the right culture, management by objectives.

Open Loops (Leadership and Uncertainty) (Ed Batista)

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 09:17:40 -0600

Open Loops (Leadership and Uncertainty) (Ed Batista)

One of the most significant steps in a leader’s development is cultivating the ability to 1) tolerate greater uncertainty 2) over longer periods of time 3) on a larger number 4) of increasingly important issues. A coaching client once described it as “living with open loops.” What makes this so challenging is that we’ve evolved a strong preference for certainty because the predictability of recurring patterns in familiar situations allows us to minimize the expenditure of attention and concentration, which are finite resources. David Rock, Director of the NeuroLeadership Institute, discusses the mental processes at work here:

That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 09:06:46 -0600

That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief

HBR Staff/d3sign/Getty Images

Leer en español

We’ve made our coronavirus coverage free for all readers. To get all of HBR’s content delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Daily Alert newsletter.

Some of the HBR edit staff met virtually the other day — a screen full of faces in a scene becoming more common everywhere. We talked about the content we’re commissioning in this harrowing time of a pandemic and how we can help people. But we also talked about how we were feeling. One colleague mentioned that what she felt was grief. Heads nodded in all the panes.

Fri, 20 Mar 2020 19:02:58 -0600

Snowy Intersection

39.7391-104.9836

Posted on Instagram 7:02 pm, March 20, 2020 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m0d32f446a417e1da543523f0c9453249 = { positions : { 750 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7391’, ‘-104.9836’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m0d32f446a417e1da543523f0c9453249’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m0d32f446a417e1da543523f0c9453249.positions ) { gmap_m0d32f446a417e1da543523f0c9453249.bounds.extend( gmap_m0d32f446a417e1da543523f0c9453249.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m0d32f446a417e1da543523f0c9453249.positions ) { gmap_m0d32f446a417e1da543523f0c9453249.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m0d32f446a417e1da543523f0c9453249.map, position : gmap_m0d32f446a417e1da543523f0c9453249.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m0d32f446a417e1da543523f0c9453249.map.setCenter( gmap_m0d32f446a417e1da543523f0c9453249.positions[750] ); });

Remote Work At Scale

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 14:26:57 -0600

COVID-19 (aka coronavirus) has many companies suddenly experimenting with remote work for the first time. I tweeted yesterday that unfortunately people are likely to have a pretty rough time due to the rushed nature of the experiment, and some folks asked if I could expand on that, so here we are. There are already a bunch of write-ups, resources, and tools if you look around (including one from our CEO Matt , and this great webinar-format session from Cate and Nicole ), so it’s worth getting other views and ideas as well.

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 18:35:43 -0600

Checked in at Flux Studio and Gallery .

with erika

39.709696-105.001738

Production Oriented Development

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 20:00:58 -0600

Production Oriented Development

read

Throughout my career, I’ve developed some opinions. Some have worn particularly deep ruts,

reinforced by years of experience. I tried to figure out what these

had in common, and it’s

the idea that code in production is the only code that matters. Staging doesn’t

matter, code on your laptop doesn’t matter, QA doesn’t matter,

only production matters. Everything else is debt.

This perspective probably comes from years sitting in between

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 15:54:02 -0600

Checked in at Gate 44 .

👋🏼

40.774654-73.869087

Micro Feedbacks — Management Advice for Technical People Managers

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 15:15:41 -0600

Micro Feedbacks — Management Advice for Technical People Managers

Tal Joffe Nov 26, 2019 · 10 min read

Intro

As technical managers in the software industry, we are accustomed to talking about technical best practices but not so much about management best practices. Most of us started in technical roles, and were trained for that, but when we moved to a managerial position we just had to figure it out by ourselves.

Hiring Engineering Leaders

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 11:46:18 -0700

Hiring Engineering Leaders

This post is about the interview process for an engineering leader. Hiring involves a lot more than the interview part – everything from reviewing resumes, sourcing great candidates, getting them to come onsite, the interview itself, evaluation, offer, and close. In this post, I focus primarily on mechanics, propose a concrete interview process, along with sample questions for the non-technical parts, and propose a template that companies can use to build a custom process suited to their needs. This post is based on my long experience managing engineering teams at Google and Facebook and interviewing numerous amazing managers for various roles. This entire post is available as a coda doc that you can duplicate and use.

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 11:09:13 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

DEN:ORD

39.8497327-104.6739819

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 10:06:13 -0700

Checked in at TSA Security Checkpoint .

#nocovid

39.8483606-104.6738591

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 16:22:48 -0700

Checked in at Mollner Dentistry .

39.7318382-104.986682

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 18:28:09 -0700

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

39.7676715-104.9738261

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 16:08:06 -0700

Checked in at Fidelity Investments .

Dolla dolla bills. LOL not really — with erika

39.755204-105.000258

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 12:15:20 -0700

Checked in at Zeppelin Station .

Lunch with #TechStarsAnywhere founders from Symba

39.7692756-104.9772374

Sun, 01 Mar 2020 12:47:10 -0700

Checked in at Costco .

This might be a terrible mistake. Y’all preppin CO? — with erika

39.7898409-105.0825361

Sat, 29 Feb 2020 21:39:26 -0700

Checked in at Hi-Dive .

And now, this — with erika

39.7163623-104.9878198

Sat, 29 Feb 2020 18:27:27 -0700

Checked in at Osaka Ramen .

They had Demon Slayer! — with erika

39.7595449-104.9862147

Sat, 29 Feb 2020 18:11:07 -0700

Checked in at Ratio Beerworks .

with erika

39.7615117-104.981292

Sat, 29 Feb 2020 13:20:02 -0700

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

Having a #voted beer. That’s a thing, right?

39.7550951-104.9770794

Sat, 29 Feb 2020 13:11:06 -0700

Checked in at Blair-Caldwell Library .

#voted — with erika

39.7521866-104.9814187

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 20:33:21 -0700

Checked in at Sunday Vinyl .

Date night — with erika

39.752724-105.000863

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 10:02:52 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Home again.

39.8497327-104.6739819

Rethinking the Daily Stand-Up

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 08:44:20 -0700

Rethinking the Daily Stand-Up

Different engineering teams function in different ways. Each employ various strategies and processes, informed and shaped by changing technologies, markets, personnel, competitive landscapes, and company culture.

But one ritual — the daily stand-up — has become particularly popular with engineering teams around the world. The format is remarkably similar in every organization; teams get together for a short amount of time and run through what each person did yesterday, what they’re working on today, and anything that’s blocking them.

A Blueprint for Internal Open Source

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 08:29:50 -0700

A Blueprint for Internal Open Source

Skyscanner Engineering Mar 13, 2018 · 5 min read

By Chris Downey

Internal Open Source (aka Inner source ) is a topic that I’ve seen come up in lots of different places, but I’ve never seen it first-hand translate into anything beyond an interesting discussion.

In Skyscanner, an internal blog generated a slack discussion, which soon became a working group of interested people from different parts of the company. We all shared a desire to create a workable Inner source approach for Skyscanner and this is how we went about it.

The a16z Marketplace 100 – Andreessen Horowitz

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 08:03:50 -0700

The a16z Marketplace 100 – Andreessen Horowitz

Today we introduce the Marketplace 100, a ranking of the largest and fastest-growing consumer-facing marketplace startups and private companies.

Over the past few decades, marketplaces like eBay, Airbnb, Uber and Lyft, Alibaba, and Instacart, have become some of the most impactful companies in the world economy. Collectively, millions of individuals and small businesses make a living operating on these platforms, where hundreds of billions of dollars of goods and services trade hands each year. Today, ridesharing platforms alone account for roughly 1 percent of US household income and there are an estimated 75 million gig workers in the US, and growing, according to the Fed. By possessing powerful network effects, marketplaces can become huge economies themselves. Over time, such companies have revolutionized a series of diverse industries, from travel to food to childcare. Marketplaces are at the center of many of society’s most important trends—the gig economy, the new generation of creative work, microentrepreneurship, and beyond. There’s much more to come. As investors in Airbnb, Instacart, and many others , it’s no secret that we’re bullish on (if not obsessed with) marketplace companies.

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 07:06:16 -0700

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

Ciao SF, it’s been… brief.

37.616713-122.3870945

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 23:36:04 -0700

Checked in at Hotel Carlton .

Couple more hours sleep then another plane.

37.7877166-122.4179542

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 20:22:22 -0700

Checked in at Nara Sushi .

Back to my old favorite. It’s been remodeled… again! — with Cate

37.7908675-122.4207536

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 19:22:15 -0700

Checked in at Little Creatures .

Absolutely cannot believe there is a Little Creatures here now — with Cate

37.775508-122.390269

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 14:11:54 -0700

Checked in at The Sandwich Shop .

37.763608-122.388656

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 14:01:51 -0700

Checked in at Neighbor Bakehouse .

37.759746-122.38823

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 10:12:10 -0700

Checked in at Dogpatch .

37.7604361-122.3887872

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 08:46:03 -0700

Checked in at Terminal 3 .

37.6182172-122.3863542

The Alchemy of Leading

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 08:05:11 -0700

The Alchemy of Leading

Here in the Wasatch mountains, 2020 arrived with fresh snowfall and the promise of more powder to come in the first few days of the new year. For those who traveled here for the Christmas and New Year holiday in hopes of an idyllic winter vacation with heaps of snow and cozy evenings around the fireplace, their wish came true. For me, the holidays have been a delightful mix of spending time with friends and family, reviving a tradition of skiing on Christmas morning, and with the arrival of the New Year a healthy dose of reflection—not just of the past year, but of the past few decades.

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 05:01:16 -0700

Checked in at TSA Security Checkpoint .

DEN:SFO Hoping for no #covid19 😬😷

39.8483606-104.6738591

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 19:43:03 -0700

Checked in at Modera River North .

39.762152-104.983467

How MeUndies Connects Multiple Teams with Different Project Management Tools

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 22:36:05 -0700

How MeUndies Connects Multiple Teams with Different Project Management Tools

Comfort is everything at MeUndies . Well, comfort, killer designs, charity, and efficient workflows. The first three are obvious if you explore the MeUndies website, where you can learn about the company’s sustainably sourced, naturally soft materials for super-comfortable underwear, their dedication to creating fair paying and empowering jobs, and browse new designs rolled out each season.

But under the hood, Vicky Tatar, Director of Project Management at MeUndies, built and maintains a simple but robust system using Asana and Pivotal Tracker to manage projects between different teams.

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 16:01:14 -0700

Checked in at Atlas Physical Therapy .

Last one (for now)

39.740028-104.955447

Opinion | Is the Coronavirus Outbreak a Pandemic Yet?

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 11:17:03 -0700

Opinion | Is the Coronavirus Outbreak a Pandemic Yet?

Is the Coronavirus Outbreak a Pandemic Yet?

It’s now clear that the epidemic was never going to be contained. What’s next?

Mr. Osterholm is an infectious disease expert. Mark Olshaker is a writer and documentary filmmaker.

A Christian church service in Seoul on Sunday. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Korea jumped in recent days.Credit…Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

On Tuesday, Feb. 18, no coronavirus cases had been reported in Iran. On Sunday, the government announced 43 cases and eight deaths. Some 152 cases (and at least three deaths) were confirmed in Italy on Sunday, up from three cases on Thursday. The number of infected people in South Korea jumped to 763 (and six deaths) in just days.

Sun, 23 Feb 2020 15:29:12 -0700

Checked in at Odell Brewing – Denver .

Oops. Another drink stop — with erika

39.76219-104.9809643

Sun, 23 Feb 2020 13:40:49 -0700

Checked in at The Denver Central Market .

Woah. Busy. — with erika

39.7593773-104.9845861

Gross Company Happiness

Sun, 23 Feb 2020 08:47:46 -0700

Gross Company Happiness

Humans love measuring things. Mostly because they love comparing themselves to their neighbors, which involves measuring things.

Countries measure themselves using Gross Domestic Product (GDP), companies use EBITA, and individuals use their net worth (indicated via fancy watches, sneakers, and Instagrammed vacations).

When we look for ways to measure ourselves, we are drawn to easily quantifiable metrics (like money), and then naturally we invest in the things we are measuring (like working hard at our jobs to get promoted). We want instant gratification for our efforts, which companies are only too eager to provide. Less clearly quantifiable things, such as the strength of a marriage, are more likely to get overlooked when allocating your efforts. The net result is focusing on things that won’t make you happy while neglecting the things that actually do—ergo, suffering.

The Simple Dutch Cure for Stress – Facts So Romantic – Nautilus

Sun, 23 Feb 2020 08:35:52 -0700

The Simple Dutch Cure for Stress – Facts So Romantic – Nautilus

*“Uitwaaien” is a popular activity around Amsterdam—one believed to have important psychological benefits.*Photograph by John Loo / Flickr

Recently I was in San Francisco, a city known for its tech companies, steep hills, and fierce winds. Each day I’d run around the neighborhood and up through the park, ending with a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Back in my AirBnB, I’d feel energized and refreshed, fingers tingling from the breeze. It was cold, exhausting, but completely exhilarating.

Sat, 22 Feb 2020 13:27:57 -0700

Checked in at The Home Depot .

Living the dream — with erika

39.7922976-105.0825917

How Will You Measure Your Life?

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 10:07:58 -0700

How Will You Measure Your Life?

Editor’s Note: When the members of the class of 2010 entered business school, the economy was strong and their post-graduation ambitions could be limitless. Just a few weeks later, the economy went into a tailspin. They’ve spent the past two years recalibrating their worldview and their definition of success.

The students seem highly aware of how the world has changed (as the sampling of views in this article shows). In the spring, Harvard Business School’s graduating class asked HBS professor Clay Christensen to address them—but not on how to apply his principles and thinking to their post-HBS careers. The students wanted to know how to apply them to their personal lives. He shared with them a set of guidelines that have helped him find meaning in his own life. Though Christensen’s thinking comes from his deep religious faith, we believe that these are strategies anyone can use. And so we asked him to share them with the readers of HBR.

The Internet of Beefs

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 09:18:18 -0700

The Internet of Beefs

You’ve heard me talk about crash-only programming , right? It’s a programming paradigm for critical infrastructure systems, where there is — by design — no graceful way to shut down. A program can only crash and try to recover from a crashed state, which might well be impossible. I came up with a term for the human version: beef-only thinking.

A beef-only thinker is someone you cannot simply talk to. Anything that is not an expression of pure, unqualified support for whatever they are doing or saying is received as a mark of disrespect, and a provocation to conflict. From there, you can only crash into honor-based conflict mode, or back away and disengage.

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 08:50:53 -0700

Checked in at UCHealth Steadman Hawkins Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic – Denver .

Last knee check up.

39.5751392-104.8725522

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 18:00:25 -0700

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Keeping warm.

39.7676715-104.9738261

11 Reasons Not to Become Famous (or “A Few Lessons Learned Since 2007”)

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 14:47:39 -0700

11 Reasons Not to Become Famous (or “A Few Lessons Learned Since 2007”)

November of 2008. I had more hair, a flip phone, and absolutely no idea what was coming.

Let the cymbals of popularity tinkle still. Let the butterflies of fame glitter with their wings. I shall envy neither their music nor their colors.

— John Adams
Letters of John Adams Addressed to His Wife

“If I’m not famous by 30, I might as well put a bullet in my head.”

The messy, secretive reality behind OpenAI’s bid to save the world

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 14:35:30 -0700

The messy, secretive reality behind OpenAI’s bid to save the world

Every year, OpenAI’s employees vote on when they believe artificial general intelligence, or AGI, will finally arrive. It’s mostly seen as a fun way to bond, and their estimates differ widely. But in a field that still debates whether human-like autonomous systems are even possible, half the lab bets it is likely to happen within 15 years.

In the four short years of its existence, OpenAI has become one of the leading AI research labs in the world. It has made a name for itself producing consistently headline-grabbing research, alongside other AI heavyweights like Alphabet’s DeepMind. It is also a darling in Silicon Valley, counting Elon Musk and legendary investor Sam Altman among its founders.

Observations on Product Management

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 21:27:20 -0700

Observations on Product Management

Dan Hill Dec 30, 2017 · 3 min read

I’ve spent 10 years now building products — from consulting, to startups, to larger teams like Airbnb. I wanted to capture some of the things I’ve learned, mostly for my own memory. But if others find them useful, great!

Mostly these are things that are either obvious but no-one ever says them, or non-obvious but important.

Establish Clear Priorities Using ‘Even Over’ Statements – Tool

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 21:23:55 -0700

Establish Clear Priorities Using ‘Even Over’ Statements – Tool

Make priorities matter again

You become what you focus on.

Confusing priorities drive confusing results.

Prioritization requires clarity but, most importantly, sacrifice. Saying yes to what’s important is easy. What you say ‘no’ to defines your success.

An ‘even over’ statement is a declaration of priority. You are saying you will prioritize one good thing even over another good thing.

Use this tool to establish clear team priorities. Your team will become what they focus on.

Essentialism — The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 11:22:32 -0700

Essentialism — The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Johan Steenkamp Feb 10, 2018 · 4 min read

Notes from the book, Essentialism by Greg McKeown .

The problem is that we have too many choices, too much social pressure, and believe we can “have it all”.

If you don’t prioritise your life, someone else will.

Our lives get cluttered with well-intended commitments and activities that do not have an expiry date, consequently we need a system to clean up.

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 16:10:04 -0700

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

Left the house! — with erika

39.7550951-104.9770794

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 15:53:34 -0700

Tasty Baby Cakes with @akires for Valentine’s Day at @spangalangbrewery

39.7552419-104.9770576

Posted on Instagram 3:53 pm, February 14, 2020 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mc2aea45fe914039da2005464c80e5d9b = { positions : { 686 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7552419’, ‘-104.9770576’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mc2aea45fe914039da2005464c80e5d9b’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mc2aea45fe914039da2005464c80e5d9b.positions ) { gmap_mc2aea45fe914039da2005464c80e5d9b.bounds.extend( gmap_mc2aea45fe914039da2005464c80e5d9b.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mc2aea45fe914039da2005464c80e5d9b.positions ) { gmap_mc2aea45fe914039da2005464c80e5d9b.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mc2aea45fe914039da2005464c80e5d9b.map, position : gmap_mc2aea45fe914039da2005464c80e5d9b.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mc2aea45fe914039da2005464c80e5d9b.map.setCenter( gmap_mc2aea45fe914039da2005464c80e5d9b.positions[686] ); });

Commencement Address, American University in Beirut

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 21:56:11 -0700

Commencement Address, American University in Beirut

Nassim Nicholas Taleb Aug 14, 2016 · 8 min read

This is the first commencement I have ever attended (I did not attend my own graduation). Further, I have to figure out how lecture you on success when I do not feel successful yet –and it is not false modesty.

Success as a Fragile Construction

For I have a single definition of success: you look in the mirror every evening, and wonder if you disappoint the person you were at 18, right before the age when people start getting corrupted by life. Let him or her be the only judge; not your reputation, not your wealth, not your standing in the community, not the decorations on your lapel. If you do not feel ashamed, you are successful. All other definitions of success are modern constructions; fragile modern constructions.

Pitching Ideas – It’s Not About Perfect

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 19:13:03 -0700

Pitching Ideas – It’s Not About Perfect

I realized a long time ago that I was not the type of person who could create, build & polish ideas all by myself. I need collaboration with others to hone and build ideas. More than not, I’m not the one who starts the idea. I pick up something from someone else – bend it, twist it, and turn it into something different.

Lean into your imposter syndrome

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 22:35:50 -0700

Lean into your imposter syndrome

I was recently asked an interesting question:

“Now that you’re responsible for a broader scope of work and a team, how do

you get over the fact that you always feel like you’re doing a bad job?”

And after thinking about it, I answered truthfully:

“To be honest, I don’t really feel like I’m doing a bad job at all. I used to

feel that way a lot, especially earlier in my career when I was more affected

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 16:19:30 -0700

Checked in at Atlas Physical Therapy .

Keep the knee moving.

39.740028-104.955447

Recharging is for batteries, not people – The Art of Ass-Kicking

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 22:45:23 -0700

Recharging is for batteries, not people – The Art of Ass-Kicking

Last year, journalist Anne Helen Petersen wrote a widely shared piece in Buzzfeed naming millennials the “Burnout Generation” . According to Petersen, we’re overworked, underpaid, and often paralyzed by the systemic dysfunction of our increasingly volatile world. As a result, many of us struggle with even the most basic tasks of “adulting,” like paying bills or registering to vote.

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 14:59:50 -0700

Checked in at Marczyk Fine Foods .

39.7431387-104.9779279

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 14:36:27 -0700

Checked in at Lou’s Italian Specialties .

39.764149-104.973537

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 13:18:04 -0700

Checked in at mattress and appliance center .

39.8493467-104.9931861

Normalization of Deviance

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 01:03:05 -0700

Normalization of Deviance

Normalization of deviance

Have you ever mentioned something that seems totally normal to you only to be greeted by surprise? Happens to me all the time when I describe something everyone at work thinks is normal. For some reason, my conversation partner’s face morphs from pleasant smile to rictus of horror. Here are a few representative examples.

There’s the company that is perhaps the nicest place I’ve ever worked, combining the best parts of Valve and Netflix. The people are amazing and you’re given near total freedom to do whatever you want. But as a side effect of the culture, they lose perhaps half of new hires in the first year, some voluntarily and some involuntarily. Totally normal, right?

Sat, 08 Feb 2020 15:29:24 -0700

Checked in at Birdcall .

Snackeeee time — with erika

39.7544788-104.9766835

Sat, 08 Feb 2020 13:40:23 -0700

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

with erika

39.7550951-104.9770794

How to Build a PaaS for 1500 Engineers

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 21:42:16 -0700

How to Build a PaaS for 1500 Engineers

*This article is based on a presentation I gave as part of

AdevintaTalks in Barcelona on November 2019.

I’m experimenting with this format: I went through the slides typing what

I’d speak over them, edited the text, and added some of the most

relevant slides inbetween paragraphs.

Let me know how it works.*

Discussion in Hacker News

–

Today’s topic is about Technical Infrastructure, a term I found first in

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 15:59:35 -0700

Checked in at Portland International Airport (PDX) .

45.5887881-122.5937086

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 15:59:21 -0700

Checked in at Gate E1 .

Adios PDX. It’s been… brief.

45.5901599-122.592144

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 02:40:58 -0700

Checked in at The Porter Portland, Curio Collection by Hilton .

45.5136757-122.6771067

Radical Candor: Software Edition

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 12:38:54 -0700

Radical Candor: Software Edition

Rina Artstain Follow

Jan 6 · 19 min read

I was lucky to be in Dropbox’s headquarters when Kim Scott came to speak about her (then) new book “Radical Candor ”. Dropbox was nice enough to hand out free copies (yay! free books!) so I actually ended up reading most of the book on the flight home.

Even though the book was written with managers in mind, I found myself referring back to it pretty often. Its insights proved quite useful in my daily work as a software engineer, especially in processes which require written or in person interaction with our co-workers. A little bit of Radical Candor can totally change how we do and react to code or design reviews, driving better results and higher satisfaction.

Habits vs. Goals: A Look at the Benefits of a Systematic Approach to Life

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 12:17:02 -0700

Habits vs. Goals: A Look at the Benefits of a Systematic Approach to Life

Nothing will change your future trajectory like your habits. We all have goals, big or small, things we want to achieve within a certain time frame. Some people want to make a million dollars by the time they turn 30. Some people want to lose 20 pounds before summer. Some people want to write a book in the next six months. When we begin to chase an intangible or vague concept (success, wealth, health, happiness), making a tangible goal is often the first step.

CrossFit’s Founder Has an Easy Health Care Fix: More CrossFit

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 12:09:45 -0700

CrossFit’s Founder Has an Easy Health Care Fix: More CrossFit

It’s a hot August morning in Madison, Wisconsin, and Greg Glassman is sipping iced tea in an air-conditioned, glass-walled room perched above a preternaturally green field. Below, two dozen ripped athletes are hanging by their feet from bars, performing upside-down sit-ups in sync while Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty” blasts from the speakers. The sun-warmed bleachers are a blur of taut and bulging skin, fans already drinking beer and getting rowdy above signs that declare this event the “Ultimate Proving Grounds for the Fittest on Earth.” It’s the 2019 CrossFit Games , the annual competitionthat brings together athletes from around the world to prove themselves worthy of this title. Here, the high-intensity workout regimen happening in nondescript gyms across the globe becomes a sport. And for the millions of CrossFit enthusiasts, it’s a big deal.

Pursuing the Perfect Project Manager – Tom Peters

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 11:47:48 -0700

Pursuing the Perfect Project Manager – Tom Peters

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Pursuing the Perfect Project Manager

Tom Peters

One theme has poked its head through the lines of these columns time and again—tomorrow’s corporation as a “collection of projects.” I’ve also discussed “networking” beyond the firm’s borders: Companies will work as equals, on new products, delivery systems and the like, with a shifting cast of vendors, middlemen, and customers.

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 08:23:14 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

They switched Pre Check and CLEAR around

39.8497327-104.6739819

Reclaim unreasonable software.

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 23:40:11 -0700

Reclaim unreasonable software.

Big Ball of Mud was published twenty years ago and rings just as true today: the most prominent architecture in successful, growth-stage companies is non-architecture. Crisp patterns are slowly overgrown by the chaotic tendrils of quick fixes, and productivity creeps towards zero.

After a couple years wallowing at zero, many companies turn towards The Grand Migration pattern and rewrite their software. These rewrites are quite challenging and often fall.

On Drafting an Engineering Strategy

Sun, 02 Feb 2020 14:38:31 -0700

On Drafting an Engineering Strategy

During the first weeks in a new role, one of the things I’ve most recently focused on is to assess the direction of the engineering department as a whole. Will Larson has written at length about the first ninety days in a senior engineering leadership role . He also mentions documenting the existing strategy as one of the key milestones to take care of.

At the time I started there was no explicit strategy in place. Which is also not an unusual thing for a young company, just to be clear. So I set out to draft one.

The Rise of the Outrage Machine — The Creative Factor

Sun, 02 Feb 2020 13:42:15 -0700

The Rise of the Outrage Machine — The Creative Factor

Hello, Amanda writing from a rainy San Francisco this week. After attending an art show recently, my husband and I found ourselves standing outside the venue chatting with groups of other attendees. Although strangers, the discussions between all of us were easygoing and lively, spurred by a feeling of familiarity through our shared experience. It was fleeting – after a while the groups broke apart, phones were fired up, and we all retreated back into our technology and out into the night.

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 12:00:05 -0700

Checked in at Zeppelin Station .

39.7692756-104.9772374

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 18:51:06 -0700

Checked in at Cart-Driver .

Celebrating with friends — with erika

39.757531-104.98634

Your first 90 days as CTO or VP Engineering.

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 23:19:48 -0700

Your first 90 days as CTO or VP Engineering.

Whenever I transition to a new opportunity, I think about how to start well. How can I ramp up as effectively as possible? How do I balance the urge to “show value” early with making the right decisions?

The canonical book on starting a new role is The First 90 Days , and I got a fair amount out of it when I read it six or seven years ago. That said, its advice skews generic at times. Yes, I should learn as much as possible. Yes, I should achieve alignment and negotiate for resources. Yes, I should build a team and partner with other organizations. In my first leadership role, these ideas reshaped my perspective, but these days I want more.

Sending weekly 5-15 updates.

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 23:07:56 -0700

Sending weekly 5-15 updates.

The trendy thing to do on the internet is to start publishing a newsletter .

Trendy enough that even I started sending out my blog posts each week in email format.

I’ve consistently noticed that emails generate far more discussion than other distribution

methods, which really shouldn’t have surprised me: I’ve been sending company-internal updates for some time

and they’ve frequently created important, spontaneous conversations.

About a year ago I started my most recent approach to sending weekly updates to relevant public (within the company)

Exerting Influence Without Authority

Sun, 26 Jan 2020 17:31:58 -0700

Exerting Influence Without Authority

Congratulations—you’ve been asked to lead a change initiative! But there’s a catch—its success hinges on the cooperation of several people across your organization over whom you have no formal authority.

If you’re like most managers, you’re facing this sort of challenge more often these days because of flatter management structures, outsourcing, and virtual teams. For those reasons, a greater number of managers now need to get things done through peers inside and outside their organizations. In this age of heightened business complexity, moreover, change itself has grown increasingly complicated. A majority of change initiatives now involve multiple functions within and even between companies, and many such efforts encompass an entire firm.

Sun, 26 Jan 2020 14:28:53 -0700

Drippy tea mug. Made by me, at @fluxstudiodenver

39.70949-105.002

Posted on Instagram 2:28 pm, January 26, 2020 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mbfb8a33eddad34e631ea3b3c97b0bc66 = { positions : { 507 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.70949’, ‘-105.002’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mbfb8a33eddad34e631ea3b3c97b0bc66’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mbfb8a33eddad34e631ea3b3c97b0bc66.positions ) { gmap_mbfb8a33eddad34e631ea3b3c97b0bc66.bounds.extend( gmap_mbfb8a33eddad34e631ea3b3c97b0bc66.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mbfb8a33eddad34e631ea3b3c97b0bc66.positions ) { gmap_mbfb8a33eddad34e631ea3b3c97b0bc66.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mbfb8a33eddad34e631ea3b3c97b0bc66.map, position : gmap_mbfb8a33eddad34e631ea3b3c97b0bc66.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mbfb8a33eddad34e631ea3b3c97b0bc66.map.setCenter( gmap_mbfb8a33eddad34e631ea3b3c97b0bc66.positions[507] ); });

The “Care” in “Self Care”

Sat, 25 Jan 2020 22:42:05 -0700

The “Care” in “Self Care”

Credit: Pixabay / Alexas_Fotos

On my weekly todo list, there is an item “do something nice for a friend”. Last week, I assembled a care package. I asked myself, “what does a useless man need but won’t buy for himself?” – the answer, incidentally, was an exceptionally fluffy blanket, some really nice chocolate, vitamins, and assorted skincare.

As I impatiently waited for it to be delivered, I thought about care, how easy it is for me to do things like that, and the journey I’ve been on to have that care for myself. That perhaps the clearest outcome of the year I spent in therapy (I finished at the start of December, a move that felt both completely right and completely time and absolutely terrifying), is the shift in my attitude and approach and how I relate to the idea of “self care”.

40 Lessons From 40 Years

Sat, 25 Jan 2020 22:37:47 -0700

40 Lessons From 40 Years

Steve Schlafman Oct 6, 2019 · 4 min read

I turn forty today. I can’t even believe I just typed that sentence. Over the past month, I’ve been reflecting on the lessons I’ve learned directly through experience or indirectly from family, friends, mentors and teachers.

I wanted capture and share these learnings for one important reason: I’m now a father to a beautiful baby girl and I’m not going to be here forever. Preserving myself digitally is becoming more important as I enter middle age.

Sat, 25 Jan 2020 17:55:37 -0700

Sat, 25 Jan 2020 13:16:39 -0700

Checked in at Flux Studio and Gallery .

Picking up our finished loot!

39.709696-105.001738

The new drugs of 2019

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 21:26:31 -0700

The new drugs of 2019

The 48 medicines represent another highly productive year for the pharmaceutical industry, with cancer and rare-disease drugs again dominating the list

by

January 17, 2020

| APPEARED IN

VOLUME 98, ISSUE 3

Credit: Will Ludwig/C&EN/iStock Photo

Effective Mental Models for Code and Systems

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 23:09:34 -0700

Effective Mental Models for Code and Systems

Cindy Sridharan Dec 30, 2018 · 16 min read

As always, I’m greatly indebted to Fred Hebert for reviewing a draft of this post and offering some invaluable insights.

A little over a month ago, Carmen Andoh gave a talk at a meetup in Copenhagen about visualizations, though it really was a talk on mental models. In her talk, Carmen described a mental model as:

Mon, 20 Jan 2020 17:19:10 -0700

Checked in at American Cultures Kombucha Taproom .

#cafeworking until dinner time.

39.763083-105.011332

The Lesson to Unlearn

Sun, 19 Jan 2020 12:53:07 -0700

The Lesson to Unlearn

December 2019

The most damaging thing you learned in school wasn’t something you

learned in any specific class. It was learning to get good grades.

When I was in college, a particularly earnest philosophy grad student

once told me that he never cared what grade he got in a class, only

what he learned in it. This stuck in my mind because it was the

only time I ever heard anyone say such a thing.

Defining Aggregators

Sun, 19 Jan 2020 11:49:56 -0700

Defining Aggregators

(Note: this is not a typical Stratechery article; there is no over-arching narrative or reference to current news. Rather, the primary goal is to provide a future point of reference)

Aggregation Theory describes how platforms (i.e. aggregators) come to dominate the industries in which they compete in a systematic and predictable way. Aggregation Theory should serve as a guidebook for aspiring platform companies, a warning for industries predicated on controlling distribution, and a primer for regulators addressing the inevitable antitrust concerns that are the endgame of Aggregation Theory.

Fri, 17 Jan 2020 10:33:07 -0700

Checked in at Queen City Coffee Collective .

Longest walk since surgery. #cafeworking for a couple hours.

39.757412-104.9744

Tue, 14 Jan 2020 09:13:59 -0700

Checked in at UCHealth Steadman Hawkins Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic – Denver .

Time for a knee check up.

39.5751392-104.8725522

Sun, 12 Jan 2020 11:57:24 -0700

Checked in at H Mart .

Living that busted-knee-electric-cart thug life — with erika

39.6661138-104.8632133

Sun, 12 Jan 2020 11:29:35 -0700

Checked in at Flux Studio and Gallery .

Glazing day! — with erika

39.709696-105.001738

2019 in Review

Sat, 11 Jan 2020 16:49:54 -0700

2019 in Review

1w agoJanuary 2, 2020 (1w ago)28,526 views

This post is a quick summary of the evolution of our company , our open-source work , interesting news and lessons in product design and engineering throughout 2019.

#Static is the new Dynamic

Throughout 2019 we have continued to see the growth of the JAMstack. The idea is quite simple: Any website or app you build and deploy will use the stack of client-side JavaScript, APIs, and Markup.

AWS, MongoDB, and the Economic Realities of Open Source

Sat, 11 Jan 2020 16:26:48 -0700

AWS, MongoDB, and the Economic Realities of Open Source

In 1999, music industry revenue in the United States peaked at $14.6 billion (all numbers are from the RIAA ). It is important to be precise, though, about what was being sold:

$12.8 billion was from the sale of CDs
$1.1 billion was from the sale of cassettes
$378 million was from the sale of music videos on physical media
$222.4 million was from the sale of CD singles

In short, the music industry was primarily selling plastic discs in jewel cases; the music encoded on those discs was a means of differentiating those pieces of plastic from other ones, but music itself was not being sold.

Quality and Effort

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 22:43:24 -0700

Quality and Effort

It seems as though the opposite of “careless” ought to be “careful.” That the best way to avoid avoidable errors is to try harder, to put more care into the work.

This means that if surgeons were more careful, there would be fewer errors. And that so many of the mistakes that mess things up would go away if people just tried harder.

And this is true. For a while. But then, it’s not effort but systems that matter.

Bill Gates Says You Must Provide This Perk if You Want to Hire and Keep the Best Employees

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 22:41:18 -0700

Bill Gates Says You Must Provide This Perk if You Want to Hire and Keep the Best Employees

The unemployment rate in the U.S. is at its lowest level in more than four decades. In response, companies have been in a veritable arms race to offer bigger and better perks and win over employees, from the cliché office ping pong table to quirky Google Nap Pods.

According to Bill Gates , these efforts and many others miss the mark while the most important perk is hiding in plain sight: flexibility.

Google Spent 2 Years Researching What Makes a Great Remote Team. It Came Up With These 3 Things

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 22:37:54 -0700

Google Spent 2 Years Researching What Makes a Great Remote Team. It Came Up With These 3 Things

As someone who’s worked remotely for several years, I know the challenges of a virtual workplace. Building relationships with colleagues I’ve never actually met (in person), working across various time zones, technology that doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to– handled wrong, any of these can sabotage your team’s chances at success.

Google knows this, too. The company has nearly 100,000 workers spread over 150 cities. In more than 50 countries. On five continents.

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 11:08:52 -0700

Checked in at UCHealth Steadman Hawkins Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic – Denver .

Time to get my knee chopped — with erika

39.5751392-104.8725522

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 17:00:02 -0700

Checked in at Queen City Coffee Collective .

Knocking out the afternoon, #cafeworking here

39.757412-104.9744

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 14:59:12 -0700

Checked in at Shake Shack .

Delicious late lunch. I’ve missed you SS.

39.7622771-104.9807526

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 17:31:35 -0700

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Last one for a while!

39.7676715-104.9738261

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 17:20:11 -0700

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Getting in some pain before my knee takes me out of action for a month+

39.7676715-104.9738261

Fri, 03 Jan 2020 16:19:06 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Home — with erika

39.8497327-104.6739819

Fri, 03 Jan 2020 13:03:00 -0700

Checked in at International Terminal .

37.6159311-122.3893905

Fri, 03 Jan 2020 12:43:46 -0700

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

37.616713-122.3870945

My Approach to 1-on-1s — Marco Rogers

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 21:54:03 -0700

My Approach to 1-on-1s — Marco Rogers

This is an outline of how I approach having 1-on-1s with my direct reports. I think of 1-on-1s as my primary tools for connecting with an individual and working on their morale, engagement, productivity and growth.

I usually like to find out if my report wants to lead the conversation. You might start with a simple question. Do you have an agenda or something that’s on your mind? If not, then I think about which one of the major points below I want to get into.

11 Ideas About the Decade That Killed iTunes

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 21:51:23 -0700

11 Ideas About the Decade That Killed iTunes

One of the great cultural events of the 2010s was the slow abandonment and ultimate death of iTunes. By the time the software was euthanized earlier this year, it had become an embarrassment, a mess of greasy preference panes and grayed-out, unreliable content. We were glad to see it go.
When iTunes launched in January 2001, Apple’s software was a place to organize the MP3s and other music files on your desktop computer. (It was not yet even a tool to sync an iPod, because the first iPod didn’t come out until October 2001.) But within a few years, it became a “digital hub,” a place to organize your music and movies and, eventually, iPhone, which debuted in 2007. (Note for younger readers: An iPod was like an iPhone, except it could not make phone calls, or search the internet, or sext, and the sexts would have been terrible, because it had a black-and-white screen.) But iTunes kept guzzling other functions: digital movies, TV shows, and then apps.

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 04:02:02 -0700

@racoonamatata_busan with @akires #raccoon #korea

35.1360178129.1001975

#korea
#raccoon

Posted on Instagram 4:02 am, January 2, 2020 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m3e25bbc9b29ffc2b852f2c884378b36f = { positions : { 316 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘35.1360178’, ‘129.1001975’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m3e25bbc9b29ffc2b852f2c884378b36f’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m3e25bbc9b29ffc2b852f2c884378b36f.positions ) { gmap_m3e25bbc9b29ffc2b852f2c884378b36f.bounds.extend( gmap_m3e25bbc9b29ffc2b852f2c884378b36f.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m3e25bbc9b29ffc2b852f2c884378b36f.positions ) { gmap_m3e25bbc9b29ffc2b852f2c884378b36f.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m3e25bbc9b29ffc2b852f2c884378b36f.map, position : gmap_m3e25bbc9b29ffc2b852f2c884378b36f.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m3e25bbc9b29ffc2b852f2c884378b36f.map.setCenter( gmap_m3e25bbc9b29ffc2b852f2c884378b36f.positions[316] ); });

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 22:07:42 -0700

Checked in at Tartine Manufactory .

37.7619059-122.4119635

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 19:47:59 -0700

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

Extended layover then off to Korea! — with erika

37.616713-122.3870945

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 17:10:35 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

DEN:SFO — with erika

39.8497327-104.6739819

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 16:34:00 -0700

Checked in at United Club East .

39.858676-104.671609

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 17:21:03 -0700

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Swole or die.

39.7676715-104.9738261

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 07:48:13 -0700

#blossomsoflight Chihuly

39.7320808-104.9611041

#blossomsoflight

Posted on Instagram 7:48 am, December 17, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m2bbab894c55bfc3f8dd938c78f4530c3 = { positions : { 413 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7320808’, ‘-104.9611041’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m2bbab894c55bfc3f8dd938c78f4530c3’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m2bbab894c55bfc3f8dd938c78f4530c3.positions ) { gmap_m2bbab894c55bfc3f8dd938c78f4530c3.bounds.extend( gmap_m2bbab894c55bfc3f8dd938c78f4530c3.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m2bbab894c55bfc3f8dd938c78f4530c3.positions ) { gmap_m2bbab894c55bfc3f8dd938c78f4530c3.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m2bbab894c55bfc3f8dd938c78f4530c3.map, position : gmap_m2bbab894c55bfc3f8dd938c78f4530c3.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m2bbab894c55bfc3f8dd938c78f4530c3.map.setCenter( gmap_m2bbab894c55bfc3f8dd938c78f4530c3.positions[413] ); });

What Makes a Good Goal?

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 23:12:57 -0700

What Makes a Good Goal?

John Allspaw has a great tweet on problem discovery:

I’ve always loved the tweet, but I only recently noticed the paper he cites in the thread. It’s called “ The Art of Problem Discovery: Adaptive Thinking for Innovation and Growth “, by Brian Mathews.

In the prologue, the paper tells the origin story of Swiffer — Proctor & Gamble’s billion-dollar hit product line. It all started with a simple question: “ how can we make the floors cleaner? “

Sat, 14 Dec 2019 08:48:00 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

39.8497327-104.6739819

Sat, 14 Dec 2019 04:40:29 -0700

Checked in at Gate T17 .

👋🏼 Atlanta

33.6434046-84.4424425

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 22:10:09 -0700

Checked in at Artmore Hotel .

33.7902-84.388202

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 18:00:04 -0700

Checked in at The Book House Pub .

with Kelly

33.77399-84.3629652

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 15:24:45 -0700

Checked in at Biltong Bar .

with Kelly

33.773348-84.3654625

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 14:37:55 -0700

Checked in at Ponce City Market .

with Kelly

33.7724784-84.3658313

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 11:14:14 -0700

Checked in at Allegro Coffee Company .

with Kelly

33.78661-84.3883

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 17:04:43 -0700

Checked in at Lure .

with Kelly

33.7849721-84.3844081

Jack Dorsey wants to decentralize Twitter – Decrypt

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 06:45:44 -0700

Jack Dorsey wants to decentralize Twitter – Decrypt

Jack Dorsey wants to decentralize Twitter

By Tim Copeland 4 min read; Dec 11, 2019

image: pixabay

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has revealed he wants to create an open standard for decentralized social media. And the goal will be to have Twitter conform to that standard.

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 19:09:07 -0700

Checked in at artmore hotel courtyard .

33.7902943-84.3881225

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 16:59:57 -0700

Checked in at Mary Mac’s Tea Room .

33.7725744-84.3797886

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 16:15:05 -0700

Good evening, Atlanta.

33.7909265-84.3795191

Posted on Instagram 4:15 pm, December 11, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m911e5879fe057e7f607eb32aea3d6832 = { positions : { 259 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘33.7909265’, ‘-84.3795191’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m911e5879fe057e7f607eb32aea3d6832’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m911e5879fe057e7f607eb32aea3d6832.positions ) { gmap_m911e5879fe057e7f607eb32aea3d6832.bounds.extend( gmap_m911e5879fe057e7f607eb32aea3d6832.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m911e5879fe057e7f607eb32aea3d6832.positions ) { gmap_m911e5879fe057e7f607eb32aea3d6832.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m911e5879fe057e7f607eb32aea3d6832.map, position : gmap_m911e5879fe057e7f607eb32aea3d6832.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m911e5879fe057e7f607eb32aea3d6832.map.setCenter( gmap_m911e5879fe057e7f607eb32aea3d6832.positions[259] ); });

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 15:59:17 -0700

Checked in at Winn Park .

#drone

33.7906186-84.3792801

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 17:08:57 -0700

Checked in at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) .

33.6405441-84.4334078

Sat, 07 Dec 2019 12:32:53 -0700

Welcome to the family, Mt Bross. #snowflake

#Snowflake

Posted on Instagram 12:32 pm, December 7, 2019

Portability and Interoperability

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 09:29:35 -0700

Portability and Interoperability

In Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s March 2019 op-ed in the Washington Post calling for federal regulation of technology, he included something that caught some observers by surprise:

Regulation should guarantee the principle of data portability. If you share data with one service, you should be able to move it to another. This gives people choice and enables developers to innovate and compete.

This is important for the Internet — and for creating services people want. It’s why we built our development platform. True data portability should look more like the way people use our platform to sign into an app than the existing ways you can download an archive of your information. But this requires clear rules about who’s responsible for protecting information when it moves between services.

Data Transfer Project

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 09:15:37 -0700

The Data Transfer Project was launched in 2018 to create an open-source, service-to-service data portability platform so that all individuals across the web could easily move their data between online service providers whenever they want.

https://datatransferproject.dev/

The 70-20-10 Rule for Innovation – Innovation Excellence

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 23:23:33 -0700

The 70-20-10 Rule for Innovation – Innovation Excellence

by Greg Satell

One of the things I always get asked about from the companies I work with is how to manage their innovation resources. Should they bet big on an unproven, but possibly breakthrough idea? Or focus on improving the products that they already know their customers want? Or maybe leveraging existing resources into a new market?

This is an important question. As Steve Blank recently pointed out in an article in Harvard Business Review, it was the failure to deal with this issue that led to many of General Electric’s current problems. The company became so focused on “disruptive opportunities” that it let execution slip.

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 20:17:52 -0700

Checked in at The Home Depot .

And a failed trip to copy a key — with erika

39.7922976-105.0825917

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 20:02:53 -0700

Checked in at Costco .

Weekday Costco WTF — with erika

39.7898409-105.0825361

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 17:24:43 -0700

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Burn the turkey!

39.7676715-104.9738261

Inefficient Efficiency

Sun, 01 Dec 2019 22:49:25 -0700

Inefficient Efficiency

Kent Beck Nov 26 · 4 min read

Now I’m Feeling Thirsty

You’re making morning drip coffee. You need to make 2 cups. Do you:

Put 1 cups worth of water in the boiler so the water boils sooner and the first cup is ready sooner or,
Put 2 cups worth of water in so both cups are done sooner?

I posted the question above on Twitter and received 50 replies (a lot for one of my tweets). Most of the comments were either snark or thoughtful coffee making advice, so I don’t think I got my point across.

How Soylent Uses Zapier to Automatically Transcribe Phone Calls and Build a Database of Legal Advice

Sun, 01 Dec 2019 21:14:23 -0700

How Soylent Uses Zapier to Automatically Transcribe Phone Calls and Build a Database of Legal Advice

Bread, meat, fruit, veggies, dairy. Those are the essential building blocks of a nutritious diet, the ones mom taught you about when you were five. We’ve been working with the same formula since the dawn of time, and it hasn’t failed us yet.

Food is food. Why change what works?

John Coogan would argue that food doesn’t work. At least, not as well as it should. He’s the co-founder/CTO of Soylent , a company that wants to provide your daily dose of macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals in a more convenient package. Think of it as food 2.0.

On Messing Up Your Remote Team—And Then Getting It Right

Sun, 01 Dec 2019 20:54:58 -0700

On Messing Up Your Remote Team—And Then Getting It Right

Charity Majors is the CTO and founder of Honeycomb , a platform offering full stack observability for event driven debugging. Below is her story about how Honeycomb built a fully distributed team of over 30.

I knew from the very start that I wanted Honeycomb to be geographically distributed. Long before we had any thoughts of hiring anyone, I knew it was the right thing to do and the direction I wanted to take.

The 4 Biggest Mistakes First-Time Managers Make

Sun, 01 Dec 2019 20:41:53 -0700

The 4 Biggest Mistakes First-Time Managers Make

After years of quality hard work, you, the star employee, have been promoted to be a manager of a team, a first-time accomplishment for you. Congrats! You should take time to feel proud of this achievement. But you also don’t have time to waste.

As soon as you accept this new role, your superiors and your reports will be judging how you lead, and once opinions are formed, they will be hard to shake off. You have to prove yourself all over again. And what worked for you as an individual performer may be your downfall as a manager of warring egos and goals.

Sun, 01 Dec 2019 18:35:56 -0700

Denver winter skyline.

39.7391-104.9836

Posted on Instagram 6:35 pm, December 1, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mcf5bc8ecf7f83b9095857cbd0aefb491 = { positions : { 428 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7391’, ‘-104.9836’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mcf5bc8ecf7f83b9095857cbd0aefb491’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mcf5bc8ecf7f83b9095857cbd0aefb491.positions ) { gmap_mcf5bc8ecf7f83b9095857cbd0aefb491.bounds.extend( gmap_mcf5bc8ecf7f83b9095857cbd0aefb491.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mcf5bc8ecf7f83b9095857cbd0aefb491.positions ) { gmap_mcf5bc8ecf7f83b9095857cbd0aefb491.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mcf5bc8ecf7f83b9095857cbd0aefb491.map, position : gmap_mcf5bc8ecf7f83b9095857cbd0aefb491.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mcf5bc8ecf7f83b9095857cbd0aefb491.map.setCenter( gmap_mcf5bc8ecf7f83b9095857cbd0aefb491.positions[428] ); });

Sun, 01 Dec 2019 16:27:10 -0700

Checked in at Shake Shack .

erika is at the gym around the corner, I’m eating a burger. :chef-kiss:

39.7622771-104.9807526

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 19:59:12 -0700

Checked in at Mission Ballroom .

And now, this — with erika

39.776047-104.969565

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 18:36:01 -0700

Checked in at Smök .

with erika

39.7686407-104.9803621

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 16:52:33 -0700

Checked in at Zeppelin Station .

with erika

39.7692756-104.9772374

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 14:30:00 -0700

Checked in at Improper City .

I guess it’s a crawl — with erika

39.7650997-104.9789681

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 14:08:34 -0700

Checked in at Peteybird Ice Cream Sandwiches .

with erika

39.764004-104.981273

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 13:41:21 -0700

Checked in at Blue Sparrow Coffee .

39.7643333-104.981187

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 13:41:05 -0700

Checked in at Erico Motorsports .

39.7618396-104.9830327

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 11:39:03 -0700

Checked in at Stowaway .

39.7586883-104.9867767

Field Report for the Calendar Year Triple Crown

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 00:13:31 -0700

Field Report for the Calendar Year Triple Crown

About the Calendar Year Triple Crown

The first person to conceptualize and complete the Calendar Year Triple Crown was Brian Robinson. He completed his trek in 2001. By the end of 2018, 8 additional people had completed it. The Calendar Year Triple Crown entails completing the entirety of three of the longest and oldest National Scenic Trails in the United States all within a single calendar year. These trails are the 2,190 mile Appalachian Trail (AT), the 2,660 mile Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and the ~3,000 mile Continental Divide Trail (CDT). This comprises well over 7,000 miles of hiking across nearly half the states of the Union (22!) in less than 365 days. Only about 400 people total have completed all three of these trails over a lifetime, most of whom take 4-6 months for each hike. I was the first female to complete the Calendar Year Triple Crown and I am the only woman to have completed the Triple Crown trails each 3 times.

Fri, 29 Nov 2019 14:07:24 -0700

Checked in at Foundation Cycles .

Picking up my bike. So fresh and so clean.

39.677885-104.992088

Thu, 28 Nov 2019 14:05:52 -0700

Enjoying some @stranahans #snowflake (Quandry), building anticipation for next Friday.

#Snowflake

Posted on Instagram 2:05 pm, November 28, 2019

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 21:59:04 -0700

Lots of pots coming along #ceramics #pottery #potterywheel #clay

39.70949-105.002

Posted on Instagram 9:59 pm, November 27, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mf48eae0fd637a5b87e31bda23d45ca62 = { positions : { 68 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.70949’, ‘-105.002’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mf48eae0fd637a5b87e31bda23d45ca62’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mf48eae0fd637a5b87e31bda23d45ca62.positions ) { gmap_mf48eae0fd637a5b87e31bda23d45ca62.bounds.extend( gmap_mf48eae0fd637a5b87e31bda23d45ca62.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mf48eae0fd637a5b87e31bda23d45ca62.positions ) { gmap_mf48eae0fd637a5b87e31bda23d45ca62.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mf48eae0fd637a5b87e31bda23d45ca62.map, position : gmap_mf48eae0fd637a5b87e31bda23d45ca62.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mf48eae0fd637a5b87e31bda23d45ca62.map.setCenter( gmap_mf48eae0fd637a5b87e31bda23d45ca62.positions[68] ); });

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 14:50:26 -0700

Checked in at Target .

with erika

39.7465945-105.0555685

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 13:29:07 -0700

Checked in at Edgewater Public Market .

This place is pretty rad! — with erika

39.749124-105.057063

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 11:58:19 -0700

Checked in at American Cultures Kombucha Taproom .

#cafeworking on some #Keyring updates while erika is at the gym.

39.763083-105.011332

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 20:52:38 -0700

Checked in at Ratio Beerworks .

5 day weekend! — with erika

39.7615117-104.981292

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 20:51:56 -0700

Checked in at The Block Distilling Co .

Nutty Putin — with erika

39.7622114-104.9806488

Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 23:10:36 -0700

Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.

This article is an excerpt from Atomic Habits , my New York Times bestselling book.

Prevailing wisdom claims that the best way to achieve what we want in life—getting into better shape, building a successful business, relaxing more and worrying less, spending more time with friends and family—is to set specific, actionable goals.

For many years, this was how I approached my habits too. Each one was a goal to be reached. I set goals for the grades I wanted to get in school, for the weights I wanted to lift in the gym, for the profits I wanted to earn in business. I succeeded at a few, but I failed at a lot of them. Eventually, I began to realize that my results had very little to do with the goals I set and nearly everything to do with the systems I followed.

The Work Required to Have an Opinion

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 23:03:19 -0700

The Work Required to Have an Opinion

*“I never allow myself to have an opinion on anything that

I don’t know the other side’s argument better than they do.”*

— Charlie Munger

***

While we all hold an opinion on almost everything, how many of us do the work required to have an opinion?

The work is the hard part, that’s why people avoid it. You have to do the reading. You have to talk to anyone competent you can find and listen to their arguments. You have to think about the key variables and how they interact. You have to listen and chase down arguments that run counter to your views. You have to think about how you might be fooling yourself. You have to see the issue through multiple lenses. You need to become your most intelligent critic and have the intellectual honesty to kill some of your best-loved ideas.

Deploys to Production: It’s Not Actually About Fridays

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 22:53:51 -0700

Deploys to Production: It’s Not Actually About Fridays

I just read this piece , which is basically a very long subtweet about my Friday deploy threads. Go on and read it: I’ll wait.

Here’s the thing. After getting over some of the personal gibes (smug optimism? literally no one has ever accused me of being an optimist, kind sir), you may be expecting me to issue a vigorous rebuttal. But I shan’t. Because we are actually in violent agreement, almost entirely.

Everything is Broken

Sun, 24 Nov 2019 10:38:19 -0700

Everything is Broken

Everything is broken, and it’s actually starting to sort of scare me that we’re not willing to acknowledge how bad things have become. It’s starting to scare me that the industry tends to have discussions about morals and ethics in bars, and sometimes in the hallways and dark corners at conferences, rather than in the harsh light of day. It’s really starting to scare me that nobody in the industry reads or understands history any more.

Informal Communication

Sun, 24 Nov 2019 10:10:34 -0700

Informal Communication

You are here:
About GitLab
GitLab Culture
All Remote
Informal Communication

Introduction

On this page, we’re detailing how informal communication occurs at GitLab, and why it matters in an all-remote culture.

Why Execution Is Everything In Business

Sun, 24 Nov 2019 10:00:41 -0700

Why Execution Is Everything In Business

There were search engines before

Google

GOOGL +0%

Google

GOOGL

$0(+0%)

As of 11/11/2019, 01:18pm EST

, social networks before Facebook , and lending platforms before

Lending Club

. So how did these latecomers win? I find the answer interesting.

One word: Execution.

. Lending Club was at best the third online consumer lending platform when it arrived on the scene in 2007, but it grew into the market leader through its awesome execution of a clear vision, and it is now poised for what will likely be a blockbuster initial public offering.

Peacetime Productivity, Wartime Productivity

Sun, 24 Nov 2019 09:54:22 -0700

Peacetime Productivity, Wartime Productivity

Productivity should adopt an idea from military and business strategy: the distinction between peacetime and wartime.

Ben Horowitz, the co-founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, made this distinction for business strategy in his 2014 book The Hard Thing About Hard Things . Peacetime and wartime “require radically different management styles” from CEOs:

Peacetime in business means those times when a company has a large advantage over the competition in its core market, and its market is growing. In times of peace, the company can focus on expanding the market and reinforcing the company’s strengths.

Privilege and inequality in Silicon Valley

Sun, 24 Nov 2019 09:46:26 -0700

Privilege and inequality in Silicon Valley

Why “few successful startup founders grew up desperately poor”

My co-founder David and I both grew up in poverty and can call ourselves “battle-tested” when it comes to both life and startups, so when the talk in the Valley turned to income inequality , our ears perked up. For a moment, our two worlds were colliding. Here’s a quote from Paul Graham that got our attention.

“Closely related to poverty is lack of social mobility. I’ve seen this myself: you don’t have to grow up rich or even upper middle class to get rich as a startup founder, but few successful founders grew up desperately poor.” (link )

Software Architecture Patterns

Sat, 23 Nov 2019 22:48:05 -0700

Software Architecture Patterns

Chapter 3. Microkernel Architecture

The microkernel architecture pattern (sometimes referred to as the plug-in architecture pattern) is a natural pattern for implementing product-based applications. A product-based application is one that is packaged and made available for download in versions as a typical third-party product. However, many companies also develop and release their internal business applications like software products, complete with versions, release notes, and pluggable features. These are also a natural fit for this pattern. The microkernel architecture pattern allows you to add additional application features as plug-ins to the core application, providing extensibility as well as feature separation and isolation.

The Last Business System You’ll Ever Need

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 19:50:46 -0700

The Last Business System You’ll Ever Need

How To Write A Standard Operating Procedure

I read a post from Dylan Hassinger on a private entrepreneurship forum I’m a member of that compared business to software at some point last year. That analogy has stuck with me ever sense.

I don’t have a software background, though so I like to envision businesses as manufacturing machines.

You put something in one end and then it goes through all these defined processes of scaling in business and then it comes out the other end as profit (or not). Depending on how those processes work, you get something different out the backend.

5 concerns the US must tackle to compete in AI

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 19:42:50 -0700

5 concerns the US must tackle to compete in AI

A group of technology experts chartered by Congress to guide American efforts in artificial intelligence have released their initial report on how to ensure AI development stays on track inside the United States. And, overall, there’s a lot of work to do.

Created by the National Defense Authorization Act in 2018, the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence is explicitly tasked with reviewing “advances in artificial intelligence, related machine learning developments, and associated technologies,” for the express purpose of addressing “the national and economic security needs of the United States, including economic risk, and any other associated issues.”

Paul Virilio – Wikipedia

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 19:35:24 -0700

Paul Virilio – Wikipedia

Paul Virilio (French: [viʁiljo]; 4 January 1932 – 10 September 2018)[3] was a French cultural theorist, urbanist, and aesthetic philosopher. He is best known for his writings about technology as it has developed in relation to speed and power, with diverse references to architecture, the arts, the city and the military.

According to two geographers, Virilio was a “historian of warfare, technology and photography, a philosopher of architecture, military strategy and cinema, and a politically engaged provocative commentator on history, terrorism, mass media and human-machine relations.”[4]

The Best Way to Consume Information – Of Dollars And Data

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 19:22:50 -0700

The Best Way to Consume Information – Of Dollars And Data

How to Combat Information Overload

Photo: Pixabay

It was 1439 when arguably the greatest invention in human history came into being—the printing press. Though the printing press had been independently invented in South Korea a century prior, it was Johannes Gutenberg’s moveable type that hoisted Europe out of the Dark Ages and into the Renaissance and beyond. Elizabeth Einstein, author of The Printing Press as an Agent of Change , stated that the printing press was “a decisive point of no return in human history.”

Notes on Building Evolutionary Architectures.

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 19:16:39 -0700

Notes on Building Evolutionary Architectures.

I recently picked up Building Evolutionary Architectures by Ford, Parsons and Kua. It occupies a similar spot in my head as Accelerate and A Philosophy of Software Design , in the category of seasoned software practitioners sharing their generalized approach to software. Altogether, I rather enjoyed it, and it more elegantly explains many of the points I attempted to make in Reclaim unreasonable software .

Below are my notes from Building Evolutionary Architecture.

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 08:44:43 -0700

Checked in at Advanced Medical Imaging .

MRI #2

39.8605741-104.9840344

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 21:47:49 -0700

I’m making pots over here people.

39.70949-105.002

Posted on Instagram 9:47 pm, November 13, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_me806612be5546463d6063ee4a54ca248 = { positions : { 371 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.70949’, ‘-105.002’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_me806612be5546463d6063ee4a54ca248’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_me806612be5546463d6063ee4a54ca248.positions ) { gmap_me806612be5546463d6063ee4a54ca248.bounds.extend( gmap_me806612be5546463d6063ee4a54ca248.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_me806612be5546463d6063ee4a54ca248.positions ) { gmap_me806612be5546463d6063ee4a54ca248.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_me806612be5546463d6063ee4a54ca248.map, position : gmap_me806612be5546463d6063ee4a54ca248.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_me806612be5546463d6063ee4a54ca248.map.setCenter( gmap_me806612be5546463d6063ee4a54ca248.positions[371] ); });

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:58:57 -0700

Checked in at UCHealth Steadman Hawkins Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic – Denver .

Stupid knee

39.5751392-104.8725522

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 18:32:44 -0700

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Kill me.

39.7676715-104.9738261

Sun, 10 Nov 2019 13:08:22 -0700

Checked in at King Soopers .

with erika

39.7442252-105.0546846

Sun, 10 Nov 2019 12:57:54 -0700

Checked in at Edgewater Ace Hardware .

with erika

39.7471-105.0534

Sun, 10 Nov 2019 11:59:28 -0700

Checked in at Rupert’s at the Edge .

Brunchin — with erika

39.7485326-105.0535461

Sun, 10 Nov 2019 08:19:39 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Back again! Looking forward to a few weeks at home before my next trip.

39.8497327-104.6739819

Sun, 10 Nov 2019 05:36:08 -0700

Checked in at Gate 31 .

AUS:DEN

30.2022183-97.6705118

Sun, 10 Nov 2019 05:35:47 -0700

Checked in at Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) .

Heading home for a whole month, which feels like a luxury at this point.

30.2020687-97.667186

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 21:12:14 -0700

Checked in at Craft Pride .

Ongoing — with Cate, Nikolay

30.2578956-97.7388622

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 19:02:22 -0700

Checked in at P6 .

30.263071-97.744064

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 13:31:28 -0700

Checked in at Hyatt Regency Austin .

#LeadDevAustin — with Cate, Nikolay

30.2608365-97.7467799

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 12:56:43 -0700

Checked in at Don Gume’s Tacos & More .

Mooooore tacos! — with Nikolay

30.2569895-97.7465747

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 08:26:09 -0700

Checked in at Hyatt Regency Austin .

#LeadDevAustin — with Cate, Nikolay

30.2608365-97.7467799

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 07:27:52 -0700

Checked in at Taco Joint .

Yesssss breakfast tacos, and meeting @jyjsu for the first time!

30.2563622-97.7455755

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 06:44:55 -0700

Checked in at Homewood Suites by Hilton Austin Downtown .

30.2582747-97.7381166

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 18:49:17 -0700

Checked in at Lustre Pearl .

with Nikolay

30.2607151-97.7382806

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 17:56:58 -0700

Checked in at Iron Works BBQ .

TTBBQ 2 hrs — with Nikolay

30.2619452-97.7388792

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 17:01:53 -0700

Checked in at Homewood Suites by Hilton Austin Downtown .

30.2582747-97.7381166

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 15:36:09 -0700

Checked in at Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) .

Airports all the way down.

30.2020687-97.667186

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 12:47:04 -0700

Checked in at Gate B22 .

DEN:AUS for #LeadDevAustin

39.8586864-104.6782708

This Japanese Toaster Costs $270. It Only Makes One Slice at a Time

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 06:52:34 -0700

This Japanese Toaster Costs $270. It Only Makes One Slice at a Time

Perfectly made toast isn’t just an obsession in Japan. It’s a business opportunity.

Over the past few years, there’s been a quiet boom in the pursuit of expertly reheated bread, from high-end toasters and premium loaves, to cafes catering to connoisseurs seeking that satisfying crunch.

Joining the fray is the next best thing for sliced bread, a toaster designed for just one task: making a single piece of toast, flawlessly. Made by Mitsubishi Electric Corp., better known for its workaday refrigerators and rice cookers, the Bread Oven hit store shelves last month, retailing for about 29,000 to 30,000 yen ($270). While that might seem expensive, Japanese consumers are already used to paying top price for toasters; the popular Balmuda, which debuted a few years ago , sold for about $230.

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 10:43:14 -0700

Checked in at Queen City Coffee Collective .

#cafeworking solo today

39.757412-104.9744

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 17:41:25 -0700

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

Don’t worry, I’m not drinking — with erika

39.7550951-104.9770794

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 13:22:17 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Home! For… 48 hours 😭

39.8497327-104.6739819

Make Great Decisions Quickly With TOMASP

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 10:35:33 -0700

Make Great Decisions Quickly With TOMASP

As technical leaders and managers, our job is to make the right decision most of the time. Hiring, firing, technology choices, software architecture, and project prioritization are examples of high impact decisions that we need to make right if our teams are to be successful.

This is hard. As humans, we’re naturally bad at making those types of decisions. I’ll show you how you can consistently make great decisions quickly using a simple framework called TOMASP. I made up the acronym for the purpose of this blog post but it’s inspired from many great books (see resources) as well as my personal experience of leading engineering teams for almost 15 years.

Yes, You Should Estimate Software Projects

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 10:21:53 -0700

Yes, You Should Estimate Software Projects

I hear more voices saying there is little point in doing time-based estimations on how long building software will take, and thus we should just stop doing it. “Let’s just use story points and estimate complexity, but not the time” and “Let’s just try #noestimates” are suggestions people around me recently brought up. I’m personally skeptical of both approaches. While I do think that doing time-based estimates is really hard, it comes with so many benefits for those who keep doing it.

SLOs Are the API for Your Engineering Team

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 10:11:03 -0700

SLOs Are the API for Your Engineering Team

Key Takeaways

Establish a perimeter: SLOs give you the ability to push back when demands from other parties exceed your capacity to deliver what the business has deemed most important.
Reach agreement faster: SLOs make interacting with other members of the organization more effective and less unpredictable because all parties have already signed off on the goal.
Focus on what matters: SLOs mean the arguing can stop. Everyone knows what’s at stake and can make good decisions based on real data without having to waste time debating priorities.
Drive production excellence: SLOs offer leverage and autonomy to invest in your team’s ability to meet the agreed-upon goals.
The knob goes both ways: SLOs help you realize when it’s time to tinker and time to hunker (down) and focus on greater resilience.

If your job involves direct leadership of engineering teams, managing how and what they deliver, you’ve surely come across situations where the pressure to deliver features won out and led to poor service reliability. You’ve probably had your team’s workflow disrupted by interference from senior managers about minor individual issues. Or, you’ve seen or heard execs questioning your team’s planned work to reduce technical debt or improve your delivery processes.

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 01:55:26 -0700

Checked in at Gate Z18 .

50.04697778.5675013

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 22:24:50 -0700

Checked in at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) (Frankfurt Airport) .

We meet again, FRA

50.05008488.5719109

Stevey’s Google Platforms Rant

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 19:58:52 -0700

Stevey’s Google Platforms Rant

I was at Amazon for about six and a half years, and now I’ve been at Google for that long. One thing that struck me immediately about the two companies — an impression that has been reinforced almost daily — is that Amazon does everything wrong, and Google does everything right. Sure, it’s a sweeping generalization, but a surprisingly accurate one. It’s pretty crazy. There are probably a hundred or even two hundred different ways you can compare the two companies, and Google is superior in all but three of them, if I recall correctly. I actually did a spreadsheet at one point but Legal wouldn’t let me show it to anyone, even though recruiting loved it.

Moving Past Shallow Incident Data

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 19:23:33 -0700

Moving Past Shallow Incident Data

Here is some data: the last incident your company experienced lasted 54 minutes. What insight does this data reveal besides a) an incident happened, and b) it lasted 54 minutes (at least according to someone interpreting an event as an incident)?

What else could we glean from this data? Hrm. What if we found that someone marked down when this incident was “detected”? Now we have more data!

What You Need to Know About Continuous Integration

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 19:13:26 -0700

What You Need to Know About Continuous Integration

The most popular software applications on the planet have a few things in common. They solve a real problem, they’re (usually) easy to use, and they offer a best-in-class customer experience. Sounds simple, right? Even if you’re just starting your career, you probably know that the opposite is true. In most cases, the “best” apps are often sophisticated projects that require ongoing testing and software updates.

Everything is Amazing, But Nothing is Ours

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 07:51:31 -0700

Everything is Amazing, But Nothing is Ours

Back in 2015, I wrote a blog post called Dropbox: the First Dead Decacorn . At the time, it was the most widely shared take I’d ever written. I learned several things from writing this piece, and none of them had to do with Dropbox: I learned, for instance, that a great way to get people to click on your blog post is to make them mad. I also learned about a company called Social Capital, after my soon-to-be-colleague Ray reached out to me about what I’d written. I’m certainly thankful I wrote it.

WeWork Is The Past. This Is What The Future Of Co-Working Will Be.

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 07:12:05 -0700

WeWork Is The Past. This Is What The Future Of Co-Working Will Be.

Top highlight

Welcome to the beginning of the end for traditional office leasing.

Kristin Wilson Oct 9 · 6 min read

Photo by Tom Parkes on Unsplash

WeWork rode its reputation as an “innovative” tech company all the way to a $47 billion valuation in August, only to crash weeks later in spectacular fashion. Yet, while Adam Neumann’s downfall makes for a good headline, contemplating the company’s next move is a waste a time.

How We Run Skillshare

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 07:05:14 -0700

How We Run Skillshare

Matt Cooper Sep 19 · 11 min read

The Skillshare team in a recent design sprint

I have the opportunity to meet with other CEOs on a pretty frequent basis. I’m part of a CEO group in NYC that meets monthly for breakfast, attend a few other networking groups that meet several times a year, and each of our investors has an annual portfolio company meeting. A consistent topic of discussion and sharing of best practices is the cadence of how we run the business — annual/quarterly/monthly routines, planning, communications, check-ins, goal setting, etc.

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 16:26:33 -0600

Such epic views from Table Mountain!!

-33.957507318.4030829

Posted on Instagram 4:26 pm, November 1, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_md6c5f1ffc8c9223d0af2a476ecda4cbd = { positions : { 268 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘-33.9575073’, ‘18.4030829’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_md6c5f1ffc8c9223d0af2a476ecda4cbd’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_md6c5f1ffc8c9223d0af2a476ecda4cbd.positions ) { gmap_md6c5f1ffc8c9223d0af2a476ecda4cbd.bounds.extend( gmap_md6c5f1ffc8c9223d0af2a476ecda4cbd.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_md6c5f1ffc8c9223d0af2a476ecda4cbd.positions ) { gmap_md6c5f1ffc8c9223d0af2a476ecda4cbd.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_md6c5f1ffc8c9223d0af2a476ecda4cbd.map, position : gmap_md6c5f1ffc8c9223d0af2a476ecda4cbd.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_md6c5f1ffc8c9223d0af2a476ecda4cbd.map.setCenter( gmap_md6c5f1ffc8c9223d0af2a476ecda4cbd.positions[268] ); });

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 05:28:22 -0600

Checked in at Constantia Botanicum .

#cafeworking with Warren

-34.02437718.430139

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 12:52:48 -0600

Checked in at Queen City Coffee Collective .

#cafeworking for a couple of hours

39.757412-104.9744

Sun, 13 Oct 2019 16:22:02 -0600

Checked in at Safeway .

39.7711302-105.0796138

Death, Injuries and an Amputation: Is ‘Resident Evil’ Hollywood’s Most Dangerous Franchise?

Sun, 13 Oct 2019 13:55:21 -0600

Death, Injuries and an Amputation: Is ‘Resident Evil’ Hollywood’s Most Dangerous Franchise?

Stuntwoman Olivia Jackson nearly died on the set of 2016’s ‘The Final Chapter.’ Her colleague was killed. And over the course of the billion-dollar series, many others have been injured. What happened — and who might pay for it?

It was raining on the day of the shoot. That morning, Sept. 5, 2015, Olivia Jackson mucked around on the lonely stretch of road outside Pretoria, South Africa, where Resident Evil: The Final Chapter was filming. None of the other crewmembers, decked in gum boots and rain jackets, seemed to think they would be shooting that day. Jackson, a 34-year-old veteran stunt performer, had been scheduled to film a fight scene. Instead, at the last minute, she learned that she’d be doing a tricky stunt on a motorcycle.

Sat, 12 Oct 2019 19:32:43 -0700

Checked in at Run For The Roses .

39.752607-104.996797

A forty year career.

Sat, 12 Oct 2019 16:53:30 -0600

A forty year career.

The Silicon Valley narrative centers on entrepreneurial protagonists who are poised one predestined step away from changing the world. A decade ago they were heroes, and more recently they’ve become villains , but either way they are absolutely the protagonists. (Although, perhaps the role of protagonist is expanding a bit .) Working within the industry, I’ve worked with quite a few non-protagonists who experience their time in technology differently: a period of obligatory toil required to pry open the gate to the American Dream .

Writing Docs at Amazon

Sat, 12 Oct 2019 16:37:27 -0600

Writing Docs at Amazon

Scott Follow

Feb 10 · 8 min read

Recently, Ben Bashaw published a good article about the way that Amazon (almost uniquely) uses written documents to make decisions. This was posted to Hacker News and a lively discussion ensued. While I was at Amazon, I wrote or contributed to dozens of documents that were presented to Jeff Bezos. In the HN discussion, I was asked for some clarity on the do’s and don’ts of these documents, so I figured I’d write something up in longer form than a comment.

Building a First Team Mindset – Jason Wong’s Blog

Sat, 12 Oct 2019 15:12:43 -0600

Building a First Team Mindset – Jason Wong’s Blog

Imagine a world where you bring together the top leaders in your organization to solve the company’s most pressing challenges, and, instead of coming together as a core group to solve that problem, they approach the exercise as a collection of factions that are more concerned about their and their team’s self interest than solving the company’s needs. It sounds tragic, but also probably like another day at work for a lot of folks, and it’s why I spend a lot of time building a First Team mindset amongst the leaders in my organization.

Compensation for remote employees

Sat, 12 Oct 2019 15:06:38 -0600

Compensation for remote employees

If you can employ anyone, from anywhere, what should you pay them? What is fair?

There are a few ways to go about this: You pay everyone the same, independent of location; You pay people according to local rates; or you make up your own scheme.

TL;DR: Pay well to hire great people

What companies are doing today

Companies that do not hire remotely, tend to pay local rates. They are competing for talent directly with other local companies, and have to adjust rates to be able to hire great people.

Sat, 12 Oct 2019 11:35:22 -0600

Checked in at Queen City Coffee Collective .

Weekend vibes — with erika

39.757412-104.9744

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 21:06:23 -0600

Checked in at The Plimoth .

Date night — with erika

39.7571239-104.9588845

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 13:30:26 -0600

Checked in at Queen City Coffee Collective .

Replaced Purple Door and I’m pretty excited to have another great cafe in the neighborhood.

39.757412-104.9744

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 12:34:12 -0600

Checked in at Birdcall .

39.7544788-104.9766835

Context over control: the future of remote work

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 22:33:43 -0600

Context over control: the future of remote work

Lately, I’ve been reading quite a lot of reports on the state and the future of remote work. While I think it’s great to finally see some open resources about what still looks a very underexplored field, I couldn’t find any unique insights or anything more interesting than some generalized polls or surveys. Yet I think we still know very little about this subject and there’s a lot to be uncovered in terms of strategies, frameworks, and models. This write-up (and more generally this blog) is an attempt to provide insights and more qualitative thinking on such topics.

Microsoft’s LinkedIn loses appeal over access to user profiles

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 12:25:53 -0600

Microsoft’s LinkedIn loses appeal over access to user profiles

(Reuters) – A federal appeals court on Monday rejected LinkedIn’s effort to stop a San Francisco company from using information that users of the professional networking website have deemed public.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals let stand an August 2017 preliminary injunction that required LinkedIn, a Microsoft Corp unit with more than 645 million members, to give hiQ Labs Inc access to publicly available member profiles.

Why you shouldn’t use pie charts – Tips for better data visualization

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 12:05:13 -0600

Why you shouldn’t use pie charts – Tips for better data visualization

I was talking to a colleague the other day who told me about a conversation they just had with a customer. The customer had asked “Why can’t I create pie charts in Funnel?” and my colleague’s response, jokingly, was “Our product team really doesn’t like pie charts”. While it’s true most of us are no huge fans of pie charts, the reason we haven’t invested in supporting a pie charting option is because we believe they are rarely a good fit for the problem they’re intended to solve.

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 17:25:50 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

I’m sure this is going to feel great after a week at sea level…

39.7676715-104.9738261

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 23:10:44 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Finally home.

39.8497327-104.6739819

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 19:09:53 -0600

Checked in at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) .

One day I’ll get home… ORD:DEN.

41.9770715-87.9011822

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 15:17:36 -0600

Checked in at Maple Leaf Lounge (Transborder) .

Waiting out a delay…

45.4575971-73.7530279

How to Design Your Office for Improved Productivity and Purpose

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 09:36:10 -0600

How to Design Your Office for Improved Productivity and Purpose

Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future.
–Robert L. Peters

When’s the last time you thought about office design? Would you be proud to show your office to family and friends? Are you comfortable in your workplace?

The average full-time employee works 1,800 hours per year, most of which are likely in an office. Here at Bonusly, we recently redesigned our headquarters, which got us thinking about how our space impacts the team. That meant adjustable desks, modern chairs, updated layouts, and new technology. And it all started when we asked ourselves, “How can we design our office for productivity and purpose?” Now we’re sharing our lessons with you!

The Secret to a Great Planning Process — Lessons from Airbnb and Eventbrite

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 08:40:27 -0600

The Secret to a Great Planning Process — Lessons from Airbnb and Eventbrite

This article is by Lenny Rachitsky , a former product lead and head of consumer supply growth at Airbnb, and Nels Gilbreth , former Head of Global Revenue Strategy at Eventbrite.

It’s almost the end of Q3, which means annual (and quarterly) planning is just around the corner. If you’re like most people, this sentence just filled you with dread.

Could Climate Change Really End the World?

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 05:16:40 -0600

Could Climate Change Really End the World?

End Times

Species are going extinct and the climate is warming rapidly — yet at least materially, humans are doing better than ever. Welcome to the environmentalist’s paradox.

Bryan Walsh Aug 16 · 7 min read

Photo: Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images

Asteroids, supervolcanoes, nuclear war, climate change, engineered viruses, artificial intelligence, and even aliens — the end may be closer than you think. For the next two weeks, OneZero will be featuring essays drawn from editor Bryan Walsh’s forthcoming book End Times: A Brief Guide to the End of the World , which hits shelves on August 27 and is available for pre-order now , as well as pieces by other experts in the burgeoning field of existential risk. But we’re not helpless. It’s up to us to postpone the apocalypse.

New Productivity — Benedict Evans

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 05:05:25 -0600

New Productivity — Benedict Evans

We are in the middle of a wave of interesting new productivity software startups – there are dozens of companies that remix some combination of lists, tables, charts, tasks, notes, light-weight databases, forms, and some kind of collaboration, chat or information-sharing. All of these things are unbundling and rebundling spreadsheets, email and file shares. Instead of a flat grid of cells, a dumb list of files, and a dumb list of little text files (which is what email really is), we get some kind of richer canvas that mixes all of these together in ways that are native to the web and collaboration.

The Single Most Important Internal Email in the History of Amazon

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 04:57:29 -0600

The Single Most Important Internal Email in the History of Amazon

I never planned to do a series of articles, but this write-up almost came as a natural follow-up to the post I wrote last week about Context over Control and the future of remote work . Last week I explored the ground rules of the future of work. Specifically, I talked about how and why the fundamental prerequisites of work have changed. Here I’m taking a step further and describing some of the literature behind today’s organizations’ communication systems. What they’re made of, why they can be so impactful in today’s organizations, and how they’re related to the concept of remote working.

Five years of home office – a recap

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 03:57:07 -0600

Five years of home office – a recap

TLDR; Read how I cope with working remote.

As it is en-vogue nowadays to talk about remote working and one’s

experiences, I thought I am gonna join the flock.

This does not mean that this resembles anyone else’s experiences, but I

still think there are some tidbits worth sharing in here.

I joined Elastic five years ago without any prior

experience in remote working.

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 16:57:00 -0600

Checked in at Wyndham Grand Athens .

Cheers to a great meetup. Home tomorrow!

37.985000823.7210938

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 13:38:41 -0600

Checked in at StreetWok .

37.97690723.7276759

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 10:53:05 -0600

Checked in at Γιάντες .

37.985487423.7359827

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 10:19:00 -0600

Checked in at Mastermind .

37.977465523.7274292

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 03:58:41 -0600

Checked in at Naanwich Indian Street Food .

37.977069523.7232301

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 02:29:26 -0600

Checked in at The Underdog .

Love this place.

37.97488923.719219

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 00:03:28 -0600

Checked in at 2 γουλιές & 2 μπουκιές .

37.979393123.7300978

Fri, 04 Oct 2019 04:09:05 -0600

Checked in at ο γύρος που γυρεύεις .

37.968683523.7296874

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 23:48:36 -0700

Checked in at 2 γουλιές & 2 μπουκιές .

37.979393123.7300978

Howard Gardner on Influence

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 14:43:01 -0600

Howard Gardner on Influence

As I continue to think further about influence and power , Howard Gardner’s Changing Minds offers an extremely helpful conceptual framework, one that I see as a counterpart to Robert Cialdini’s “Weapons of Influence” (discussed at length in Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion .) From Gardner’s 2006 edition:

[W]hat…factors might cause an individual to shift his or her perspective[?]… I have identified seven factors–sometimes I’ll call them levers–that could be at work in these and all cases of a change of mind…

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 14:10:55 -0600

Checked in at Wyndham Grand Athens .

37.985000823.7210938

Long-term Building in Japan

Mon, 30 Sep 2019 00:13:20 -0600

Long-term Building in Japan

Japan’s Ise Shrine and Hōryū-ji Temple offer lessons in how to make a building, or an institution, last through millennia

Alexander Rose Sep 12 · 15 min read

The Ise Shrine in Japan, which has been rebuilt every 20 years for over 1,400 years.

When I started working with Stewart Brand over two decades ago, he told me about the ideas behind Long Now, and how we might build the seed for a very long-lived institution. One of the first examples he mentioned to me was Ise Shrine in Japan, which has been rebuilt every 20 years in adjacent sites for over 1,400 years. This shrine is made of ephemeral materials like wood and thatch, but its symbiotic relationship with the Shinto belief and craftsmen has kept a version of the temple standing since 692 CE. Over these past decades many of us at Long Now have conjured these temples as an example of long-term thinking, but it had not occurred to me that I might one day visit them.

ARPA: A Framework Alternative to the RACI Model

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 23:54:35 -0600

ARPA: A Framework Alternative to the RACI Model

One thing high-performance teams do well is distribute authority — they have a clear system that specifies how decisions are made, and it enables the team to move quickly.

Does making a small copy change require approval from five people? Or do processes exist that empower a single person to make a change and ship it? While it seems clear that a single person should make such a change, it’s tougher than you’d think to design a company that operates this way at scale. Why is that?

Spiders Can Fly Hundreds of Miles Using Electricity

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 21:15:44 -0600

Spiders Can Fly Hundreds of Miles Using Electricity

A ballooning spiderMichael Hutchinson

On October 31, 1832, a young naturalist named Charles Darwin walked onto the deck of the HMS Beagle and realized that the ship had been boarded by thousands of intruders. Tiny red spiders, each a millimeter wide, were everywhere. The ship was 60 miles offshore, so the creatures must have floated over from the Argentinian mainland. “All the ropes were coated and fringed with gossamer web,” Darwin wrote .

A good onboarding experience for new hires requires two key things

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 21:10:04 -0600

A good onboarding experience for new hires requires two key things

In my time as a manger, I’ve encountered quite a few people who were badly onboarded. As a rule it takes as long a time or longer to fix it as it took to poorly onboard them. Sometimes we’re able to re-onboard people and make them successful… and sometimes it’s too late.

It’s always baffling to me when companies do all the work to hire someone and then don’t set them up to be successful. Hiring is so time consuming. Managing people who are not delivering in their role is time consuming, too, not to mention emotionally draining. Onboarding people and helping them to be effective is—by far—the easiest option.

Leadership, Decision-Making and Emotion Management

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 21:01:40 -0600

Leadership, Decision-Making and Emotion Management

Jurgen Appelo is an innovative management thinker whose work I admire, and his 7 Levels of Delegation is a framework that I often recommend to clients to help them determine how to allocate authority and decision-making power between themselves and their team. As useful as this conceptual model can be, its effective implementation by a leader also requires skillful emotion management at multiple levels: internally, interpersonally, and across the organization as a whole.

Essential Meetings to Have With Your People as a Manager

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 20:51:16 -0600

Essential Meetings to Have With Your People as a Manager

When I first started managing, I had no idea what meetings I was supposed to conduct with my staff to help them grow. In part because I was at a smaller organization and we were inventing processes on the fly and also because I did not have a manager who conducted or introduced me to these meetings. I learned about these meetings through years of experience, peers in other organizations, networking, mentors, and reading. A lot of reading!

The Tell Tale Signs of Burnout … Do You Have Them?

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 20:34:19 -0600

The Tell Tale Signs of Burnout … Do You Have Them?

Running out of gas? Recognizing the signs of burnout before it’s too late

Posted Nov 26, 2013

Burnout is one of those road hazards in life that high-achievers really should keep a close eye out for, but sadly—often because of their “I can do everything” personalities—they rarely see it coming. Because high-achievers are often so passionate about what they do, they tend to ignore the fact that they’re working exceptionally long hours, taking on exceedingly heavy workloads, and putting enormous pressure on themselves to excel—all of which make them ripe for burnout.

Opinion | The Whistle-Blower Knows How to Write

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 20:26:16 -0600

Opinion | The Whistle-Blower Knows How to Write

The Whistle-Blower’s Guide to Writing

His complaint offers lessons on how to make a point.

Ms. Rosenzweig is the director of the Writing Center at Harvard.

Representative John Ratcliffe, Republican of Texas, holding a marked-up copy of the whistle-blower complaint.CreditJim Lo Scalzo/EPA, via Shutterstock

I can’t tell you what’s going to happen to his blockbuster complaint about the president’s behavior, but I can tell you that the whistle-blower’s college writing instructor would be very proud of him.

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 14:38:07 -0600

Checked in at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) .

You’re the worst Newark. The worst.

40.6929715-74.1779923

A Mental Model For Prioritizing Your Startup’s Energies

Sat, 28 Sep 2019 22:22:57 -0600

A Mental Model For Prioritizing Your Startup’s Energies

I’ve playing with a new mental model for early-stage startups: a pendulum. This pendulum oscillates between the limiting factors of the business at different stages. There only two limiting factors in this mental model: product and go to market.

At the moment a startup is founded, the business is product limited. You can’t do much without a product. After the company establishes product market fit, the pendulum swings to go-to-market.

#2: Open Core —Definition, Examples & Tradeoffs

Sat, 28 Sep 2019 22:20:55 -0600

#2: Open Core —Definition, Examples & Tradeoffs

Joseph Jacks Jul 5, 2018 · 7 min read

In this post, we will explore the following:

What is open core?
How is it implemented?
Where are examples?
When should it be used?

Visual representation of the open core business model 😅

Data overwhelmingly shows that open core (OC) is the dominant business model used by the most successful COSS companies.

OC is the most misunderstood and polarizing business model implemented by COSS companies.

How I Build Learning Projects — Part I

Fri, 27 Sep 2019 13:47:03 -0600

How I Build Learning Projects — Part I

A Little Bit of Slope Makes Up For A Lot of Y-Intercept

Robert Chang Jul 20 · 14 min read

Image credit : When was the last time that you built a learning project?

Motivation

Recently, I came across a blog post written by Simon Hørup Eskildsen on how he approaches reading. It was an inspiring read because I did not know anyone this deliberate about the pursuit of reading. This kind of meticulous, thoughtful, system-level design thinking reminds me of Ray Dalio’s Principle :

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 17:24:08 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Do you even remember how to gym, bro? Narrator: he doesn’t.

39.7676715-104.9738261

What Makes For a Good Product Manager?

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 23:02:21 -0600

What Makes For a Good Product Manager?

Andy Johns Sep 10 · 12 min read

Over the course of my career, I’ve worked on product at Facebook, Twitter, Quora, and Wealthfront, and have advised dozens of other companies on the role of growth and product. Now, as an investor at Unusual Ventures , I get exposure to an even broader collection of companies, and the product cultures within them. Despite that exposure, there is a lot about the role of product that I still don’t understand. But what I can say for sure is that there are as many philosophies on the role of a product manager (PM) as there are letters in the alphabet. And we’re nowhere near getting to a point of agreement on the basic question of, “What makes for a great product manager?”

The Product-Minded Software Engineer

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 22:44:13 -0600

The Product-Minded Software Engineer

Product-minded engineers are developers with lots of interest in the product itself. They want to understand why decisions are made, how people use the product, and love to be involved in making product decisions. They’re someone who would likely make a good product manager if they ever decide to give up the joy of engineering. I’ve worked with many great product-minded engineers and consider myself to be this kind of developer. At companies building world-class products, product-minded engineers take teams to a new level of impact.

From inbox-zero to todo-list-zero (for managers)

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 12:53:07 -0600

From inbox-zero to todo-list-zero (for managers)

Joe Goldberg Sep 6 · 4 min read

The most Type-A calendar you’ll ever see

[Preamble to software engineers or anyone else on maker-time : you keep doing you, the following might sound absurdly overengineered. I wrote this article with managers in mind]

Inbox-Zero

I have a confession to make: I’m the type of person who gets to inbox-zero daily. I sheepishly admit this, because in a world where busy equals productive , it almost seems like a…

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 22:24:19 -0600

Epic 4 days in Crested Butte this weekend. Amazing riding, incredible views, and caught a fish. Can’t ask for too much more.

38.8697222-106.9877778

Posted on Instagram 10:24 pm, September 24, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m0c5bd0a7d321390ac744e25e805d24b4 = { positions : { 682 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘38.8697222’, ‘-106.9877778’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m0c5bd0a7d321390ac744e25e805d24b4’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m0c5bd0a7d321390ac744e25e805d24b4.positions ) { gmap_m0c5bd0a7d321390ac744e25e805d24b4.bounds.extend( gmap_m0c5bd0a7d321390ac744e25e805d24b4.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m0c5bd0a7d321390ac744e25e805d24b4.positions ) { gmap_m0c5bd0a7d321390ac744e25e805d24b4.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m0c5bd0a7d321390ac744e25e805d24b4.map, position : gmap_m0c5bd0a7d321390ac744e25e805d24b4.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m0c5bd0a7d321390ac744e25e805d24b4.map.setCenter( gmap_m0c5bd0a7d321390ac744e25e805d24b4.positions[682] ); });

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 14:14:40 -0600

Checked in at Monarch Pass .

38.5125547-106.3325108

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:11:41 -0600

Checked in at Slate Rock Gulch .

38.9083533-107.0254522

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 21:59:47 -0600

Open-fire cooked Korean ribs on a weeknight because we’re that extra.

Posted on Instagram 9:59 pm, September 18, 2019

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 17:23:45 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Sea level is most likely about to kick my ass.

39.7676715-104.9738261

Grafiti

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 16:43:10 -0600

The Home for Visual Information & Inspiration
Search, Discover & Share charts from top publishers!

Grafiti

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 14:00:23 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Made it home. All I want is sleep — with Kelly, Michael

39.8497327-104.6739819

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 08:55:50 -0600

Checked in at Orlando International Airport (MCO) .

28.4308832-81.3075614

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 18:11:10 -0600

Checked in at Letterpress .

28.3765797-81.5140908

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 23:34:20 -0600

Checked in at Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace Disney Springs Area .

Still here #a8cgm.

28.3761893-81.5151537

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 16:04:19 -0600

Checked in at Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace Disney Springs Area .

28.3761893-81.5151537

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 07:11:02 -0600

Checked in at Buena Vista Palace Conference Center .

28.3773575-81.5153401

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 15:51:34 -0600

Checked in at Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace Disney Springs Area .

28.3761893-81.5151537

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 14:33:40 -0600

Checked in at Orlando International Airport (MCO) .

Next stop; #a8cgm hotel

28.4308832-81.3075614

Stripe’s remote engineering hub shows how distributed workforces can thrive

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 13:24:48 -0600

Stripe’s remote engineering hub shows how distributed workforces can thrive

Above: Remote working: Man on sofa… working.

Image Credit: Getty

More than two-thirds of the global workforce operate remotely at least one day a week, according to a study carried out last year by Switzerland-based serviced office provider IWG, while around half of the U.S. workforce specifically could be remote by 2020 — up from 39% in 2012.

There are a number of benefits to operating a so-called “distributed workforce.” It gives the worker more flexibility over where they work, improves work-life balance, reduces the carbon footprint (less travel), and saves money — less overhead for the business, and fewer dollars spent on transport and Starbucks for the employee.

Climate change: ‘Invest $1.8 trillion to adapt’

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 13:16:00 -0600

Climate change: ‘Invest $1.8 trillion to adapt’

Ollivier Girard/CIFOR

Investments – like the purchase of a water pump for irrigation – can provide a sustainable farming income for farmers like Sanfo Karim in Burkina Faso

Investing $1.8 trillion over the next decade – in measures to adapt to climate change – could produce net benefits worth more than $7 trillion.

This is according to a global cost-benefit analysis setting out five adaptation strategies.

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 09:48:49 -0600

Checked in at Lounge 5280 .

A toast, to the GM — with Kelly

39.8586616-104.67371

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 09:47:20 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Fall travel season has begun with the #a8cgm. DEN:MCO. — with Kelly

39.8497327-104.6739819

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 09:46:34 -0600

Checked in at Concourse B Train Station .

39.8587463-104.6737119

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 09:35:12 -0600

Checked in at TSA Pre-Check .

39.849308-104.6737945

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 17:19:11 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Last one for a week plus. Will hurt when I get back…

39.7676715-104.9738261

17 Reasons NOT To Be A Manager

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 16:46:15 -0600

17 Reasons NOT To Be A Manager

Yesterday we had a super fun meetup here at Intercom in Dublin. We split up into small discussion groups and talked about things related to managing teams and being a senior individual contributor (IC), and going back and forth throughout your career.

One interesting question that came up repeatedly was: “what are some reasons that someone might not want to be a manager?”

Scaling In Lower Cost Locations – AVC

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 14:37:48 -0600

Scaling In Lower Cost Locations – AVC

This is a topic I’ve written about a bunch over the years. I feel like it is becoming more urgent every day.

Last week I heard some shocking numbers about salary levels for certain kinds of engineers in the bay area. I checked them out with a few of our bay area portfolio companies and they were more or less corroborated.

The tight technical labor markets in the bay area, NYC, and a number of other regions in the US are making it hard to scale software businesses without burning massive amounts of cash.

Sun, 08 Sep 2019 13:55:29 -0600

Checked in at Smashburger .

Post-ride noms

39.718607-105.1320987

Sun, 08 Sep 2019 11:26:20 -0600

Checked in at GREEN MOUNTAIN PARK .

39.6904016-105.1522934

Sat, 07 Sep 2019 16:39:44 -0600

Went on a #rinocoffeecrawl today and bought a bunch of bags. #rino #denver #coffee

Posted on Instagram 4:39 pm, September 7, 2019

Sat, 07 Sep 2019 16:21:22 -0600

A couple of cool murals going up at Crema for #crushwalls #keyringprivate

39.7611297-104.9817828

#crushwalls

Posted on Instagram 4:21 pm, September 7, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_md742811064b9e577331e4ce63882f1ac = { positions : { 214 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7611297’, ‘-104.9817828’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_md742811064b9e577331e4ce63882f1ac’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_md742811064b9e577331e4ce63882f1ac.positions ) { gmap_md742811064b9e577331e4ce63882f1ac.bounds.extend( gmap_md742811064b9e577331e4ce63882f1ac.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_md742811064b9e577331e4ce63882f1ac.positions ) { gmap_md742811064b9e577331e4ce63882f1ac.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_md742811064b9e577331e4ce63882f1ac.map, position : gmap_md742811064b9e577331e4ce63882f1ac.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_md742811064b9e577331e4ce63882f1ac.map.setCenter( gmap_md742811064b9e577331e4ce63882f1ac.positions[214] ); });

Sat, 07 Sep 2019 13:14:40 -0600

Checked in at Port Side .

Last stop on my #rinocoffeecrawl. #freecoffee (bought 2 bags)

39.7577848-104.9862502

Sat, 07 Sep 2019 12:45:43 -0600

Checked in at Crema .

Fifth #rinocoffeecrawl stop. #crushwalls in full force outside. #freecoffee

39.7611319-104.9817672

Sat, 07 Sep 2019 12:38:08 -0600

Checked in at Blue Sparrow Coffee .

Fourth #rinocoffeecrawl stop. Ummm super expensive CBD-infused coffee

39.7643333-104.981187

Sat, 07 Sep 2019 12:22:55 -0600

Checked in at Hotbox Roasters .

Third stop on #rinocoffeecrawl

39.7666288-104.9748015

Sat, 07 Sep 2019 11:55:19 -0600

Checked in at Dandy Lion Coffee Co. .

Second stop on the #rinocoffeecrawl — with erika

39.769241-104.977189

Sat, 07 Sep 2019 11:21:52 -0600

Checked in at Rivers And Roads Coffee .

First stop on #rinocoffeecrawl — with erika

39.7647012-104.9565211

Every manager needs the magic of a work BFF

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 17:36:57 -0600

Every manager needs the magic of a work BFF

One of the few pieces of advice I feel good about giving to everyone is this: When your job gets harder, the best thing you can do is make a friend.

This is also backed by the data. Gallup research has consistently shown that having a best friend at work leads to better performance—perhaps related to the findings that people who have a best friend at work are more likely to be engaged in their job, more likely to take risks that spark innovation, and less likely to be actively looking for job opportunities elsewhere.

What I Learned After Becoming an Engineering Manager

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 17:29:56 -0600

What I Learned After Becoming an Engineering Manager

This post will help engineers get the best results out of their work with managers, and achieve career goals in a predictable way.

After many years of being an individual contributor and Tech Lead, I decided to transition to the Engineering Manager role. My main expertise is in mobile app development, but notes below are relevant for any software engineering team.

Own your success

Please don’t wait for your manager to tell you exactly what to do and how to do it. If you’re part of the big team in the big org — your manager is not expected to have all context on all the details of your projects. Please come up with your own roadmap to ship the next feature, and ask feedback. Drive the development of your project.

Product Team FAQ | Silicon Valley Product Group

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 17:24:06 -0600

Product Team FAQ | Silicon Valley Product Group

Every so often one of my articles seems to strike a chord, and this latest one on the difference between Product Teams and Feature Teams certainly seemed to do that. I am grateful for the very positive response. This morning I woke up to well over a hundred people who took the time to e-mail me a personal note of thanks, and often with follow-up questions.

Product vs. Feature Teams

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 17:17:25 -0600

Product vs. Feature Teams

This article is certain to upset many people.

I’m sorry for that, but the degree of ongoing noise and confusion surrounding the role of product at tech companies is only getting worse. Moreover, I see the issues and problematic behaviors getting institutionalized in conference talks, training programs and so-called certification programs for product people.

I have talked about this issue several times in the past, most specifically in the article and keynote on Empowered Product Teams . However, so many people hear only what they want to in that, and it has become clear to me that I need to be more explicit.

Small Wins

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 16:57:55 -0600

Small Wins

It’s easy to put up a facade of success.

Social media has trained us to only show the best parts of our lives.

The pressure is on to announce and celebrate the big wins.

To curate the narrative in the biggest and most glorious manner possible.

The bigger the better.

And it’s really easy to keep silent when you’re unknown,

when you’re only making small progress,

and when everyone else seems to be doing much better.

Management Communication: Priority Exceptions

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 15:35:45 -0600

Constantly-changing priorities and surprise projects erode team morale and leave everyone unsure of if they’re working on the most important thing, or if they’ll ever get to finish anything. While being adaptable and flexible is critical for most teams, it’s always important to have some kind of roadmap and approach to prioritization and planning work. There are many different ways to plan and prioritize your work; what’s important is that when priorities change — and they will change — you acknowledge that change and adapt quickly.

Modern applications at AWS – All Things Distributed

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 22:06:37 -0600

Modern applications at AWS – All Things Distributed

Innovation has always been part of the Amazon DNA, but about 20 years ago, we went through a radical transformation with the goal of making our iterative process—”invent, launch, reinvent, relaunch, start over, rinse, repeat, again and again “—even faster. The changes we made affected both how we built applications and how we organized our company.

Back then, we had only a small fraction of the number of customers that Amazon serves today. Still, we knew that if we wanted to expand the products and services we offered, we had to change the way we approached application architecture.

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 17:25:40 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

39.7676715-104.9738261

How to Discover Your Unknown Knowns

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 15:53:31 -0600

How to Discover Your Unknown Knowns

Known knowns, unknown knowns and unknown unknowns

It’s been almost twenty years since Donald Rumsfeld, the then US Secretary of State of Defense, said:

“There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don’t know. “

You Might Not Be Checking In on Foursquare, But Foursquare Is Checking In on You

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 22:38:38 -0600

You Might Not Be Checking In on Foursquare, But Foursquare Is Checking In on You

Foursquare check-ins in New York City.

Photo: Courtesy of Foursquare

Way back in 2009, when Barack Obama was president and Little Nas X was 10 years old, one of the most talked-about start-ups in the tech industry was an app called Foursquare. The digital compass that pointed your Uncle Tony to the mayorship of your local Boston Market was the most prominent check-in app at a moment when everyone in Silicon Valley was betting on location-based social networks like Foursquare’s biggest competitor, Gowalla. Foursquare was also the best-known of a generation of cutesy local start-ups — think Tumblr and Gilt — poised to transform New York City into the next Silicon Valley.

I tried videoing from my bike’s phone mount on the downhill. Pretty bumpy, but — wheeeeee! #mtb #colorado #enduro #downhill #video #singletrack

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 16:33:36 -0600

https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t50.2886-16/70062041 _376896642956518_8456465293877072941_n.mp4?_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&oe=5D70483E&oh=852797f0f0db0e97f60dd36215dc4ce4

I tried videoing from my bike’s phone mount on the downhill. Pretty bumpy, but — wheeeeee! #mtb #colorado #enduro #downhill #video #singletrack

39.4078-105.171 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m17c033b47358098c7edc1e1bd117eb30 = { positions : { 826 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.4078’, ‘-105.171’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m17c033b47358098c7edc1e1bd117eb30’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m17c033b47358098c7edc1e1bd117eb30.positions ) { gmap_m17c033b47358098c7edc1e1bd117eb30.bounds.extend( gmap_m17c033b47358098c7edc1e1bd117eb30.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m17c033b47358098c7edc1e1bd117eb30.positions ) { gmap_m17c033b47358098c7edc1e1bd117eb30.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m17c033b47358098c7edc1e1bd117eb30.map, position : gmap_m17c033b47358098c7edc1e1bd117eb30.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m17c033b47358098c7edc1e1bd117eb30.map.setCenter( gmap_m17c033b47358098c7edc1e1bd117eb30.positions[826] ); });

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 16:28:12 -0600

EXTREEEME @jetboil — making some lunch without a lot of riverbank to play with.

39.4078-105.171

Posted on Instagram 4:28 pm, September 2, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mecd88ebd594a5fa0b6653def4a8ab0d1 = { positions : { 266 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.4078’, ‘-105.171’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mecd88ebd594a5fa0b6653def4a8ab0d1’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mecd88ebd594a5fa0b6653def4a8ab0d1.positions ) { gmap_mecd88ebd594a5fa0b6653def4a8ab0d1.bounds.extend( gmap_mecd88ebd594a5fa0b6653def4a8ab0d1.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mecd88ebd594a5fa0b6653def4a8ab0d1.positions ) { gmap_mecd88ebd594a5fa0b6653def4a8ab0d1.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mecd88ebd594a5fa0b6653def4a8ab0d1.map, position : gmap_mecd88ebd594a5fa0b6653def4a8ab0d1.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mecd88ebd594a5fa0b6653def4a8ab0d1.map.setCenter( gmap_mecd88ebd594a5fa0b6653def4a8ab0d1.positions[266] ); });

How to build social connection in a remote team – Know Your Team | Blog

Fri, 30 Aug 2019 18:06:39 -0600

How to build social connection in a remote team – Know Your Team | Blog

I’ll be shocked if you’re shocked: Building social connection in a remote team is the hardest part of managing a remote team. According to a survey we ran this past fall with 297 remote managers and employees, “fostering a sense of connection without a shared location” was seen as the #1 most difficult part of being a remote manager – and the #1 most difficult part of working remotely, in general.

Storybook

Thu, 29 Aug 2019 10:47:26 -0600

Storybook is an open source tool for developing UI components in isolation for React, Vue, and Angular. It makes building stunning UIs organized and efficient.

https://storybook.js.org/

Sun, 25 Aug 2019 15:47:02 -0600

Glorious day on the river. @akires and I both got skunked, but still had a great time. #fishing #tenkara

40.41617-105.3732

#fishing
#Tenkara

Posted on Instagram 3:47 pm, August 25, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_ma882980de5c4305d3a2ab1a3c1ecc66a = { positions : { 69 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘40.41617’, ‘-105.3732’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_ma882980de5c4305d3a2ab1a3c1ecc66a’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_ma882980de5c4305d3a2ab1a3c1ecc66a.positions ) { gmap_ma882980de5c4305d3a2ab1a3c1ecc66a.bounds.extend( gmap_ma882980de5c4305d3a2ab1a3c1ecc66a.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_ma882980de5c4305d3a2ab1a3c1ecc66a.positions ) { gmap_ma882980de5c4305d3a2ab1a3c1ecc66a.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_ma882980de5c4305d3a2ab1a3c1ecc66a.map, position : gmap_ma882980de5c4305d3a2ab1a3c1ecc66a.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_ma882980de5c4305d3a2ab1a3c1ecc66a.map.setCenter( gmap_ma882980de5c4305d3a2ab1a3c1ecc66a.positions[69] ); });

Sat, 24 Aug 2019 20:21:45 -0600

Checked in at Julep .

Date night ish — with erika

39.7647528-104.9769972

Sat, 24 Aug 2019 20:01:56 -0600

Denver Nights

Posted on Instagram 8:01 pm, August 24, 2019

The 10x Engineer – making a whole team 10x better

Sat, 24 Aug 2019 18:19:27 -0600

The 10x Engineer – making a whole team 10x better

Lately there was a lot of talk on twitter about the 10x engineer which started a big debate about what makes a good engineer. Some really stupid things were mentioned such as “10x engineers hate meetings” and “10x engineers come late to the office” and “10x engineers laptop background is usually black”. In general, it seems that some people think that if you are smart enough, it is okay to be an asshole.

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 20:08:28 -0600

Checked in at The Welton Room .

Next stop, fancier cocktails — with erika

39.753569-104.97949

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 19:26:56 -0600

Solar powered USB ports on a patio umbrella 🤯🤯🤯

39.75034-104.98401

Posted on Instagram 7:26 pm, August 23, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m54ef7ff5b2253d6883236ef85c424f24 = { positions : { 940 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.75034’, ‘-104.98401’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m54ef7ff5b2253d6883236ef85c424f24’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m54ef7ff5b2253d6883236ef85c424f24.positions ) { gmap_m54ef7ff5b2253d6883236ef85c424f24.bounds.extend( gmap_m54ef7ff5b2253d6883236ef85c424f24.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m54ef7ff5b2253d6883236ef85c424f24.positions ) { gmap_m54ef7ff5b2253d6883236ef85c424f24.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m54ef7ff5b2253d6883236ef85c424f24.map, position : gmap_m54ef7ff5b2253d6883236ef85c424f24.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m54ef7ff5b2253d6883236ef85c424f24.map.setCenter( gmap_m54ef7ff5b2253d6883236ef85c424f24.positions[940] ); });

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 19:10:20 -0600

Checked in at Rita’s Law .

Checking out a friend of a friend’s new place. Pretty slick! — with erika

39.750316-104.984027

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 16:09:40 -0600

There are much worse places to make a fresh cup of coffee. (from a few weeks ago, wishing I was there now)

39.4091364-105.5007863

Posted on Instagram 4:09 pm, August 23, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mf476f9b82b770f10fc8d19253598f79f = { positions : { 119 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.4091364’, ‘-105.5007863’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mf476f9b82b770f10fc8d19253598f79f’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mf476f9b82b770f10fc8d19253598f79f.positions ) { gmap_mf476f9b82b770f10fc8d19253598f79f.bounds.extend( gmap_mf476f9b82b770f10fc8d19253598f79f.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mf476f9b82b770f10fc8d19253598f79f.positions ) { gmap_mf476f9b82b770f10fc8d19253598f79f.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mf476f9b82b770f10fc8d19253598f79f.map, position : gmap_mf476f9b82b770f10fc8d19253598f79f.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mf476f9b82b770f10fc8d19253598f79f.map.setCenter( gmap_mf476f9b82b770f10fc8d19253598f79f.positions[119] ); });

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 12:48:58 -0600

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

Last day here. I’m a free agent for #cafeworking from now on.

39.761625-104.97923

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 17:26:49 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

This might be a mistake

39.7676715-104.9738261

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 14:11:13 -0600

Checked in at Dunbar Kitchen & Taphouse .

39.7562063-104.9758082

Arc’teryx Norvan SL Hoody Review

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 11:46:37 -0600

Before we get into any details, let me just get this out of the way — I absolutely love this thing, and giggle every time I get to use it. It makes no sense, I know, but here we are.

OK — now that you know how biased I am, let’s jump into some details.

I have the black and red, size Large. I’m 6’4″ and have bizarrely long arms, but the Norvan SL Hoody fits as well (if not better) than most standard long-sleeve items I get my hands on, and isn’t too baggy around the body. When I first pull it out of the pouch it might be a little short (because the fabric is all crumpled up), but then it smoothes out to full length pretty quickly. The semi-rigid hood rim and extended and reflective cuffs are really nice touches, and help make this jacket feel like more than just a super-expensive poncho.

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 13:55:10 -0600

Checked in at Pangea Coffee Roasters .

#cafeworking with pretty terrible wifi. Good coffee and interesting space though.

39.7542177-105.2232687

Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 20:33:00 -0600

Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time

Steve Wanner is a highly respected 37-year-old partner at Ernst & Young, married with four young children. When we met him a year ago, he was working 12- to 14-hour days, felt perpetually exhausted, and found it difficult to fully engage with his family in the evenings, which left him feeling guilty and dissatisfied. He slept poorly, made no time to exercise, and seldom ate healthy meals, instead grabbing a bite to eat on the run or while working at his desk.

Disasterpiece Theater: Slack’s process for approachable Chaos Engineering

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 19:58:20 -0600

Disasterpiece Theater: Slack’s process for approachable Chaos Engineering

Richard Crowley Aug 1 · 8 min read

Slack is a large and complex piece of software that’s been added to and changed many times over the last five years. We added features, grew to 10,000,000 DAUs, and made major architectural changes. We made assumptions and tested them with processes that often resembled science.

Whenever we launch features or make changes, we test the fault tolerance of that new code. Unfortunately, we seldom get to repeat these tests as the environment continues to change around that no-longer-new code. As the sands shift, those initial test results lose value. We remain confident in the resilience and robustness of our most critical systems but that confidence is less well-founded as time progresses. And luck is not an availability strategy, so something must be done.

The workplace is a lonely place, but it doesn’t have to be

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 19:45:24 -0600

The workplace is a lonely place, but it doesn’t have to be

In early 2017, Shelly Schneider accepted a new job at a large insurance company. With a desk surrounded by hundreds of coworkers, she expected to have a robust social experience at work.

Filed under

Work Culture

But after two years, Schneider found herself isolated, unhappy, and unproductive.

Schneider excelled in her role as an underwriter, working across all of the company’s service lines and receiving consistently positive feedback from her director. But her role required very little contact with her colleagues, and she found herself falling out of touch with her office neighbors and team members.

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 18:26:12 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

It’s been a while. This will hurt.

39.7676715-104.9738261

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 17:27:02 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

It’s been a while. This will hurt.

39.7676715-104.9738261

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 13:53:07 -0600

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

My time is almost up here.

39.761625-104.97923

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 12:04:12 -0600

Checked in at Shake Shack .

39.7622771-104.9807526

The Bullseye Framework for Getting Traction

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 22:51:41 -0600

The Bullseye Framework for Getting Traction

With nineteen traction channels to consider, figuring out which one to focus on is tough. That’s why we’ve created a simple framework called Bullseye that will help you find the channel that will get you traction. As billionaire PayPal founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel put it:

[You] probably won’t have a bunch of equally good distribution strategies. Engineers frequently fall victim to this because they do not understand distribution. Since they don’t know what works, and haven’t thought about it, they try some sales, BD, advertising, and viral marketing — everything but the kitchen sink.

All the best engineering advice I stole from non-technical people

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 22:43:52 -0600

All the best engineering advice I stole from non-technical people

Marianne Bellotti Aug 5 · 13 min read

Vector created by rawpixel

As I focus on becoming a better manager of engineers, I have been reflecting more and more on the advice that produced a 10X boost in my abilities at that same stage. More often than not the best advice, the things that stuck with me, came from people who had no background at all in software.

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 19:38:46 -0600

Checked in at Bar Fausto .

39.7636116-104.9786607

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 17:52:28 -0600

Checked in at Hop Alley .

39.7669586-104.9742803

Engineering Management Lessons From Mountain Biking

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 18:02:29 -0600

Since moving to Colorado, I’ve been lucky enough to get out mountain biking pretty frequently. I love it. On some rides you’re just trying to get up or down the mountain in one piece, but on some rides you get good time to think quite deeply. On a recent ride I was rolling around (pun intended, you’re welcome) some ideas about engineering management, and realized there are some good parallels between mountain biking and leading teams of engineers.

The Complete Guide to Deep Work

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 16:23:52 -0600

The Complete Guide to Deep Work

Illustration by @margaridamouta

Let’s get right to the point: bouncing between your inbox, pointless meetings, and group chat notifications is no way to get ahead in today’s information economy.

These are markers of busyness not productivity. They won’t help you to deepen your writing practice, master a programming language, or grow your business. In fact, these activities won’t aid you in any number of the ambitious goals you’ve set for yourself.

AARRR Framework- Metrics That Let Your StartUp Sound Like A Pirate Ship

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 15:25:59 -0600

AARRR Framework- Metrics That Let Your StartUp Sound Like A Pirate Ship

Nov 25, 2017 · 11 min read

AARRR Metric Framework- Pirate Metrics for Startups

Today, September 19th, is International Talk Like A Pirate Day, and thus, the perfect excuse to chat about one of the most important metric frameworks to live by as a startup marketer or Growth Hacker: The AARRR framework.

10 years ago… wow, that’s a long time ago.

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 15:10:26 -0600

“Portable” speaker. Will play for about 30 hours apparently. @goalzero @sonos

Posted on Instagram 3:10 pm, August 11, 2019

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 15:09:20 -0600

Got carried away and now we have unlimited free power FROM THE SKY. Thanks @goalzero

39.7391-104.9836

Posted on Instagram 3:09 pm, August 11, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m3c7472e64f0abfaf8b0cddd8927f6623 = { positions : { 565 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7391’, ‘-104.9836’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m3c7472e64f0abfaf8b0cddd8927f6623’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m3c7472e64f0abfaf8b0cddd8927f6623.positions ) { gmap_m3c7472e64f0abfaf8b0cddd8927f6623.bounds.extend( gmap_m3c7472e64f0abfaf8b0cddd8927f6623.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m3c7472e64f0abfaf8b0cddd8927f6623.positions ) { gmap_m3c7472e64f0abfaf8b0cddd8927f6623.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m3c7472e64f0abfaf8b0cddd8927f6623.map, position : gmap_m3c7472e64f0abfaf8b0cddd8927f6623.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m3c7472e64f0abfaf8b0cddd8927f6623.map.setCenter( gmap_m3c7472e64f0abfaf8b0cddd8927f6623.positions[565] ); });

Getting Real About Managing Up

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 13:34:36 -0600

Getting Real About Managing Up

From QCon NYC, 2019

Follow @kellan

Hi!

Most engineers, as hyper rationale beings above the fray of emotional persuasion are kind of “Ugh, do we have to” when the topic of managing up comes up, so thank you for coming!

My name is Kellan Elliott-McCrea. Cards on the table. I’m the person you manage up to. (experience: Etsy, Flickr, various startups)
But I also advise and coach. (30+ companies)
This talk is drawn from all of that experience.
When Jean asked me…

Speed matters: Why working quickly is more important than it seems « the jsomers.net blog

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 12:55:48 -0600

Speed matters: Why working quickly is more important than it seems « the jsomers.net blog

The obvious benefit to working quickly is that you’ll finish more stuff per unit time. But there’s more to it than that. If you work quickly, the cost of doing something new will seem lower in your mind. So you’ll be inclined to do more.

The converse is true, too. If every time you write a blog post it takes you six months, and you’re sitting around your apartment on a Sunday afternoon thinking of stuff to do, you’re probably not going to think of starting a blog post, because it’ll feel too expensive.

Book Summary – The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 12:50:13 -0600

Book Summary – The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter

The first 90 days of any career transition—be it a promotion, a new job or a lateral transfer—are critical and can determine if you succeed or fail in the new role. In this book, Michael Watkins presents critical success strategies for new leaders at all levels. In this summary, we’ll give an overview of the proven strategies to shorten your learning curve and build momentum within the first 90 days of any new management role. The impact is multiplied when the approach is applied organization-wide. For the full details, examples and tips, do or get a detailed overview with our complete book summary bundle .

Google’s HEART Framework for Measuring UX

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 12:41:00 -0600

Google’s HEART Framework for Measuring UX

If you’ve been struggling to adopt useful metrics in your user experience team – you might want to consider the HEART framework designed by Kerry Rodden, Hilary Hutchinson and Xin Fu, from Google’s research team.

The idea is a simple one; to deliver a series of user-centred metrics that allow you to measure the user experience on a large scale. These metrics can then be used for decision making in the product development process.

Sat, 10 Aug 2019 19:55:04 -0600

Checked in at Beckon .

with erika

39.76112-104.98229

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 21:00:01 -0600

Checked in at Milk Market .

Photographer’s show and then dinner. Is that a date? — with erika

39.7531976-104.9971416

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 20:06:00 -0600

Checked in at Blanchard Family Wines .

39.7533251-104.9963574

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 19:40:34 -0600

Posted on Instagram 7:40 pm, August 8, 2019

John Wayne!

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 17:49:47 -0600

https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t50.2886-16/68826435 _2090959341199899_5959889929884951687_n.mp4?_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&oe=5D4EBAC1&oh=f9f3b1cc3f12f1c797b1e34d41c3ed60

John Wayne!

38.4547-107.327 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m9e58ad5f9486794c95bb98ee5464cd25 = { positions : { 169 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘38.4547’, ‘-107.327’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m9e58ad5f9486794c95bb98ee5464cd25’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m9e58ad5f9486794c95bb98ee5464cd25.positions ) { gmap_m9e58ad5f9486794c95bb98ee5464cd25.bounds.extend( gmap_m9e58ad5f9486794c95bb98ee5464cd25.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m9e58ad5f9486794c95bb98ee5464cd25.positions ) { gmap_m9e58ad5f9486794c95bb98ee5464cd25.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m9e58ad5f9486794c95bb98ee5464cd25.map, position : gmap_m9e58ad5f9486794c95bb98ee5464cd25.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m9e58ad5f9486794c95bb98ee5464cd25.map.setCenter( gmap_m9e58ad5f9486794c95bb98ee5464cd25.positions[169] ); });

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 17:47:07 -0600

Trouble on the horizon.

38.4547-107.327

Posted on Instagram 5:47 pm, August 8, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m347ef00f839bdc723179cdcd4a0c762c = { positions : { 793 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘38.4547’, ‘-107.327’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m347ef00f839bdc723179cdcd4a0c762c’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m347ef00f839bdc723179cdcd4a0c762c.positions ) { gmap_m347ef00f839bdc723179cdcd4a0c762c.bounds.extend( gmap_m347ef00f839bdc723179cdcd4a0c762c.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m347ef00f839bdc723179cdcd4a0c762c.positions ) { gmap_m347ef00f839bdc723179cdcd4a0c762c.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m347ef00f839bdc723179cdcd4a0c762c.map, position : gmap_m347ef00f839bdc723179cdcd4a0c762c.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m347ef00f839bdc723179cdcd4a0c762c.map.setCenter( gmap_m347ef00f839bdc723179cdcd4a0c762c.positions[793] ); });

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 17:43:57 -0600

Not sponsored, but happy to rave about the @bigagnes_ Copper Spur UL 2. Freaking love this tent; best one I’ve ever owned.

38.4547-107.327

Posted on Instagram 5:43 pm, August 8, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m9309d5b6c47741d21e9db49c4d553ddb = { positions : { 444 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘38.4547’, ‘-107.327’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m9309d5b6c47741d21e9db49c4d553ddb’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m9309d5b6c47741d21e9db49c4d553ddb.positions ) { gmap_m9309d5b6c47741d21e9db49c4d553ddb.bounds.extend( gmap_m9309d5b6c47741d21e9db49c4d553ddb.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m9309d5b6c47741d21e9db49c4d553ddb.positions ) { gmap_m9309d5b6c47741d21e9db49c4d553ddb.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m9309d5b6c47741d21e9db49c4d553ddb.map, position : gmap_m9309d5b6c47741d21e9db49c4d553ddb.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m9309d5b6c47741d21e9db49c4d553ddb.map.setCenter( gmap_m9309d5b6c47741d21e9db49c4d553ddb.positions[444] ); });

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 17:37:17 -0600

More crazy views a 5 minute stroll from our campsite.

38.4547-107.327

Posted on Instagram 5:37 pm, August 8, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m213219871378940aceede8a0daf0bc29 = { positions : { 746 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘38.4547’, ‘-107.327’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m213219871378940aceede8a0daf0bc29’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m213219871378940aceede8a0daf0bc29.positions ) { gmap_m213219871378940aceede8a0daf0bc29.bounds.extend( gmap_m213219871378940aceede8a0daf0bc29.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m213219871378940aceede8a0daf0bc29.positions ) { gmap_m213219871378940aceede8a0daf0bc29.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m213219871378940aceede8a0daf0bc29.map, position : gmap_m213219871378940aceede8a0daf0bc29.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m213219871378940aceede8a0daf0bc29.map.setCenter( gmap_m213219871378940aceede8a0daf0bc29.positions[746] ); });

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 17:35:34 -0600

Epic views from our campsite this week.

38.4669609-107.1662674

Posted on Instagram 5:35 pm, August 8, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mf364e2bf9633c0ff560378bf051dd465 = { positions : { 534 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘38.4669609’, ‘-107.1662674’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mf364e2bf9633c0ff560378bf051dd465’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mf364e2bf9633c0ff560378bf051dd465.positions ) { gmap_mf364e2bf9633c0ff560378bf051dd465.bounds.extend( gmap_mf364e2bf9633c0ff560378bf051dd465.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mf364e2bf9633c0ff560378bf051dd465.positions ) { gmap_mf364e2bf9633c0ff560378bf051dd465.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mf364e2bf9633c0ff560378bf051dd465.map, position : gmap_mf364e2bf9633c0ff560378bf051dd465.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mf364e2bf9633c0ff560378bf051dd465.map.setCenter( gmap_mf364e2bf9633c0ff560378bf051dd465.positions[534] ); });

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 17:29:19 -0600

Thoroughly delightful wedding over the weekend. So much fun seeing everyone from NYC and so happy for @brandonlotti and @axaedwards

40.67364-73.99176

Posted on Instagram 5:29 pm, August 8, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m0e28be9bde9f1feafbde65d14ed6d4d2 = { positions : { 841 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘40.67364’, ‘-73.99176’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m0e28be9bde9f1feafbde65d14ed6d4d2’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m0e28be9bde9f1feafbde65d14ed6d4d2.positions ) { gmap_m0e28be9bde9f1feafbde65d14ed6d4d2.bounds.extend( gmap_m0e28be9bde9f1feafbde65d14ed6d4d2.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m0e28be9bde9f1feafbde65d14ed6d4d2.positions ) { gmap_m0e28be9bde9f1feafbde65d14ed6d4d2.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m0e28be9bde9f1feafbde65d14ed6d4d2.map, position : gmap_m0e28be9bde9f1feafbde65d14ed6d4d2.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m0e28be9bde9f1feafbde65d14ed6d4d2.map.setCenter( gmap_m0e28be9bde9f1feafbde65d14ed6d4d2.positions[841] ); });

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 17:25:31 -0600

#tallpeoplebathroomproblems

40.6556702-74.0069427

#tallpeoplebathroomproblems

Posted on Instagram 5:25 pm, August 8, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mc434a07136becbc55f29b4591bdf8338 = { positions : { 912 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘40.6556702’, ‘-74.0069427’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mc434a07136becbc55f29b4591bdf8338’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mc434a07136becbc55f29b4591bdf8338.positions ) { gmap_mc434a07136becbc55f29b4591bdf8338.bounds.extend( gmap_mc434a07136becbc55f29b4591bdf8338.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mc434a07136becbc55f29b4591bdf8338.positions ) { gmap_mc434a07136becbc55f29b4591bdf8338.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mc434a07136becbc55f29b4591bdf8338.map, position : gmap_mc434a07136becbc55f29b4591bdf8338.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mc434a07136becbc55f29b4591bdf8338.map.setCenter( gmap_mc434a07136becbc55f29b4591bdf8338.positions[912] ); });

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 11:02:41 -0600

Checked in at Tributary Roasters .

with erika

38.54479-106.92657

Developing a management philosophy

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 21:01:50 -0600

Developing a management philosophy

June 21 2019

A management philosophy is not something I thought I needed, but once I finally landed on it, it felt like a puzzle had been completed. My philosophy—Take care of your people—is the truth for me. I meditate on it and tell the story to anyone who will listen.

Developing my management philosophy was a long process and was sparked by my management coach, Lara Hogan. 1 She said this philosophy was going to become my North Star, so I felt a lot of pressure to get it right. Two months and 11 versions later “Take care of your people” came into focus and for the last 18 months it has guided everything I do.

Currents Research on DigitalOcean

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 20:54:08 -0600

Currents Research on DigitalOcean

Compute
- Droplets
- Kubernetes
Storage
- Spaces Object Storage
- Volumes Block Storage
Databases
- Managed Databases
Networking
- Cloud Firewalls
- Load Balancers
- Floating IPs
- Domain Name System
Developer Tools
- API
- CLI
- Monitoring
- Teams
See all products
Marketplace
Customers
Partners
Get Involved
- Write for DOnations
- Meetups
- Hatch Startup Program
- Open Source Sponsorships
- Hacktoberfest
Pricing

Expert Program Management

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 20:41:57 -0600

Expert Program Management

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Buy the Book

http://pinterest.com/https://www.pinterest.co.uk/expertpm/

RAPID Decision Making Model

The RAPID Decision Making Model is a framework that can help organizations make better decisions. Making high-quality decisions is critical to organizational success.

Every success an organization achieves. Every failure. Every missed opportunity. They can all be traced back to a decision or series of decisions made by the organization.

When an organization’s decision-making process is poor or nonexistent it can lead to wasted time, confusion and frustration. Let’s take a look two examples of a poor decision process:

Career narratives.

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 20:18:13 -0600

Career narratives.

A peculiar challenge of management is trying to invest in someone’s career development when they themselves are uncertain about their goals. As a manager, you may have more experience and more access to opportunities within the company, but that represents a small slice of someone’s career possibilities. Our schooling often rewards us for being methodical, linear thinkers, but that approach is less effective outside the intentionally constrained possibility spaces.

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 18:12:33 -0600

Checked in at Terminal 3 .

Back home I go. For a few days.

37.6182172-122.3863542

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 17:33:43 -0600

Checked in at Taqueria Cancun .

One before I go — with erika

37.7454316-122.4199967

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 16:35:51 -0600

Checked in at Blue Bottle Coffee .

37.8720756-122.2677925

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 08:29:00 -0600

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

Arrived. Quick weekend trip. — with erika

37.616713-122.3870945

An introduction to Wardley ‘Value Chain’ Mapping

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 05:53:27 -0600

An introduction to Wardley ‘Value Chain’ Mapping

This is about my journey, from a newly-minted yet confused CEO caught like a rabbit staring helpless into the oncoming headlights of change – to being voted one of the most influential people in IT within the UK. It took me a decade to first develop the techniques that I’m going to describe and a further 10 years to gain confidence with them through practice.

A Tale Of Two WordPress Hosts

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 18:14:45 -0600

A Tale Of Two WordPress Hosts

The WordPress hosting space may just simultaneously be one of the most lucrative, yet underfunded, industries out there.

There’s no question that the use of WordPress, the open source content management system (CMS) that enables the publishing of blogs and e-books (among other things), is growing exponentially. The WordPress CMS has grown to 30 percent of the Internet, up from 13 percent in 2010, according to W3Techs.

How to Size and Assess Teams From an Eng Lead at Stripe, Uber and Digg

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 22:25:07 -0600

How to Size and Assess Teams From an Eng Lead at Stripe, Uber and Digg

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 21:27:05 -0600

Beets n’ Carrots. Garden hauling. #vegetablegarden #beets #carrots #vegetables #garden

Posted on Instagram 9:27 pm, July 23, 2019

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 17:24:57 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

39.7676715-104.9738261

Going Indie. Step 2: Reclaiming Content · Matthias Ott – User Experience Designer

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 09:03:13 -0600

Going Indie. Step 2: Reclaiming Content · Matthias Ott – User Experience Designer

We have lost control over our content. To change this, we need to reconsider the way we create and consume content online. We need to create a new set of tools that enable an independent, open web for everyone.

This is the second article of a two-part series on digital citizenship. Part one was all about online privacy and how to protect it, this second part focuses on how we can build and promote tools that enable an open, independent, and resilient web.

Humans First: Strategies for Leading Remote Design Teams

Sat, 13 Jul 2019 13:51:18 -0600

Humans First: Strategies for Leading Remote Design Teams

Cassie McDaniel in The Startup Jul 1 · 12 min read

Earlier this week Alexis Lloyd, Head of Design Innovation at Automattic (she’s moving on to Medium , congrats!), shared on Twitter some insightful best practices for leading design teams remotely and she asked others to chime in. As in a community, sharing ideas. Not just complaining! Be still my heart. I don’t know Alexis personally but her receptiveness inspires me.

Resilience Assessment Grid

Sat, 13 Jul 2019 13:32:38 -0600

Resilience Assessment Grid

Ph.D., Professor, Professor Emeritus

Resilience Assessment Grid (RAG)

(This page provides a brief overview of the RAG. A more detailed description can be found here.)

Introduction

A system is said to perform in a manner that is resilient when it can sustain required operations under both expected and unexpected conditions by adjusting its functioning prior to, during, or following events (changes, disturbances, and opportunities). Whereas current safety management (Safety-I) focuses on reducing the number of adverse outcomes by preventing adverse events, Resilience Engineering (RE) looks for ways to enhance the ability of systems to succeed under varying conditions (Safety-II). It is therefore necessary to understand what this ability really means, since it clearly is not satisfactory just to call it ‘resilience’.

The Paradox of Ambition

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 22:45:21 -0600

The Paradox of Ambition

In Silicon Valley, ambition matters more than financial success.

The interestingness of your ideas matters more than the size of your bank account. The culture is built to support companies and entrepreneurs who want to pursue moonshot ideas.

Silicon Valley culture is a perspective shift. In school, it helps to fit in. In the Valley, it helps to stand out. The sooner you can stand out, the better. Where school teaches you to pursue guaranteed success, the Valley teaches you to pursue projects with exponential upside; where school teaches you to follow the rules, the Valley teaches you to ignore them carefully; and where school teaches you to pursue well-defined targets, the Valley teaches you to pursue lucrative goals that others can’t see.

‘Oldest remains’ outside Africa reset human migration clock

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 22:36:45 -0600

‘Oldest remains’ outside Africa reset human migration clock

July 10, 2019

The Apidima 2 cranium (right) and its reconstruction (left). Apidima 2 shows a suite of features characteristic of Neanderthals, indicating that it belongs to the Neanderthal lineage. Credit: Copyright Katerina Harvati, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.

A 210,000-year-old skull has been identified as the earliest modern human remains found outside Africa, putting the clock back on mankind’s arrival in Europe by more than 150,000 years, researchers said Wednesday.

No Kings: How Do You Make Good Decisions Efficiently in a Flat Organization?

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 22:33:12 -0600

No Kings: How Do You Make Good Decisions Efficiently in a Flat Organization?

Illustration by Yin Weihung

This article started out as an internal conversation on a thread around how our team could learn to ask and give feedback more mindfully. It explores how we can balance making decisions quickly while maintaining our openness to feedback to ensure our decisions are good ones.

At Doist we believe that open and sincere communication improves our decision-making process. That’s why we’ve built a culture that encourages feedback at all levels of decision-making: from purely technical solutions to team and product management. We built our team communication app, Twist , around public threads to make that level of transparency and engagement possible for both ourselves and other remote workplaces.

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 17:18:58 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

And now we sweat.

39.7676715-104.9738261

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 12:14:26 -0600

Checked in at Improper City .

39.7650997-104.9789681

Resilience Engineering

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 22:24:01 -0600

Resilience Engineering

Origins

‘Resilience’ is a term that has been used for a long time and in several different ways. It was first used in to describe a property of timber, and to explain why some types of wood were able to accommodate sudden and severe loads without breaking. Almost four decades later, a report to the Admiralty referred to a measure called the modulus of resilience as a means of assessing the ability of materials to withstand severe conditions.

Rethinking the Triple Constraint: Five Project Dimensions

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 22:09:20 -0600

Rethinking the Triple Constraint: Five Project Dimensions

Karl Wiegers in The Startup Jun 14 · 11 min read

Perhaps you’ve seen a sign at an auto repair shop that asked, “What do you want: good, fast, or cheap? Pick two.” While humorous, the sign is also wise: it acknowledges the reality of trade-offs. You generally cannot optimize every desired outcome of a given situation.

The notion of such a “triple constraint” or “iron triangle” appears throughout project management. The problem is that I have seen numerous representations of the triangle with various parameters on the triangle’s vertices — size, cost, time, or scope — and various assumptions made about what is being held constant, such as quality or functionality. I’ve also seen diagrams that show four project dimensions. So, in my view, the traditional “triple constraint” is wrong, although the concept of constraints and trade-offs is certainly valid.

Squad Health Check model – visualizing what to improve

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 13:19:06 -0600

Squad Health Check model – visualizing what to improve

*(Download the cards & instructions as PDF or PPTX )

(Translations of this article: Chinese , French )*

What is a squad health check model?

A lot of companies experiment with ways of measuring and visualizing how their teams are doing. They’re usually called “maturity models”, and involve some sort of progression through different levels.

The intent of these types of models is usually benign – for example managers or coaches in larger organizations who want to get a sense of where they should focus their improvement efforts, spot systemic problems, and help teams become more self-aware so they can focus their improvement efforts too.

Seven to Ten Years – AVC

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 11:49:41 -0600

Seven to Ten Years – AVC

I have worked in three venture capital firms over the last thirty-three years and am intimately familiar with the performance of the fifteen (ish) venture funds raised and invested by these three firms. Much of what I have written about fund management and investment performance here at AVC over the last sixteen years comes from my observations of these funds and firms.

Starting in the mid-00s, The Gotham Gal and I started investing in other venture capital funds, always limiting these investments to firms where we knew the partners well and had sat on boards with them.

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 17:21:20 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Keep it rolling!

39.7676715-104.9738261

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 11:51:15 -0600

Checked in at Improper City .

#cafeworking today — with Sonja

39.7650997-104.9789681

How to invest in technical infrastructure

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 23:02:49 -0600

How to invest in technical infrastructure

4 Reasons Good Employees Lose Their Motivation

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 22:34:42 -0600

4 Reasons Good Employees Lose Their Motivation

Paul Taylor/Getty Images

Motivation — the willingness to get the job done by starting rather than procrastinating, persisting in the face of distractions, and investing enough mental effort to succeed — accounts for 40% of the success of team projects. Yet managers are often at a loss as to how to effectively motivate uninspired employees. Our review of research on motivation indicates that the key is for managers to first accurately identify the reason for an employee’s lack of motivation and then apply a targeted strategy.

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 19:05:27 -0600

Lamb. It’s what’s for dinner.

Posted on Instagram 7:05 pm, July 7, 2019

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 18:36:33 -0600

Surprise weekend project. Yay homeownership!

Posted on Instagram 6:36 pm, July 7, 2019

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 12:51:25 -0600

Checked in at Waterton Canyon .

39.491323-105.0936893

The Difference Between Open-Minded and Closed-Minded People

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 23:02:30 -0600

The Difference Between Open-Minded and Closed-Minded People

Why is it that some people seem to make constant progress in their professional and personal lives, while others appear to be doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over?

While the answer isn’t cut and dry, I’ve noticed an interesting mindset difference between these two groups: they approach obstacles and challenges very differently. It comes down to mindset .

Successful people tend to approach life with an open mindset — an eagerness to learn and a willingness to be wrong. The other group digs their heels in at the first sign of disagreement and would rather die than be wrong.

What does a VP of Engineering do, again? – Raffi Krikorian – Medium

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 22:52:57 -0600

What does a VP of Engineering do, again? – Raffi Krikorian – Medium

Photo by Oleg Sidorenko

Raffi Krikorian Jul 27, 2015

Co-authored by Raffi Krikorian & Dave Loftesness

“You mean he’s like an engineer-whisperer?”

Sorta.

Who is asking?

This question shows up over and over. And from all sides:

the CEO who thinks her company is at the size that she should be “thinking” about hiring a VPE — the company is getting too big, and all of engineering still reports to her;
the CTO who doesn’t want to manage people directly and is trying to figure out whether he needs a VPE to pair with — he feels that the best use of his time is to be the “chief architect”, “lead developer”, or “head prototyper”. The CTO often complains that he isn’t good at managing people, he isn’t scaling as a people manager as the team grows, that he finds people management is stressful, or he has no interest in doing it, and it’s a distraction;
the first time VPE that is trying to figure out what she should be doing with her time — one-on-ones have already been scheduled, the current sprint has been planned, but what else should she be doing?; and, finally
engineers who are concerned that the company wants to bring in “another level of management” — what does this do to their day to day? They often wonder what they’ve done wrong, or, whether they should be concerned that the company is getting “too large”.

Let’s pull this apart.

Undervalued Software Engineering Skills: Writing Well

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 22:08:07 -0600

Undervalued Software Engineering Skills: Writing Well

I have been coaching several experienced software engineers to further grow professionally, since transitioning to being an engineering manager. I have noticed a few skills that people often underestimate the importance of developing. Skills that add a significant boost to the impact of any developer. One of these is writing.

Most software engineers primarily focus on becoming great at writing code. And this makes perfect sense. This is an essential step to become a great engineer within a reasonably sized team.

How to Hold Your Team Accountable – The Founder Coach

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 22:01:18 -0600

How to Hold Your Team Accountable – The Founder Coach

Dave Bailey Apr 9

Do you wish your team took more ownership? Here’s how to get your team to the point where you trust them to get the job done without you.

As a CEO coach I’ve heard statements like these many times:

“My VP just isn’t pulling his/her weight”

“I don’t trust him/her to do the work properly”

“My team don’t act like owners”

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 14:31:31 -0600

Checked in at Joyride Brewing Company .

Happy birthday Joyride! — with erika

39.753086-105.0535794

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 12:58:29 -0600

Checked in at Alderfer/Three Sisters Park .

39.6233801-105.3464171

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 11:47:15 -0600

Checked in at Dedisse Park .

39.6346713-105.3309815

We’re Optimizing Ourselves to Death – Buy Yourself – Medium

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 09:06:44 -0600

We’re Optimizing Ourselves to Death – Buy Yourself – Medium

Top highlight

pro·cel·er·a·tion

/prōˌseləˈrāSH(ə)n/
noun 1. The acceleration of acceleration

—excerpt from The Age of Earthquakes by Shannon Basar, Douglas Coupland, and Hans Ulrich Obrist

There’s a famous thought experiment in economics known as the “prisoner’s dilemma.” In it, two men have been caught committing a crime. Each of them is placed in a separate interrogation room and effectively has two options: confess or lie. There are three possible outcomes (the payoffs of which are illustrated in the payoff matrix below):

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 19:33:17 -0600

Checked in at The Populist .

with erika

39.764159-104.9783455

Thu, 04 Jul 2019 13:14:37 -0600

Checked in at New Terrain Brewing Co .

Traditional post-ride beverage

39.7794665-105.1860322

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 20:47:30 -0600

Pretty epic sunset tonight, Denver.

Posted on Instagram 8:47 pm, June 28, 2019

Product Management at Gatsby

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 22:31:17 -0600

Product Management at Gatsby

Our goal with product management at Gatsby is to create an ongoing and iterative product discovery and development process that allows us to ship customer value quickly and with confidence in our product–market fit. There are a lot of ways to break down product development and management.

The first is “waterfall” development where information is generated at the “top” of the company and then slowly (or quickly) trickles down to the rest of the organization for execution.

How Remote Work Impacts Employees With Disabilities

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 16:33:24 -0600

How Remote Work Impacts Employees With Disabilities

Jun 27, 2019

Remote work does more than save money.

Table of Contents

How commuting impedes employees with disabilities
How remote jobs helps people with disabilities work
Remote work makes tech more accessible

“Just getting off of a bus, I stepped out into a pothole because I wasn’t able to navigate the whole walking thing well, and I ended up breaking my ankle.”

Working the Weekly 1:1

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 15:30:13 -0600

Working the Weekly 1:1

A better approach for the most important meeting of the week

There are a lot of work “rituals” that suck so badly you want to hunt down and interrogate who ever invented them. The dreaded weekly status email is one of them. The weekly 1:1 between a boss and a direct report can be another. What should be a chance to get on the same page with the person critical to your success is often awkward, overly chummy or even skipped.

Gatsby Core Philosophy

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 15:08:44 -0600

Gatsby Core Philosophy

Gatsby’s core philosophy can be divided into three parts.

First, our vision. Our vision is to construct higher-level web building blocks, and create a cohesive content mesh system, in order to make building websites fun and build a better web.

Second, our tooling philosophy. In order to make website building fun, Gatsby’s tooling must embody certain qualities. These include:

bundling the modern JavaScript ecosystem
progressive disclosure of complexity

Third, our community philosophy. We can’t do this alone, so we’re striving to build the most inclusive community on the web. For that reason, we work in the open. At all times, we believe, and strive to communicate, that you belong here.

SameSite cookies explained | web.dev

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 14:57:21 -0600

SameSite cookies explained | web.dev

Secure your site by learning how to explicitly mark your cross-site cookies.

May 7, 2019

Rowan Merewood

Cookies are one of the methods available for adding persistent state to web

sites. Each cookie is a key=value pair along with a number of attributes that

control when and where that cookie is used. You’ve probably already used these

attributes to set things like expiry dates or indicating the cookie should only

Why a good boss likes it when people complain

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 14:17:37 -0600

Why a good boss likes it when people complain

I know some managers say “don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions,” but personally I don’t subscribe to it.

I love when people complain to me. Of course, complaining is a national past time for the British, and we don’t just limit ourselves to complaining about the weather, or the poor availability of good tea when traveling. Brexit has provided some strong fodder for complaining (where do we begin?) but really your average British can complain about anything.

‘Nothing Kept Me Up At Night the Way the Gorgon Stare Did.’

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 14:13:42 -0600

‘Nothing Kept Me Up At Night the Way the Gorgon Stare Did.’

Arthur Holland Michel | Longreads | June 2019 | 15 minutes (3,946 words)

Drones have come to define the United States’ forever war, the so-called war on terror. The expansion of drone systems developed by the military into new territories — including the continental United States — embodies this era’s hyper-paranoid ethos: new threats are ever imminent, conflict is always without resolution. At the same time, non-militarized drones have entered civilian life in a number of ways, from breathtaking cinematography to flight control at Heathrow airport. There are many avid documenters of this new technology, but no one seems to understand its many facets quite like Arthur Holland Michel, founder and co-director of the Bard Center for the Study of the Drone, which catalogs the growing use of drones around the world. Now, Holland Michel has written Eyes in the Sky: The Secret Rise of Gorgon Stare and How It Will Watch Us All , a book of startling revelations about drone surveillance in the United States.

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 19:13:05 -0600

Fancy new coffee gadgets. @munieq.jp #tetradrip

#tetradrip

Posted on Instagram 7:13 pm, June 25, 2019

The Art of Aeropress

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 12:18:57 -0600

Over 50 variations on how to use the Aeropress coffee press.

Review: Google Chrome has become surveillance software. It’s time to switch.

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 22:44:44 -0600

Review: Google Chrome has become surveillance software. It’s time to switch.

By Geoffrey A. Fowler | The Washington Post Columnist

You open your browser to look at the web. Do you know who is looking back at you?

Over a recent week of web surfing, I peered under the hood of Google Chrome and found it brought along a few thousand friends. Shopping, news and even government sites quietly tagged my browser to let ad and data companies ride shotgun while I clicked around the web.

Sun, 23 Jun 2019 19:01:17 -0600

Garden loot. #peas #urbangarden #vegetablegarden

Posted on Instagram 7:01 pm, June 23, 2019

Keyring 2.0 and Keyring Social Importers 2.0

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 19:26:56 -0600

Yesterday I released new versions of both Keyring and the Keyring Social Importers packages, containing a bunch of updates and new additions. If you’re already using them, you should have update notices in wp-admin. If you’re not yet, then download them at the links above, or search for “keyring” in wp-admin under Plugins > Add New.

What’s changed? It’s been a while since the last official release of Keyring, so there’s a bunch to catch up on:

Journey to the Content Mesh Conclusion: Creating Compelling Content Experiences

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 18:52:56 -0600

Journey to the Content Mesh Conclusion: Creating Compelling Content Experiences

This is Part 5, the conclusion of a series. Part 1 is The Journey to a Content Mesh*; Part 2 is* Unbundling of the CMS*; Part 3 is* The Rise of Modern Web Development; Part 4 is Why Mobile Performance is Crucial.

In the last three sections, we’ve described the different facets of how to create modern, compelling content experiences. We’ve covered trends in content management, web development, and website performance.

Journey to the Content Mesh Part 4: Why Mobile Performance Is Crucial

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 18:44:42 -0600

Journey to the Content Mesh Part 4: Why Mobile Performance Is Crucial

This is Part 4 of a series. Part 1 is The Journey to a Content Mesh*; Part 2 is* Unbundling of the CMS*; Part 3 is* The Rise of Modern Web Development.

Mobile traffic now makes up over half of all site visits, and more than half of mobile site visits are abandoned if a page takes over 3 seconds to load .

What does a VP of Engineering do? – Dan DeMeyere – Medium

Sat, 15 Jun 2019 00:47:14 -0600

What does a VP of Engineering do? – Dan DeMeyere – Medium

Photo by Todd Diemer

Dan DeMeyere Mar 22, 2018

When people ask me what a VP of Engineering does, I like to reference the analogy Mark Suster used in a blog post clarifying the difference between a CTO and VPE :

VP’s of Engineering are essential to making sure the trains run on time.

Having been in this role for a while now, I’d expand that by saying:

7 absolute truths I unlearned as junior developer

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 17:59:03 -0600

7 absolute truths I unlearned as junior developer

Next year, I’ll be entering my 10th year of being formally employed to write code.

Ten years! And besides actual employment, for nearly 2⁄3 of my life, I’ve been

building things on the web. I can barely remember a time in my life where I

didn’t know HTML, which is kind of weird when you think about it. Some kids

learn to play an instrument or dance ballet, but instead I was creating

Rugged Software

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 08:26:54 -0600

Rugged Software

The Rugged Manifesto

I am rugged and, more importantly, my code is rugged.

I recognize that software has become a foundation of our modern world.

I recognize the awesome responsibility that comes with this foundational role.

I recognize that my code will be used in ways I cannot anticipate, in ways it was not designed, and for longer than it was ever intended.

I recognize that my code will be attacked by talented and persistent adversaries who threaten our physical, economic, and national security.

I recognize these things – and I choose to be rugged.

I am rugged because I refuse to be a source of vulnerability or weakness.

I am rugged because I assure my code will support its mission.

I am rugged because my code can face these challenges and persist in spite of them.

I am rugged, not because it is easy, but because it is necessary and I am up for the challenge.

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 17:25:30 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Back to the grind.

39.7676715-104.9738261

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 10:43:20 -0600

Checked in at Hildebrand Ranch Park .

39.5525064-105.1104407

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 19:13:37 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Hooooooome.

39.8497327-104.6739819

Conscious Leadership

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 17:54:19 -0600

Conscious Leadership

January 29, 2019

Conscious Leadership

Conscious Leadership is about being more interested in learning than being right. When our egos make us afraid to be wrong, that fear leads us to defend our ideas at all costs, and to work too hard to convince others that we are right—often with anger.

Conscious Leadership is about recognizing when these emotions (fear, anger, sadness) have gripped our thought processes, releasing these emotions, and shifting back to a state of curiosity where we are receptive to all ideas and creativity, even if they seem to contradict our own.

Becoming a bad-ass engineering leader: 5 tried and true lessons from a woman of color – Abstract

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 15:49:02 -0600

Becoming a bad-ass engineering leader: 5 tried and true lessons from a woman of color – Abstract

Becoming a bad-ass engineering leader: 5 tried and true lessons from a woman of color

Our VP of Engineering, Rukmini Reddy, shares the pivotal events that helped shape her path and underpin her leadership philosophy.

Company

Yes, I said bad-ass. I went from being just another Indian school girl being taught in a convent, to being a VP of Engineering for three incredible companies in Silicon Valley. While having twin boys who are now 5. So, yeah. I lean into my badassery, because I have worked very hard for it.

Into the Personal-Website-Verse · Matthias Ott – User Experience Designer

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 15:32:35 -0600

Into the Personal-Website-Verse · Matthias Ott – User Experience Designer

What started out as the most promising development in the history of the Web – the participation of users in the creation of content and online dialogue at scale – has turned into a swamp of sensation, lies, hate speech, harassment, and noise.

Your Unfriendly Neighborhood

Craving for attention and engagement, our timelines have changed. Algorithms now prioritize content from people with a huge following and everything that is loud and outrageous. It’s all about what the masses and the bots “want”, what they will like, share, and click. This strategy might be driving sales of ads because traditional online marketers are obsessed with quantity and it is – besides selling user data – the only answer they found for venture capital constantly demanding a bang for the buck. Yet it leads to an experience that is so often just more of the same and at the same time much less predictable, less organic, and less adjustable to your own preferences. As Craig Mod writes , “social networks seem more and more to say: You don’t know what you want, but we do.”

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 14:33:09 -0600

Checked in at Gate D26 .

Second delay through IAD on the same round-trip.

38.9455878-77.4532578

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 12:49:32 -0600

Checked in at United Club .

Another delay through Dulles…

38.9454016-77.4496294

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 12:11:05 -0600

Checked in at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) .

Getting there…

38.9524083-77.4472075

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 23:45:14 -0600

Checked in at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) (Aeropuerto Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas) .

40.4816545-3.5780239

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 23:18:25 -0600

Checked in at Terminal 1 .

Home time

40.4647939-3.5705362

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 15:01:21 -0600

Capped off a pretty epic trip today with riding, eating, drinking; with friends in a beautiful Madrid.

Posted on Instagram 3:01 pm, June 8, 2019

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 14:59:10 -0600

Checked in at Hotel Atlántico .

Last night before home.

40.4203721-3.7047635

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 13:17:29 -0600

Checked in at Circo de las Tapas .

40.4223165-3.7040188

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 02:48:56 -0600

Checked in at Casa de Campo .

40.4223831-3.7406731

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 00:55:09 -0600

Checked in at Misión Café .

40.4243119-3.7087247

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 14:22:46 -0600

Checked in at Fábrica Maravillas .

40.4226632-3.7016416

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 03:06:42 -0600

Checked in at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) (Aeropuerto Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas) .

The trip continues. Insane delay coming out of IAD.

40.4816545-3.5780239

Friday wins and a case study in ritual design

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 02:25:34 -0600

Friday wins and a case study in ritual design

Culture is what you celebrate. Rituals are the tools you use to shape culture.

Yet very few of us think much about ritual design.

A standard piece of software development practice that many teams let lapse, or merely let lapse into being sub-optimal is “Friday wins”, sometimes called sprint demos or sprint reviews. But you can take what can be a flaccid and repetitive meeting and make it a valuable ritual by grounding it in values.

Four Magic Numbers for Measuring Software Delivery

Sun, 02 Jun 2019 23:06:14 -0600

Four Magic Numbers for Measuring Software Delivery

David Lush Mar 26

If you’ve read my previous post around ONZO’s engineering manifesto you will get a sense that we are proud of both our team culture and the way we deliver software. Late last year we started having conversations around “how do we elevate what we do to the next level as the team grows?”. Namely increasing our speed to market with new products while keeping a good grip on quality. We were using velocity as a planning tool, tracking quality through escaped bugs, had a handle on platform SLOs and working around a well formed roadmap. It felt like we were at risk of stagnating though.

Introducing Example Mapping

Sun, 02 Jun 2019 22:54:19 -0600

Introducing Example Mapping

Before you pull a user story into development, it’s crucial to have a conversation to clarify and confirm the acceptance criteria.

Some people do this during their backlog refinement or planning poker sessions. Other teams have a specific three amigos meeting, specification workshop or discovery workshop .

Whatever you call this conversation, many teams find it hard; it’s unstructured, it takes too long and gets boring. The result is they don’t do it regularly or consistently, or maybe they just give up on it entirely.

Taste For Makers

Sun, 02 Jun 2019 15:36:15 -0600

Taste For Makers

February 2002

“…Copernicus’

aesthetic objections to [equants] provided one essential

motive for his rejection of the Ptolemaic system….”

– Thomas Kuhn, The Copernican Revolution

“All of us had been trained by Kelly Johnson and believed

fanatically in his insistence that an airplane that looked

beautiful would fly the same way.”

– Ben Rich, Skunk Works

“Beauty is the first test: there is no permanent place in this

Sun, 02 Jun 2019 14:09:42 -0600

Checked in at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) .

Too much travel. IAD:MAD

38.952333-77.4478182

Thu, 30 May 2019 18:49:11 -0600

Checked in at Starbucks Reserve Roastery .

Starbucks, The Bar.

47.6140438-122.328289

Dear map people – macwright.org

Thu, 30 May 2019 17:58:39 -0600

Dear map people – macwright.org

Dear map people,

Routing is the most powerful tool we have to reduce the environmental impact of driving, make cities quieter, safer, and more livable, and fight congestion. And you are blowing it.

This might be because HERE, the number two provider of map technologies, was bought by a bunch of car companies. Or because Google is headquartered in the suburbs. Or that the financial world is fixated on opening the pandora’s box of self-driving cars.

Wed, 29 May 2019 17:55:12 -0600

Checked in at Junebaby .

Expecting delicious things.

47.6758292-122.3040588

Wed, 29 May 2019 14:13:09 -0600

Checked in at Kimpton Palladian .

47.6120509-122.3416927

Tue, 28 May 2019 10:45:28 -0600

Checked in at Biscuit Bitch .

47.6105735-122.3415917

Mon, 27 May 2019 22:53:48 -0600

Checked in at Kimpton Palladian .

47.6120509-122.3416927

Mon, 27 May 2019 18:19:03 -0600

Solid afternoon paddle. Nice work Seattle! #kayak #lake #river #seattle #memorialday

47.65161-122.31441

Posted on Instagram 6:19 pm, May 27, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m0c8aadc2c38bca5a255b36f901bd27f9 = { positions : { 556 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘47.65161’, ‘-122.31441’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m0c8aadc2c38bca5a255b36f901bd27f9’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m0c8aadc2c38bca5a255b36f901bd27f9.positions ) { gmap_m0c8aadc2c38bca5a255b36f901bd27f9.bounds.extend( gmap_m0c8aadc2c38bca5a255b36f901bd27f9.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m0c8aadc2c38bca5a255b36f901bd27f9.positions ) { gmap_m0c8aadc2c38bca5a255b36f901bd27f9.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m0c8aadc2c38bca5a255b36f901bd27f9.map, position : gmap_m0c8aadc2c38bca5a255b36f901bd27f9.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m0c8aadc2c38bca5a255b36f901bd27f9.map.setCenter( gmap_m0c8aadc2c38bca5a255b36f901bd27f9.positions[556] ); });

Mon, 27 May 2019 12:04:36 -0600

Checked in at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) .

Hi SEA! 👋🏼

47.4435885-122.3025084

Mon, 27 May 2019 08:43:22 -0600

Checked in at Gate B46 .

39.8586273-104.6703756

Sun, 26 May 2019 12:40:15 -0600

Checked in at New Terrain Brewing Co .

Riding beers — with erika

39.7794665-105.1860322

Productivity Isn’t About Time Management. It’s About Attention Management.

Sat, 25 May 2019 23:08:27 -0600

Productivity Isn’t About Time Management. It’s About Attention Management.

“Time management” is not a solution — it’s actually part of the problem.

Erik Winkowski

A few years ago during a break in a leadership class I was teaching, a manager named Michael walked up looking unsettled. His boss had told him he needed to be more productive, so he had spent a few hours analyzing how he spent his time. He had already cut his nonessential meetings. He couldn’t find any tasks to drop from his calendar. He didn’t see an obvious way to do them more efficiently.

Sat, 25 May 2019 12:47:23 -0600

Checked in at Costco Gasoline .

39.78785-105.0831161

Sat, 25 May 2019 12:43:29 -0600

Intel inside

39.6905332-105.1521218

Posted on Instagram 12:43 pm, May 25, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m3b6e85966dc10da4b49048cae9c17c45 = { positions : { 756 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.6905332’, ‘-105.1521218’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m3b6e85966dc10da4b49048cae9c17c45’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m3b6e85966dc10da4b49048cae9c17c45.positions ) { gmap_m3b6e85966dc10da4b49048cae9c17c45.bounds.extend( gmap_m3b6e85966dc10da4b49048cae9c17c45.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m3b6e85966dc10da4b49048cae9c17c45.positions ) { gmap_m3b6e85966dc10da4b49048cae9c17c45.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m3b6e85966dc10da4b49048cae9c17c45.map, position : gmap_m3b6e85966dc10da4b49048cae9c17c45.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m3b6e85966dc10da4b49048cae9c17c45.map.setCenter( gmap_m3b6e85966dc10da4b49048cae9c17c45.positions[756] ); });

Sat, 25 May 2019 12:13:29 -0600

Checked in at GREEN MOUNTAIN PARK .

39.6904016-105.1522934

bliki: TechnicalDebt

Fri, 24 May 2019 16:06:25 -0600

bliki: TechnicalDebt

Martin Fowler

Software systems are prone to the build up of cruft – deficiencies in

internal quality that make it harder than it would ideally be to modify and

extend the system further. Technical Debt is a metaphor, coined by Ward

Cunningham, that frames how to think about dealing with this cruft, thinking

of it like a financial debt. The extra effort that it takes to add new

How San Francisco broke America’s heart

Thu, 23 May 2019 23:16:24 -0600

How San Francisco broke America’s heart

(Ric Carrasquillo/for The Washington Post)

SAN FRANCISCO — A Tuesday afternoon in the Mission District of America’s tech wonderland.

Michael Feno stands outside Lucca Ravioli, his beloved pasta emporium on Valencia, a vestige of old San Francisco, puffing on a cigar while posing for pictures, his customers in tears.

Living in this city’s radically shifting landscape, veterinarian Gina Henriksen found comfort by telling herself, “Thank God, Lucca is still here. If Lucca goes, I’m going to have to leave San Francisco. What do we have left?”

Perspective | I was chief of disguise at CIA. ‘The Americans’ got a lot right.

Thu, 23 May 2019 22:59:00 -0600

Perspective | I was chief of disguise at CIA. ‘The Americans’ got a lot right.

Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell as spies in disguise in “The Americans.” (Eric Liebowitz/FX)

After 27 years in the CIA working on operational assignments around the world, I am somewhat numbed to the fictional espionage that engulfs us — the books and movies and TV shows that always get it wrong. That’s why I have largely shunned the genre, barely noting the reviews of the latest creations that celebrate the life of an intelligence officer. “Homeland”? No. The Bourne movies? No. “Alias”? God, no! It’s the main reason I work as an adviser and speaker at the Spy Museum in Washington: to present an informed but still entertaining picture of the work of a spy.

Stripe CTO David Singleton on what makes an effective developer team

Wed, 22 May 2019 22:28:38 -0600

Stripe CTO David Singleton on what makes an effective developer team

One of the most common and cardinal mistakes startups often make when building a product is not conducting adequate market research.

There many instances of companies rolling out product or software updates that they believe to be innovative or competent, only to be met with indifference or displeasure by the public or users because they find the product unintuitive, cumbersome or simply of little utility — if at all.

Coffee Shops, Office Space, and… the Future of Remote Work

Wed, 22 May 2019 08:31:07 -0600

Coffee Shops, Office Space, and… the Future of Remote Work

Natalie Sandman May 20

As a VC at Shasta Ventures , I look into technologies related to the “future of work” — automation/machine intelligence, collaboration/productivity, and much more. In this post, I’ll share thoughts on remote and distributed working.

I’ve always loved working in coffee shops. Maybe it’s the allure of being surrounded by people without having to talk to them. Maybe it’s the opportunity to strike up conversations with like-minded strangers. Maybe it’s just growing up in the Bay Area where people are on their laptops in public locations. More recently, I’ve been using time at coffee shops as a serendipitous way to learn more about remote work.

Strong Opinions Loosely Held Might be the Worst Idea in Tech – The Glowforge Blog

Wed, 22 May 2019 08:22:23 -0600

Strong Opinions Loosely Held Might be the Worst Idea in Tech – The Glowforge Blog

“Both/And” Leadership

Wed, 22 May 2019 08:13:39 -0600

“Both/And” Leadership

Idea in Brief

The Problem

We look to leaders to make consistent decisions, keep a steady course, and align an organization’s culture. But leaders typically face multiple demands that conflict with one another, and it’s a mistake to assume there are cut-and-dried choices.

Why It Happens

Strategic paradoxes are essentially dilemmas that cannot be resolved. Tensions continually arise between today’s needs and tomorrow’s (innovation paradoxes), between global integration and local interests (globalization paradoxes), and between social missions and financial pressures (obligation paradoxes).

Why we implemented an Urgent Task Parachute Protocol

Fri, 17 May 2019 20:12:57 -0600

Why we implemented an Urgent Task Parachute Protocol

Ben Dalziel May 10

As a remote-first company, we put a lot of weight in good, clear, respectful communication, but it’s often hard to articulate why something that feels off may be more corrosive. That presents the risk of missing or not addressing the root cause. That perhaps explains why this post by Cate Huston has stuck with me:

The five types of communication problems that destroy company morale
*There’s a saying in software that all bugs are eventually user interface bugs, because someone has to see them to…*qz.com

Is Slack ruining our jobs — and lives?

Fri, 17 May 2019 19:17:39 -0600

Is Slack ruining our jobs — and lives?

Several people are typing.

If you’ve spent any time with Slack, you’ve likely seen this message float below the text field of your company’s communications software.

It can mean a few things: A vibrant discussion is taking place in which you and your colleagues are excitedly collaborating around a central topic. Important news is breaking and everyone wants to know. Or, more often, a nonlinear argument is unfurling as everyone tries to get the last word in first, and chaos envelops the very system meant to keep you organized.

Fri, 17 May 2019 14:59:11 -0600

Checked in at Dunbar Kitchen & Taphouse .

Super late lunch. Making it worth it.

39.7562063-104.9758082

Thu, 16 May 2019 22:21:26 -0600

Checked in at Whittier .

39.7563773-104.9659436

Book Review: Accelerate – slashdeploy – Medium

Thu, 16 May 2019 14:02:07 -0600

Book Review: Accelerate – slashdeploy – Medium

Adam Hawkins Apr 29, 2018

I was excited when Gene Kim, Jez Humble, and Nicole Forsgren published Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations . Their last book, The DevOps Handbook , laid out a repeatable path for moving towards the DevOps value stream.

I didn’t know what expect from Accelerate, but I hoped the authors would delight me again. This review includes my thoughts, highlights, and lastly a recommendation on who it’s best for. Skip to the end if you’re just interested in the recommendation.

Finding the point of human leverage

Wed, 15 May 2019 23:04:57 -0600

Finding the point of human leverage

One of the paradoxes of today’s internet platforms is they are vastly automated, and have no human control or interaction over what any given person sees, and yet they are also totally dependent on human behavior, because what they’re really doing is observing, extracting and inferring things from what hundreds of millions or billions of people do.

The genesis of this was PageRank. Instead of relying on hand-crafted rules to understand what each page might be about, or indexing the raw text, PageRank looks at what people have done or have said about that page. Who linked to it, what text did they use, and who linked to the people who linked to it? And at the other end of the pipe, Google gets every user to curate every set of search results by hand: it gives you 10 blue links and you tell Google which one was right. The same thing for Facebook: Facebook doesn’t know really know who you are, or what you’re interested in, or what that piece of content is. It knows who you follow, what you press ‘like’ on, who else liked that and what else they liked and followed. Facebook is PageRank for people. The same applies, by extension, to YouTube: it never knew what the video was, only what people typed next to it and what else they watched and liked.

Carta 101: How We Work

Wed, 15 May 2019 22:29:47 -0600

Carta 101: How We Work

Note: Since this was published in 2015, some of our ideas have evolved, our revenue and burn rate have both increased, and our orientation has changed. But, as you’ll read later in the post, we still hope that people stay at Carta for a decade or more.

All Carta employees (new and old) take a full-day course called Carta 101. It is an introduction to our company, our values, and our execution strategy. The class size is kept small (8–10 people) so everyone can participate in the group discussions. I give this class on Fridays once a month.

The platform play: How to operate like a tech company

Wed, 15 May 2019 22:17:45 -0600

The platform play: How to operate like a tech company

“The question is not how fast tech companies will become car companies, but how fast we will become a tech company.” This is how the board member of a global car company recently articulated the central issue facing most incumbents today: how to operate and innovate like a tech company.

The tech giants of today have been some of the most innovative companies in the past generation. A handful of industry leaders, such as Ping An and BMW, are fast joining their ranks by reinventing their core business around data and digital. What distinguishes these tech companies is that their technology allows them to move faster, more flexibly, and at greater scale than their competitors. IT is not a cumbersome estate “that gets in the way,” but an enabler and driver of continuous innovation and adaptation.

Coach Bill Campbell

Wed, 15 May 2019 20:17:13 -0600

Coach Bill Campbell

I never met Bill Campbell. To be honest, I had never even heard about him until I heard Eric Schmidt speak his praises on the the Tim Ferris Podcast .

I picked up a copy of Trillion Dollar Coach and I’m so very glad I did. This book is easily in the top 5 books I’ve ever read. It’s right up there with Creativity Inc .

I don’t share book reports very often. Probably only 1 out of every 100-150 books I read. But this is one book that I felt compelled to share.

Does your team need to rebrand?

Tue, 14 May 2019 22:58:05 -0600

Does your team need to rebrand?

Some leaders are fantastic at “team branding”—communicating about their group in ways that give the rest of the organization a good understanding of what the team is all about. Others are squarely focused on “team public relations”—telling a great story about a team that, if we looked more closely, we might find is not delivering or functioning very well (it always comes out in the end).

Tue, 14 May 2019 17:27:11 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

No pain, no gain.

39.7676715-104.9738261

Sun, 12 May 2019 13:56:27 -0600

Checked in at morrison holiday bar .

39.6542719-105.1916252

Sun, 12 May 2019 12:39:06 -0600

Checked in at Lair O’ the Bear .

Killer ride. Legs are jello.

39.6678664-105.2578704

75% of staff at this successful IT company are on the autism spectrum

Sun, 12 May 2019 00:03:34 -0600

75% of staff at this successful IT company are on the autism spectrum

Things started to click into place for Jamie Davila after she discovered she was on the autism spectrum five years ago this summer.

She had already worked in accounting for more than a decade before starting her own website development business but struggled in traditional workplace settings. Davila had long felt a disconnect with more emotionally driven clients and colleagues and had always preferred working in more isolated, quiet, and dimly lit settings.

Negative Splits

Sat, 11 May 2019 23:58:13 -0600

Negative Splits

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Say you’re running and you think, ‘Man, this hurts, I can’t take it anymore. The ‘hurt’ part is an unavoidable reality, but whether or not you can stand anymore is up to the runner himself.”

– Haruki Murakami (What I Talk About When I Talk About Running )

At the start of your journey, you have passion, excitement and adrenaline. But can it last?

The CTO Role

Sat, 11 May 2019 23:54:45 -0600

The CTO Role

Defining the role of CTO can be tricky. Each company has a different

experience with their CTO, and so the role can be murky at times.

The CTO is often viewed as at least the spiritual leader for the technology

organization. That person defines technical strategy and direction, and

delivers the the tools and products the organization needs to be successful.

But how?

Some industry CTOs are the most technical person in the organization. Some are

Why Are Companies Ending Remote Work?

Sat, 11 May 2019 20:16:17 -0600

Why Are Companies Ending Remote Work?

With research suggesting that companies can save money, boost morale and attract top candidates by offering work-at-home options, why are some employers calling their telecommuters back into the main office?

The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. was the latest organization to make headlines when it told staff in November that it might reduce their ability to work from home. After the bank’s employees expressed outrage, however, the company hit pause on its plan.

The rise of fear-based social media like Nextdoor, Citizen, and now Amazon’s Neighbors

Sat, 11 May 2019 20:06:34 -0600

The rise of fear-based social media like Nextdoor, Citizen, and now Amazon’s Neighbors

Violent crime in the US is at its lowest rate in decades . But you wouldn’t know that from a crop of increasingly popular social media apps that are forming around crime.

Apps like Nextdoor, Citizen, and Amazon Ring’s Neighbors — all of which allow users to view local crime in real time and discuss it with people nearby — are some of the most downloaded social and news apps in the US, according to rankings from the App Store and Google Play.

Sat, 11 May 2019 18:18:29 -0600

Checked in at Echter’s Nursery and Garden Center .

Stocking up — with erika

39.7897415-105.0998002

Sat, 11 May 2019 17:40:38 -0600

Checked in at Costco Wholesale .

with erika

39.7898409-105.0825361

Sat, 11 May 2019 17:09:15 -0600

Checked in at Costco Gasoline .

39.78785-105.0831161

Sat, 11 May 2019 14:25:34 -0600

Checked in at Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen .

39.7548357-104.9775313

Sat, 11 May 2019 13:47:13 -0600

Checked in at Denver Botanic Garden Sculpture Garden .

39.7322222-104.9608208

Sat, 11 May 2019 12:41:59 -0600

Checked in at Downpours Coffee .

39.7352624-104.9547928

Sat, 11 May 2019 10:31:52 -0600

Checked in at OneFold .

39.7447637-104.9692521

Fri, 10 May 2019 17:51:17 -0600

Checked in at The Way Back .

39.7693325-105.0413212

Thu, 09 May 2019 20:28:29 -0600

Checked in at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre .

39.6653804-105.2058613

Thu, 09 May 2019 17:52:51 -0600

Checked in at Safta .

39.7687266-104.980401

Daniel Pink: The New ABCs of Selling

Tue, 07 May 2019 21:57:16 -0600

Daniel Pink: The New ABCs of Selling

“To sell well is to convince someone else to part with resources—not to deprive that person, but to leave him better off in the end. That is also what, say, a good algebra teacher does.”

“The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell. And the funny thing is, you’re a salesman, and you don’t know that.” — Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman

Tue, 07 May 2019 20:03:33 -0600

Checked in at Coors Field , for San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies.

Gigantes — with erika

39.7559665-104.9941707

Stripe’s fifth engineering hub is Remote

Mon, 06 May 2019 22:03:36 -0600

Stripe’s fifth engineering hub is Remote

Stripe has engineering hubs in San Francisco, Seattle, Dublin, and Singapore. We are establishing a fifth hub that is less traditional but no less important: Remote. We are doing this to situate product development closer to our customers, improve our ability to tap the 99.74% of talented engineers living outside the metro areas of our first four hubs, and further our mission of increasing the GDP of the internet.

Resilience engineering: Where do I start?

Mon, 06 May 2019 21:55:35 -0600

Resilience engineering: Where do I start?

This an introductory guide to readings in resilience engineering, aimed at software engineers. Key

papers are organized into themes:

What is resilience?
Changing perspectives on accidents and safety
Complex systems
Coordination
Automation
Boundary as a model (Rasmussen)
David Woods

The papers linked here should all be accessible to casual readers.

What is resilience?

A resilient organization adapts effectively to surprise.

Here I’m using the definition proposed by David Woods .

Working remotely, 4 years in

Mon, 06 May 2019 20:35:17 -0600

Working remotely, 4 years in

I live in Montreal. 4 years ago, I decided to take a job working remotely for a company based in San

Francisco. At the time, I was worried that it wouldn’t work out – I’d never worked remotely before,

so it was a pretty big unknown for me. You can see me struggling with it on this blog after 3 months and 8 months . But

Avi (one of the people who interviewed me, who works remotely)

The 5 Whys of Organizational Design

Mon, 06 May 2019 20:23:23 -0600

The 5 Whys of Organizational Design

Recently I wrote about sizing engineering organizations, and how you can think about it as an exercise in managing concurrency. In understanding org size I talk about the mental exercise of thinking about how the number of concurrent work streams you’re taking on as a team applies upward pressure on the needs of your organization (e.g. you need more managers, who need more directors, who need a more senior CTO, etc) The inverse exercise is also useful.

Fri, 03 May 2019 16:43:05 -0600

Checked in at Joyride Brewing Company .

Rooftop Happy Hour with the teachers.

39.753086-105.0535794

Thu, 02 May 2019 15:59:44 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Home.

39.8497327-104.6739819

Creative tools in the post-”deep fakes” world – Facet.ai – Medium

Thu, 02 May 2019 15:40:59 -0600

Creative tools in the post-”deep fakes” world – Facet.ai – Medium

“Vertical Change”, Bjorn Copeland.

joseph reisinger Feb 18

Even if all research progress on AI stalled tomorrow, we would still have more than enough kinetic energy locked up in existing models, approaches and data to power a second renaissance in the visual arts. The power of visual creation for humans assisted by AI will be vast, porous and accessible.

How to evolve an engineering organization

Thu, 02 May 2019 14:32:22 -0600

How to evolve an engineering organization

Recently, I had the opportunity to present to a group of early-stage

founders about evolving their engineering organizations.

While preparing, I realized that despite my excitement for this topic,

I’ve only written about it indirectly.

The most comprehensive, related piece I’ve written is about running reorganizations.

Reorgs do involve quite a bit of organizational design, but

they’re a difficult environment to demonstrate best practice.

Mission command – Wikipedia

Thu, 02 May 2019 11:18:10 -0600

Mission command – Wikipedia

Mission command, also referred to as mission-type tactics, is a style of military command, derived from the Prussian-pioneered mission-type tactics doctrine, which combines centralized intent with decentralized execution subsidiarity and promotes freedom and speed of action, and initiative, within defined constraints. Subordinates, understanding the commander’s intentions, their own missions and the context of those missions, are told what effect they are to achieve and the reason why it needs to be achieved. They then decide within their delegated freedom of action how best to achieve their missions. Orders focus on providing intent, control measures, and objectives, allowing for greater freedom of action by subordinate commanders.[1] Mission command is closely related to civilian management concept of workplace empowerment and its use in business has been explored by writers such as Bungay (2011) and Tozer (1995, 2012). It is advocated, but not always used,[2] by the militaries of the United States,[3][4] Canada,[5] Netherlands, Australia and the United Kingdom.[6] Mission command is compatible with modern military net-centric concepts,[7] and less centralized approaches to command and control (C2) in general.[8]

Introducing Boosts: an all-new way to show your support in Basecamp

Thu, 02 May 2019 11:14:24 -0600

Introducing Boosts: an all-new way to show your support in Basecamp

We gave up on Likes and invented a totally new form of tiny communication.

If there’s one thing you can’t avoid on the Internet, it’s Likes. They’re in nearly every software platform where people post photos or write text messages.

Sometimes Likes are called Faves, Hearts, Reactions, Claps, or something else, but the basic idea is the same: they’re a small, quick way to express your feelings about something, usually accompanied by a count of other people who had that same feeling.

Thu, 02 May 2019 09:07:23 -0600

Checked in at United Airlines (UA) Check-in Area .

Later, Dulles.

38.9529302-77.4465069

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 22:41:24 -0600

Checked in at Intown Uptown Inn .

Home base for a couple days.

38.9502002-77.0331845

The Anatomy of a Great Decision

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 19:22:32 -0600

The Anatomy of a Great Decision

Making better decisions is one of the best skills we can develop. Good decisions save time, money, and stress. Here, we break down what makes a good decision and what we can do to improve our decision-making processes.

***

Improving our decision-making abilities is a central goal at Farnam Street. Better decisions save time, money, and stress. While it’s an investment now, in the long run, learning principles and developing a multidisciplinary lens that we can apply throughout life is a worthy investment.

Manage Uncertainty with Commander’s Intent

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 14:22:19 -0600

Manage Uncertainty with Commander’s Intent

This post is part of an HBR Spotlight examining leadership lessons from the military.

How does your team respond when a plan changes? Does everyone seem to know what to do or is there confusion, a lack of meaningful activity, or people standing around waiting to be told what to do next? Planning is difficult whether in business or the military. Military planners use Commander’s Intent, a key element to help a plan maintain relevancy and applicability in a chaotic, dynamic, and resource-constrained environment.

My Billion Dollar Mistake

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 14:12:41 -0600

My Billion Dollar Mistake

Back in 2008, I co-founded KISSmetrics, an analytics company.

There were so many times when I thought about giving up during the early days. Over and over again, I felt like we were doing it all wrong. Making guesses about the problems people had. Building to solve problems we had imagined.

We were searching in the dark to solve painful problems. We had a clear vision, but our execution was flawed.

The Huawei controversy: Everything you need to know – CNET

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 13:54:03 -0600

The Huawei controversy: Everything you need to know – CNET

Huawei’s been a fixture in the news cycle for a while now. Here’s why.

Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Huawei is one of the biggest mysteries in the wireless industry right now.

It’s the world’s No. 1 telecom supplier and No. 2 smartphone maker. Yet it’s a pariah in several countries, including the US, to the point that the FBI reportedly set up a sting at CES 2019 .

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 21:20:51 -0600

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

SFYoooooo — with erika

37.616713-122.3870945

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 18:48:43 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

39.8497327-104.6739819

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 16:27:11 -0600

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

Working from “the office” today. #officetoday

39.761625-104.97923

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 19:53:45 -0600

Green Mountain Weekday Ride Vibes

39.7008-105.178

Posted on Instagram 7:53 pm, April 24, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m96a65feb5008399ffc9a02509513bd1b = { positions : { 915 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7008’, ‘-105.178’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m96a65feb5008399ffc9a02509513bd1b’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m96a65feb5008399ffc9a02509513bd1b.positions ) { gmap_m96a65feb5008399ffc9a02509513bd1b.bounds.extend( gmap_m96a65feb5008399ffc9a02509513bd1b.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m96a65feb5008399ffc9a02509513bd1b.positions ) { gmap_m96a65feb5008399ffc9a02509513bd1b.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m96a65feb5008399ffc9a02509513bd1b.map, position : gmap_m96a65feb5008399ffc9a02509513bd1b.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m96a65feb5008399ffc9a02509513bd1b.map.setCenter( gmap_m96a65feb5008399ffc9a02509513bd1b.positions[915] ); });

DJI Mavic Air Review

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 16:04:00 -0600

After drooling over it for months at Costco, I picked up a bundle package with a DJI Mavic Air back in November. I’ve now flown it a fair bit, and wanted to write up some observations on it.

First of all — this thing is amazing. It’s so much fun to fly, and honestly feels a bit like magic, especially when compared with cheaper, fully-manual quadcopters. Probably the coolest feature of this thing (for me, a n00b) is that if you let go of the control sticks, it’ll automatically just hover in place. Brilliant.

On Going Feral

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 14:25:31 -0600

On Going Feral

Yesterday, a colleague looked at me and deadpanned, “aren’t you supposed to have a long beard?” When you remote-work for an extended period (it’s been six months since my last visit to the mother ship), you can expect to hear your share of jokes and odd remarks when you do show up. Once you become a true cloudworker , a ghost in the corporate machine who only exists as a tinny voice on conference calls, perceptions change. So when you do show up, you find that people react to you with some confusion. You’re not a visitor or guest, but you don’t seem to truly belong either.

Sat, 13 Apr 2019 14:37:32 -0600

Checked in at The Home Depot .

Back at my crib

39.7703054-104.901155

Sat, 13 Apr 2019 12:03:26 -0600

Checked in at REI .

OMG it’s a madhouse here — with erika

39.755622-105.009853

NASA Twins Study results show how a year in space affects an astronaut’s DNA

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 23:06:45 -0600

NASA Twins Study results show how a year in space affects an astronaut’s DNA

For almost one year, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly circled the planet on the International Space Station, completing three spacewalks, conducting experiments on plants and playing ping-pong with a ball of water . His earthbound twin, Mark, lobbied for stronger gun laws , played golf and drank an occasional beer. Together, the genetically identical subjects constituted the starkest nature-versus-nurture study in history.

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 15:27:44 -0600

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

Werking.

39.761625-104.97923

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 12:12:41 -0600

Checked in at Shake Shack .

#ForTheThrone

39.7622771-104.9807526

Complexity Bias: Why We Prefer Complicated to Simple

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 22:09:03 -0600

Complexity Bias: Why We Prefer Complicated to Simple

Complexity bias is a logical fallacy that leads us to give undue credence to complex concepts.

Faced with two competing hypotheses, we are likely to choose the most complex one. That’s usually the option with the most assumptions and regressions. As a result, when we need to solve a problem, we may ignore simple solutions — thinking “that will never work” — and instead favor complex ones.

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 13:22:51 -0600

Checked in at Conoco .

39.7664034-104.973098

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 11:49:42 -0600

Checked in at Panorama Orthopedics .

🤞🏼 my knee is about to get fixed

39.7279685-105.2059158

Ecosystem Plugins: The Next Big Opportunities in WordPress

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 22:12:46 -0600

Ecosystem Plugins: The Next Big Opportunities in WordPress

The Next Big Opportunities in WordPress

Summary

WordPress is the Operating System of the Open Web. At 33% of the web and growing, organizations choose WordPress because it’s free, ubiquitous, focused on the end user, and it’s theirs.
WordPress faces three key obstacles to reaching the next 20%: limited resources, too many decisions, and missing integrations.
I introduce a new concept that I’m calling an Ecosystem Plugin. Ecosystem Plugins, like WooCommerce, offer a suite of functionality for a specific audience that simplifies decision making and streamlines integrations with the products and services that audience uses.
There are big opportunities for those who build Ecosystem Plugins, the tech products that integrate with them, and site owners that use them. Specific examples I recommend include CRM, Ecommerce, ERP, Insights, and Automation.

Report Overview

At the end of February, 2019 I left my employer and began working independently . One of my first initiatives was a research project.

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 12:10:55 -0600

Checked in at Lou’s Italian Specialties .

39.764149-104.973537

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 12:47:15 -0600

Checked in at Dunbar Kitchen & Taphouse .

Nice day to venture out for lunch.

39.7562063-104.9758082

Sun, 07 Apr 2019 14:38:36 -0600

Checked in at Which Wich? Superior Sandwiches .

Sammies — with erika

39.630334-106.0712476

Sun, 07 Apr 2019 13:13:27 -0600

Checked in at Snake River Village .

39.6084763-105.9480967

Exclusive: Google asked 5,600 employees about remote work. This is what they learned

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 22:52:07 -0600

Exclusive: Google asked 5,600 employees about remote work. This is what they learned

Working remotely can be really tough. To get some insight into how to do it better, Google conducted a two-year study involving data from 5,600 employees across the US, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Approximately 30% of the company’s meetings involve staff in more than two time zones, and 39% involve more than two cities. Veronica Gilrane, manager of Google’s People Innovation Lab, oversaw the study and has written a guide for how to make the most of distributed teams. Today, she is releasing a report of her findings.

How to Feel Less Overwhelmed as a Developer

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 17:33:22 -0600

How to Feel Less Overwhelmed as a Developer

Everything’s ok.

Julia Haigh Jan 30

There’s a lot going on in the developer world. No matter whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned expert, it just never seems to stop. Here are some ideas on how to handle it all.

I’ve done my best to make this article concise & skimmable, in the hope that it may be helpful without adding too much to the chaos. It’s divided up into 4 sections: Mindset, Learning, Social Pressure, and Toolset. Let’s go.

The one-salary experiment, ten years in

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 16:52:51 -0600

The one-salary experiment, ten years in

Five years ago, Lenz (one of our co-founders) wrote :

At iwantmyname everyone earns the same. This sounds strange to many and I get asked a lot of questions how this may work once we grow bigger and the honest answer is: “I don’t know, but so far it works” and I give that same answer since we started 5 years ago.

The underlying idea has two main roots. First, we really think that everyone is as important to the success of our team as anyone else in the team. We don’t believe in a hierarchy or in more important people. If we hire you, we think you are valuable and want you to be part of our team as a level peer, not an underlying that does the stuff no one else wants to do.

Designing a Usable Dashboard – /rg/

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 16:20:06 -0600

Designing a Usable Dashboard – /rg/

Rahul Gulati Nov 5, 2016

A Product Manager’s Guide to Quick and Effective Design.

Bootstrap Dashboard

A dashboard, in many ways, is like the screen of a digital device — there are numerous activities that happen underneath the surface, but as users we are unaware of such activities and simply believe what we see.

Who knows or even cares how many system calls does it take to show the battery status on a screen? But the moment battery sign turns red, we quickly understand that if ignored for too long, the device will soon be unusable. Over time we start relying on system design.

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 13:12:21 -0600

Checked in at Gate F65 .

43.6790086-79.6116548

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 11:56:36 -0600

Checked in at Terminal 1 .

Bye Canadia.

43.6813328-79.6116316

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 17:45:20 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Another week, another trip. DEN:YYZ

39.8497327-104.6739819

Name It, and They Will Come

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 15:00:16 -0600

Name It, and They Will Come

You’ve discovered something new.

You haven’t seen solutions quite like this before. You try to keep your ego in check and be skeptical. But the butterflies in your stomach won’t listen.

You don’t want to get carried away, but deep down you already know it:

You’re onto something.

This idea turns into a project. The first commit is just 500 lines. But in a few days, you build it up just enough to start using it in real code. A few like-minded people join you in improving it. You learn something new about it every day.

Sat, 23 Mar 2019 11:49:07 -0600

First day on the rooftop at @joyridebrewing!

39.7532-105.05363

Posted on Instagram 11:49 am, March 23, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mc17a204fa82745771d2959e7d20104a6 = { positions : { 773 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7532’, ‘-105.05363’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mc17a204fa82745771d2959e7d20104a6’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mc17a204fa82745771d2959e7d20104a6.positions ) { gmap_mc17a204fa82745771d2959e7d20104a6.bounds.extend( gmap_mc17a204fa82745771d2959e7d20104a6.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mc17a204fa82745771d2959e7d20104a6.positions ) { gmap_mc17a204fa82745771d2959e7d20104a6.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mc17a204fa82745771d2959e7d20104a6.map, position : gmap_mc17a204fa82745771d2959e7d20104a6.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mc17a204fa82745771d2959e7d20104a6.map.setCenter( gmap_mc17a204fa82745771d2959e7d20104a6.positions[773] ); });

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 15:57:16 -0600

Just hanging out here with @howard.schultz during @techstars. Hearing about the background of @starbucks and what makes a successful company.

40.01654-105.28198

Posted on Instagram 3:57 pm, March 21, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m3686ba0e550423dea5cc43aaed4db178 = { positions : { 780 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘40.01654’, ‘-105.28198’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m3686ba0e550423dea5cc43aaed4db178’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m3686ba0e550423dea5cc43aaed4db178.positions ) { gmap_m3686ba0e550423dea5cc43aaed4db178.bounds.extend( gmap_m3686ba0e550423dea5cc43aaed4db178.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m3686ba0e550423dea5cc43aaed4db178.positions ) { gmap_m3686ba0e550423dea5cc43aaed4db178.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m3686ba0e550423dea5cc43aaed4db178.map, position : gmap_m3686ba0e550423dea5cc43aaed4db178.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m3686ba0e550423dea5cc43aaed4db178.map.setCenter( gmap_m3686ba0e550423dea5cc43aaed4db178.positions[780] ); });

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:51:41 -0600

Rad pint glass from @spangalangbrewery. 💖

39.7551834-104.9770549

Posted on Instagram 3:51 pm, March 20, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m40fd49c39d87818083b3aa14f4253eec = { positions : { 738 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7551834’, ‘-104.9770549’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m40fd49c39d87818083b3aa14f4253eec’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m40fd49c39d87818083b3aa14f4253eec.positions ) { gmap_m40fd49c39d87818083b3aa14f4253eec.bounds.extend( gmap_m40fd49c39d87818083b3aa14f4253eec.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m40fd49c39d87818083b3aa14f4253eec.positions ) { gmap_m40fd49c39d87818083b3aa14f4253eec.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m40fd49c39d87818083b3aa14f4253eec.map, position : gmap_m40fd49c39d87818083b3aa14f4253eec.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m40fd49c39d87818083b3aa14f4253eec.map.setCenter( gmap_m40fd49c39d87818083b3aa14f4253eec.positions[738] ); });

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 18:05:03 -0600

Checked in at New Terrain Brewing Co .

Celebrating the end of Kelly’s sabbatical — with erika, Kelly, Emily

39.7794665-105.1860322

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 22:26:28 -0600

Thanks for the welcome home sunset, Denver. #nofilter

39.7391-104.9836

#nofilter

Posted on Instagram 10:26 pm, March 14, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m8e1231bab7bc685930758b4c8e7b73a0 = { positions : { 977 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7391’, ‘-104.9836’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m8e1231bab7bc685930758b4c8e7b73a0’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m8e1231bab7bc685930758b4c8e7b73a0.positions ) { gmap_m8e1231bab7bc685930758b4c8e7b73a0.bounds.extend( gmap_m8e1231bab7bc685930758b4c8e7b73a0.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m8e1231bab7bc685930758b4c8e7b73a0.positions ) { gmap_m8e1231bab7bc685930758b4c8e7b73a0.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m8e1231bab7bc685930758b4c8e7b73a0.map, position : gmap_m8e1231bab7bc685930758b4c8e7b73a0.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m8e1231bab7bc685930758b4c8e7b73a0.map.setCenter( gmap_m8e1231bab7bc685930758b4c8e7b73a0.positions[977] ); });

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 17:00:04 -0600

Checked in at Smök .

with erika

39.76866-104.97965

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 16:59:55 -0600

Checked in at The Woods .

with erika

39.768709-104.9806716

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 14:16:25 -0600

Checked in at RTD – Denver Airport Station .

39.8476367-104.6739359

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 13:51:07 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Back for a couple weeks.

39.8497327-104.6739819

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 09:58:33 -0600

Checked in at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) .

Later, New Orleans.

29.9863296-90.2566522

Kung Fu (Startup strategy)

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 12:09:04 -0600

Kung Fu (Startup strategy)

Startup strategy is like Kung Fu. There are many styles that work. But in a bar fight, you’re going to get punched in the face regardless.

I can only teach you my style. Others can only teach you theirs.

This is my style.

“MVPs” are too M to be V. They’re a selfish ploy, tricking people who thought they were customers into being alpha testers. Build SLCs instead .

The 7 Step Onboarding Process to Get Employees Fully Ramped In 2 Weeks

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 11:46:45 -0600

The 7 Step Onboarding Process to Get Employees Fully Ramped In 2 Weeks

When most new employees join a company, they’re left to fend for themselves. Which means they spend their first few months tentatively stumbling around with their first few projects.

Then the new employee isn’t productive for at least several months.

That’s a huge opportunity cost.

With my teams, I follow four basic principles in order to get new employees fully onboarded within 2 weeks:

Why we re-designed our engineering career paths at CircleCI

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 11:30:01 -0600

Why we re-designed our engineering career paths at CircleCI

Note from the author: this post was written in collaboration with Justin Cowperthwaite, engineering manager, with additional input from Jeff Palmer, VP Engineering.

We want CircleCI to be a place that all engineers can learn and grow, and be supported no matter what level they join us at, or how they want to shape their careers. To support this, we use an engineering competency matrix, a framework that outlines expectations and growth paths for engineers. This matrix is a tremendously useful tool for us: it informs the structure of our job descriptions and our interview processes. It helps us set expectations together with our engineers, is a basis for goal setting as well as conversations about learning and development. It helps us have more objective performance conversations which are less susceptible to the biases and skills of an engineer’s manager. Overall, it clarifies the vision of our organization and helps us maintain consistency throughout all stages of hiring and professional development.

Authors Answer: What are your top tips for working remotely?

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 11:14:15 -0600

Authors Answer: What are your top tips for working remotely?

Like many of us these days, lots of our authors work remotely—whether from a home office or on-the-go as they travel. So we asked them how they make smart work of working remotely. Here’s what they said:

Jason Grigsby, author of Progressive Web Apps , is a pro at working from a hotel room:

He always packs a Roost laptop stand , a keyboard, and a trackpad when he travels to survive the bad ergonomics of hotel room desks.
He also travels with a portable electric water kettle for “coffee-free water” for his tea, plus a supply of Yorkie Gold.

Erika Hall, author of Conversational Design and Just Enough Research , works in San Francisco, but does a lot of traveling and has to work on-the-go. Her top two tips for making it work:

Sat, 09 Mar 2019 11:44:31 -0600

SF Ocean Beach breakwaters

37.7717185-122.4438929

Posted on Instagram 11:44 am, March 9, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m8be0e9c371f751b36fd4883ad4fce5e3 = { positions : { 542 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘37.7717185’, ‘-122.4438929’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m8be0e9c371f751b36fd4883ad4fce5e3’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m8be0e9c371f751b36fd4883ad4fce5e3.positions ) { gmap_m8be0e9c371f751b36fd4883ad4fce5e3.bounds.extend( gmap_m8be0e9c371f751b36fd4883ad4fce5e3.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m8be0e9c371f751b36fd4883ad4fce5e3.positions ) { gmap_m8be0e9c371f751b36fd4883ad4fce5e3.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m8be0e9c371f751b36fd4883ad4fce5e3.map, position : gmap_m8be0e9c371f751b36fd4883ad4fce5e3.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m8be0e9c371f751b36fd4883ad4fce5e3.map.setCenter( gmap_m8be0e9c371f751b36fd4883ad4fce5e3.positions[542] ); });

AR Will Spark the Next Big Tech Platform—Call It Mirrorworld

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 00:22:11 -0700

AR Will Spark the Next Big Tech Platform—Call It Mirrorworld

Every December, Adam Savage—star of the TV show MythBusters—releases a video reviewing his “favorite things ” from the previous year. In 2018, one of his highlights was a set of Magic Leap augmented reality goggles. After duly noting the hype and backlash that have dogged the product, Savage describes an epiphany he had while trying on the headset at home, upstairs in his office. “I turned it on and I could hear a whale,” he says, “but I couldn’t see it. I’m looking around my office for it. And then it swims by my windows—on the outside of my building! So the glasses scanned my room and it knew that my windows were portals and it rendered the whale as if it were swimming down my street. I actually got choked up.” What Savage encountered on the other side of the glasses was a glimpse of the mirrorworld.

Sun, 03 Mar 2019 17:14:09 -0700

Checked in at SFO AirTrain Station – Rental Car Center .

37.6281276-122.4010757

Sun, 03 Mar 2019 16:31:55 -0700

Checked in at Taqueria Cancún .

One for the road — with erika

37.7604143-122.4192438

Sun, 03 Mar 2019 15:52:14 -0700

Checked in at b8ta .

with erika

37.7765471-122.4261061

Sun, 03 Mar 2019 13:02:46 -0700

Checked in at Hải Ký Mì Gia .

Brunch noodles — with erika

37.7842068-122.4179108

Sun, 03 Mar 2019 11:49:19 -0600

Checked in at JT Laundry Wash and Fold .

37.7375357-122.4289489

Sat, 02 Mar 2019 16:11:55 -0700

Checked in at Triple Aught Design .

Dangerous — with erika

37.7581134-122.3881657

Sat, 02 Mar 2019 12:32:47 -0600

Checked in at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art .

Koltcha — with erika

37.7858942-122.4008965

Sat, 02 Mar 2019 10:53:44 -0600

Checked in at Outerlands .

Love this place — with erika

37.7603585-122.5050223

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 22:50:01 -0600

Checked in at Teeth .

with erika

37.7599137-122.4191027

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 22:16:47 -0600

Checked in at Boba Guys .

Bobs — with erika

37.760044-122.421103

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 20:08:21 -0600

Checked in at Hawker Fare .

37.7620178-122.4217515

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 18:12:58 -0600

Checked in at Anchor Public Taps .

More drinks — with erika, Chelsea, Daryl

37.764007-122.4012562

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 17:06:26 -0600

Checked in at Standard Deviant Brewing .

Super cool brewery — with erika

37.768361-122.419516

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 16:29:21 -0600

Checked in at Taqueria Cancún .

True love. Weak TTFB this time; 6 hrs. First time he since the renovations — with erika

37.7604143-122.4192438

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 15:53:45 -0600

Checked in at Four Barrel Coffee .

with erika

37.7670125-122.4220103

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 14:56:49 -0600

Checked in at Glen canyon Hiking Trails .

37.7352654-122.4379736

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 12:06:10 -0600

Checked in at Devil’s Teeth Baking Company .

37.7530449-122.5050252

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 11:19:28 -0600

Checked in at Canyon Market .

37.7340361-122.4338853

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 10:17:26 -0600

Checked in at Terminal 3 .

37.61808-122.3864084

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 10:16:40 -0600

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

Oh hai, SFO.

37.616713-122.3870945

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 07:49:49 -0600

Checked in at United Club .

33.9426365-118.399611

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 07:32:53 -0600

Checked in at United Airlines .

33.943175-118.3995801

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 07:32:36 -0600

Checked in at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) .

Credit where credit is due. LAX is not as much of a hellscape as it usually is this morning.

33.9433243-118.405602

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 23:33:55 -0600

Checked in at THE KINNEY .

33.9874349-118.4538711

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 20:37:54 -0600

Checked in at C & O Cucina .

33.9892377-118.4503426

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 19:23:23 -0600

Checked in at Firestone Walker Brewing Company – The Propagator .

33.9898554-118.4486805

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 18:56:34 -0600

Checked in at THE KINNEY .

33.9874349-118.4538711

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 21:52:36 -0700

Checked in at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) .

On to the next one

33.9433243-118.405602

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 22:18:22 -0600

Checked in at United Airlines .

33.943175-118.3995801

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 18:00:50 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Why am I here again already??😭 DEN:LAX

39.8497327-104.6739819

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 12:47:49 -0700

Checked in at Birdcall .

39.7545251-104.9767796

Sun, 24 Feb 2019 18:50:21 -0700

Pretty amazing view back towards Reykjavík this morning, from Mt. Esja. #hiking #winter #windy #iceland

64.2093275-21.7120314

Posted on Instagram 6:50 pm, February 24, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m8a3c96210e5c13b869415aaee2511976 = { positions : { 468 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘64.2093275’, ‘-21.7120314’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m8a3c96210e5c13b869415aaee2511976’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m8a3c96210e5c13b869415aaee2511976.positions ) { gmap_m8a3c96210e5c13b869415aaee2511976.bounds.extend( gmap_m8a3c96210e5c13b869415aaee2511976.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m8a3c96210e5c13b869415aaee2511976.positions ) { gmap_m8a3c96210e5c13b869415aaee2511976.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m8a3c96210e5c13b869415aaee2511976.map, position : gmap_m8a3c96210e5c13b869415aaee2511976.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m8a3c96210e5c13b869415aaee2511976.map.setCenter( gmap_m8a3c96210e5c13b869415aaee2511976.positions[468] ); });

Sun, 24 Feb 2019 18:29:18 -0700

Checked in at Terminal West .

39.8492892-104.6741299

Sun, 24 Feb 2019 18:00:34 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Home, ever so briefly.

39.8497327-104.6739819

Sun, 24 Feb 2019 18:21:18 -0600

Checked in at Immigration & Customs .

39.8499725-104.6737199

Sun, 24 Feb 2019 09:17:54 -0700

Checked in at Gate D33 .

63.9933347-22.6232958

Sun, 24 Feb 2019 09:17:19 -0600

Checked in at Keflavik International Airport (KEF) (Keflavíkurflugvöllur) .

Home time!

63.9953387-22.6238537

Sat, 23 Feb 2019 04:32:58 -0600

Checked in at Reykjavík Roasters .

This place is excellent — with Rocco

64.1436141-21.9264236

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 13:24:53 -0700

Checked in at Tryggvaskáli .

It was so good, we came back again — with Rocco

63.9378362-21.003481

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 17:17:49 -0700

It’s hard to appreciate the immense scale of Gullfoss. Truly epic. #iceland #djimavicair #dronephotography #dronestagram

64.3259666-20.1223183

Posted on Instagram 5:17 pm, February 21, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m0a05462dbdb20b8adf8267e3c66f0568 = { positions : { 438 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘64.3259666’, ‘-20.1223183’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m0a05462dbdb20b8adf8267e3c66f0568’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m0a05462dbdb20b8adf8267e3c66f0568.positions ) { gmap_m0a05462dbdb20b8adf8267e3c66f0568.bounds.extend( gmap_m0a05462dbdb20b8adf8267e3c66f0568.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m0a05462dbdb20b8adf8267e3c66f0568.positions ) { gmap_m0a05462dbdb20b8adf8267e3c66f0568.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m0a05462dbdb20b8adf8267e3c66f0568.map, position : gmap_m0a05462dbdb20b8adf8267e3c66f0568.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m0a05462dbdb20b8adf8267e3c66f0568.map.setCenter( gmap_m0a05462dbdb20b8adf8267e3c66f0568.positions[438] ); });

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 17:15:41 -0700

Geysir from above. #iceland #drone #dronephotography #dronestagram #djimavicair

64.3142117-20.3009283

Posted on Instagram 5:15 pm, February 21, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m54e8f5ec8dbc2c402804fb13cbe6e654 = { positions : { 310 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘64.3142117’, ‘-20.3009283’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m54e8f5ec8dbc2c402804fb13cbe6e654’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m54e8f5ec8dbc2c402804fb13cbe6e654.positions ) { gmap_m54e8f5ec8dbc2c402804fb13cbe6e654.bounds.extend( gmap_m54e8f5ec8dbc2c402804fb13cbe6e654.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m54e8f5ec8dbc2c402804fb13cbe6e654.positions ) { gmap_m54e8f5ec8dbc2c402804fb13cbe6e654.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m54e8f5ec8dbc2c402804fb13cbe6e654.map, position : gmap_m54e8f5ec8dbc2c402804fb13cbe6e654.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m54e8f5ec8dbc2c402804fb13cbe6e654.map.setCenter( gmap_m54e8f5ec8dbc2c402804fb13cbe6e654.positions[310] ); });

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 17:13:13 -0700

G’Day Geysir! #iceland

64.3142117-20.3009283

#iceland

Posted on Instagram 5:13 pm, February 21, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m4a56c9e8fd151777145d2a7f41a93407 = { positions : { 961 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘64.3142117’, ‘-20.3009283’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m4a56c9e8fd151777145d2a7f41a93407’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m4a56c9e8fd151777145d2a7f41a93407.positions ) { gmap_m4a56c9e8fd151777145d2a7f41a93407.bounds.extend( gmap_m4a56c9e8fd151777145d2a7f41a93407.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m4a56c9e8fd151777145d2a7f41a93407.positions ) { gmap_m4a56c9e8fd151777145d2a7f41a93407.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m4a56c9e8fd151777145d2a7f41a93407.map, position : gmap_m4a56c9e8fd151777145d2a7f41a93407.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m4a56c9e8fd151777145d2a7f41a93407.map.setCenter( gmap_m4a56c9e8fd151777145d2a7f41a93407.positions[961] ); });

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 17:10:13 -0700

#iceland

64.2156056-21.0756892

#iceland

Posted on Instagram 5:10 pm, February 21, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m6de081ea74deefd429d3c8a286384bc5 = { positions : { 117 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘64.2156056’, ‘-21.0756892’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m6de081ea74deefd429d3c8a286384bc5’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m6de081ea74deefd429d3c8a286384bc5.positions ) { gmap_m6de081ea74deefd429d3c8a286384bc5.bounds.extend( gmap_m6de081ea74deefd429d3c8a286384bc5.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m6de081ea74deefd429d3c8a286384bc5.positions ) { gmap_m6de081ea74deefd429d3c8a286384bc5.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m6de081ea74deefd429d3c8a286384bc5.map, position : gmap_m6de081ea74deefd429d3c8a286384bc5.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m6de081ea74deefd429d3c8a286384bc5.map.setCenter( gmap_m6de081ea74deefd429d3c8a286384bc5.positions[117] ); });

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 17:08:14 -0700

Taking photos at the edge of the world. #iceland

64.8305556-17.9866667

#iceland

Posted on Instagram 5:08 pm, February 21, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m4df0c55d01deb57acb2e2625e8b76028 = { positions : { 948 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘64.8305556’, ‘-17.9866667’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m4df0c55d01deb57acb2e2625e8b76028’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m4df0c55d01deb57acb2e2625e8b76028.positions ) { gmap_m4df0c55d01deb57acb2e2625e8b76028.bounds.extend( gmap_m4df0c55d01deb57acb2e2625e8b76028.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m4df0c55d01deb57acb2e2625e8b76028.positions ) { gmap_m4df0c55d01deb57acb2e2625e8b76028.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m4df0c55d01deb57acb2e2625e8b76028.map, position : gmap_m4df0c55d01deb57acb2e2625e8b76028.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m4df0c55d01deb57acb2e2625e8b76028.map.setCenter( gmap_m4df0c55d01deb57acb2e2625e8b76028.positions[948] ); });

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 17:05:18 -0700

Classic Reykjavík view. #iceland

64.14246-21.9289

#iceland

Posted on Instagram 5:05 pm, February 21, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mb4d9906a24765fb8e784fb0ffadd2e98 = { positions : { 233 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘64.14246’, ‘-21.9289’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mb4d9906a24765fb8e784fb0ffadd2e98’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mb4d9906a24765fb8e784fb0ffadd2e98.positions ) { gmap_mb4d9906a24765fb8e784fb0ffadd2e98.bounds.extend( gmap_mb4d9906a24765fb8e784fb0ffadd2e98.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mb4d9906a24765fb8e784fb0ffadd2e98.positions ) { gmap_mb4d9906a24765fb8e784fb0ffadd2e98.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mb4d9906a24765fb8e784fb0ffadd2e98.map, position : gmap_mb4d9906a24765fb8e784fb0ffadd2e98.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mb4d9906a24765fb8e784fb0ffadd2e98.map.setCenter( gmap_mb4d9906a24765fb8e784fb0ffadd2e98.positions[233] ); });

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 17:02:31 -0700

Church in Reykjavík. #iceland

64.14246-21.9289

#iceland

Posted on Instagram 5:02 pm, February 21, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m1a9e0e9b5c08098043f4ebb0e4fff601 = { positions : { 907 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘64.14246’, ‘-21.9289’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m1a9e0e9b5c08098043f4ebb0e4fff601’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m1a9e0e9b5c08098043f4ebb0e4fff601.positions ) { gmap_m1a9e0e9b5c08098043f4ebb0e4fff601.bounds.extend( gmap_m1a9e0e9b5c08098043f4ebb0e4fff601.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m1a9e0e9b5c08098043f4ebb0e4fff601.positions ) { gmap_m1a9e0e9b5c08098043f4ebb0e4fff601.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m1a9e0e9b5c08098043f4ebb0e4fff601.map, position : gmap_m1a9e0e9b5c08098043f4ebb0e4fff601.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m1a9e0e9b5c08098043f4ebb0e4fff601.map.setCenter( gmap_m1a9e0e9b5c08098043f4ebb0e4fff601.positions[907] ); });

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 12:41:49 -0700

Checked in at Secret Lagoon (Gamla Laugin) .

64.13739-20.3095876

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 11:02:43 -0600

Checked in at Syðra Langholt .

64.0870656-20.42162

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 01:31:30 -0700

Checked in at Pallett Kaffikompaní .

Kicking off the day.

64.063013-21.9575715

Sat, 16 Feb 2019 08:19:03 -0600

Checked in at Reykjavík Roasters .

Cute little spot on the way to Hallgrimskirkja. Excellent soundtrack.

64.1436141-21.9264236

Sat, 16 Feb 2019 02:59:19 -0700

Good morning, Reykjavík. #dronestagram #djimavicair

64.1333-21.9333

Posted on Instagram 2:59 am, February 16, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m7c5f9593d11813d797ebcc17ca998680 = { positions : { 608 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘64.1333’, ‘-21.9333’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m7c5f9593d11813d797ebcc17ca998680’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m7c5f9593d11813d797ebcc17ca998680.positions ) { gmap_m7c5f9593d11813d797ebcc17ca998680.bounds.extend( gmap_m7c5f9593d11813d797ebcc17ca998680.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m7c5f9593d11813d797ebcc17ca998680.positions ) { gmap_m7c5f9593d11813d797ebcc17ca998680.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m7c5f9593d11813d797ebcc17ca998680.map, position : gmap_m7c5f9593d11813d797ebcc17ca998680.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m7c5f9593d11813d797ebcc17ca998680.map.setCenter( gmap_m7c5f9593d11813d797ebcc17ca998680.positions[608] ); });

Sat, 16 Feb 2019 02:45:09 -0600

Checked in at Geiri Smart .

In honor of Derek Smart.

64.1464931-21.9295065

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 23:29:17 -0600

Checked in at Keflavik International Airport (KEF) (Keflavíkurflugvöllur) .

I’m in Iceland!

63.9953387-22.6238537

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 13:16:50 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Coming for you, Iceland.

39.8497327-104.6739819

You’re Just Not That Strategic: Seven Objections You’ll Have to Overcome to Get to the Top

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 23:10:27 -0700

You’re Just Not That Strategic: Seven Objections You’ll Have to Overcome to Get to the Top

Bridget Frey Sep 20, 2016

In my early 30s, a group of executives decided to overhaul the strategic direction of my team, and I wasn’t even in the room. One day, my team was working on a certain project, and the next, we were working on something else.

I was a trusted manager and engineer. I’d built a great team that had shipped a bunch of hits. And I had plenty of ideas. So why wasn’t I at that meeting? It stung. But now I know one reason I wasn’t included is that I just wasn’t providing the type of strategic thinking that the execs needed to make a decision.

Thoughts to Ponder

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 14:09:26 -0700

Loved these thoughts from the outgoing Chief Data Scientist of the White House:

The card I’ve carried in my notebook#YesWeCan pic.twitter.com/0XsDwdRWQw

— DJ Patil (NARA) (@DJ44) January 11, 2017

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Dream in years
Plan in months
Evaluate in weeks
Ship daily
Prototype for 1x
Builder for 10x
Engineer for 100x
What’s required to cut the timeline in 1/2?
What’s required to double the impact?

h/t ma.tt

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 07:27:26 -0600

Checked in at Atlas Physical Therapy .

39.740028-104.955447

Why Managers Should Take Notes

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 23:31:06 -0700

Why Managers Should Take Notes

“I have a very specific management style. I put my team in charge of it all.” He said as he put his feet on the table, leaning back with his hands crossed behind his head, elbows out to either side.

He didn’t believe he should take notes, and believed his hands-off approach allowed, “a very specific kind of person to thrive.” The rest, as he put it, “weren’t a fit to my management style.”

Here Come the Frogs (Fully Remote Organizations) – Greg Caplan – Medium

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 22:57:08 -0700

Here Come the Frogs (Fully Remote Organizations) – Greg Caplan – Medium

Greg Caplan Feb 11

Fully remote organizations, or Frogs, are quickly emerging across all categories of knowledge work. From software to social impact and fashion to financial services and everything in between, these Frogs are popping up and winning the talent war against the incumbents. With that advantage alone, they are growing much more rapidly and will soon dominate the marketplace.

The Never-Ending Now

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 22:42:39 -0700

The Never-Ending Now

Instagram. Snapchat. Twitter. Facebook. You name it. We live in a “Never-Ending Now.”

A story for you: Earlier this year, I attended a comedy show at The Stand with a handful of digital natives (my term for the post-millennial generation). The comedy club was across town so we split an Uber SUV. I sat in the back. You know… all the way in the back of the SUV, where the seats are so narrow that you have to do gymnastics just to fit back there.

How to begin the invisible work of change management

Sun, 10 Feb 2019 23:09:32 -0600

How to begin the invisible work of change management

Someone once said to me “you’re good at change management” and I was like, what?

I sat with the idea for a couple of weeks and eventually realized: Oh! That is what I do! I take teams that are struggling and help them focus, align, and start delivering at their potential, i.e. change management.

The thing about change management is that it involves a lot of invisible work that’s hard to follow from the outside. The two things that people see in change management are the change (toward the end, if they are paying attention) and when it goes (sometimes horribly) wrong. Here are some lessons I’ve learned from the change-management trenches, whether as the manager or the changee.

The 50–500–5000 Principle – DEV.BIZ.OPS – Medium

Sun, 10 Feb 2019 22:59:15 -0600

The 50–500–5000 Principle – DEV.BIZ.OPS – Medium

DEV.BIZ.OPS Feb 5

I was greeted today by headlines that Facebook turned 15 years old on this date. I feel old just saying that, especially when I remember also having Friendster and MySpace accounts.

Before Facebook became the enemy of the people undermining democracy and selling out their users, they were a company to marvel and admire. I remember distinctly the moment when I knew Facebook was going to take the world by storm.

Sun, 10 Feb 2019 19:03:46 -0600

Checked in at Modera River North .

39.762259-104.983806

Sun, 10 Feb 2019 12:47:22 -0600

Checked in at Mestizo-Curtis Park .

39.7605118-104.9771538

Sat, 09 Feb 2019 22:14:44 -0600

Checked in at Meetfresh .

Aaaand dessert — with erika

39.691713-104.93993

Sat, 09 Feb 2019 21:50:23 -0600

Checked in at Funny Plus Korean Bar .

Korean BBQ! — with erika

39.6658075-104.8623443

Sat, 09 Feb 2019 18:47:29 -0600

Checked in at H Mart .

with erika

39.6661138-104.8632133

Sat, 09 Feb 2019 17:19:11 -0600

Checked in at Nordstrom Rack .

39.688784-104.9423662

Sat, 09 Feb 2019 16:59:00 -0600

Checked in at BMW of Denver Downtown .

39.6976853-104.9400398

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 13:08:33 -0600

Checked in at Rivers And Roads Coffee .

39.7647012-104.9565211

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 10:27:30 -0600

Checked in at Turing School: Guaranty Bank Campus .

39.7509173-104.9967927

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 12:05:57 -0600

Checked in at Birdcall .

39.7545251-104.9767796

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 18:24:35 -0600

Denver 2049. Clearing up after a snowy day today. #djimavicair #drone #dronestagram #dronephotography

39.7391-104.9836

Posted on Instagram 6:24 pm, February 6, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m54ebb0e01a7dd6adc140ef024dc70b7e = { positions : { 769 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7391’, ‘-104.9836’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m54ebb0e01a7dd6adc140ef024dc70b7e’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m54ebb0e01a7dd6adc140ef024dc70b7e.positions ) { gmap_m54ebb0e01a7dd6adc140ef024dc70b7e.bounds.extend( gmap_m54ebb0e01a7dd6adc140ef024dc70b7e.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m54ebb0e01a7dd6adc140ef024dc70b7e.positions ) { gmap_m54ebb0e01a7dd6adc140ef024dc70b7e.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m54ebb0e01a7dd6adc140ef024dc70b7e.map, position : gmap_m54ebb0e01a7dd6adc140ef024dc70b7e.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m54ebb0e01a7dd6adc140ef024dc70b7e.map.setCenter( gmap_m54ebb0e01a7dd6adc140ef024dc70b7e.positions[769] ); });

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 15:58:38 -0600

Checked in at Mollner Dentistry .

39.7318382-104.986682

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 07:25:39 -0600

Checked in at Atlas Physical Therapy .

39.740028-104.955447

To Improve Your Team, First Work on Yourself

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 22:25:47 -0600

To Improve Your Team, First Work on Yourself

Howard George/Getty Images

A colleague and I were recently meeting with a CEO and his leadership team, observing them as they discussed how to improve their annual planning process. As the team of ten explored their current process, the conversation got heated. The team had been talking for 45 minutes, but it wasn’t clear who was leading the discussion or what their objectives were. Many comments were off-topic, and they were not getting closer to answers.

How to make effective decisions by comparing alternatives

Sun, 03 Feb 2019 20:50:10 -0600

How to make effective decisions by comparing alternatives

Alon Kiriati Jan 19

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Not better, not worse… just different

“React.js is so much better than Angular”, “Java sucks, no one uses it anymore… we should use Golang”, “Pineapple is the worst pizza topping”. You’ve probably heard one of these very straight opinions — one option is the best, the other is the worst, X is better than Y and so on. But Java is still one of the most popular languages in the world, Angular gives a decent fight to React.js, and pizza with pineapple… well, that’s ewwww.

Los Angeles Is the Face of Climate Change – 2069 – Medium

Sun, 03 Feb 2019 10:36:33 -0600

Los Angeles Is the Face of Climate Change – 2069 – Medium

In July 2018, the air temperature in Woodland Hills, a Los Angeles neighborhood some 20 miles north of the Pacific Ocean, peaked at 117 degrees Fahrenheit . For 63-year old U.S. Post Office carrier Peggy Frank, that Friday marked her first day back at work after recovering from a broken ankle. At 3:35 p.m., Frank was pronounced dead after paramedics found her unresponsive in her non-air-conditioned truck. In September, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office confirmed what seemed a forgone conclusion: Frank died of hyperthermia — she overheated.

The infrastructural humiliation of America – TechCrunch

Sun, 03 Feb 2019 10:18:40 -0600

The infrastructural humiliation of America – TechCrunch

The infrastructural humiliation of America

@rezendi /

2 hours ago

I’m flying back to the USA today, and as an infrastructure aficionado, it’s nice to be going home, but I’m dreading the disappointment. I just spent two weeks in Singapore and Thailand; last year I spent time in Hong Kong and Shenzhen; and compared to modern Asia, so much American infrastructure is now so contemptible that it’s hard not to wince when I see it.

Kyle Zeppelin Wants to Build a City of the Future. Is It All a Pipe Dream?

Sun, 03 Feb 2019 10:13:49 -0600

Kyle Zeppelin Wants to Build a City of the Future. Is It All a Pipe Dream?

On a brisk afternoon, Denver’s self-proclaimed “punk-rock urban real estate developer” visits the latest stud in his leather jacket. The Source Hotel is all wooden planks and polished concrete, a nod to the industrial roots of its home in River North, a former warehouse district and grimy artist enclave that’s now a playground for Denver’s twenty- and thirty-somethings.

Sat, 02 Feb 2019 12:07:20 -0600

Checked in at Colorado Mills .

I’m not even supposed to be here today — with erika

39.7321119-105.1583783

Sat, 02 Feb 2019 10:09:33 -0600

Checked in at The Blue Cow .

39.6538274-105.1914272

My Leadership Philosophy

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 09:54:25 -0600

My Leadership Philosophy

For no fewer than three years, my twitter bio has included the statement “I’m bad at writing recipes, great at cooking the food.” When I set out to define my leadership philosophy, I didn’t realize how true that statement would be.

I’ve been guiding and advising future leaders for many years, as a mentor and overall advocate, and my advice hasn’t changed much in that time. My concept of good leadership is informed by being a woman in a male-dominated field, a person of color in a primarily white-dominated world, and a general faith in the power of a good-hearted group of people.

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 08:01:40 -0700

Checked in at Charleston International Airport (CHS) .

Ciao, Charleston.

32.8854267-80.0374

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 19:20:50 -0700

Checked in at Lewis BBQ .

32.8087475-79.9466412

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 19:24:06 -0600

Hi Charleston! #dronestagram #djimavicair #dronephotography

32.81253-79.95128

Posted on Instagram 7:24 pm, January 31, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m5e0b837b51b5dd401eb684ee0bfc0e85 = { positions : { 882 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘32.81253’, ‘-79.95128’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m5e0b837b51b5dd401eb684ee0bfc0e85’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m5e0b837b51b5dd401eb684ee0bfc0e85.positions ) { gmap_m5e0b837b51b5dd401eb684ee0bfc0e85.bounds.extend( gmap_m5e0b837b51b5dd401eb684ee0bfc0e85.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m5e0b837b51b5dd401eb684ee0bfc0e85.positions ) { gmap_m5e0b837b51b5dd401eb684ee0bfc0e85.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m5e0b837b51b5dd401eb684ee0bfc0e85.map, position : gmap_m5e0b837b51b5dd401eb684ee0bfc0e85.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m5e0b837b51b5dd401eb684ee0bfc0e85.map.setCenter( gmap_m5e0b837b51b5dd401eb684ee0bfc0e85.positions[882] ); });

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 15:13:30 -0700

Checked in at The Battery .

32.7700119-79.9294604

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 17:20:26 -0600

Checked in at Nico .

32.791454-79.87974

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 16:06:33 -0600

Checked in at Hyatt House Charleston/Historic District .

32.792845-79.9405407

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 21:18:55 -0600

Checked in at Hyatt House Charleston/Historic District .

32.792845-79.9405407

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 20:16:32 -0600

Checked in at Vintage Lounge .

32.7912152-79.940096

How To Be Successful

Sun, 27 Jan 2019 16:55:38 -0700

How To Be Successful

Sun, 27 Jan 2019 17:20:13 -0600

Checked in at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) .

DEN:IAH:CHS

29.9872-95.34774

Sun, 27 Jan 2019 14:21:35 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Off we go again!

39.8497327-104.6739819

Sun, 27 Jan 2019 12:09:18 -0600

Checked in at Bonchon .

Korean Fried Chicken. KFC. — with erika

39.78081-104.891136

Sat, 26 Jan 2019 17:35:04 -0700

Nice sunset Denver! #dronestagram #sunset #skyline #cityscape #djimavicair #nofilter

39.7391-104.9836

Posted on Instagram 5:35 pm, January 26, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m37fde60f3501632d67b049b531d34d46 = { positions : { 416 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7391’, ‘-104.9836’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m37fde60f3501632d67b049b531d34d46’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m37fde60f3501632d67b049b531d34d46.positions ) { gmap_m37fde60f3501632d67b049b531d34d46.bounds.extend( gmap_m37fde60f3501632d67b049b531d34d46.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m37fde60f3501632d67b049b531d34d46.positions ) { gmap_m37fde60f3501632d67b049b531d34d46.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m37fde60f3501632d67b049b531d34d46.map, position : gmap_m37fde60f3501632d67b049b531d34d46.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m37fde60f3501632d67b049b531d34d46.map.setCenter( gmap_m37fde60f3501632d67b049b531d34d46.positions[416] ); });

Sat, 26 Jan 2019 15:53:42 -0600

Checked in at Sherlock Hound .

39.7493538-104.9700853

Introduction to systems thinking.

Sat, 26 Jan 2019 14:48:28 -0600

Introduction to systems thinking.

Many effective leaders I’ve worked with have the uncanny knack for working on leveraged problems. In some problem domains, the product management skillset is extraordinarily effective for identifying useful problems, but systems thinking is the most universally useful toolkit I’ve found.

If you really want a solid grasp on systems thinking fundamentals, you should read Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella Meadows, but I’ll do my best to describe some of the basics and work through a recent scenario where I found the systems thinking approach to be exceptionally useful.

Metrics for the unmeasurable

Sat, 26 Jan 2019 14:10:37 -0600

Metrics for the unmeasurable

As organizations grow complex, they’re managed through incorporeal abstractions that drift increasingly from the reality they represent.

On the smallest teams, decision-makers might be deep in the code on a daily basis. A bit larger, and you’re talking about tasks in sprints. More growth, and you’re talking about collections of tasks, and adopting fancy words like “epics.” At a hundred-plus engineers, you’re likely talking primarily in themes of work with focus on a couple key initiatives . At thousands, you might be talking about your investment framework for resourcing decisions.

Jack Dorsey Has No Clue What He Wants

Sat, 26 Jan 2019 14:02:24 -0600

Jack Dorsey Has No Clue What He Wants

A conversation with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey can be incredibly disorienting. Not because he’s particularly clever or thought-provoking, but because he sounds like he should be. He takes long pauses before he speaks. He furrows his brow, setting you up for a considered response from the man many have called a genius . The words themselves sound like they should probably mean something, too. Dorsey is just hard enough to follow that it’s easy to assume that any confusion is your own fault, and that if you just listen a little more or think a little harder, whatever he’s saying will finally start to make sense.

Sat, 26 Jan 2019 12:10:44 -0600

Checked in at Mestizo-Curtis Park .

39.7605118-104.9771538

On Sizing Your Engineering Organizations

Sat, 26 Jan 2019 11:56:25 -0600

On Sizing Your Engineering Organizations

One of the most frequent conversations I have with teams is how to think about organization size. Or rather we have a conversation that goes something like, “We need to double/triple/quadruple our engineering team next year, and now we need to hire a leader who has done it before.” And to have that conversation well you need a theory of organization size.

In the abstract it seems obvious that you don’t grow a team to grow a team. Rather growth is a tool to solve some other pressing issues. In practice, across conversations with hundreds of engineering leaders and CEOs, facing a variety of challenges, the conslusion, “We don’t have enough engineers (and we don’t have the right engineers)” has nearly universal coverage. And while I’m on record saying that most teams don’t spend enough time on hiring, this model of growing the team as a percentage (or multiplier) of headcount is fatally flawed.

“The Linux of social media”—How LiveJournal pioneered (then lost) blogging

Sat, 26 Jan 2019 11:43:39 -0600

“The Linux of social media”—How LiveJournal pioneered (then lost) blogging

Enlarge / No spoilers, but with the departure of a certain high profile fantasy writer, LiveJournal seems to have been left like Jon Snow here.

Last April, famed writer and hero-murderer George R.R. Martin announced that he was hoisting his ancient blog from his moldering LiveJournal onto his personal website. For casual Game of Thrones fans, it was a minor hiccup at best—most clicked the new link and never looked back. For a certain strata of enthusiasts, however, this was a far more momentous move. Described as “the last holdout” by longtime LiveJournal volunteer-turned-employee Janine Costanzo, Martin’s blog was perhaps the once-blogging-giant’s last bond to the world of great pop culture. So while the author may never finish his most beloved literary series, his simple act of Web hosting logistics truly marks the end of an era.

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 21:27:10 -0600

Through the looking glass.

39.75696-104.98545

Posted on Instagram 9:27 pm, January 25, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m2ac40a3c4f6596d2f49333142988beb4 = { positions : { 880 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.75696’, ‘-104.98545’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m2ac40a3c4f6596d2f49333142988beb4’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m2ac40a3c4f6596d2f49333142988beb4.positions ) { gmap_m2ac40a3c4f6596d2f49333142988beb4.bounds.extend( gmap_m2ac40a3c4f6596d2f49333142988beb4.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m2ac40a3c4f6596d2f49333142988beb4.positions ) { gmap_m2ac40a3c4f6596d2f49333142988beb4.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m2ac40a3c4f6596d2f49333142988beb4.map, position : gmap_m2ac40a3c4f6596d2f49333142988beb4.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m2ac40a3c4f6596d2f49333142988beb4.map.setCenter( gmap_m2ac40a3c4f6596d2f49333142988beb4.positions[880] ); });

Sun, 20 Jan 2019 21:46:51 -0600

I promise, that’s the moon. #lunareclipse

#lunareclipse

Posted on Instagram 9:46 pm, January 20, 2019

Why Open Source Failed – John Mark – Medium

Sun, 20 Jan 2019 10:36:34 -0600

Why Open Source Failed – John Mark – Medium

John Mark Jul 30, 2018

(If you like this essay, you may be interested in my follow-up, “Save Open Source, Save the World ”)

2018 is the 20th anniversary of the term “open source”, and a good number of articles have been written and conference talks given about this landmark year, the vast majority of which have been of the self-congratulatory, navel gazing type. Unfortunately, open source proponents seem unable or unwilling to tread into reflective contemplation about the actual impact open source has had on society at large, resulting in a rather large blind spot. I’m afraid, dear reader, that the world has left it to me, the guy who brought you such hits as “There is no Open Source Community ” and “It Was Never About Innovation ”, to tell you about the gross failure of open source as a mechanism to unlock a more equitable society and why we all need to be better. We may not be entirely responsible for either the problem or the solution, but we’re certainly complicit and, thus, responsible for helping to resolve the issues.

Sat, 19 Jan 2019 18:09:43 -0600

Checked in at Bamboo Sushi .

Dinner time — with erika

39.7615146-105.0105134

Sat, 19 Jan 2019 12:22:45 -0600

Checked in at Riverside Baptist Church .

39.7521239-105.0173091

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 13:37:37 -0600

Checked in at The District .

Lunch. This place has changed to a bit of a market style setup?

39.743148-104.9701738

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 20:26:54 -0600

Checked in at Fairfield Inn & Suites Denver Downtown .

39.7567007-105.0148438

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 13:00:45 -0600

Checked in at Phoenician Kabob .

39.7402468-104.920668

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 13:40:05 -0600

Checked in at Dunbar Kitchen & Taphouse .

39.7562063-104.9758082

Sun, 13 Jan 2019 19:05:47 -0600

Don’t know what happened here, but I like it.

39.6042-105.948

Posted on Instagram 7:05 pm, January 13, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mada6a3d163f958839af1dbd4c70de581 = { positions : { 681 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.6042’, ‘-105.948’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mada6a3d163f958839af1dbd4c70de581’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mada6a3d163f958839af1dbd4c70de581.positions ) { gmap_mada6a3d163f958839af1dbd4c70de581.bounds.extend( gmap_mada6a3d163f958839af1dbd4c70de581.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mada6a3d163f958839af1dbd4c70de581.positions ) { gmap_mada6a3d163f958839af1dbd4c70de581.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mada6a3d163f958839af1dbd4c70de581.map, position : gmap_mada6a3d163f958839af1dbd4c70de581.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mada6a3d163f958839af1dbd4c70de581.map.setCenter( gmap_mada6a3d163f958839af1dbd4c70de581.positions[681] ); });

How I Know Your Product Messaging Isn’t Working: A Framework — Nandini Jammi

Sun, 13 Jan 2019 12:31:59 -0600

How I Know Your Product Messaging Isn’t Working: A Framework — Nandini Jammi

I’m a copywriter and contrary to what you may believe, my most significant responsibility is not to write. It’s to delete. Mercilessly.

It can be a deeply disconcerting experience to watch a copywriter delete your words and sometimes your ideas, but it’s a very necessary step to clearing the way for an effective product message.

I don’t do this because “less is more” (although this is often true) and I don’t do this to hurt anyone’s feelings (although I have).

7 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was a Younger Product Manager

Sun, 13 Jan 2019 11:38:44 -0600

7 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was a Younger Product Manager

Yulia Semenova Jan 9

(Smart on Unsplash )

“Who is that stranger?” Do you ask this question remembering yourself a few years ago? I think you do. To me, it happens all the time and I like to consider it as a proof of continuous growth.

Just recently I‘ve been remembering the start of my PM way. Oh God, how many things I did wrong! So in order of learning, I sat and wrote down my thoughts about that time. In the end, I got 7 pieces of advice for a younger version of myself. She’ll never be able to read this, but maybe my experience helps you.

Gov. Jared Polis unveils ambitious, expensive plans in first State of the State. Here’s the speech, annotated.

Sun, 13 Jan 2019 10:32:25 -0600

Gov. Jared Polis unveils ambitious, expensive plans in first State of the State. Here’s the speech, annotated.

Gov. Jared Polis outlined an ambitious — and equally expensive — agenda Thursday in his first State of the State address.

The tenor of the 55-minute speech, interrupted dozens of times for applause, left the Democratic majority hopeful, but also anxious about how to deliver on all the policy priorities. Republicans, too, wanted more specifics on Polis’ plans, which included tax reform and leaps into renewable energy.

Sat, 12 Jan 2019 16:37:00 -0700

Checked in at Outer Range Brewing .

We made it up to the mountains — with erika

39.5892086-106.0989465

How to rein in Big Tech

Sat, 12 Jan 2019 09:35:48 -0700

How to rein in Big Tech

January 11, 2019 at 12:00 pm
Categories:

Opinion , Opinion Columnists , Perspective

Cardboard cutouts of Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg were placed outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on April 10, the day Zuckerberg testified before Congress.

Every month, new controversies emerge regarding Facebook, Google, Twitter and other Internet-based companies. Self-regulation clearly has not worked, and this slow-dawning reality has led to a number of proposals to rein them in.

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 19:02:02 -0600

Checked in at Oriental Theater .

Beerfest!

39.7768948-105.0435477

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 10:58:54 -0600

Checked in at Chipotle Mexican Grill .

This place is a circus with school kids.

39.7400103-104.9570634

Remote Habits

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 10:49:26 -0600

a website all about working remotely. Working remotely is a new thing, and it can be kind of tricky. RemoteHabits helps by interviewing remote workers on things like What’s your typical work routine? and What do you not like about remote work?

— https://remotehabits.com/

Open Source Business Models Considered Harmful – John Mark – Medium

Sun, 06 Jan 2019 11:55:21 -0600

Open Source Business Models Considered Harmful – John Mark – Medium

John Mark Jan 4

Don’t Let the Tail Wag the Dog

Free Software! Get your Free Software! Super cheap!

In recent months, the debate on so-called “open source business models” has begun to rage once again, thanks to recent moves from Mongo, Redis Labs, and Confluent. Taken individually, each situation presents unique characteristics that warrant further analysis without jumping to conclusions about each entity. Taken together, however, the sum total of their individual acts presents a clear trend: movement by companies that build products on open source software towards a more proprietary approach. While each case is different, they have in essence declared that an open source approach is inadequate for generating enough revenue to yield return on investment sought by their investors. I believe that this is because the emergence of the open source business model as a distinct class pushes companies that adopt it into a narrow-banded decision matrix that presents limited options for future changes if the need to pivot arises.

How I try to organise my life to make me happy – Paul Adams – Medium

Sun, 06 Jan 2019 11:39:34 -0600

How I try to organise my life to make me happy – Paul Adams – Medium

Paul Adams Dec 29, 2018

How I try to organise my life to make me happy

I’ve Matthew McConaughey to thank for this. More on that in a bit.

First though, as I write it’s the 29th December. We’re closing 2018 and about to turn the corner into 2019. I tend to use these moments to reflect on the past and plan for the future. I deeply believe that reflection helps us learn, which helps us plan better, and live happier lives.

Three Important Things

Wed, 02 Jan 2019 23:36:06 -0700

Three Important Things

Congratulations! You are in a new management role. Now what?

Remember these three things: don’t fall into the safety of your old job, listen, and provide useful feedback.

These are the three most important insights I gained from working as an Engineering Team Lead at Automattic.

Don’t Fall into the Safety of your Old Job

Stepping into a new role, like managing people or projects, requires different skills than the ones that made you shine as an individual contributor. Recognizing that can be difficult.

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 16:34:02 -0600

Checked in at The Bronze Empire .

Hot potting — with erika

39.6877022-104.9418961

Childhood’s End | Edge.org

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 11:31:55 -0700

Childhood’s End | Edge.org

Conversation : CULTURE The digital revolution isn’t over but has turned into something else

Nations, alliances of nations, and national institutions are in decline, while a state perhaps best described as Oligarchia is on the ascent. GeorgeDyson explains in this, the first Edge New Year’s Essay.

George Dyson is the author of Turing’s Cathedral and Darwin Among the Machines (George Dyson’s Edge Bio Page ).

35 years ago, Isaac Asimov was asked by the Star to predict the world of 2019. Here is what he wrote | The Star

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 10:40:54 -0700

35 years ago, Isaac Asimov was asked by the Star to predict the world of 2019. Here is what he wrote | The Star

Originally published Dec. 31, 1983

lf we look into the world as it may be at the end of another generation, let’s say 2019 — that’s 35 years from now, the same number of years since 1949 when George Orwell’s 1984 was first published — three considerations must dominate our thoughts:

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 02:15:32 -0600

New Year’s Eve fireworks in the distance. Snow on the ground. #dronephotography #djimavicair #dronestagram

39.7391-104.9836

Posted on Instagram 2:15 am, January 1, 2019 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m6fce2ab06094df377ea846ae568d826e = { positions : { 523 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7391’, ‘-104.9836’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m6fce2ab06094df377ea846ae568d826e’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m6fce2ab06094df377ea846ae568d826e.positions ) { gmap_m6fce2ab06094df377ea846ae568d826e.bounds.extend( gmap_m6fce2ab06094df377ea846ae568d826e.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m6fce2ab06094df377ea846ae568d826e.positions ) { gmap_m6fce2ab06094df377ea846ae568d826e.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m6fce2ab06094df377ea846ae568d826e.map, position : gmap_m6fce2ab06094df377ea846ae568d826e.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m6fce2ab06094df377ea846ae568d826e.map.setCenter( gmap_m6fce2ab06094df377ea846ae568d826e.positions[523] ); });

Droning inside for new year’s. Seems like a good idea. #dronephotography #djimavicair

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:24:41 -0600

https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/vp/2adc89cf370a7dc223c65cddf432a0cf/5C2DE589/t50.2886-16/49548580 _2206310036253594_5089281214896930816_n.mp4?_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com

Droning inside for new year’s. Seems like a good idea. #dronephotography #djimavicair

39.7572-104.967 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m1a293357e62c53ba8a787a140e61a778 = { positions : { 885 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m1a293357e62c53ba8a787a140e61a778’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m1a293357e62c53ba8a787a140e61a778.positions ) { gmap_m1a293357e62c53ba8a787a140e61a778.bounds.extend( gmap_m1a293357e62c53ba8a787a140e61a778.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m1a293357e62c53ba8a787a140e61a778.positions ) { gmap_m1a293357e62c53ba8a787a140e61a778.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m1a293357e62c53ba8a787a140e61a778.map, position : gmap_m1a293357e62c53ba8a787a140e61a778.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m1a293357e62c53ba8a787a140e61a778.map.setCenter( gmap_m1a293357e62c53ba8a787a140e61a778.positions[885] ); });

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:19:12 -0600

New Year’s crew! (dronie) #dronephotography #djimavicair

Posted on Instagram 12:19 am, January 1, 2019

Fake-porn videos are being weaponized to harass and humiliate women: ‘Everybody is a potential target’

Mon, 31 Dec 2018 20:22:13 -0600

Fake-porn videos are being weaponized to harass and humiliate women: ‘Everybody is a potential target’

It was her face. But it had been seamlessly grafted, without her knowledge or consent, onto someone else’s body: a young pornography actress, just beginning to disrobe for the start of a graphic sex scene. A crowd of unknown users had been passing it around online.

She felt nauseated and mortified: What if her co-workers saw it? Her family, her friends? Would it change how they thought of her? Would they believe it was a fake?

New Year, New Theme

Mon, 31 Dec 2018 18:16:39 -0700

To ring in 2019, I’m changing this blog’s theme to Twenty Nineteen, the new default WordPress theme, designed and primarily created by my excellent colleague, Allan Cole (check out his music, published as The Stuyvesants , they’re groovy).

Apart from being pretty similar to, but a nice upgrade from the previous theme here , Twenty Nineteen also harnesses the full power of Gutenberg , the new WordPress Block Editor. I’m going to convert some posts to blocks so that I can use some of the better gallery options and whatnot, and will be using Gutenberg for everything going forward. It also reminds me a bit of the styling used throughout Instapaper , which I’ve spent a lot of time in lately 🙂

Mon, 31 Dec 2018 16:15:50 -0700

Checked in at Safeway .

Supplies — with erika

39.7489883-104.9775195

Fri, 28 Dec 2018 19:19:39 -0600

Chihuly at @denverbotanic

39.731606-104.95978

Posted on Instagram 7:19 pm, December 28, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mba347579cb63b8edc4c9677674312d74 = { positions : { 995 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.731606’, ‘-104.95978’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mba347579cb63b8edc4c9677674312d74’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mba347579cb63b8edc4c9677674312d74.positions ) { gmap_mba347579cb63b8edc4c9677674312d74.bounds.extend( gmap_mba347579cb63b8edc4c9677674312d74.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mba347579cb63b8edc4c9677674312d74.positions ) { gmap_mba347579cb63b8edc4c9677674312d74.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mba347579cb63b8edc4c9677674312d74.map, position : gmap_mba347579cb63b8edc4c9677674312d74.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mba347579cb63b8edc4c9677674312d74.map.setCenter( gmap_mba347579cb63b8edc4c9677674312d74.positions[995] ); });

How Superhuman Built an Engine to Find Product/Market Fit

Fri, 28 Dec 2018 17:22:11 -0700

How Superhuman Built an Engine to Find Product/Market Fit

This article is by Rahul Vohra , the founder and CEO of Superhuman — a startup building the fastest email experience in the world.

We’ve all heard that product/market fit drives startup success — and that the lack thereof is what’s lurking behind almost every failure.

For founders, achieving product/market fit is an obsession from day one. It’s both the hefty hurdle we’re racing to clear and the festering fear keeping us up at night, worried that we’ll never make it. But when it comes to understanding what product/market fit really is and how to get there, most of us quickly realize that there isn’t a battle-tested approach.

Murder on a Mountain Bike

Fri, 28 Dec 2018 10:45:32 -0700

Murder on a Mountain Bike

Around 10 A.M. on Friday, September 15, 2017, Ginger Chase-Watkins called the Old Town Bike Shop in Colorado Springs looking for her husband, Tim Watkins. She hadn’t heard from him in more than 24 hours.

A bike mechanic and lifelong outdoorsman, Watkins was known to spend nights in the wild, something he had done since he was a boy in Palmer Lake, Colorado, the town where he and Ginger grew up and still lived. But lately he’d been sleeping in his car, often parked at a local trailhead, to escape the turmoil in his personal life.

The Pitchforks Are Coming… For Us Plutocrats

Fri, 28 Dec 2018 10:10:11 -0700

The Pitchforks Are Coming… For Us Plutocrats

Robbie McClaran

Memo: From Nick Hanauer
To: My Fellow Zillionaires

You probably don’t know me, but like you I am one of those .01%ers, a proud and unapologetic capitalist. I have founded, co-founded and funded more than 30 companies across a range of industries—from itsy-bitsy ones like the night club I started in my 20s to giant ones like Amazon.com, for which I was the first nonfamily investor. Then I founded aQuantive, an Internet advertising company that was sold to Microsoft in 2007 for $6.4 billion. In cash. My friends and I own a bank. I tell you all this to demonstrate that in many ways I’m no different from you. Like you, I have a broad perspective on business and capitalism. And also like you, I have been rewarded obscenely for my success, with a life that the other 99.99 percent of Americans can’t even imagine. Multiple homes, my own plane, etc., etc. You know what I’m talking about. In 1992, I was selling pillows made by my family’s business, Pacific Coast Feather Co., to retail stores across the country, and the Internet was a clunky novelty to which one hooked up with a loud squawk at 300 baud. But I saw pretty quickly, even back then, that many of my customers, the big department store chains, were already doomed. I knew that as soon as the Internet became fast and trustworthy enough—and that time wasn’t far off—people were going to shop online like crazy. Goodbye, Caldor. And Filene’s. And Borders. And on and on.

Thu, 27 Dec 2018 23:35:31 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Home. Get me to sleep ASAP — with erika

39.8497327-104.6739819

How Much of the Internet Is Fake?

Thu, 27 Dec 2018 19:16:14 -0600

How Much of the Internet Is Fake?

Photo: Artwork by Ayatgali Tuleubek

In late November, the Justice Department unsealed indictments against eight people accused of fleecing advertisers of $36 million in two of the largest digital ad-fraud operations ever uncovered. Digital advertisers tend to want two things: people to look at their ads and “premium” websites — i.e., established and legitimate publications — on which to host them.
The two schemes at issue in the case, dubbed Methbot and 3ve by the security researchers who found them, faked both. Hucksters infected 1.7 million computers with malware that remotely directed traffic to “spoofed” websites — “empty websites designed for bot traffic” that served up a video ad purchased from one of the internet’s vast programmatic ad-exchanges, but that were designed, according to the indictments, “to fool advertisers into thinking that an impression of their ad was served on a premium publisher site,” like that of Vogue or The Economist. Views, meanwhile, were faked by malware-infected computers with marvelously sophisticated techniques to imitate humans: bots “faked clicks, mouse movements, and social network login information to masquerade as engaged human consumers.” Some were sent to browse the internet to gather tracking cookies from other websites, just as a human visitor would have done through regular behavior. Fake people with fake cookies and fake social-media accounts, fake-moving their fake cursors, fake-clicking on fake websites — the fraudsters had essentially created a simulacrum of the internet, where the only real things were the ads.

Mon, 24 Dec 2018 18:44:00 -0600

Niece.

Posted on Instagram 6:44 pm, December 24, 2018

PewDiePie’s Battle for the Soul of the Internet – Quillette

Sun, 23 Dec 2018 08:58:53 -0600

PewDiePie’s Battle for the Soul of the Internet – Quillette

This is a story about the question of who holds power over what we can say, hear, watch and read on the internet—an increasingly urgent issue that many ordinary people have cause to think about every day. And yet the protagonist in this story, the man whose fate symbolizes the future of social media and the corporate web that controls it, is unknown to the vast majority of educated readers.

Sun, 23 Dec 2018 07:06:40 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Off we go. DEN:IAD — with erika

39.8497327-104.6739819

Facebook Is a Problem. The System It Feeds Is a Bigger One.

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 19:05:53 -0600

Facebook Is a Problem. The System It Feeds Is a Bigger One.

It’s easy, at this point, to see any Facebook scandal as more white noise; a few million people betrayed by the social network, an egregious overreach into a user’s personal data — another day online. But you shouldn’t sleep on a fresh New York Times report about the company’s dealings with other tech behemoths, like Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Spotify, Microsoft, Russia’s Yandex, and even, curiously, the Royal Bank of Canada. It follows similar reporting from the Wall Street Journal earlier this year and a related document dump from U.K. parliament just this month, but adds significantly more context to the well-established narrative that Facebook has repeatedly violated the trust of its 2.27 billion monthly users in pursuit of growth and profit.

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 18:57:52 -0600

Denver skyline by night #drone #dronephotography

39.7604294-104.9768295

#drone
#dronephotography

Posted on Instagram 6:57 pm, December 20, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m179475942a08029d89d94a34dc96e0e9 = { positions : { 136 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7604294’, ‘-104.9768295’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m179475942a08029d89d94a34dc96e0e9’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m179475942a08029d89d94a34dc96e0e9.positions ) { gmap_m179475942a08029d89d94a34dc96e0e9.bounds.extend( gmap_m179475942a08029d89d94a34dc96e0e9.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m179475942a08029d89d94a34dc96e0e9.positions ) { gmap_m179475942a08029d89d94a34dc96e0e9.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m179475942a08029d89d94a34dc96e0e9.map, position : gmap_m179475942a08029d89d94a34dc96e0e9.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m179475942a08029d89d94a34dc96e0e9.map.setCenter( gmap_m179475942a08029d89d94a34dc96e0e9.positions[136] ); });

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 12:40:37 -0600

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

39.761625-104.97923

Why you can’t manage humans like they’re software

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 19:27:32 -0700

Why you can’t manage humans like they’re software

Early on at Amazon, CEO Jeff Bezos famously issued a memo about how software was to be built at the company. Teams would share their data through service interfaces, or APIs, the same way that they would share it with an outside customer. That meant that a developer on one team didn’t need to know anything about how another team operated in order to integrate the product it made—he or she could follow the documentation and use that product as though it were an external service. Ultimately, this ease of cooperation became extremely efficient and is what paved the way for Amazon Web Services—a $6.7 billion business that powers huge parts of the web (including Netflix).

Digital Psychology

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 10:10:08 -0700

a free library of psychological principles and examples for inspiration to enhance the customer experience and connect with your users.

— https://digitalpsychology.io/

The Purpose Of Life Is Not Happiness: It’s Usefulness

Mon, 17 Dec 2018 23:45:34 -0700

The Purpose Of Life Is Not Happiness: It’s Usefulness

Darius Foroux Oct 3, 2016

For the longest time, I believed that there’s only purpose of life: And that is to be happy.

Right? Why else go through all the pain and hardship? It’s to achieve happiness in some way.

And I’m not the only person who believed that. In fact, if you look around you, most people are pursuing happiness in their lives.

Bad Managers Talk, Good Managers Write

Sun, 16 Dec 2018 22:38:13 -0700

Bad Managers Talk, Good Managers Write

The exemplary manager is often shown as the outgoing guy that gives his team pep talks and high fives. In truth, though, that stereotype couldn’t be farther from the truth.

To three highly effective, seasoned, and successful executives, being a good talker isn’t just overvalued, it can actually be detrimental. Rather, there’s a subtle, often-overlooked ability that’s one of the most vital skills you can have as a manager — the ability to write .

How many reports should a manager have?

Sun, 16 Dec 2018 23:04:30 -0600

How many reports should a manager have?

A few months back I was running down the San Francisco Bay, looking out over the dry docks and concrete factories, pondering organization structures… as you do.

I was wrestling with two pieces of seemingly contradictory management advice:

In order to optimize communication structures, particularly in fast paced environments, organizations should remain as flat as possible.
Managers shouldn’t have too many reports, if you want them to be able to adequately support their team.

Having worked in a range of different sized organizations the first piece of advice intuitively resonated. As you add layers of hierarchy, coordination becomes more complex and information gaps start to emerge. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as the “Iceberg of Ignorance ”, where executives only see 4% of the problems experienced by front-line staff. So, aiming to reduce hierarchy where possible made sense.

How to 10x Your Own Productivity as a Manager through Writing

Sun, 16 Dec 2018 22:30:18 -0600

How to 10x Your Own Productivity as a Manager through Writing

Managing a team is all about communication.

Contrary to popular belief, that doesn’t just mean holding meetings or updating Kanban boards. It means mobilizing others, transferring important concepts, and inspiring your team to do great things using the tools you have.

The problem of communication is also a “one-degree” problem. Get it off by just a little bit, and your team can end up in the completely wrong destination.

Sat, 15 Dec 2018 15:54:29 -0600

Checked in at New Terrain Brewing Co .

Post ride drinks. I earned it.

39.7794665-105.1860322

Sat, 15 Dec 2018 15:53:57 -0600

Checked in at North Table Mountain Park .

🚵🏼‍♂️🚵🏼‍♂️🚵🏼‍♂️

39.7815012-105.2245574

Sat, 15 Dec 2018 09:34:13 -0600

Denver Sunset. #djimavicair #drone

39.7604294-104.9768295

#djimavicair
#drone

Posted on Instagram 9:34 am, December 15, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m1cb3dae05c5a01a50d222185175afe39 = { positions : { 881 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7604294’, ‘-104.9768295’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m1cb3dae05c5a01a50d222185175afe39’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m1cb3dae05c5a01a50d222185175afe39.positions ) { gmap_m1cb3dae05c5a01a50d222185175afe39.bounds.extend( gmap_m1cb3dae05c5a01a50d222185175afe39.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m1cb3dae05c5a01a50d222185175afe39.positions ) { gmap_m1cb3dae05c5a01a50d222185175afe39.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m1cb3dae05c5a01a50d222185175afe39.map, position : gmap_m1cb3dae05c5a01a50d222185175afe39.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m1cb3dae05c5a01a50d222185175afe39.map.setCenter( gmap_m1cb3dae05c5a01a50d222185175afe39.positions[881] ); });

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 22:08:28 -0600

Checked in at Three Dogs Tavern .

North Holiday party after party — with erika

39.7620221-105.0323082

The Seductive Diversion of ‘Solving’ Bias in Artificial Intelligence

Sun, 09 Dec 2018 17:20:13 -0600

The Seductive Diversion of ‘Solving’ Bias in Artificial Intelligence

Co-authored with Helen Nissenbaum

The rise of Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Facebook as the world’s most valuable companies has been accompanied by two linked narratives about technology. One is about artificial intelligence — the golden promise and hard sell of these companies. A.I. is presented as a potent, pervasive, unstoppable force to solve our biggest problems, even though it’s essentially just about finding patterns in vast quantities of data. The second story is that A.I. has a problem: bias.

Sun, 09 Dec 2018 13:28:48 -0600

Checked in at Nashville International Airport (BNA) .

Ciao Nashville. BNA:DEN

36.1311627-86.6698169

Sat, 08 Dec 2018 18:32:45 -0700

Checked in at Ole Red .

#woocommerce party!

36.1616753-86.7760804

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 08:36:12 -0700

Checked in at WordCamp US .

Here with a few folks I know for #wcus — with Alx, Aaron, Cami, Drew

36.157274-86.776402

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 16:26:17 -0700

Checked in at JW Marriott Nashville .

Home for #wcus.

36.156544-86.780733

Building Distributed Engineering Teams

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 10:35:26 -0700

Building Distributed Engineering Teams

Bruno Miranda Nov 26

If you are only willing to look at candidates within San Francisco you are making your job 1,000 times harder from day one.With 860 thousand people in San Francisco, 326 million people in the United States, and over 1 billion people on the western hemisphere, there are massive upsides to having a distributed team.

In the next few paragraphs, I hope to share some lessons I’ve learned over the past twelve years building distributed engineering teams.

Scaling Engineering Teams via Writing Things Down and Sharing – aka RFCs

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 10:23:51 -0700

Scaling Engineering Teams via Writing Things Down and Sharing – aka RFCs

I have recently been talking at small and mid-size companies, sharing engineering best practices I see us use at Uber, which I would recommend any tech company adopt as they are growing. The one topic that gets both the most raised eyebrows, as well the most “aha!” moments is the one on how the planning process for engineering has worked since the early years of Uber.

Why Employee Onboarding is Holding Back Your Team, and How to Get it Right

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 10:13:50 -0700

Why Employee Onboarding is Holding Back Your Team, and How to Get it Right

Eric Jorgenson Apr 6, 2015

Evergreen is a weekly collection of links to the best learning resources in business, collected by a group of managers, founders, and investors. We contribute resources about one topic each week, which are synthesized and shared in this Weekly Edition. The aim is to learn more efficiently through increased context and focus. Join here to receive the next Edition of Evergreen Business Weekly.

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 09:07:48 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Pretty quiet today. DEN:BNA. Here I come #wcus

39.8497327-104.6739819

The new word processor wars: A fresh crop of productivity apps are trying to reinvent our workday

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 23:42:08 -0600

The new word processor wars: A fresh crop of productivity apps are trying to reinvent our workday

Microsoft’s vision for work is alive and well. An advertisement for Word for Windows 2.0 from 1991. (Microsoft Image)

Microsoft, more than any other institution on earth, has shaped how we work and how we think about it. If you spend your days in an office (and often if you don’t) everything you do is structured around a model that Microsoft popularized: E-mails in Outlook. Documents in Word. Numbers and project management in Excel. And presentations in PowerPoint. Like it or not, you live and breathe Microsoft’s vision of work.

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 18:39:20 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

OMG so many wall balls.

39.7676715-104.9738261

Design process for the messy in-between » cog & sprocket

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 23:01:44 -0600

Design process for the messy in-between » cog & sprocket

Stripe’s Will Larson on Designing a Performance Management System from Scratch

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 08:04:44 -0600

Stripe’s Will Larson on Designing a Performance Management System from Scratch

“In Engineering, we tend to hold this idea that these people systems—career ladders, performance reviews, calibration—are these evil things that aren’t very valuable. They’re thought of as bureaucracy. But it’s a shame. These are really powerful systems, and I’m actually excited to personally spend a lot of time with them.”

Will Larso n , who was previously an engineering leader at Digg and then Uber, now leads Foundation Engineering at Stripe . His organization partners with Infrastructure, Data, and Developer Productivity teams to build the tools that support every Stripe engineer and keep Stripe reliable and performant.

Climate change clobbers Colorado and the West, unfurling fire, drought, insects and heat

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 22:28:02 -0600

Climate change clobbers Colorado and the West, unfurling fire, drought, insects and heat

December 1, 2018 at 6:00 am
Categories:

Colorado News , Environment , Latest News , News

The devastation from the Fourmile Canyon Fire, years after in Sunshine Canyon west of Boulder, are still visible on Nov. 28, 2018 in Boulder. A recent climate change study shows that wildfires will be worse and more frequent because of climate change. Urban areas in Colorado continue to grow, and more of the population is moving into areas at high risk for wildfires.

The Digital Maginot Line

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 14:19:02 -0600

The Digital Maginot Line

There is a war happening. We are immersed in an evolving, ongoing conflict: an Information World War in which state actors, terrorists, and ideological extremists leverage the social infrastructure underpinning everyday life to sow discord and erode shared reality. The conflict is still being processed as a series of individual skirmishes – a collection of disparate, localized, truth-in-narrative problems – but these battles are connected. The campaigns are often perceived as organic online chaos driven by emergent, bottom-up amateur actions when a substantial amount is, in fact, helped along or instigated by systematic, top-down institutional and state actions. This is a kind of warm war; not the active, declared, open conflict of a hot war, but beyond the shadowboxing of a cold one.

Takeaways from High Output Management book

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 11:43:55 -0600

Takeaways from High Output Management book

High output management

05 November 2018

Earlier this year I read High Output Management . This is one of the best books I’ve read on leadership, and I really recommend you read it. Some of the things I took from it are here.

It’s really excellent on what the important things are when running a large team or business. Andy Grove was co-founder and CEO of Intel, so it’s written by someone who was actually doing the work at the time, unlike lots of other management books.

The Tools Every Product Manager Needs To Be Successful

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 10:03:37 -0600

The Tools Every Product Manager Needs To Be Successful

A successful product manager can’t rely on their mind alone.

It’s essential you have the right tools to navigate the various complexities of the job and stay connected with your team.

As a PM, your duties encompass quite a few different elements such as coming up with ideas, selling them, ensuring they’re executed, and monitoring their success. You can’t manage that execution with a three-ring binder and hand-drawn frameworks. So use the variety of tools available today to make your work easier.

Thinking in Triplicate – Mule Design Studio – Medium

Sun, 02 Dec 2018 09:58:23 -0600

Thinking in Triplicate – Mule Design Studio – Medium

Honeymoon in Japan

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 21:10:44 -0700

After our wedding , and cleaning everything up, we had just another day or two at home before heading off on our honeymoon. We decided to go to Japan, since neither of us had ever been there, and we both really wanted to go. It was a really amazing trip, even though it was brutally hot and humid at the time of year we went. We managed to do most of it on award points/miles as well, so that made it all even sweeter 🙂

Married

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 19:26:22 -0700

Erika and I finally made it official and got married this year. We were legally married on July 5th (at the courthouse), and then we celebrated with friends and family properly on July 7th. Here are some pics from the week.

Thursday Courtroom Wedding + Photos

Friday BBQ

We invited people from out of town over to our house for a casual BBQ on Friday the 6th. Since a huge portion of the people attending the wedding were from out of town, it ended up being a pretty big affair, but it was fun. I was running around like a madman, so I mostly forgot to take photos. Here are a couple though.

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 16:41:31 -0600

Downtown Denver Sunset. Taken from Five Points with a @djiglobal Mavic Air #drone #mavicair #denver #sunset #skyline

39.7391-104.9836

Posted on Instagram 4:41 pm, December 1, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m2b4e0f6dfbb0b6e0763d78d6dacf141b = { positions : { 411 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7391’, ‘-104.9836’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m2b4e0f6dfbb0b6e0763d78d6dacf141b’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m2b4e0f6dfbb0b6e0763d78d6dacf141b.positions ) { gmap_m2b4e0f6dfbb0b6e0763d78d6dacf141b.bounds.extend( gmap_m2b4e0f6dfbb0b6e0763d78d6dacf141b.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m2b4e0f6dfbb0b6e0763d78d6dacf141b.positions ) { gmap_m2b4e0f6dfbb0b6e0763d78d6dacf141b.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m2b4e0f6dfbb0b6e0763d78d6dacf141b.map, position : gmap_m2b4e0f6dfbb0b6e0763d78d6dacf141b.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m2b4e0f6dfbb0b6e0763d78d6dacf141b.map.setCenter( gmap_m2b4e0f6dfbb0b6e0763d78d6dacf141b.positions[411] ); });

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 14:02:40 -0600

It me. Taken on a @dji_mavic_air_photography #dji #drone #mavicair

39.7604294-104.9768295

Posted on Instagram 2:02 pm, December 1, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mc13314c9c8761852abe3d0b26cfdbe07 = { positions : { 512 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7604294’, ‘-104.9768295’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mc13314c9c8761852abe3d0b26cfdbe07’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mc13314c9c8761852abe3d0b26cfdbe07.positions ) { gmap_mc13314c9c8761852abe3d0b26cfdbe07.bounds.extend( gmap_mc13314c9c8761852abe3d0b26cfdbe07.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mc13314c9c8761852abe3d0b26cfdbe07.positions ) { gmap_mc13314c9c8761852abe3d0b26cfdbe07.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mc13314c9c8761852abe3d0b26cfdbe07.map, position : gmap_mc13314c9c8761852abe3d0b26cfdbe07.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mc13314c9c8761852abe3d0b26cfdbe07.map.setCenter( gmap_mc13314c9c8761852abe3d0b26cfdbe07.positions[512] ); });

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 13:45:17 -0600

Checked in at Hayati .

Getting a chai and checking out this newish place. Will come back for food next week.

39.759242-104.973233

Busy and Bored: Two Sides of the Same Coin | Conscious Leadership Group Blog

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 12:20:44 -0700

Busy and Bored: Two Sides of the Same Coin | Conscious Leadership Group Blog

When I ask leaders how they’re doing, the number one response I get is some version of “I’m busy.” I might hear: “I’m swamped,” or “I’m overwhelmed,” or “I’m stressed.” They might sigh with visibly tight or slumping shoulders, or say “great, move on, let’s get to coaching. I’ve got a lot to do.”

Whenever I hear this response, or feel this energy, regardless of the words spoken, I have a pretty good hunch the leader is below the line. Specifically, they’re experiencing a scarcity of time (Commitment #12) and a sense of a loss of control (Commitment #11). I imagine that most of you can relate to believing you don’t have enough time. This is why we say that most people (and leaders) spend most of their time below the line.

What are your career goals? What to do when you don’t know

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 23:13:45 -0700

What are your career goals? What to do when you don’t know

You: “So what are your career goals?” “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” “What job would you love to grow into?” Them: * Blank Stare *

What’s a manager to do?!?

In my hundreds of conversations with managers in building Lighthouse , one of the common questions I’ve heard is that you don’t know what to do when your team member doesn’t have a clear answer in mind on their goals. (Ed. Note: If someone is ready for the conversation, this post on having a great goals discussion will help.)

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 17:28:30 -0700

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Squeezing in another.

39.7676715-104.9738261

New in Basecamp: See where projects really stand with the Hill Chart

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 22:37:55 -0700

New in Basecamp: See where projects really stand with the Hill Chart

For years we’ve used Basecamp To-Dos to track all of our design and programming work here at Basecamp. They help us make sure that nothing slips through the cracks.

However, for some projects, tracking to-dos isn’t enough. When you have dozens or hundreds of tasks, you need a way to see the bigger picture. Is the project going to be done on time? Are we making progress on the right tasks? Which things need to be solved now and what can be deferred until later?

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 17:23:50 -0700

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

39.7676715-104.9738261

Superintelligence: The Idea That Eats Smart People

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 07:45:51 -0700

Superintelligence: The Idea That Eats Smart People

Superintelligence

The Idea That Eats Smart People

In 1945, as American physicists were preparing to test the atomic bomb, it occurred to someone to ask if such a test could set the atmosphere on fire.

This was a legitimate concern. Nitrogen, which makes up most of the atmosphere, is not energetically stable. Smush two nitrogen atoms together hard enough and they will combine into an atom of magnesium, an alpha particle, and release a whole lot of energy:

Roadmap Course Lesson 5 –

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 07:52:29 -0600

Roadmap Course Lesson 5 –

When you move to a theme-based roadmap, you shift from a feature-driven mindset (“What feature should we build next?”) to a problem-solving mindset (“What is the best way to solve this problem?”).

So how do you get a feature-driven company (or a feature-driven boss) onboard with your new, flexible framework? Show up to meetings with two documents: your roadmap and your release plan.

This prepares you for two separate conversations: a tactical one around your release plan and a strategic one around the product roadmap.

Roadmap Course Lesson 4 –

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 07:48:16 -0600

Roadmap Course Lesson 4 –

Today’s lesson is pretty short. So far we’ve been talking about the importance of communicating themes and ideas – but when do you finally plug them into a release plan?

The answer is: Just a few weeks ahead of the release itself.

Remember that the benefit of working with a theme-based roadmap is that you don’t have to plan features ahead of time. You don’t have to be stuck with dependencies. You don’t have to set a plan months in advance.

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 20:30:33 -0700

Checked in at Boulder Theater , for Chris Isaak.

Midweek outings. Outrageous. — with erika

40.0192018-105.2773906

Sun, 25 Nov 2018 13:19:23 -0700

Checked in at GQue BBQ .

Awwww yeah

39.9121791-105.0513042

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 20:11:25 -0600

#optoutside with friends, even if there are gusts of wind 60mph and it’s around freezing!

39.6353549-105.2792674

#optoutside

Posted on Instagram 8:11 pm, November 23, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m66bc6bbd297ecf3319d1cbd79f50784c = { positions : { 28 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.6353549’, ‘-105.2792674’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m66bc6bbd297ecf3319d1cbd79f50784c’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m66bc6bbd297ecf3319d1cbd79f50784c.positions ) { gmap_m66bc6bbd297ecf3319d1cbd79f50784c.bounds.extend( gmap_m66bc6bbd297ecf3319d1cbd79f50784c.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m66bc6bbd297ecf3319d1cbd79f50784c.positions ) { gmap_m66bc6bbd297ecf3319d1cbd79f50784c.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m66bc6bbd297ecf3319d1cbd79f50784c.map, position : gmap_m66bc6bbd297ecf3319d1cbd79f50784c.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m66bc6bbd297ecf3319d1cbd79f50784c.map.setCenter( gmap_m66bc6bbd297ecf3319d1cbd79f50784c.positions[28] ); });

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 18:54:21 -0700

Checked in at Costco Wholesale .

Cannot escape — with erika

39.7897752-105.0826406

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 16:14:43 -0700

Checked in at Evergreen Brewery and Tap House .

New brewery with friends! — with erika

39.6605732-105.3522193

I hate manager READMEs – Camille Fournier – Medium

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 12:26:13 -0700

I hate manager READMEs – Camille Fournier – Medium

I got feisty on twitter today and wrote up some tweets on manager READMEs, a recent hot trend in management. Let’s break them down:

Dropping f-bombs is one of my “quirks”

Well, what can I say, I’m sick of this trend. I’ve been a skeptic from day one, but what pushed me over the edge was watching one of my senior engineer friends react to this article on the concept . It mirrored the loathing I’ve heard from several senior engineers as well as the general negative reaction most managers in my trusted circle have about the concept. But we’ve got a lot of people trying to popularize the idea, so enough’s enough, and today I’m willing to be the critic to this well-intended exercise.

The ‘Geno-Economists’ Say DNA Can Predict Our Chances of Success

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 12:18:05 -0700

The ‘Geno-Economists’ Say DNA Can Predict Our Chances of Success

NOV. 16, 2018

Critics counter that their methods are naïve, offensive or both, but all agree: Either way, multigene testing will lead to a social upheaval.

The Tech And Design Issue

Critics counter that their methods are naïve, offensive or both, but all agree: Either way, multigene testing will lead to a social upheaval.

By JACOB WARDNOV. 16, 2018

How much money are you wired for?

Roadmap Course Lesson 3 –

Thu, 22 Nov 2018 14:59:29 -0700

Roadmap Course Lesson 3 –

The “trust me on this” attitude is no way to communicate the future of your product, and yet this is how a lot of companies still declare product decisions.

What you should be communicating – and what your teams would really like to know – is “WHY?”

Why are we working on this? What’s coming up next? Why are we doing this thing first and not the other thing? What should we tell the customers?

Roadmap Course Lesson 2 –

Thu, 22 Nov 2018 09:43:39 -0700

Roadmap Course Lesson 2 –

Today, we’re looking into what themes are for and how to use them for your roadmap.

Leading product consultant Jared Spool calls themes, “a promise to solve problems, not build features.” As Spool suggests, themes are a way for you to set high-level initiatives you plan to address on your roadmap without committing to a solution ahead of time. It gives you time and flexibility to consider a problem from different angles and discover what is really required to solve it.

Why 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’

Thu, 22 Nov 2018 09:38:33 -0700

Why 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’

An 72-meter ice core drilled in the Colle Gnifetti Glacier in the Swiss Alps entombs more than 2000 years of fallout from volcanoes, storms, and human pollution.

NICOLE SPAULDING/CCI FROM C. P. LOVELUCK ET AL., ANTIQUITY 10.15184, 4, 2018

Ask medieval historian Michael McCormick what year was the worst to be alive, and he’s got an answer: “536.” Not 1349, when the Black Death wiped out half of Europe. Not 1918, when the flu killed 50 million to 100 million people, mostly young adults. But 536. In Europe, “It was the beginning of one of the worst periods to be alive, if not the worst year,” says McCormick, a historian and archaeologist who chairs the Harvard University Initiative for the Science of the Human Past.

The four layers of communication in a functional team

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 23:28:14 -0700

The four layers of communication in a functional team

Functional teams have four layers of communication:

A mission (also known as a vision)
Strategy (made up of proximate objectives )
Tactics and process
Execution

This list might seem like it includes categories of action—it does. But it’s not just doing these things, but also communicating them that ties teams together. Communicating the items on this list plays a major role in scaling teams and leaders. With these things in place and communicated, it’s much easier to add people to a team, and then entire teams to an organization.

Empowered Product Teams

Sun, 18 Nov 2018 22:55:27 -0700

Empowered Product Teams

Note: This is the narrative article version of a talk I’ve started giving recently at conferences, product meetups and corporate leadership teams. It is a long read, but I believe it’s a critically important topic, and it lays out for people many of the topics I will be writing more about in the coming months.

Introduction

The main topic of my work, and the central topic in my book INSPIRED , is product discovery.

Sun, 18 Nov 2018 17:22:56 -0600

Denver sunset skyline. Taken with new @djiglobal Mavic Air #drone #dronephotography #denver #dronestagram

39.7391-104.9836

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A silent meeting is worth a thousand words

Sat, 17 Nov 2018 15:24:13 -0700

A silent meeting is worth a thousand words

Picture this: a room full of senior Square leads, gathered for an important review meeting. Everyone is looking at their computer, in complete silence, interrupted by bursts of clickety clack. 30 minutes later, the conversation starts.

What is going on? Is everyone waiting for the meeting to start? Are they practicing some form of silent retreat microdosing?

It turns out, this is simply how we work. Alyssa Henry, our VP of Seller , popularized at Square a modified version of this practice from Amazon . In a nutshell: the group in the meeting reviews a Google Doc in silence, asking and answering questions via Google Doc comments. After 30 minutes of this, we’ve identified key points that need to be discussed in person, and can then have a short, focused conversation. More importantly, we’ve given everyone a chance to be heard. As she says below, we’re building a culture where thoughts can be voiced (or written as the case may be) without worrying about someone talking over you.

Nondeterministic Software for the Rest of Us (Slides)

Sat, 17 Nov 2018 15:20:34 -0700

Nondeterministic Software for the Rest of Us (Slides)

A talk given at BuildStuff 2018 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Classically-trained (if you can call it that) software engineers are used to clear problem statements and clear success and acceptance criteria. Need a mobile front-end for your blog? Sure! Support instant messaging for a million concurrent users? No problem! Store and serve 50TB of JSON blobs? Presto!

Unfortunately, it turns out modern software often includes challenges that we have a hard time with: those without clear criteria for correctness, no easy way to measure performance and success is about more than green dashboards. Your blog platform better have a spam filter, your instant messaging service has to have search, and your blobs will inevitably be fed into some data scientist’s crazy contraption.

The Storm. The Mountain. Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare.

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 11:11:03 -0700

The Storm. The Mountain. Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare.

“The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning.”

—Ecclesiastes 7:4

It’s the second Wednesday of May in 2018, and more than 1,000 students, alumni, parents, and faculty affiliated with Oregon Episcopal School —a small private academy on a beautiful hilly campus in southwest Portland—have gathered at the base of a bell tower. Today is the 32nd annual Mount Hood Climb Service Day , and Melissa Robinson, the middle school chaplain, is offering a benediction.

Continuous Alignment of Product Management – Ross Mayfield – Medium

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 10:16:52 -0700

Continuous Alignment of Product Management – Ross Mayfield – Medium

There’s a startup product metaphor that bugs me. Your product is a rocket, and if your targeting at launch is 1% off — you miss the moon by 4,000 miles! The thing is products, rockets and targeting don’t work that way. I have resorted to a cartoon to explain:

In Products are Conversations I explained that great products come from conversations with customers and internal stakeholders. In this post, I’ll suggest how you can improve the Product Management process of Continuous Alignment with internal stakeholders towards envisioned outcomes.

Orange Skin, Thick Bones, and All the Other Ways the Human Body Could Change on Mars

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 09:55:38 -0700

Orange Skin, Thick Bones, and All the Other Ways the Human Body Could Change on Mars

Going to Mars will change us — and not just in a touchy-feely, metaphysical way.

Over time, we should expect a fair bit of evolutionary divergence between Mars settlers and the human population on Earth, according to Rice University biologist Scott Solomon, who examined this possibility in his 2016 book Future Humans: Inside the Science of Our Continuing Evolution . That divergence will start unspooling at the outset, thanks to something called “the founder effect.” No matter how or when it happens, the Red Planet will be settled by a relatively small group of people who are not perfectly representative of the entire human population. For example, it’s a pretty safe bet that Mars pioneers will be atypically adventurous and risk-tolerant. That means, Muskton — the odds are decent that the first Red Planet burg will be named after SpaceX’s CEO — will likely feature more rock-climbing gyms and bordellos per capita than cities here on Earth.

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 18:20:06 -0600

Checked in at United Club .

Office for the afternoon.

45.5899383-122.5921357

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 16:31:56 -0700

Remote work. #officetoday #a8c #automattic

45.5888698-122.5962222

Posted on Instagram 4:31 pm, November 9, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m5dd92be0f305503dd6670783e4042907 = { positions : { 287 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘45.5888698’, ‘-122.5962222’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m5dd92be0f305503dd6670783e4042907’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m5dd92be0f305503dd6670783e4042907.positions ) { gmap_m5dd92be0f305503dd6670783e4042907.bounds.extend( gmap_m5dd92be0f305503dd6670783e4042907.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m5dd92be0f305503dd6670783e4042907.positions ) { gmap_m5dd92be0f305503dd6670783e4042907.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m5dd92be0f305503dd6670783e4042907.map, position : gmap_m5dd92be0f305503dd6670783e4042907.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m5dd92be0f305503dd6670783e4042907.map.setCenter( gmap_m5dd92be0f305503dd6670783e4042907.positions[287] ); });

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 14:24:08 -0600

Checked in at Portland International Airport (PDX) .

Ciao PDX!

45.5890545-122.5929369

A weird but cool combination of Jeff Bezos and aging studies that will make you think differently about (learning and) aging.

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 08:47:17 -0700

A weird but cool combination of Jeff Bezos and aging studies that will make you think differently about (learning and) aging.

A Netflix Web Performance Case Study – Dev Channel – Medium

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 08:32:56 -0600

A Netflix Web Performance Case Study – Dev Channel – Medium

Improving Time-To-Interactive for Netflix.com on Desktop

tl;dr: There are no silver bullets to web performance. Simple static pages benefit from being server-rendered with minimal JavaScript. Libraries can provide great value for complex pages when used with care.

Netflix is one of the most popular video streaming services. Since launching globally in 2016, the company has found that many new users are not only signing up on mobile devices but are also using less-than-ideal connections to do so.

You’re Not Managing a Team of Software Engineers, You’re Managing a Team of Writers

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 08:23:52 -0600

You’re Not Managing a Team of Software Engineers, You’re Managing a Team of Writers

I once asked an engineer who I greatly admired, how he started building the system that he (successfully) submitted for his PhD. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but probably something about careful structural design, some deep thinking about architecture, maybe some blinding insight.

Instead, he said, “I started pulling on threads”, which really took me by surprise. It was such a casual admission that he had been finding the system rather than building from a detailed plan. But I also felt a recognition: it just sounded right. It matched how I had been building my own systems up to then, but not really admitting it. I made plans, sketched some architecture, and then started pulling on threads of ideas to begin to find out what the system wanted to be.

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 07:18:26 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Off again. DEN:PDX.

39.8497327-104.6739819

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 17:28:24 -0700

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

39.7676715-104.9738261

I Know the Salaries of Thousands of Tech Employees – Power Trip – Medium

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 07:18:16 -0600

I Know the Salaries of Thousands of Tech Employees – Power Trip – Medium

I’m a software engineer with three years of experience, working at Square, a public tech company in San Francisco. I make $130,000, plus $47,500 in stock, for a total of $177,500 a year.

I didn’t negotiate my base salary. I did, however, negotiate my four-year initial stock grant from $150,000 to $190,000. I started my job on February 5. The current value of that grant, which fluctuates by the day, is $412,390.02. If this stock price stays the same until I vest my first year of stock, my “real” annual compensation will be $233,097.51.

Upscale Food and Gear Bring Campsite Cooking Out of the Wild

Sun, 28 Oct 2018 22:58:46 -0600

Upscale Food and Gear Bring Campsite Cooking Out of the Wild

The chefs John Griffiths and Leslie Peng, who are married, like to car-camp and backpack. They recently put out a spread on a fire at a campsite near Wrights Lake in the Sierras.CreditJim Wilson/The New York Times

Barbara Hodgin, who was once president of the Pacific Crest Trail Association , is old enough to remember a time when, if you asked a backpacker what was for dinner, the standard answer was either “brown in a cup” or “green in a cup.” A clever hack for trail pad thai was an envelope of unsweetened lime Kool-Aid.

Taking the Mystery out of Scaling a Company

Sun, 28 Oct 2018 22:35:02 -0600

Taking the Mystery out of Scaling a Company

“What you got a dollar in your pocket

A twenty in your wallet?

See me I’m stacking money

Matter of fact, I’ll let you watch it

Get big

Get big

Get big

Get big”

—Dorrough, Get Big

If you want to build an important company, then at some point you have to scale. People in startup land often talk about the magic of how few people built the original Google or the original Facebook, but today’s Google employs 20,000 people and today’s Facebook employs over 1,500 people. So, if you want to do something that matters, then you are going to have to learn the black art of scaling a human organization.

How Doist Makes Remote Work Happen – Ambition & Balance

Sat, 27 Oct 2018 21:46:25 -0600

How Doist Makes Remote Work Happen – Ambition & Balance

When I first started at Doist, we were 3 people working from 2 countries. Today, we’re 51 people working from 20 countries and counting. The idea of building a remote company wasn’t something we explicitly discussed at the start — it simply grew out of necessity.

One of the challenges when you start out as a bootstrapped company with an unknown brand and little cash on hand is access to talent. Amir and I were working from Santiago, Chile, and at that time we hadn’t come to understand the ins and outs of the country well enough to find the right people locally. When Amir decided it was finally time to hire someone to help answer support tickets, he struck gold with Doist’s first employee, David, on the global freelance platform Elance (now Upwork).

Sat, 27 Oct 2018 15:34:41 -0600

Halloweenies. The butternut is a reject from our garden.

39.7572-104.967

Posted on Instagram 3:34 pm, October 27, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mc53658ab7cdb013bafb3018d5d5c6b75 = { positions : { 126 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mc53658ab7cdb013bafb3018d5d5c6b75’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mc53658ab7cdb013bafb3018d5d5c6b75.positions ) { gmap_mc53658ab7cdb013bafb3018d5d5c6b75.bounds.extend( gmap_mc53658ab7cdb013bafb3018d5d5c6b75.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mc53658ab7cdb013bafb3018d5d5c6b75.positions ) { gmap_mc53658ab7cdb013bafb3018d5d5c6b75.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mc53658ab7cdb013bafb3018d5d5c6b75.map, position : gmap_mc53658ab7cdb013bafb3018d5d5c6b75.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mc53658ab7cdb013bafb3018d5d5c6b75.map.setCenter( gmap_mc53658ab7cdb013bafb3018d5d5c6b75.positions[126] ); });

The Canonical Startup Org Structure

Sat, 27 Oct 2018 10:23:35 -0600

The Canonical Startup Org Structure

When startups are just getting started, no organization is necessary for the most part. The team is so small and everyone is so connected. But, as they grow the question of how to organize quickly becomes important. Once that happens, there is a right way for almost all startups to organize: a functional organization with cross-functional teams focused on particular areas. This doesn’t mean that absolutely every startup needs to be organized this way but it should be the starting point and organizations should have good reasons for going with a different approach.

Team choreography

Fri, 26 Oct 2018 22:09:03 -0600

Team choreography

Sat, 20 Oct 2018 18:39:49 -0600

Rode Little Scraggy Loop today and it was definitely one of, if not my favorite ride in CO.

39.3867-105.27

Posted on Instagram 6:39 pm, October 20, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m0679642a484232146ad39f4ea75bc02a = { positions : { 509 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.3867’, ‘-105.27’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m0679642a484232146ad39f4ea75bc02a’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m0679642a484232146ad39f4ea75bc02a.positions ) { gmap_m0679642a484232146ad39f4ea75bc02a.bounds.extend( gmap_m0679642a484232146ad39f4ea75bc02a.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m0679642a484232146ad39f4ea75bc02a.positions ) { gmap_m0679642a484232146ad39f4ea75bc02a.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m0679642a484232146ad39f4ea75bc02a.map, position : gmap_m0679642a484232146ad39f4ea75bc02a.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m0679642a484232146ad39f4ea75bc02a.map.setCenter( gmap_m0679642a484232146ad39f4ea75bc02a.positions[509] ); });

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 18:31:54 -0600

Checked in at The Block Distilling Co .

39.7622114-104.9806488

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 18:31:04 -0600

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

39.761625-104.97923

Product Management Mental Models for Everyone

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 08:33:00 -0600

Product Management Mental Models for Everyone

Mental models are simple expressions of complex processes or relationships. These models are accumulated over time by an individual and used to make faster and better decisions.

Here’s an example: the Pareto Principle states that roughly 80% of all outputs comes from 20% of the effort.

In the context of product management, the model suggests that instead of trying to create 100% of the customer opportunity, you may want to look for how to do 20% of the effort and solve 80% of the opportunity. Product teams make this trade off all the time, and the results often looks like feature launches where 20% of customers with more complicated use cases aren’t supported.

Mon, 08 Oct 2018 17:19:59 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

This will hurt.

39.7676715-104.9738261

The Lies We Tell Ourselves

Sun, 07 Oct 2018 22:03:11 -0600

The Lies We Tell Ourselves

A couple of years ago I had an opportunity to be promoted. I evaluated the role. I had a plan for how I would implement in that role. I talked to the hiring manager (my manager at the time). I talked to my network inside the company. I knew the competition and, in my estimation, I was a better fit for the role and for the direction the organization should take. I was certain I had the position in the bag.

Sun, 07 Oct 2018 11:52:46 -0600

Checked in at Cherry Creek Shopping Center .

Looking for some shoes — with erika

39.7164298-104.9531385

Sat, 06 Oct 2018 10:16:23 -0600

Checked in at Orlando International Airport (MCO) .

Time to go home. So exhausted, but #a8cgm had been great.

28.4311906-81.3074715

Sun, 30 Sep 2018 05:38:52 -0600

Checked in at Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista – Disney Springs Area .

#a8cgm first full day; here we go

28.3726305-81.5107951

Sat, 29 Sep 2018 14:52:57 -0600

Checked in at Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista – Disney Springs Area .

#a8cgm HQ

28.3726305-81.5107951

Sat, 29 Sep 2018 13:01:50 -0600

Checked in at Orlando International Airport (MCO) .

On the ground for #a8cgm. Time to Disney. — with Kelly, Michael

28.4308206-81.3068858

Sat, 29 Sep 2018 09:00:55 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Off we go to #a8cgm.

39.8497327-104.6739819

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 18:25:00 -0600

Checked in at Bottles&Bitters .

39.75314-105.053986

What the Instagram Shake-up Means for the App—and Its Users

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 21:35:38 -0600

What the Instagram Shake-up Means for the App—and Its Users

Getty Images/Ringer illustration

Instagram is on the brink of fundamental change: On Monday night, cofounders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger resigned amid rising tensions with the app’s parent company, Facebook.

“Mike and I are grateful for the last eight years at Instagram and six years with the Facebook team,” Systrom wrote on the company’s website, adding “We’re now ready for our next chapter.” In a statement to The New York Times, Mark Zuckerberg said “I wish them all the best and I’m looking forward to seeing what they build next.”

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 17:27:13 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

One more before #a8cgm breaks my streak.

39.7676715-104.9738261

Personal Mission Statements Of 5 Famous CEOs (And Why You Should Write One Too)

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 23:24:33 -0600

Personal Mission Statements Of 5 Famous CEOs (And Why You Should Write One Too)

Editor’s Note: This is one of the most-read leadership articles of 2014. Click here to see the full list .

Companies have developed mission statements for years. It helps guide them by defining who they are and why they do what they do. Coca-Cola’s mission statement, for example, is “To refresh the world. To inspire moments of optimism and happiness. To create value and make a difference.” For Google it’s “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Sun, 23 Sep 2018 20:36:42 -0600

Fall colors.

39.4864-106.044

Posted on Instagram 8:36 pm, September 23, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m27133d640f34f0889115dae7c97e1254 = { positions : { 727 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.4864’, ‘-106.044’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m27133d640f34f0889115dae7c97e1254’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m27133d640f34f0889115dae7c97e1254.positions ) { gmap_m27133d640f34f0889115dae7c97e1254.bounds.extend( gmap_m27133d640f34f0889115dae7c97e1254.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m27133d640f34f0889115dae7c97e1254.positions ) { gmap_m27133d640f34f0889115dae7c97e1254.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m27133d640f34f0889115dae7c97e1254.map, position : gmap_m27133d640f34f0889115dae7c97e1254.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m27133d640f34f0889115dae7c97e1254.map.setCenter( gmap_m27133d640f34f0889115dae7c97e1254.positions[727] ); });

Backyard Fall Fire

Sat, 22 Sep 2018 20:36:00 -0600

https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/vp/cb9c934c4000e12adf412ba8dc63dbd8/5BA91589/t50.2886-16/42391906_1919959404973527_1650418892331286528_n.mp4

Backyard Fall Fire

Loosely Joined

Sat, 22 Sep 2018 16:24:01 -0700

I had to chuckle recently when I realized just how complex some of the systems in my life are, even if I rarely think about the details.

Most nights, I weigh myself on a Withings wifi scale (an older version).
That data syncs over Google Wifi , via a Comcast Xfinity connection , to the Nokia/Withings Health Mate service.
Then MyFitnessPal automatically syncs the data from Health Mate, and keeps a copy,
before Garmin Connect also syncs a copy to integrate back with other data (like heart rate and activities) .
If I’ve been doing specific activities, then some of the data from Garmin Connect (although not that weight info) will also sync out to Strava and create activity records.

The last step remaining is that I want to hook up my copy of WordPress to sync all of the data back so that I have a copy under my direct control.

Sat, 22 Sep 2018 13:41:14 -0700

Getting rad coasters custom engraved at Renegade Craft Fair #thewoodchickrenegade2018 #makerswanted

39.7676-104.97508

Posted on Instagram 1:41 pm, September 22, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m4b4da17353e1b8270b3b18c24d080497 = { positions : { 376 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7676’, ‘-104.97508’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m4b4da17353e1b8270b3b18c24d080497’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m4b4da17353e1b8270b3b18c24d080497.positions ) { gmap_m4b4da17353e1b8270b3b18c24d080497.bounds.extend( gmap_m4b4da17353e1b8270b3b18c24d080497.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m4b4da17353e1b8270b3b18c24d080497.positions ) { gmap_m4b4da17353e1b8270b3b18c24d080497.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m4b4da17353e1b8270b3b18c24d080497.map, position : gmap_m4b4da17353e1b8270b3b18c24d080497.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m4b4da17353e1b8270b3b18c24d080497.map.setCenter( gmap_m4b4da17353e1b8270b3b18c24d080497.positions[376] ); });

Sat, 22 Sep 2018 12:45:05 -0600

Checked in at Exdo Event Center .

Renegade Craft Fair — with erika

39.767599-104.9748144

10 Bootstrapping Lessons from the Creator of Managed WordPress Hosting – Indie Hackers

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 22:08:25 -0600

10 Bootstrapping Lessons from the Creator of Managed WordPress Hosting – Indie Hackers

12 years ago, my talented wife and I had an idea for something known today as “Managed WordPress Hosting .”

Yes, I’m half of the inventor of managed WordPress hosting, which is now a multi-billion dollar hosting channel, and you’ve likely never heard of me.

That’s because Pagely , the managed WordPress company I co-founded isn’t venture funded, and it’s not on Fortune’s list of billion-dollar unicorns. We were then, and still are very much today – Indie Hackers .

Growing up tech leads: notes on running a skill share for your peers

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 21:40:17 -0600

Growing up tech leads: notes on running a skill share for your peers

Mazel tov! We did this in August of 2017. It was a great experience, and helped a lot of us brainstorm, problem-solve and level up in our careers. A lot of work went into making it the great experience it was. This document is designed to help you bootstrap a group of your own.

Mission statement

Leadership is not a spot on the org chart, or a role someone can assign you, or a set of facts you can memorize. Leadership is a muscle that every one of us has to exercise. It helps to have a set of peers you can be radically vulnerable with, who you can swap stories and experiences with and hold each other accountable.

How E-Commerce Is Transforming Rural China

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 07:55:48 -0600

How E-Commerce Is Transforming Rural China

In isolated regions, JD.com is expanding its reach, creating on-the-ground jobs and testing drone delivery. Will villagers be less tempted to leave for the big city?

Illustration by Jun Cen

Xia Canjun was born in 1979, the youngest of seven siblings, in Cenmang, a village of a hundred or so households nestled at the foot of the Wuling Mountains, in the far west of Hunan Province. Xia’s mother was illiterate, and his father barely finished first grade. The family made a living as corn farmers, and had been in Cenmang for more generations than anyone could remember. The region was poor, irrigation was inadequate—the family often went hungry—and there were few roads. Trips to the county seat, Xinhuang, ten miles away, were made twice a year, on a rickety three-wheeled cart, and until the age of ten Xia didn’t leave the village at all. But he was never particularly unhappy. “When you are a frog at the bottom of the well, the world is both big and small,” he likes to say, referring to a famous fable by Zhuangzi, the Aesop of ancient China, in which a frog, certain that nowhere can be as good as the environment he knows, is astonished when a turtle tells him about the sea. As a child, Xia said, he was “a happy frog,” content to play in the dirt roads between the mud houses of the village.

You have to choose between Software Delivered on Time and Good Software

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 22:25:08 -0600

You have to choose between Software Delivered on Time and Good Software

Milky Way, Mars and a Meteor

Hopefully I caught your attention with the controversial (and admittedly hyperbolic) title. Good. Let me restate it in a slightly more elegant and less clickbaity form:

In general, you can either have software delivered on time or good software, but you can’t have both*

* except on counted occasions in established, highly-performant teams

How “systems thinking” can level up your work — and your life

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 22:09:04 -0600

How “systems thinking” can level up your work — and your life

Originally published on JOTFORM.COM

Four blind men came upon an elephant in the forest.

They had never experienced this massive creature before. Slowly, they each reached out and touched a different part of the elephant.

“It’s like a snake,” one man said as he felt the long, supple trunk.

“No, it’s a column,” pronounced another, leaning on the muscular leg.

Documenting Decisions in a Remote Team

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 21:59:40 -0600

Documenting Decisions in a Remote Team

The 6 Causes of Professional Burnout And How To Avoid Them

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 21:55:41 -0600

The 6 Causes of Professional Burnout And How To Avoid Them

Burnout: It’s a word that gets thrown around often, especially among busy, working professionals: “If things around here don’t slow down soon, I’m headed for burnout!”.

The truth, however, is that a busy schedule alone isn’t enough to trigger professional burnout.

Christina Maslach, creator of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and author of The Truth About Burnout , has identified six “mismatches” that make a person more likely to burn out – and only one of these factors is too much work: “[I]t is a common belief that there is just one dimension to job stress, work overload. Indeed, overload is often considered to be a synonym for stress. But in our burnout model, overload is only one of six mismatches in the workplace. And it’s not always the most critical, especially it things are going well in some of the other areas.”

Design for People, Use People Language – Julie Zhuo – Medium

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 21:49:14 -0600

Design for People, Use People Language – Julie Zhuo – Medium

People paintings photo by Robin Hutton

The first rule of building a valuable product is that it should be valuable for someone. Meaning, an actual, real-life person (or many such people) should have some problem or desire addressed because of your work.

This is pretty obvious. And yet, if you listen to the everyday language of builders, this isn’t always how we’re talking.

Exactly what to say when recruiters ask you to name the first number… and other negotiation word-for-words

Sun, 09 Sep 2018 22:16:55 -0600

Exactly what to say when recruiters ask you to name the first number… and other negotiation word-for-words

There are a lot of resources out there that talk about salary negotiation but many tend to skew a bit theoretical. In my experience, one of the hardest things about negotiating your salary is knowing what to say in tough, ambiguous situations with a power balance that’s not in your favor. What’s OK? What’s rude? What are the social norms? And so on.

The Product Manager Problem – Pingpad

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 21:56:02 -0600

The Product Manager Problem – Pingpad

The Product Manager Problem

Ever since the Product Manager role was created to bring decision making as close to customers as possible, it has been an art and science of collaborating with stakeholders. The problem today is how to scale collaboration with your stakeholders, when the signal-to noise ratio is out of control:

Customers overwhelmed with choice and information to inform buying decisions, and have less time to engage
Markets more competitive, global, connected, and constantly disrupted
Information overload permeates inside the enterprise with a constant real time flow
Your internal stakeholders (management, engineering, design, sales, marketing, support and customer success) are overwhelmed and hard to align

The problem is all this noise keeps Product Managers from collaborating efficiently and effectively with their stakeholders — especially from collaborating with customers to create a breakthrough product. A good product manager keeps things organized in spreadsheets and has amazing communication disciplines that hold it all together. But those practices and tools don’t scale and it gets harder every day to find the signal in the noise.

WordPress is at a Crossroads – Noteworthy – The Journal Blog

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 21:50:22 -0600

WordPress is at a Crossroads – Noteworthy – The Journal Blog

I’ve been a WordPress user for nearly 14 years. I’ve watched as it has grown from a plucky little blogging platform struggling to compete with MovableType to become the dominant content management system (CMS) on the internet.

WordPress is my life. It is where I do most of my writing, the platform that runs my business and I owe much of my success to it. And I’m not alone…

Snowbound

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 11:40:33 -0600

Snowbound

As Stephen Olshansky hiked south through alpine Colorado in the crackling beauty of autumn 2015, he knew he was playing chicken with the arrival of winter. He was almost past the highest peaks along the Continental Divide Trail as fall storms laid down the first sheets of snow—not enough to stop him in his tracks, but plenty to slow him. “I was postholing a lot, shin to knee deep above 9,000 [feet]” in southern Colorado’s San Juan Range, he wrote on his blog.

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 03:01:56 -0600

Checked in at United Club .

Club access makes things better.

51.4719473-0.4424964

Go Slow to Go Fast - Part 3: World – Counter Intuition – Medium

Sat, 25 Aug 2018 10:39:38 -0600

Go Slow to Go Fast - Part 3: World – Counter Intuition – Medium

Building Strong Foundations for Leadership

This is the part 3 of 3 of an edited version of my talk on becoming strong leaders, given at Lead Dev London, June 2018. See here for Part 1 , and Part 2 .

You can be highly productive yourself, and you can grow and develop a great team, but you can’t be a great leader if you’re leading people toward the wrong thing.

Sat, 25 Aug 2018 08:23:03 -0600

Checked in at St. Luke’s Community Centre .

#cafeworking with a couple of my teams at a meetup.

51.5265777-0.0962094

In Pursuit of Production Minimalism — Brandur Leach

Sat, 25 Aug 2018 03:24:19 -0600

In Pursuit of Production Minimalism — Brandur Leach

While working at Lockheed during the cold war, Kelly

Johnson was reported to have coined KISS (“keep it

simple, stupid”); a principle that suggests glibly that

systems should be designed to be as simple as possible.

While complexity is never a conscious design goal of any

project, it arises inherently as new features are pursued

or new components are introduced. KISS encourages designers

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 16:59:55 -0600

Checked in at United Club West .

Pre-flight fueling.

39.8587826-104.6758905

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 16:03:02 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Busy on a Friday afternoon!

39.8497327-104.6739819

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 19:58:54 -0600

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

39.7550951-104.9770794

Ownership — the secret ingredient

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 07:57:28 -0600

Ownership — the secret ingredient

Recruiting is a process that we take very seriously at our company. We strive to hire the best engineers, the best product managers, and the best designers, and guess what; almost every other company out there does too.

Last week I re-read a blog post by Joel Spolsky in which he discusses his take on recruiting. In the post, The Guerrilla Guide to Interviewing , he talks about how to interview and hire new engineers to your development teams and what you should look for while you hire. I believe that this is a must-read for every recruiter. In his post, he mentions only two things that he looks for in an interviewee:

CTO vs VP Engineering: What’s the Difference?

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 22:03:50 -0600

CTO vs VP Engineering: What’s the Difference?

What is the top technical leader in a startup: The CTO, or the VP of Engineering?

As anybody who has worked in a startup can see, this is the wrong question to ask. These are very different roles, and the roles themselves change and evolve as the startup grows. Both are important for the business to scale.

Here is my take on the responsibilities of the CTO versus VP Engineering roles.

Sun, 12 Aug 2018 22:36:23 -0600

Today’s harvest! The garden is going crazy lately. #inmygarden #squash #beans #peaches

39.7572-104.967

Posted on Instagram 10:36 pm, August 12, 2018

Why Food? — For Positive Change in the Food Industry by Yvon Chouinard – Patagonia Provisions

Sat, 11 Aug 2018 23:27:27 -0600

Why Food? — For Positive Change in the Food Industry by Yvon Chouinard – Patagonia Provisions

Why Food?

How a clothing company is aiming to fix our broken food chain

By Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia

The tradition and culture of food have always been important to us at Patagonia. On our many travels, the meals—cedar-planked salmon with First Nations friends in BC, tsampa in yak-hair tents in Tibet, asado and chimichurri with Patagonian gauchos—become a vital part of the experience. What we eat does more than just fill our stomachs and nourish our bodies; good food lifts our spirits and helps us understand the world a little better.

Sat, 11 Aug 2018 11:14:05 -0600

Today’s harvest! #carrots #beets #veggiegarden #gardening #inmygarden

39.7572-104.967

Posted on Instagram 11:14 am, August 11, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mdd5d03c1392898475a4a358217896a20 = { positions : { 206 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mdd5d03c1392898475a4a358217896a20’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mdd5d03c1392898475a4a358217896a20.positions ) { gmap_mdd5d03c1392898475a4a358217896a20.bounds.extend( gmap_mdd5d03c1392898475a4a358217896a20.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mdd5d03c1392898475a4a358217896a20.positions ) { gmap_mdd5d03c1392898475a4a358217896a20.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mdd5d03c1392898475a4a358217896a20.map, position : gmap_mdd5d03c1392898475a4a358217896a20.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mdd5d03c1392898475a4a358217896a20.map.setCenter( gmap_mdd5d03c1392898475a4a358217896a20.positions[206] ); });

Thu, 09 Aug 2018 12:20:16 -0700

Checked in at Spivack Vision Center .

erika is getting her eyes lasered into shape.

39.5914238-104.8876224

How to Fall Asleep in 120 Seconds – Member Feature Stories – Medium

Thu, 09 Aug 2018 09:53:25 -0600

How to Fall Asleep in 120 Seconds – Member Feature Stories – Medium

When you’re on military exercise, sleep is a luxury. Maybe you can only snatch a few hours each day. So there’s nothing so frustrating as lying in your sleeping bag with your eyes closed, waiting for something to happen.

You’re totally exhausted. You have to be up in three hours for picket. You’re distracted by the noises around you. There’s a rock jutting into your hip bone. Or you’re replaying the day’s events on repeat in your head.

Thu, 09 Aug 2018 08:12:24 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Home.

39.8497327-104.6739819

Thu, 09 Aug 2018 03:21:14 -0700

Checked in at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) .

You are a complete hellscape LGA.

40.7728881-73.8688087

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 08:07:21 -0700

Checked in at Quartz .

Squatting with our friends today.

40.7417284-73.9937929

Tue, 07 Aug 2018 07:17:51 -0700

Checked in at WeWork Penn Station .

Werk.

40.7540136-73.9933751

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 13:37:22 -0700

Checked in at Urban Vintage .

Super cute place.

40.6879744-73.9627103

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 12:22:36 -0700

Checked in at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) .

This airport is terrible. Let’s hope I can get out of here without some kind of disaster.

40.7728881-73.8688087

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 07:36:49 -0700

Checked in at Gate B31 .

39.8588046-104.6751408

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 07:36:12 -0700

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Off again. DEN:LGA

39.8497327-104.6739819

The Healthiest People in the World Don’t Go to the Gym

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 07:12:53 -0600

The Healthiest People in the World Don’t Go to the Gym

If you want to be as healthy as possible, there are no treadmills or weight machines required.

Don’t just take my word for it — look to the longest-lived people in the world for proof.

People in the world’s Blue Zones — the places around the world with the highest life expectancy — don’t pump iron, run marathons or join gyms .

How the Blog Broke the Web

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 07:08:57 -0600

How the Blog Broke the Web

I first got online in 1993, back when the Web had a capital letter — three, in fact — and long before irony stretched its legs and unbuttoned its flannel shirt. Back when you could really say you were surfing the net.

And the first thing I did when I logged on line, every single time, for years was to load up Netscape’s What’s Cool.

Sun, 05 Aug 2018 16:54:08 -0700

Checked in at Arc’teryx .

with erika

39.4159472-104.8726981

Sun, 05 Aug 2018 13:07:50 -0700

Checked in at REI .

An outdoor adventure of any kind somehow always seems to inspire another trip here — with erika

39.755622-105.009853

Sun, 05 Aug 2018 00:29:09 -0600

Killer ride this afternoon. Absolutely loved it, although it really wore me out.

39.0957279-106.1018957

Posted on Instagram 12:29 am, August 5, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m9fbe8192128051d86c3d7644850107e0 = { positions : { 681 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.0957279’, ‘-106.1018957’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m9fbe8192128051d86c3d7644850107e0’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m9fbe8192128051d86c3d7644850107e0.positions ) { gmap_m9fbe8192128051d86c3d7644850107e0.bounds.extend( gmap_m9fbe8192128051d86c3d7644850107e0.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m9fbe8192128051d86c3d7644850107e0.positions ) { gmap_m9fbe8192128051d86c3d7644850107e0.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m9fbe8192128051d86c3d7644850107e0.map, position : gmap_m9fbe8192128051d86c3d7644850107e0.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m9fbe8192128051d86c3d7644850107e0.map.setCenter( gmap_m9fbe8192128051d86c3d7644850107e0.positions[681] ); });

Sun, 22 Jul 2018 08:21:36 -0600

Checked in at Shinjuku Golden-gai (新宿ゴールデン街) .

with erika

35.693939139.704701

Sat, 21 Jul 2018 23:59:27 -0600

Godzilla!

35.6952601139.7019768

Posted on Instagram 11:59 pm, July 21, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mb86592bfe3c7c60bc98e097ff1b9e92c = { positions : { 794 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘35.6952601’, ‘139.7019768’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mb86592bfe3c7c60bc98e097ff1b9e92c’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mb86592bfe3c7c60bc98e097ff1b9e92c.positions ) { gmap_mb86592bfe3c7c60bc98e097ff1b9e92c.bounds.extend( gmap_mb86592bfe3c7c60bc98e097ff1b9e92c.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mb86592bfe3c7c60bc98e097ff1b9e92c.positions ) { gmap_mb86592bfe3c7c60bc98e097ff1b9e92c.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mb86592bfe3c7c60bc98e097ff1b9e92c.map, position : gmap_mb86592bfe3c7c60bc98e097ff1b9e92c.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mb86592bfe3c7c60bc98e097ff1b9e92c.map.setCenter( gmap_mb86592bfe3c7c60bc98e097ff1b9e92c.positions[794] ); });

Sat, 21 Jul 2018 23:57:12 -0600

Checked in at Hotel Gracery Shinjuku (ホテルグレイスリー新宿) .

Godzirra hotel! — with erika

35.6952667139.7020914

Sat, 21 Jul 2018 03:54:23 -0600

I think we could get used to this place.

35.2496222139.0352638

Posted on Instagram 3:54 am, July 21, 2018

Sat, 21 Jul 2018 03:42:51 -0600

Just a light breakfast…

35.2496222139.0352638

Posted on Instagram 3:42 am, July 21, 2018

Sat, 21 Jul 2018 03:40:19 -0600

Pretty proud of our chopstick wrapper hashioki.

35.25139.15

Posted on Instagram 3:40 am, July 21, 2018

Sat, 21 Jul 2018 03:37:32 -0600

If you get there early, it’s relatively empty. #temple #shrine

34.967222135.772778

#shrine
#temple

Posted on Instagram 3:37 am, July 21, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mc228ece0a389d09499f56dda0c064a88 = { positions : { 321 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘34.967222’, ‘135.772778’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mc228ece0a389d09499f56dda0c064a88’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mc228ece0a389d09499f56dda0c064a88.positions ) { gmap_mc228ece0a389d09499f56dda0c064a88.bounds.extend( gmap_mc228ece0a389d09499f56dda0c064a88.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mc228ece0a389d09499f56dda0c064a88.positions ) { gmap_mc228ece0a389d09499f56dda0c064a88.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mc228ece0a389d09499f56dda0c064a88.map, position : gmap_mc228ece0a389d09499f56dda0c064a88.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mc228ece0a389d09499f56dda0c064a88.map.setCenter( gmap_mc228ece0a389d09499f56dda0c064a88.positions[321] ); });

Tue, 10 Jul 2018 10:59:22 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

HONEYMOON — with erika

39.8497327-104.6739819

Sun, 08 Jul 2018 12:59:11 -0600

Checked in at Ratio Beerworks .

39.7615117-104.981292

Sat, 07 Jul 2018 16:17:17 -0600

A quick @oldyoungsdistillery gin before some more wedding photos and then the main show. Wedding party with @akires coming up. #beaurika

39.7572-104.967

#beaurika

Posted on Instagram 4:17 pm, July 7, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_ma8b52464687f518afe6cf9bf87a83a7b = { positions : { 748 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_ma8b52464687f518afe6cf9bf87a83a7b’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_ma8b52464687f518afe6cf9bf87a83a7b.positions ) { gmap_ma8b52464687f518afe6cf9bf87a83a7b.bounds.extend( gmap_ma8b52464687f518afe6cf9bf87a83a7b.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_ma8b52464687f518afe6cf9bf87a83a7b.positions ) { gmap_ma8b52464687f518afe6cf9bf87a83a7b.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_ma8b52464687f518afe6cf9bf87a83a7b.map, position : gmap_ma8b52464687f518afe6cf9bf87a83a7b.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_ma8b52464687f518afe6cf9bf87a83a7b.map.setCenter( gmap_ma8b52464687f518afe6cf9bf87a83a7b.positions[748] ); });

Mon, 02 Jul 2018 11:46:28 -0600

Checked in at Hotbox Roasters .

39.7666048-104.9748327

Sat, 30 Jun 2018 09:42:23 -0600

Today’s garden visitor #dragonfly #garden

39.7572-104.967

#dragonfly
#garden

Posted on Instagram 9:42 am, June 30, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_ma3ea82f81e27944ceaf9b6801fe8e18c = { positions : { 776 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_ma3ea82f81e27944ceaf9b6801fe8e18c’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_ma3ea82f81e27944ceaf9b6801fe8e18c.positions ) { gmap_ma3ea82f81e27944ceaf9b6801fe8e18c.bounds.extend( gmap_ma3ea82f81e27944ceaf9b6801fe8e18c.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_ma3ea82f81e27944ceaf9b6801fe8e18c.positions ) { gmap_ma3ea82f81e27944ceaf9b6801fe8e18c.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_ma3ea82f81e27944ceaf9b6801fe8e18c.map, position : gmap_ma3ea82f81e27944ceaf9b6801fe8e18c.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_ma3ea82f81e27944ceaf9b6801fe8e18c.map.setCenter( gmap_ma3ea82f81e27944ceaf9b6801fe8e18c.positions[776] ); });

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 22:35:50 -0600

After a long second day on the trail; relaxing with old friends and new. #fjallravenclassicusa #sunset #alpine #coloradorockies

39.464029-106.2302171

Posted on Instagram 10:35 pm, June 29, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mec77cb90ea8c3b368959f294c42984c9 = { positions : { 238 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.464029042068’, ‘-106.23021707212’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mec77cb90ea8c3b368959f294c42984c9’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mec77cb90ea8c3b368959f294c42984c9.positions ) { gmap_mec77cb90ea8c3b368959f294c42984c9.bounds.extend( gmap_mec77cb90ea8c3b368959f294c42984c9.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mec77cb90ea8c3b368959f294c42984c9.positions ) { gmap_mec77cb90ea8c3b368959f294c42984c9.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mec77cb90ea8c3b368959f294c42984c9.map, position : gmap_mec77cb90ea8c3b368959f294c42984c9.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mec77cb90ea8c3b368959f294c42984c9.map.setCenter( gmap_mec77cb90ea8c3b368959f294c42984c9.positions[238] ); });

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 22:30:53 -0600

@michaelarestad demonstrating how to use @thegrayl during #fjallravenclassicusa. This thing is a super convenient way to filter on the trail.

39.4585981-106.2278022

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 10:30 pm, June 29, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m3c28e61547724b2a3010fb2d9a08607d = { positions : { 502 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.4585981’, ‘-106.2278022’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m3c28e61547724b2a3010fb2d9a08607d’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m3c28e61547724b2a3010fb2d9a08607d.positions ) { gmap_m3c28e61547724b2a3010fb2d9a08607d.bounds.extend( gmap_m3c28e61547724b2a3010fb2d9a08607d.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m3c28e61547724b2a3010fb2d9a08607d.positions ) { gmap_m3c28e61547724b2a3010fb2d9a08607d.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m3c28e61547724b2a3010fb2d9a08607d.map, position : gmap_m3c28e61547724b2a3010fb2d9a08607d.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m3c28e61547724b2a3010fb2d9a08607d.map.setCenter( gmap_m3c28e61547724b2a3010fb2d9a08607d.positions[502] ); });

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 22:26:54 -0600

Some absolutely stunning views on the #fjallravenclassicusa these past few days.

39.4285985-106.2272464

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 10:26 pm, June 29, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m6ecfcb728a9e4e0de430911fbef7162e = { positions : { 226 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.4285985’, ‘-106.2272464’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m6ecfcb728a9e4e0de430911fbef7162e’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m6ecfcb728a9e4e0de430911fbef7162e.positions ) { gmap_m6ecfcb728a9e4e0de430911fbef7162e.bounds.extend( gmap_m6ecfcb728a9e4e0de430911fbef7162e.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m6ecfcb728a9e4e0de430911fbef7162e.positions ) { gmap_m6ecfcb728a9e4e0de430911fbef7162e.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m6ecfcb728a9e4e0de430911fbef7162e.map, position : gmap_m6ecfcb728a9e4e0de430911fbef7162e.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m6ecfcb728a9e4e0de430911fbef7162e.map.setCenter( gmap_m6ecfcb728a9e4e0de430911fbef7162e.positions[226] ); });

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 18:47:16 -0700

Damsel in distress at the first checkpoint of the #fjallravenclassicusa @fjallravenusa

39.3214-106.311

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 6:47 pm, June 29, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_ma0c4eae541e2abccfaf8aaea47d87e90 = { positions : { 649 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.3214’, ‘-106.311’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_ma0c4eae541e2abccfaf8aaea47d87e90’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_ma0c4eae541e2abccfaf8aaea47d87e90.positions ) { gmap_ma0c4eae541e2abccfaf8aaea47d87e90.bounds.extend( gmap_ma0c4eae541e2abccfaf8aaea47d87e90.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_ma0c4eae541e2abccfaf8aaea47d87e90.positions ) { gmap_ma0c4eae541e2abccfaf8aaea47d87e90.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_ma0c4eae541e2abccfaf8aaea47d87e90.map, position : gmap_ma0c4eae541e2abccfaf8aaea47d87e90.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_ma0c4eae541e2abccfaf8aaea47d87e90.map.setCenter( gmap_ma0c4eae541e2abccfaf8aaea47d87e90.positions[649] ); });

Fjällräven Classic USA, 2018

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 18:45:35 -0700

This year, for the third year in a row, I participated in the Fjällräven Classic USA here in Colorado. Read about the 2016 USA Fjällräven Classic and the 2017 USA Fjällräven Classic .

As with previous years, this was a 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip in the Colorado backcountry, hosted by Fjällräven and their sister brands. This year felt like they are really hitting their groove with organization, distance, and difficulty, and I think it was overall the “best” one yet.

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 19:29:47 -0600

Top of the world. #fjallravenclassicusa

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 7:29 pm, June 29, 2018

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 19:27:16 -0600

Cheesin’ on top of a mountain, as we do! #fjallravenclassicusa

40.1619-106.128

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 7:27 pm, June 29, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m23dbd490be3db13b67cd43eb60fb9dbe = { positions : { 992 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘40.1619’, ‘-106.128’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m23dbd490be3db13b67cd43eb60fb9dbe’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m23dbd490be3db13b67cd43eb60fb9dbe.positions ) { gmap_m23dbd490be3db13b67cd43eb60fb9dbe.bounds.extend( gmap_m23dbd490be3db13b67cd43eb60fb9dbe.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m23dbd490be3db13b67cd43eb60fb9dbe.positions ) { gmap_m23dbd490be3db13b67cd43eb60fb9dbe.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m23dbd490be3db13b67cd43eb60fb9dbe.map, position : gmap_m23dbd490be3db13b67cd43eb60fb9dbe.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m23dbd490be3db13b67cd43eb60fb9dbe.map.setCenter( gmap_m23dbd490be3db13b67cd43eb60fb9dbe.positions[992] ); });

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 19:22:38 -0600

Stumbled into a Windows 95 wallpaper. I’m OK with that. #fjallravenclassicusa

39.4285985-106.2272464

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 7:22 pm, June 29, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m16c57db1be19c3d65619c452cc834373 = { positions : { 681 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.4285985’, ‘-106.2272464’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m16c57db1be19c3d65619c452cc834373’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m16c57db1be19c3d65619c452cc834373.positions ) { gmap_m16c57db1be19c3d65619c452cc834373.bounds.extend( gmap_m16c57db1be19c3d65619c452cc834373.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m16c57db1be19c3d65619c452cc834373.positions ) { gmap_m16c57db1be19c3d65619c452cc834373.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m16c57db1be19c3d65619c452cc834373.map, position : gmap_m16c57db1be19c3d65619c452cc834373.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m16c57db1be19c3d65619c452cc834373.map.setCenter( gmap_m16c57db1be19c3d65619c452cc834373.positions[681] ); });

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 19:14:51 -0600

No filter needed. Early on day 2 of #fjallravenclassicusa heading out of Camp Hale.

39.444-106.326

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 7:14 pm, June 29, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mdfa8f5f88ac7efe6591225b85834d6a9 = { positions : { 503 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.444’, ‘-106.326’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mdfa8f5f88ac7efe6591225b85834d6a9’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mdfa8f5f88ac7efe6591225b85834d6a9.positions ) { gmap_mdfa8f5f88ac7efe6591225b85834d6a9.bounds.extend( gmap_mdfa8f5f88ac7efe6591225b85834d6a9.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mdfa8f5f88ac7efe6591225b85834d6a9.positions ) { gmap_mdfa8f5f88ac7efe6591225b85834d6a9.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mdfa8f5f88ac7efe6591225b85834d6a9.map, position : gmap_mdfa8f5f88ac7efe6591225b85834d6a9.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mdfa8f5f88ac7efe6591225b85834d6a9.map.setCenter( gmap_mdfa8f5f88ac7efe6591225b85834d6a9.positions[503] ); });

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 19:11:41 -0600

Early start to a long day on day 2 of #fjallravenclassicusa

39.444-106.326

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 7:11 pm, June 29, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m1f536640142c3ff88813e7581b235b10 = { positions : { 66 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.444’, ‘-106.326’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m1f536640142c3ff88813e7581b235b10’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m1f536640142c3ff88813e7581b235b10.positions ) { gmap_m1f536640142c3ff88813e7581b235b10.bounds.extend( gmap_m1f536640142c3ff88813e7581b235b10.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m1f536640142c3ff88813e7581b235b10.positions ) { gmap_m1f536640142c3ff88813e7581b235b10.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m1f536640142c3ff88813e7581b235b10.map, position : gmap_m1f536640142c3ff88813e7581b235b10.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m1f536640142c3ff88813e7581b235b10.map.setCenter( gmap_m1f536640142c3ff88813e7581b235b10.positions[66] ); });

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 19:08:59 -0600

Epic skies on the #fjallravenclassicusa

39.444-106.326

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 7:08 pm, June 29, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m6e7be245ab8b6fac4cc262d5d8c0ec5d = { positions : { 947 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.444’, ‘-106.326’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m6e7be245ab8b6fac4cc262d5d8c0ec5d’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m6e7be245ab8b6fac4cc262d5d8c0ec5d.positions ) { gmap_m6e7be245ab8b6fac4cc262d5d8c0ec5d.bounds.extend( gmap_m6e7be245ab8b6fac4cc262d5d8c0ec5d.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m6e7be245ab8b6fac4cc262d5d8c0ec5d.positions ) { gmap_m6e7be245ab8b6fac4cc262d5d8c0ec5d.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m6e7be245ab8b6fac4cc262d5d8c0ec5d.map, position : gmap_m6e7be245ab8b6fac4cc262d5d8c0ec5d.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m6e7be245ab8b6fac4cc262d5d8c0ec5d.map.setCenter( gmap_m6e7be245ab8b6fac4cc262d5d8c0ec5d.positions[947] ); });

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 18:49:59 -0600

Matchy matchy hats on #fjallravenclassicusa

39.444-106.326

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 6:49 pm, June 29, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m194e243cc11776fa76f11d70bb638bfb = { positions : { 280 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.444’, ‘-106.326’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m194e243cc11776fa76f11d70bb638bfb’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m194e243cc11776fa76f11d70bb638bfb.positions ) { gmap_m194e243cc11776fa76f11d70bb638bfb.bounds.extend( gmap_m194e243cc11776fa76f11d70bb638bfb.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m194e243cc11776fa76f11d70bb638bfb.positions ) { gmap_m194e243cc11776fa76f11d70bb638bfb.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m194e243cc11776fa76f11d70bb638bfb.map, position : gmap_m194e243cc11776fa76f11d70bb638bfb.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m194e243cc11776fa76f11d70bb638bfb.map.setCenter( gmap_m194e243cc11776fa76f11d70bb638bfb.positions[280] ); });

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 06:43:07 -0700

Checked in at Copper Mountain .

#fjallclassic Round Three — with erika, Michael

39.500332-106.1559105

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 14:19:01 -0600

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

Picking up our drop — with erika

39.7550951-104.9770794

Sun, 24 Jun 2018 20:44:12 -0600

Checked in at Super Mega Bien .

New place. Loving it — with erika

39.757343-104.98622

Living APIs, and the Case for GraphQL — Brandur Leach

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 07:14:59 -0600

Living APIs, and the Case for GraphQL — Brandur Leach

It’s hard to read exactly where GraphQL stands in the API

world right now. Available publicly since 2015, trends in

APIs aren’t obviously moving in its favor, but not

obviously moving against it either. Interest from the

developer community has been steady throughout even if the

technology isn’t spreading like wildfire.

Its biggest third party proponent is GitHub, who released

Is a Product Executive a Product Manager… or an Executive?

Mon, 11 Jun 2018 22:19:49 -0600

Is a Product Executive a Product Manager… or an Executive?

**Shaun Juncal , Product Marketing

ProductPlan **

Mon, 11 Jun 2018 17:04:20 -0600

Checked in at Purple Door Coffee .

Meeting the photographer… — with erika

39.7574256-104.9743858

Sat, 02 Jun 2018 19:23:16 -0600

7 years almost to the minute since I met this human, who I will marry a month from now ❤️

39.7525943-104.9961122

Posted on Instagram 7:23 pm, June 2, 2018

Sat, 02 Jun 2018 19:19:42 -0600

Checked in at Vesta Dipping Grill .

7 year (dating) anniversary — with erika

39.7526986-104.9961655

Sat, 02 Jun 2018 14:18:16 -0600

Checked in at Erol’s Tailoring & Alterations .

Custom fit — with erika

39.7212693-104.9569737

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 16:44:44 -0600

Checked in at Alderfer/Three Sisters Park .

39.6233801-105.3464171

Notion.so

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 12:16:15 -0600

Notion.so

Write, plan, collaborate, and get organized. Notion is all you need — in one tool.

Thu, 31 May 2018 16:31:54 -0600

Checked in at Taquitos Jalisco .

🌮 Time

39.763369-104.973137

Wed, 30 May 2018 17:23:12 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Back at it!

39.7676715-104.9738261

Tue, 29 May 2018 20:59:35 -0600

Checked in at Schebens Manor .

Cannot wait to crash.

39.7558119-104.9680914

Tue, 29 May 2018 20:07:23 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

If I weren’t so exhausted, I’d be really excited to be home.

39.8497327-104.6739819

Fear of Process or How to Scale the Team Without Getting “Corporate”

Tue, 29 May 2018 16:56:32 -0600

Fear of Process or How to Scale the Team Without Getting “Corporate”

AI and Compute

Tue, 29 May 2018 13:02:15 -0600

AI and Compute

We’re releasing an analysis showing that since 2012, the amount of compute used in the largest AI training runs has been increasing exponentially with a 3.5 month-doubling time (by comparison, Moore’s Law had an 18-month doubling period). Since 2012, this metric has grown by more than 300,000x (an 18-month doubling period would yield only a 12x increase). Improvements in compute have been a key component of AI progress, so as long as this trend continues, it’s worth preparing for the implications of systems far outside today’s capabilities.

Tue, 29 May 2018 04:20:50 -0600

Checked in at Porta / Gate 41 .

38.7743195-9.1310573

Tue, 29 May 2018 04:20:40 -0600

Checked in at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) (Aeroporto de Lisboa Humberto Delgado) .

Ciao LIS. Time to go home.

38.7700229-9.1303017

Tue, 29 May 2018 02:16:55 -0600

Checked in at Copenhagen Coffee Lab .

Morning meeting — with Cate

38.7147275-9.1519094

Sun, 27 May 2018 12:17:08 -0600

Checked in at Time Out Market Lisbon .

Back for more

38.707195-9.145949

Sun, 27 May 2018 08:58:04 -0600

Checked in at Tartine .

#cafeworking — with Cate

38.7102524-9.1416292

Sat, 26 May 2018 09:58:51 -0600

Checked in at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) (Aeroporto de Lisboa Humberto Delgado) .

Next stop on the European road trip.

38.7700229-9.1303017

Wed, 23 May 2018 16:02:33 -0600

Checked in at JC Rooms Santo Domingo .

Couple nights calling this place home.

40.4198926-3.7090817

How to Have More Impactful Communication with Two Key Skills

Wed, 23 May 2018 00:35:01 -0600

How to Have More Impactful Communication with Two Key Skills

I blinked away the tears.

Team morale was crumbling. Co-workers, many I considered friends, were leaving the company. I was at a meeting with senior leaders, and I had just expressed concern that the way the company ran projects might be hurting the team — a team that I cared so much about and where I had invested years of my life.

The Magic of Co-Leadership: Unlock a More Powerful Way to Work

Wed, 23 May 2018 00:25:29 -0600

The Magic of Co-Leadership: Unlock a More Powerful Way to Work

I was halfway up the four-story vertical ropes course, when my course partner at the leadership retreat decided she couldn’t continue any further. We agreed she would energetically cheer me on as I continued. I kept climbing and nearly got to the top, but eventually I had to stop as well.

Looking down from the top, I initially felt some pride and surprise that I got as far as I did, despite my fear of heights. But soon afterwards, a sense of loneliness hit me — there wasn’t anyone to share the accomplishment with. Being the most effective I could be on my own only took me so far.

Tue, 22 May 2018 18:06:12 -0600

Checked in at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) .

You are the worst Newark.

40.6929715-74.1779923

RICE: Simple prioritization for product managers – Inside Intercom

Tue, 22 May 2018 17:27:44 -0600

RICE: Simple prioritization for product managers – Inside Intercom

Prioritization is a perennial challenge when building a product roadmap. How do you decide what to work on first?

If you’ve put the effort into brainstorming new ideas, finding opportunities for improvement, and collecting feedback, you’ll have a solid product roadmap full of good ideas. But the order in which you tackle those ideas deserves just as much thought. You need to take the time to prioritize well.

Email, the Micro-Meetings Eating Our Days – 500ish Words

Tue, 22 May 2018 17:20:14 -0600

Email, the Micro-Meetings Eating Our Days – 500ish Words

“You’ve Got Mail” via Giphy

And our time. And our lives…

There are two things at work that everyone seems to universally hate: email and meetings. And I think the hatred stems from the same basic reason: they’re both black holes in which time enters and never returns. Sometimes such a use of time is worthwhile and necessary. But far too many emails and meetings are quagmires that distract us all from doing actual work .

What It Takes to Think Deeply About Complex Problems

Tue, 22 May 2018 17:16:45 -0600

What It Takes to Think Deeply About Complex Problems

hh5800/Getty Images

The problems we’re facing often seem as complex as they do intractable. And as Albert Einstein is often quoted as saying, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” So what does it take to increase the complexity of our thinking?

Too many leaders default to looking at decisions as either-or: The answer is right or wrong, good or bad, win or lose. This binary thinking has a built-in limitation: Overrelying on any given solution eventually generates the opposite problem.

Tue, 22 May 2018 09:50:38 -0600

First of many salads harvested from the garden for this summer! #salad #veggiegarden #harvest

Posted on Instagram 9:50 am, May 22, 2018

Sun, 20 May 2018 21:58:14 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Aaaaand home (for about 36 hours) — with erika

39.8497327-104.6739819

Sun, 20 May 2018 18:23:41 -0600

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

Time to jet home again (briefly) — with erika

37.6157456-122.3856449

Delegate outcomes, not activities.

Sun, 20 May 2018 15:59:36 -0600

Delegate outcomes, not activities.

Do you consider yourself “a doer”?

That person who enjoys doing the work, fine-tuning the details, meddling in the weeds of how it’ll all work? Then you probably have trouble delegating as a leader.

I know I do.

For so many managers and leaders — especially those of us who are used to be the person doing the work and are now handing off the work to others — learning to delegate is, well, tricky, if not painful.

Battling Perfectionism

Sun, 20 May 2018 15:53:29 -0600

Battling Perfectionism

This was first published on my mailing list The Looking Glass . Every week, I answer a reader’s question.

Photo by Zac Turner

How do you beat perfectionism?

So this question assumes that perfectionism is something that *should* be beaten, which I don’t think is always true. For example, if I’m getting open heart surgery, I’d hope very dearly that my surgeon was a perfectionist. I’d wish the same for flight controllers at airports, nuclear weapons engineers, firefighters, the people who program self-driving cars… you get the point. In some cases, mistakes are incredibly costly. So having a rigorous culture that prevents them can be an excellent thing.

The most common problem I’ve seen in product/engineering process

Sun, 20 May 2018 15:46:01 -0600

The most common problem I’ve seen in product/engineering process

Image from here

The first time I became aware of this problem wasn’t at work at all. In fact, this is a common problem in any sort of situation where one party is seeking help from another party.

I was in Seattle with my boyfriend for Thanksgiving couple years ago. On Wednesday night, I realized mid-dinner I had forgotten to bring my toothbrush and toothpaste. I asked the waitress:

Sat, 19 May 2018 02:16:53 -0600

Checked in at Taqueria Cancun .

TTB: 42 mins. Record? — with erika

37.7454316-122.4199967

Sat, 19 May 2018 01:33:23 -0600

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

What’s up SFO? — with erika

37.6157456-122.3856449

Fri, 18 May 2018 21:30:11 -0600

Checked in at Lounge 5280 .

Delayed flight. Getting a real drink — with erika

39.8586616-104.67371

Thu, 17 May 2018 19:47:55 -0600

Weekday ride to blow out the cobwebs. Last chance for almost 2 weeks, with some back to back travel. #mtb #enduromtb #enduro #specialized

39.6678136-105.2578443

Thu, 17 May 2018 16:57:32 -0600

Checked in at Lair O’ the Bear .

39.6678664-105.2578704

Creating Success, Together

Thu, 17 May 2018 07:19:26 -0600

Creating Success, Together

This is the final part of a 6-part series of blog posts based on a talk I prepared called Successfully Derailed Product. It’s about the ways in which we define and talk about “success” influence what – and how – we build. See part 1 , part 2 , part 3 , part 4 , part 5 .

We want to be careful how we create process. The fastest way to a mediocre team is to define your process around mediocrity. A slow but sure way to a mediocre team is to define your processes to gradually push them towards putting their own self interest front and centre – like the conclusions the guy drew from the promotion process we talked about earlier .

Five Points-Whittier Neighborhood History

Wed, 16 May 2018 07:45:43 -0600

Five Points-Whittier Neighborhood History

The Story of Five Points

Interior Rice’s Tap Room and Oven.

Baist’s real estate atlas of surveys of Denver, Col. (Plate 5)

The First to Extend Beyond the Bounds of Denver

Five Points and Whittier are adjoining Denver neighborhoods, and the first to extend beyond the bounds of Denver’s original Congressional Grant. Each neighborhood was created and initially shaped during a long period of growth from the early 1870s to the silver crash of 1893, a time when Denver was amongst the fastest growing cities in the United States and exemplified what the historian Gunter Barth describes as the “instant city.” Each has seen its fortunes wax and wane over a near one-and-a-half century history, and, in that time, has been home to numerous Denver communities, a connection recalled and honored long after people had dispersed.

Sun, 13 May 2018 21:48:06 -0600

Another 10 mile training hike for #fjallravenclassic. This time with @akires

39.6678136-105.2578443

#fjallravenclassic

Posted on Instagram 9:48 pm, May 13, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m78620e0e5aa879d140d1cdeb915dbf5e = { positions : { 99 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.667813594234’, ‘-105.25784430977’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m78620e0e5aa879d140d1cdeb915dbf5e’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m78620e0e5aa879d140d1cdeb915dbf5e.positions ) { gmap_m78620e0e5aa879d140d1cdeb915dbf5e.bounds.extend( gmap_m78620e0e5aa879d140d1cdeb915dbf5e.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m78620e0e5aa879d140d1cdeb915dbf5e.positions ) { gmap_m78620e0e5aa879d140d1cdeb915dbf5e.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m78620e0e5aa879d140d1cdeb915dbf5e.map, position : gmap_m78620e0e5aa879d140d1cdeb915dbf5e.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m78620e0e5aa879d140d1cdeb915dbf5e.map.setCenter( gmap_m78620e0e5aa879d140d1cdeb915dbf5e.positions[99] ); });

Five lessons I learned as a manager in a massively fast-growing startup.

Sun, 13 May 2018 21:45:28 -0600

Five lessons I learned as a manager in a massively fast-growing startup.

I built a Progressive Web App and published it in 3 app stores. Here’s what I learned.

Sun, 13 May 2018 21:36:51 -0600

I built a Progressive Web App and published it in 3 app stores. Here’s what I learned.

One month of work, several hundred dollars, and lots of red tape.

I recently published Chavah Messianic Radio , a Pandora-like music player, as a Progressive Web App and submitted it to the 3 app stores (Google Play, iOS App Store, Windows Store).

The process was both painful and enlightening. Here’s what I learned.

Sun, 13 May 2018 16:43:05 -0600

Checked in at blackbird tavern .

39.656178-105.292717

Sun, 13 May 2018 09:06:59 -0600

First harvest from our garden for this season!!! #veggiegarden #radish #organic #locavore

Posted on Instagram 9:06 am, May 13, 2018

Mon, 07 May 2018 15:28:08 -0600

Checked in at Nixon’s Coffee House .

#cafeworking — with Kelly, Michael

39.6550625-104.9976526

Sun, 06 May 2018 14:45:43 -0600

Checked in at Costco .

Basically every weekend — with erika

39.7897752-105.0826406

Sun, 06 May 2018 14:10:14 -0600

Happy trails. Training hike for #fjallravenclassic in a few months. #optoutside. 8.87 miles. 3:13.

39.63072-105.225878

Posted on Instagram 2:10 pm, May 6, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m9d0422e5647ceea60b43cc123b8adb6d = { positions : { 602 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.63072’, ‘-105.225878’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m9d0422e5647ceea60b43cc123b8adb6d’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m9d0422e5647ceea60b43cc123b8adb6d.positions ) { gmap_m9d0422e5647ceea60b43cc123b8adb6d.bounds.extend( gmap_m9d0422e5647ceea60b43cc123b8adb6d.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m9d0422e5647ceea60b43cc123b8adb6d.positions ) { gmap_m9d0422e5647ceea60b43cc123b8adb6d.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m9d0422e5647ceea60b43cc123b8adb6d.map, position : gmap_m9d0422e5647ceea60b43cc123b8adb6d.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m9d0422e5647ceea60b43cc123b8adb6d.map.setCenter( gmap_m9d0422e5647ceea60b43cc123b8adb6d.positions[602] ); });

Sun, 06 May 2018 12:14:12 -0600

Checked in at Mt. Falcon Vantage Point .

39.6373189-105.2191351

Sun, 06 May 2018 12:13:51 -0600

Checked in at Mount Falcon Park .

Traing hike for the #fjallravenclassic

39.6360088-105.2393339

Thu, 03 May 2018 17:21:16 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

How am I still sore from only one class this week?

39.7676715-104.9738261

Wed, 02 May 2018 22:31:06 -0600

Irises are starting to pop. It’s spring! #iris #flowers

#flowers
#iris

Posted on Instagram 10:31 pm, May 2, 2018

Sun, 29 Apr 2018 14:33:49 -0600

Checked in at Costco .

🌭🌭🌭

39.7897752-105.0826406

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 17:24:48 +0000

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

It feels like forever since I’ve been here.

Planning Your Own Chaos Day

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 07:57:37 +0000

Planning Your Own Chaos Day

What is a Chaos Day?

A Chaos Day is a dedicated team day focused on using chaos engineering to reveal weaknesses in your system. We’ve all heard of hack days and hack weeks, where you focus on building new features. Well, a Chaos Day is focused on building more resilient systems by breaking things on purpose.

What is Chaos Engineering?

Thoughtful, planned experiments designed to reveal weaknesses in your system. Read more about Chaos Engineering here: Chaos Engineering: the history, principles, and practice .

My Manager Toolkit

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 07:44:52 +0000

My Manager Toolkit

I thought it’d be useful to share out some of the tools and resources that I use as part of my workflow as a manager. Below is a link to a number of Google docs, which if it sounds interesting to you I encourage you to copy for your own purposes. I’d also love to hear what tools you use in the responses!

Tracking Work

Last year I ended up building out a spreadsheet to help schedule various projects for my team, and it ended up also being super useful to track work throughout the year. It focuses on the week level, which is high-level enough that it’s more useful than looking at work tickets in JIRA and comes in handy for review time to look back on what folks actually did.

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 12:41:20 +0000

Checked in at Dunbar Kitchen & Taphouse .

Working lunch

Amazon Shareholder Letter, 2018

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 07:45:27 +0000

EX-99.1

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 19:17:20 +0000

Checked in at White Pie .

Feeling lazy tonight — with erika

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 19:57:50 -0600

More of this today with @michaelarestad and @keyabird. Makes me happy. #mountainbike #specialized #enduro

39.6943776-105.169851

Posted on Instagram 7:57 pm, April 23, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m79aef3640f845ac778313d1f4b932f0b = { positions : { 894 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.694377626329’, ‘-105.16985099772’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m79aef3640f845ac778313d1f4b932f0b’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m79aef3640f845ac778313d1f4b932f0b.positions ) { gmap_m79aef3640f845ac778313d1f4b932f0b.bounds.extend( gmap_m79aef3640f845ac778313d1f4b932f0b.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m79aef3640f845ac778313d1f4b932f0b.positions ) { gmap_m79aef3640f845ac778313d1f4b932f0b.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m79aef3640f845ac778313d1f4b932f0b.map, position : gmap_m79aef3640f845ac778313d1f4b932f0b.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m79aef3640f845ac778313d1f4b932f0b.map.setCenter( gmap_m79aef3640f845ac778313d1f4b932f0b.positions[894] ); });

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 19:09:28 -0600

Checked in at GREEN MOUNTAIN PARK .

39.6904016-105.1522934

Remote Teams – rebecca – Medium

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 22:47:08 +0000

Remote Teams – rebecca – Medium

I was recently tagged into a conversation on Twitter. The thread started with this summary of findings about open plan offices:

In response, @chrisbiscardi wondered:

I’m partway through my PhD on remote teams so I know that research exists. Unfortunately, much of it lives behind academic paywalls (and let’s be honest, the articles are long and often difficult to read). As someone who is currently researching remote teams and who has worked in multiple remote teams, I’m deeply invested in the topic and the community, so I thought I’d put together a short answer to @chrisbiscardi’s request.

What Does It Mean to Be an Effective Tech Lead?

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 22:35:49 +0000

What Does It Mean to Be an Effective Tech Lead?

The first time I took on a tech lead role early in my career, I had little clue what I was doing.

Overnight, I found myself suddenly responsible for the technical and project output of a team of four engineers at an underdog startup — even though I had no more training, mentoring, or tools for my new role than the day before, when I was still just a senior individual contributor.

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 11:03:05 +0000

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

Starting the week strong.

Sun, 22 Apr 2018 15:31:07 +0000

Hiking the Table. 9.1 miles.

#earthday
#optoutside

Posted on Instagram 3:31 pm, April 22, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mb1d10e34e9fe70ffa5bccca2cee40e33 = { positions : { 438 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.781102777778’, ‘-105.22058611111’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mb1d10e34e9fe70ffa5bccca2cee40e33’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mb1d10e34e9fe70ffa5bccca2cee40e33.positions ) { gmap_mb1d10e34e9fe70ffa5bccca2cee40e33.bounds.extend( gmap_mb1d10e34e9fe70ffa5bccca2cee40e33.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mb1d10e34e9fe70ffa5bccca2cee40e33.positions ) { gmap_mb1d10e34e9fe70ffa5bccca2cee40e33.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mb1d10e34e9fe70ffa5bccca2cee40e33.map, position : gmap_mb1d10e34e9fe70ffa5bccca2cee40e33.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mb1d10e34e9fe70ffa5bccca2cee40e33.map.setCenter( gmap_mb1d10e34e9fe70ffa5bccca2cee40e33.positions[438] ); });

Sun, 22 Apr 2018 15:02:34 +0000

Checked in at New Terrain Brewing Co .

Busy day at New Terrain! — with erika

Sun, 22 Apr 2018 12:55:59 +0000

Checked in at North Table Mountain Park .

First Principles: Elon Musk on the Power of Thinking for Yourself

Sat, 21 Apr 2018 23:28:17 +0000

First Principles: Elon Musk on the Power of Thinking for Yourself

First principles thinking, which is sometimes called reasoning from first principles, is one of the most effective strategies you can employ for breaking down complicated problems and generating original solutions. It also might be the single best approach to learn how to think for yourself.

The first principles approach has been used by many great thinkers including inventor Johannes Gutenberg, military strategist John Boyd, and the ancient philosopher Aristotle, but no one embodies the philosophy of first principles thinking more effectively than entrepreneur Elon Musk.

If you want to know how we ended up in a cyber dystopia, read Ready Player One

Sat, 21 Apr 2018 23:16:29 +0000

If you want to know how we ended up in a cyber dystopia, read Ready Player One

When Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One was published in 2011, the reviews were ecstatic, beatific. It was an “enchanting ,” “accessible ” “nerdgasm ” full of “fascinating social commentary ” that one critic claimed was “the best science fiction novel I’ve read in a decade. ”

The book imagined America in the 2040s entirely through the lens of the 1980s, or at least a narrow sliver of the era: the formative video games, movies, and other nerd-friendly pop culture for the people who came of age during this particular decade. As the novel’s world descends into chaos and poverty, thanks to climate change and a fossil-fuel crisis, most of its citizens spend their days traversing the OASIS, a virtual reality world created by an “eccentric” ‘80s kid named James Halliday.

Sat, 21 Apr 2018 18:44:19 +0000

Checked in at Shake Shack .

Gimme gimme gimme.

Fri, 20 Apr 2018 11:42:39 +0000

Checked in at Los Molinos .

Guild Week at Strava – strava-engineering – Medium

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 22:16:44 +0000

Guild Week at Strava – strava-engineering – Medium

Recently, the Strava Engineering team took a weeklong break from regular product work to focus attention on our core technology platforms. We coined this effort Guild Week. Before explaining Guild Week, it’d be useful to understand what a “Guild” is at Strava.

A Brief History of Guilds at Strava

Like most software companies, Strava started off with a single product development team, consisting of engineers, product managers, and designers. Engineers and designers were “free agents”, and worked on whatever project was highest priority. Eventually, we reached a point where that single team became unwieldy to manage. Product managers couldn’t plan for the medium / long term because they couldn’t count on having engineering and design support. Engineers couldn’t develop expertise in specific areas of the product, and also didn’t have the time to make longer-term investments in more complex product features.

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 18:22:05 +0000

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Today was a mistake. So much pain.

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 20:37:56 +0000

Mid-week rides FTW @kchoffman @michaelarestad #specialized #mtb #enduro #colorado #downhill

Posted on Instagram 8:37 pm, April 18, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m510a6a9bbadd4edfd5537889301498e8 = { positions : { 903 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.79784’, ‘-105.24801’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m510a6a9bbadd4edfd5537889301498e8’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m510a6a9bbadd4edfd5537889301498e8.positions ) { gmap_m510a6a9bbadd4edfd5537889301498e8.bounds.extend( gmap_m510a6a9bbadd4edfd5537889301498e8.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m510a6a9bbadd4edfd5537889301498e8.positions ) { gmap_m510a6a9bbadd4edfd5537889301498e8.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m510a6a9bbadd4edfd5537889301498e8.map, position : gmap_m510a6a9bbadd4edfd5537889301498e8.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m510a6a9bbadd4edfd5537889301498e8.map.setCenter( gmap_m510a6a9bbadd4edfd5537889301498e8.positions[903] ); });

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 18:12:27 +0000

Checked in at White Ranch Park .

Weekday rides!!! — with Michael, Kelly

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 16:42:15 +0000

@akires did a good job with these tulips that I brought back from Amsterdam!

Posted on Instagram 4:42 pm, April 18, 2018

Guitar Solo! Joan @ Globe Hall

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 23:58:11 +0000

https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/vp/b257653cb004377f4bca46b2cb38eb4f/5AD965EF/t50.2886-16/30210065_163108794377169_2904808144607641600_n.mp4

Guitar Solo! Joan @ Globe Hall

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m2a99d0c3f29474d990e5fb2d81926907 = { positions : { 321 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7780113’, ‘-104.9825363’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m2a99d0c3f29474d990e5fb2d81926907’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m2a99d0c3f29474d990e5fb2d81926907.positions ) { gmap_m2a99d0c3f29474d990e5fb2d81926907.bounds.extend( gmap_m2a99d0c3f29474d990e5fb2d81926907.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m2a99d0c3f29474d990e5fb2d81926907.positions ) { gmap_m2a99d0c3f29474d990e5fb2d81926907.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m2a99d0c3f29474d990e5fb2d81926907.map, position : gmap_m2a99d0c3f29474d990e5fb2d81926907.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m2a99d0c3f29474d990e5fb2d81926907.map.setCenter( gmap_m2a99d0c3f29474d990e5fb2d81926907.positions[321] ); });

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 21:07:43 +0000

Checked in at Globe Hall .

I’m to old for this on a weeknight — with erika

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 17:24:14 +0000

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Back for more pain.

Specialized Enduro 29″

Mon, 16 Apr 2018 12:20:48 +0000

I bought a bike!

Back in Australia, back in the day, I had a Specialized P3 which I used for some downhill riding. I sold that eventually in San Francisco, after years of not really using it (it’s not a practical city-bike, and I didn’t have easy access to get out and mountain bike with it). When I moved to New York I bought a Cannondale Bad Boy 9 , which was a much better choice for in the city. Fast forward a few years, and living in Denver means I’m close to mountains and a bunch of world-class downhill riding. In 2016 I picked up a Motobecane Boris X9 fatbike, which was fun, but pretty impractical.

Why our engineering leaders focus on product over process

Sun, 15 Apr 2018 21:46:40 +0000

Why our engineering leaders focus on product over process

Who was the best manager you ever had?

Even though all of us have different people in mind, those people probably have a lot in common. Maybe he really cared about you as a person. Maybe she was a brilliant visionary who always knew how to push you to be better. Maybe their leadership styles were different — but I’d wager that their philosophies were the same.

Why and How to share your Manager README (plus here’s mine)

Sun, 15 Apr 2018 21:33:17 +0000

Why and How to share your Manager README (plus here’s mine)

Photo by Zachary Spears on Unsplash

Creating and sharing a manager readme /operating manual is a great way to reflect on who you are as a leader, what your leadership philosophy is, and what folks can expect from you. I learned this from Lara Hogan ’s wonderful management expectations .

If you’re a manager, you probably spend a lot of time trying to understand how your teammates work best and what they need from you. Naturally, this skews the relationship a little to one side. Opening up and sharing about myself was probably one of my scariest growth moments as a new manager. I wanted to bring my most professional “manager self” to every conversation.

Sun, 15 Apr 2018 18:48:26 +0000

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

Post-ride beers — with erika

Sun, 15 Apr 2018 16:45:27 +0000

Killer day for a ride. Living this new bike!

Posted on Instagram 4:45 pm, April 15, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m6657433672f286b3dbda4729b0b65912 = { positions : { 1000 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.665250283333’, ‘-105.39451766643’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m6657433672f286b3dbda4729b0b65912’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m6657433672f286b3dbda4729b0b65912.positions ) { gmap_m6657433672f286b3dbda4729b0b65912.bounds.extend( gmap_m6657433672f286b3dbda4729b0b65912.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m6657433672f286b3dbda4729b0b65912.positions ) { gmap_m6657433672f286b3dbda4729b0b65912.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m6657433672f286b3dbda4729b0b65912.map, position : gmap_m6657433672f286b3dbda4729b0b65912.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m6657433672f286b3dbda4729b0b65912.map.setCenter( gmap_m6657433672f286b3dbda4729b0b65912.positions[1000] ); });

Sun, 15 Apr 2018 16:44:09 +0000

Checked in at Costco .

Post-ride cheapo food — with erika

Sun, 15 Apr 2018 10:08:01 +0000

Checked in at The Source .

Here again. Picking up our rings this time! — with erika

How Patreon Levels Engineers (Career Ladder)

Sat, 14 Apr 2018 23:10:33 +0000

How Patreon Levels Engineers (Career Ladder)

How Patreon Levels Engineers

Today we are excited to share Patreon’s revamped Engineering Leveling Guide . In Patreon’s early years, we had little in the way of objective criteria for leveling engineers. We’ve come a long way since then, and our engineering organization is much stronger and fairer for it. We want to show you how we define levels now and what it’s like to work at Patreon.

Manager Energy Drain

Sat, 14 Apr 2018 23:05:58 +0000

Manager Energy Drain

One of the most frequent questions I hear as I coach managers is, “How do I handle how tired I am as a manager?”

Some managers find themselves working long hours to do hands-on “work-work” after full days of one-on-ones. Some managers find that the labor of managing or more strategic thinking drains their energy significantly faster than the work they did as individual contributors. Some find the context-switching between meetings super taxing.

As We May Think

Sat, 14 Apr 2018 21:52:01 +0000

As We May Think

The telegram was a breakthrough in communication technology, which Vannevar Bush imagined could evolve in unprecedented ways.

As Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, Dr. Vannevar Bush has coordinated the activities of some six thousand leading American scientists in the application of science to warfare. In this significant article he holds up an incentive for scientists when the fighting has ceased. He urges that men of science should then turn to the massive task of making more accessible our bewildering store of knowledge. For years inventions have extended man’s physical powers rather than the powers of his mind. Trip hammers that multiply the fists, microscopes that sharpen the eye, and engines of destruction and detection are new results, but not the end results, of modern science. Now, says Dr. Bush, instruments are at hand which, if properly developed, will give man access to and command over the inherited knowledge of the ages. The perfection of these pacific instruments should be the first objective of our scientists as they emerge from their war work. Like Emerson’s famous address of 1837 on “The American Scholar,” this paper by Dr. Bush calls for a new relationship between thinking man and the sum of our knowledge. — THE EDITOR

Prattfalls: Better Communication

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 22:18:21 +0000

Prattfalls: Better Communication

A long time ago, my manager sat me down to inform me of my next year’s salary. I was receiving a reasonable raise, it should have been an easy conversation. Once we finished the conversation, I left the room and immediately started reaching out to some recruiters I knew with the intention of finding a new job.

Oops.

One of my ex-coworkers at Netflix, since retired, once told me about a book his father had written about library management. This book, Information of the Image by Dr. Allan D. Pratt, is sadly out of print now. I refer to it often because its first chapter has played a transformative role in how I think about effective communication and ways in which we utterly, delightfully, screw it up.

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 13:11:05 +0000

Checked in at Cart-Driver .

Take out!

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 10:53:15 +0000

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

Werk werk werk.

Ideas That Changed My Life

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 22:13:30 +0000

Ideas That Changed My Life

You spend years trying to learn new stuff but then look back and realize that maybe like 10 big ideas truly changed how you think and drive most of what you believe.

Brent Beshore recently listed the biggest ideas that changed his life. A few of mine:

Everyone belongs to a tribe and underestimates how influential that tribe is on their thinking. There is little correlation between climate change denial and scientific literacy. But there is a strong correlation between climate change denial and political affiliation. That’s an extreme example, but everyone has views persuaded by identity over pure analysis. There’s four parts to this:

The Stack Overflow Age

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 22:06:31 +0000

The Stack Overflow Age

Hi, everyone! A lot of stuff has happened since I was writing all those blog posts about Aeron chairs 18 years ago. Some of those blog posts are old enough to go to college.

And, also: Stack Overflow will be ten years old soon! Wow! So I thought it would be cool to get the old band back together for a little reunion tour over the next few weeks. I want to catch you all up on some stuff but mostly I want to tell the story of Stack Overflow in a not-completely-disorganized way. With some perspective, it’s clearer now what we did right and what we messed up, so I’ll try to cover the good and the bad over a series of blog posts.

How to Lead by Noticing and Filling in Gaps

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 21:58:24 +0000

How to Lead by Noticing and Filling in Gaps

Many years ago, I worked at a five-person startup.

I brought crackers and cheese and fruit that I had bought with my own groceries over the weekend and put them in the mini-fridge, so that we’d have snacks.

As we started to look for another Android engineer for our team, I put together an interview process and blogged about the process, so that we could attract even more candidates.

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 19:35:47 +0000

Checked in at Coors Field , for San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies.

Free tix! — with erika

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 17:24:31 +0000

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Addressing executive swoop-ins – The Year of the Looking Glass – Medium

Sun, 08 Apr 2018 22:31:00 +0000

Addressing executive swoop-ins – The Year of the Looking Glass – Medium

This was first published on my mailing list The Looking Glass . Every week, I answer a reader’s question.

Photo by James West

Q: How can I address direction from upper management that I suspect will harm or even derail the product? i.e. What is the most effective way to push back on an executive order that I or the team feel is detrimental to the product?

An Engineer’s Bill of Rights (And Responsibilities)

Sun, 08 Apr 2018 22:24:34 +0000

An Engineer’s Bill of Rights (And Responsibilities)

Power has a way of flowing towards people managers over time, no matter how many times you repeat “management is not a promotion, it’s a career change.”

It’s natural, like water flowing downhill. Managers are privy to performance reviews and other personal information that they need to do their jobs, and they tend to be more practiced communicators. Managers facilitate a lot of decision-making and routing of people and data and things, and it’s very easy to slip into making the all decisions rather than empowering people to make them. Sometimes you want to just hand out assignments and order everyone to do as told. (er, just me??)

Sat, 07 Apr 2018 09:52:04 +0000

Checked in at OneFold .

Back again. Kinda love this place — with erika

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 18:29:57 +0000

Checked in at American Bonded .

Another new place opened! — with erika

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 14:12:03 +0000

Checked in at Shake Shack .

I am back for all the calories.

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 12:48:17 +0000

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

Closing out the week at the office.

How to make better use of everything you read

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 21:04:06 -0600

How to make better use of everything you read

I once downloaded a speed-reading app that would flash individual words across my phone. I aggressively set the rate to 400 words per minute and braced for the onslaught. I used this system to parse essays, primers, and long-form interviews, all in the name of advancing my career. Yet, all I had to show for it was a massive headache and a zero-percent retention rate.

Stop Start Continue Change Management Model

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 21:15:29 +0000

Stop Start Continue Change Management Model

Introduction to the model – SSCC

The stop start continue change management model is a useful ‘quick and dirty’ tool for looking at service improvement. It can also be used as a technique for generating ideas, solving problems, and negotiating behavior changes between two groups, individuals, or departments

Using the four basic titles (STOP START CONTINUE CHANGE) look at a service or offer and consider each of the actions, top stop elements (or the whole service), start doing something new, continue what is happening (it is working well) or change an element.

How to read more effectively

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 21:10:48 +0000

How to read more effectively

Whether you’re dissecting Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations or relaxing poolside with 50 Shades of Grey, reading is, for many of us, a regular source of joy, perspective, and ideas, which enable us to grow personally and professionally. But here’s the catch: We live in a world of never ending content and constant competition for our attention. One study, back in 2009, found that we’re exposed to 100,000 words each day, the equivalent of one quarter of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. And that was before most of us started using our phones for reading texts, emails, or articles instead of just for talking.

Team Leader Venn Diagram – Making Meetup – Medium

Sun, 01 Apr 2018 21:21:53 -0700

Team Leader Venn Diagram – Making Meetup – Medium

A tool for gaining a shared understanding of responsibilities

Upon arrival at Meetup as a “fractional” VP of Engineering , I began to hear something that I hear at lots of organizations: confusion about team leaders’ roles and responsibilities.

Product teams typically have an Engineering Manager, a Product Manager, and sometimes an Engineering Lead; though Meetup’s Engineering Ladder includes descriptions of each of these roles, the overlap of their responsibilities can lead to ambiguity and confusion. This is definitely a common problem, and not unique to Meetup!

It’s Time For an RSS Revival

Sun, 01 Apr 2018 21:33:32 -0600

It’s Time For an RSS Revival

The modern web contains no shortage of horrors, from ubiquitous ad trackers to all-consuming platforms to YouTube comments, generally. Unfortunately, there’s no panacea for what ails this internet we’ve built. But anyone weary of black-box algorithms controlling what you see online at least has a respite, one that’s been there all along but has often gone ignored. Tired of Twitter? Facebook fatigued? It’s time to head back to RSS.

Sat, 31 Mar 2018 17:48:57 -0700

Super stoked to have acquired this new toy. Psyched to get it out on the trail tomorrow.

Posted on Instagram 5:48 pm, March 31, 2018

Write Useful Mission Statements in 3 Easy Steps

Sat, 31 Mar 2018 09:18:44 -0600

Write Useful Mission Statements in 3 Easy Steps

How To:

The simple of idea of putting a mission statement together for the team makes most managers tremble in fear. It’s a sad situation we’ve gotten ourselves into when leaders fear to express the purpose of an organization (and employees snicker with cynicism at the idea of any attempt.) Why is that? Surely people are more effective when they understand the meaning behind what they do. Why shouldn’t having a clear mission be something that is met with optimism and anticipation?

Becoming A Manager Of Managers

Sat, 31 Mar 2018 09:12:46 -0600

Becoming A Manager Of Managers

Illustration by Laura Wright

Lessons learned on how to shape the next generation of leaders

The move into management is an often discussed topic. We all want to climb the career ladder, yet some dread the day where the only way up is to join management. This is especially true in engineering .

Whether we want to admit or not, hierarchy and management are necessary to run a large company successfully . And while there should be career paths for all kinds of specialisations , it is equally as important to shape the next generation of leaders.

Lean Startup’s Eric Ries on How to Make ‘Gatekeepers’ a Source of Power and Speed

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 08:09:12 -0600

Lean Startup’s Eric Ries on How to Make ‘Gatekeepers’ a Source of Power and Speed

Engineering Interviewing at Strava – strava-engineering – Medium

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 21:57:43 -0600

Engineering Interviewing at Strava – strava-engineering – Medium

We know Engineering interviewing can be stressful, and stress can often make interviews a poor sample of what you can do at work. We want to create an interviewing environment where you can show who you are and what you can do. Hopefully this blog post will help you present your best self during your interviews at Strava!

Our principles for interviewing

Our goal during your interview process is to figure out if you will succeed at Strava. We tailor our interviews to gauge how you would do in everyday situations, rather than test intelligence or ask brainteasers.

“Just”

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 21:53:26 -0600

“Just”

I feel like an idiot while doing my job. A lot.

Now there’s a damn good chance I’m actually an idiot, but the self-respecting part of me wants to challenge that notion.

When I get stuck on a task or am looking for recommendations for tools/resources/strategies/solutions/whatever, I often take to Twitter to ask for help.

Seconds after posting my quandary, my stream gets flooded with a host of advice, links, insights, and opinions. This “crowd-sourcing my knowledgesphere” is a wonderful thing. But one word in all those proffered solutions tends to stick out in my mind like a jagged, rusty nail ready to figuratively jam itself into my eye socket.

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 08:16:52 -0600

Checked in at The Center for Animal Wellness .

She’s gonna hate this…

39.7347961-104.9989024

What Managers Need to Know About Slack, Yammer, and Chatter

Mon, 26 Mar 2018 07:54:14 -0600

What Managers Need to Know About Slack, Yammer, and Chatter

Workplaces have adopted internal social tools—think stand-alone technologies such as Slack, Yammer, and Chatter, or embedded applications such as Microsoft Teams and JIRA—at a staggering rate. In an ambitious study of 4,200 companies, conducted by the McKinsey Global Institute, 72% reported using them to facilitate employee communication. That figure grabbed our attention, so we asked leaders of both large and small organizations for more insight into why they were turning to social tools and platforms. They said things like “Other companies are, so we should too” and “That’s what you have to do if you want to attract young talent.” Although the bandwagon effect was not a surprise, this was: Few of the rationales were based on a solid business case, which leaders normally require when considering other technologies, such as CRM software or computer-simulation tools.

The Software Engineering Job Ladder

Sun, 25 Mar 2018 17:05:16 -0600

The Software Engineering Job Ladder

Software companies should put careful deliberation into their engineering job levels, and make available a job ladder explaining what is expected of employees, the distinction between roles, and areas for career growth.

In this post, I’ll discuss why having a job ladder helps everybody; what makes for a good job ladder; the way I think about software engineer job levels; and I’ll end with some related advice. While the intended audience is management, engineers may gain some insights by seeing things from the company’s point of view.

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 13:06:04 +0000

Checked in at Zeppelin Station .

Back again, this time for birthday lunch.

The #1 Growth Metric 86% Of Founders Are NOT Measuring

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 22:28:08 +0000

The #1 Growth Metric 86% Of Founders Are NOT Measuring

I sent this to my personal email list of 25,000+ founders, but thought it contained enough value to share on Medium too. Edited for brevity.

The number one metric we focused on at BigCommerce to grow it from zero to $100,000,000 in Annual Recurring Revenue was Net Promoter Score, or NPS for short.

If you’re not familiar with my background, I’m a “serial entrepreneur”. I’ve built 8 companies so far and I co-founded BigCommerce in 2009, ran it as co-CEO until 2015 and then hired a great CEO to “take the reigns”.

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 17:20:26 +0000

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Out of sync this week, but back at it.

The Last Conversation You’ll Ever Need to Have About Eating Right

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 07:55:01 +0000

The Last Conversation You’ll Ever Need to Have About Eating Right

It’s beyond strange that so many humans are clueless about how they should feed themselves. Every wild species on the planet knows how to do it; presumably ours did, too, before our oversized brains found new ways to complicate things. Now, we’re the only species that can be baffled about the “right” way to eat.

Really, we know how we should eat, but that understanding is continually undermined by hyperbolic headlines, internet echo chambers, and predatory profiteers all too happy to peddle purposefully addictive junk food and nutrition-limiting fad diets. Eating well remains difficult not because it’s complicated but because the choices are hard even when they’re clear.

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 21:22:50 +0000

Two new places to try in the neighborhood, both opened this week!

Posted on Instagram 9:22 pm, March 20, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m3a1d9348e70bb27226f4b4b236283d74 = { positions : { 243 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.76129’, ‘-104.98129’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m3a1d9348e70bb27226f4b4b236283d74’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m3a1d9348e70bb27226f4b4b236283d74.positions ) { gmap_m3a1d9348e70bb27226f4b4b236283d74.bounds.extend( gmap_m3a1d9348e70bb27226f4b4b236283d74.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m3a1d9348e70bb27226f4b4b236283d74.positions ) { gmap_m3a1d9348e70bb27226f4b4b236283d74.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m3a1d9348e70bb27226f4b4b236283d74.map, position : gmap_m3a1d9348e70bb27226f4b4b236283d74.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m3a1d9348e70bb27226f4b4b236283d74.map.setCenter( gmap_m3a1d9348e70bb27226f4b4b236283d74.positions[243] ); });

Data Suggests Surprising Shift: Duopoly Not All-Powerful – eMarketer

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 21:03:34 +0000

Data Suggests Surprising Shift: Duopoly Not All-Powerful – eMarketer

Facebook and Instagram

Facebook will generate $21.00 billion in US digital ad revenues in 2018, up 16.9% from 2017. But its share of the the country’s digital ad market will dip to 19.6%, down from 19.9% last year.

“Facebook’s user growth rate in the US has slowed down, and is now about the same as that of internet users, while News Feed ad prices may be reaching their limit,” said Monica Peart, eMarketer’s senior forecasting director. “Meanwhile, Instagram—with its rapidly increasing advertiser base—will quickly become the engine that drives growth for the company overall.”

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 18:55:24 +0000

Checked in at Barcelona Wine Bar RiNo .

Brand new wine bar in the hood as well. Today all things are new! — with erika

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 12:31:46 +0000

Checked in at Call .

Pretty pricey, but tasty food and drinks, and has a cool vibe.

‘I created Steve Bannon’s psychological warfare tool’: meet the data war whistleblower

Mon, 19 Mar 2018 21:50:31 +0000

‘I created Steve Bannon’s psychological warfare tool’: meet the data war whistleblower

The first time I met Christopher Wylie, he didn’t yet have pink hair. That comes later. As does his mission to rewind time. To put the genie back in the bottle.

By the time I met him in person , I’d already been talking to him on a daily basis for hours at a time. On the phone, he was clever, funny, bitchy, profound, intellectually ravenous, compelling. A master storyteller. A politicker. A data science nerd.

Backpack Review: Arc’teryx Brize 25L vs Patagonia Nine Trails 28L

Sun, 18 Mar 2018 14:23:54 -0700

Looking for a simple daypack for quick adventures? Me too. I’ve been using a Geigerrig Rig 1210 (looks something like this one ) for a while, but found it to be a little too small, awkwardly configured, and generally just not really what I wanted. After weighing some options, I ended up with a decision between 2 packs: the Arc’teryx Brize 25 , and the Patagonia Nine Trails 28L .

In getting there, I worked out a rough list of things I cared about:

Sun, 18 Mar 2018 15:00:58 -0600

Checked in at Golden Bike Shop .

First time actually visiting this place.

39.759166-105.2251827

Sun, 18 Mar 2018 13:09:03 -0700

Arc’teryx Brize 25 vs Patagonia Nine Trails 28

Posted on Instagram 1:09 pm, March 18, 2018

Sun, 18 Mar 2018 11:33:50 -0600

Checked in at Schebens Manor .

Working on some more Keyring mods.

39.7558119-104.9680914

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 20:16:15 +0000

Linear

Posted on Instagram 8:16 pm, March 14, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_maf6a196b76ae75d12d7aa7a227d28488 = { positions : { 62 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.76924’, ‘-104.97717’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_maf6a196b76ae75d12d7aa7a227d28488’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_maf6a196b76ae75d12d7aa7a227d28488.positions ) { gmap_maf6a196b76ae75d12d7aa7a227d28488.bounds.extend( gmap_maf6a196b76ae75d12d7aa7a227d28488.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_maf6a196b76ae75d12d7aa7a227d28488.positions ) { gmap_maf6a196b76ae75d12d7aa7a227d28488.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_maf6a196b76ae75d12d7aa7a227d28488.map, position : gmap_maf6a196b76ae75d12d7aa7a227d28488.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_maf6a196b76ae75d12d7aa7a227d28488.map.setCenter( gmap_maf6a196b76ae75d12d7aa7a227d28488.positions[62] ); });

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 19:44:49 +0000

Checked in at Big Trouble .

And now… this — with erika

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 18:45:09 +0000

Checked in at Injoi .

Back here already! — with erika

The Default-Thinking Method of Problem Solving

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 21:51:06 +0000

The Default-Thinking Method of Problem Solving

You’ve been here before. It’s Monday morning and you walk into the office only to have your boss call an urgent meeting to “streamline processes.” You haven’t thought about this enough to have an opinion but you go anyway.

You know how to deal with this. You’ve done it before. You turn on your default brain and start solving the problem. You build a hypothesis to determine the problem, find some data to analyze, and presto out comes some efficiency.

Want to Kill Your Economy? Have MBA Programs Churn out Takers Not Makers. – Evonomics

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 21:10:58 +0000

Want to Kill Your Economy? Have MBA Programs Churn out Takers Not Makers. – Evonomics

By Rana Foroohar

After the financial crisis of 2008, many people predicted that there would be a crisis of capitalism. The best and the brightest would forgo careers filled with financial ledgers and become teachers or engineers, or start small businesses. Needless to say, that didn’t happen. In fact, getting an MBA has never been a more popular career path. The number of MBAs graduating from America’s business schools has skyrocketed since the 1980s. But over that time, the health of American business has decreased by many metrics: corporate R&D spending, new business creation, productivity, and the level of public trust in business in general.

A Wake-Up Call For Tech Managers

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 20:58:45 +0000

A Wake-Up Call For Tech Managers

“Don’t you have a loop to write?”

The most popular article I’ve written is called Why your programmer just wants to code. To date it has received over 62,000 reads.

The article tells the story of Jamie, a programmer who joins a new company full of enthusiasm and ideas. Fast-forward a couple years, and Jamie is one of those programmers “who just wants to code.” A programmer who doesn’t contribute new ideas, doesn’t offer new ways of doing things, and just wants to be left alone to write code.

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 13:23:21 -0600

Checked in at Zeppelin Station .

#cafeworking at the new food court/space. Internet is 21 Mbps down, 5 up, proxied.

39.769391-104.977397

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 13:12:50 -0600

Checked in at Namkeen .

Lunch at the new place.

39.769251-104.977142

Planning and Planting Your First Vegetable Garden

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:14:50 -0600

Planning and Planting Your First Vegetable Garden

Pretty good, end-to-end summary of starting your own vegetable garden.

Matrix

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 10:39:33 -0600

Matrix

An open network for secure, decentralized communication.

How to Spot a Machine Learning Opportunity, Even If You Aren’t a Data Scientist

Sat, 10 Mar 2018 16:51:50 +0000

How to Spot a Machine Learning Opportunity, Even If You Aren’t a Data Scientist

Sylverarts/iStock

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a niche subfield of computer science. Tech giants have been using AI for years: Machine learning algorithms power Amazon product recommendations, Google Maps, and the content that Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter display in social media feeds. But William Gibson’s adage applies well to AI adoption: The future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed.

Chinese project offers a brighter farming future

Sat, 10 Mar 2018 16:37:59 +0000

Chinese project offers a brighter farming future

A giant experiment with 21 million farmers in China points the way to sustainable agriculture.Credit: Feng Xiaomin/Xinhua/eyevine

In 1958, China under Mao Zedong embarked on a nationwide political project to increase agricultural productivity by collectivizing small farms across the country and forcing them to share agricultural tools. It was a disaster and contributed to a famine in which tens of millions died.

Sat, 10 Mar 2018 10:26:32 +0000

Checked in at Zeppelin Station .

Partially open! Lots of exciting new things in here, really excited to see it up and running — with erika

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 21:16:58 +0000

Checked in at Blake Street Tavern .

OMG hanging out — with Ray, erika

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 18:36:20 +0000

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Home again home again jiggity jig.

Has the Operating System for the Western World Crashed?

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 17:49:35 +0000

Has the Operating System for the Western World Crashed?

Liberalism has suffered a catastrophic failure, says political scientist Patrick Deneen. Though he’s not the first to make the claim.

Three Lions/Getty Images

By Park MacDougald

American politics has long been defined by the dominance of liberalism, understood in its broad sense as the philosophy of individual rights, freedom, and pluralism. Although Democrats and Republicans fight bitterly over a host of issues, these are largely family disagreements within liberalism. Both sides have made peace with capitalism, the primacy of the individual over the collective, freedom as the highest goal of politics, and the exercise of U.S. power abroad to backstop the “liberal international order.” Whereas the 20th century saw communism and fascism seize state power in Europe and elsewhere, here the radicals of left and right have been reliably co-opted or shunted aside. The most serious native challenge to liberalism, made by the slaveholding oligarchy of the Old South, was crushed on the battlefield, and, despite the efforts of an ever-dwindling number of apologists, morally anathematized.

AMP: the missing controversy – Ferdy Christant

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 17:32:42 +0000

AMP: the missing controversy – Ferdy Christant

Ferdy Christant Web developer, wildlife photographer, founder of www.jungledragon.com Feb 9

How Google cheats with performance

Introduction

AMP, Accelerated Mobile Pages, is a technology first launched in 2015 by Google. The main goal of the initiative is to drastically speed up the loading of web pages on mobile. Sorely needed, as the typical web page on slow 3G (a very typical network condition the world over) takes a long time to load.

The hard thing about hard things: When a manager decides to quit

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 17:24:46 +0000

The hard thing about hard things: When a manager decides to quit

By the way, I’m the manager

Employees quit. Everyone has their reasons. There are many articles about why one should quit, but there are almost none about what should one do when he or she eventually decides to quit. I haven’t found any articles discussing “the hard time of a manager”, who leads people, and yet chooses to quit. In this post, I want to share my personal experience as a manager who has decided to quit his job and the path I’ve taken to make sure that my departure will be as smooth as possible.

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 13:25:31 +0000

Checked in at Gordon Biersch Brewing Company .

Airport coworking with Jesse.

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 11:55:04 +0000

Checked in at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) .

Home time!

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 20:16:39 +0000

Checked in at BLOCK Restaurant .

Final night dinner with Bluehost friends.

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 10:51:33 +0000

Checked in at Bluehost HQ .

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 18:08:23 +0000

Checked in at Bombay House .

Dinner time.

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 13:18:38 +0000

Checked in at Bluehost HQ .

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 22:53:38 +0000

Checked in at Fresh Market .

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 22:53:26 +0000

Checked in at In-N-Out Burger .

Love you.

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 20:31:38 +0000

Checked in at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) .

Oh hai SLC!

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 18:24:23 +0000

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Off we go again. DEN:SLC

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 17:20:33 +0000

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Work travel means only one session this week.

Sun, 04 Mar 2018 22:05:02 +0000

Checked in at Schebens Manor .

Snoozing

Opinion | The Tyranny of Convenience

Sun, 04 Mar 2018 22:03:33 +0000

Opinion | The Tyranny of Convenience

Hudson Christie

Convenience is the most underestimated and least understood force in the world today. As a driver of human decisions, it may not offer the illicit thrill of Freud’s unconscious sexual desires or the mathematical elegance of the economist’s incentives. Convenience is boring. But boring is not the same thing as trivial.

In the developed nations of the 21st century, convenience — that is, more efficient and easier ways of doing personal tasks — has emerged as perhaps the most powerful force shaping our individual lives and our economies. This is particularly true in America, where, despite all the paeans to freedom and individuality, one sometimes wonders whether convenience is in fact the supreme value.

Sun, 04 Mar 2018 21:38:36 +0000

Intended to go snowshoeing, went hiking instead. Probably should have gone snowshoeing after all. #hiking #snow #mountains #Colorado

Posted on Instagram 9:38 pm, March 4, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m23d496f5373d7f91f093a6103a800ace = { positions : { 611 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.702457’, ‘-105.854212’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m23d496f5373d7f91f093a6103a800ace’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m23d496f5373d7f91f093a6103a800ace.positions ) { gmap_m23d496f5373d7f91f093a6103a800ace.bounds.extend( gmap_m23d496f5373d7f91f093a6103a800ace.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m23d496f5373d7f91f093a6103a800ace.positions ) { gmap_m23d496f5373d7f91f093a6103a800ace.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m23d496f5373d7f91f093a6103a800ace.map, position : gmap_m23d496f5373d7f91f093a6103a800ace.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m23d496f5373d7f91f093a6103a800ace.map.setCenter( gmap_m23d496f5373d7f91f093a6103a800ace.positions[611] ); });

Sun, 04 Mar 2018 18:17:45 +0000

Checked in at Park Burger RiNo .

And burgers to wrap the day — with erika

Sun, 04 Mar 2018 17:07:22 +0000

Checked in at Starbucks .

Quick stop and back home — with erika

Sun, 04 Mar 2018 10:50:25 +0000

Checked in at Herman Gulch Trailhead .

Hiking-not-snowshoeing — with erika

Sun, 04 Mar 2018 10:07:57 +0000

Checked in at Starbucks .

Sun, 04 Mar 2018 09:36:14 +0000

Checked in at Costco .

Sat, 03 Mar 2018 19:19:39 +0000

Checked in at Kenji Sushi .

Sushi to round out the day — with erika

Sat, 03 Mar 2018 12:57:40 +0000

Checked in at REI .

Amazing day for a ride to no more appropriate place.

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 16:57:26 +0000

Checked in at Ratio Beerworks .

Nice day == super busy!

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 17:18:18 +0000

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Leaders Lead – Insights – Medium

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 20:19:56 +0000

Leaders Lead – Insights – Medium

Over three years, I was promoted from Producer to SVP of Product. I learned a lot about leadership during these “trial by fire” years.

My “Leaders Lead” talk features Sesame Street characters from my early career

“Leaders Lead” was a rallying cry for teams I worked on as we took on leadership challenges like acquisitions, layoffs, and product launches. I said it often during the three years I advanced from Producer at Electronic Arts, to VP of Product at Creative Wonders, to SVP of Product at both The Learning Company and Mattel.

Distributed Teams — Why Now? – John O’Duinn – Medium

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 20:05:52 +0000

Distributed Teams — Why Now? – John O’Duinn – Medium

Why are more people talking about distributed teams? Why now?

Over the last few years, I’ve been giving a series of presentations on the business, social and environmental benefits of distributed teams. One question I hear over and over is “Why now?”.

Here are the three biggest reasons I’ve seen so far:

Money: Software startups used to raise money for a data-center and a physical office building and staff payrolls. Only then could people start working on The Next Big Thing. Regardless of what your product will be, creating your data-center takes time to setup and has risks — a data-center that is incorrectly sized for future anticipated traffic or with operational problems could kill your company. You could also kill your company by choosing to setup a physical office in the wrong location (limiting hiring) or choosing an office that is too small (disrupting hiring until you relocated or setup a second office location) or too big (needlessly increasing your burn rate even when your cash flow is tight). Since Amazon Web Services became mainstream, it eliminated the lead time for building a data-center. Of course, you still pay money for AWS, but it reduces the financial risk by instantly scaling up/down as your customer demand grows/shrinks — and some clever engineering can significantly reduce your AWS bills. Now that the cost & lead time for a data-center is off the worry list for most companies, the cost & lead time for a physical office is the expensive outlier that people are starting to question as they look for funding.

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 17:23:24 -0700

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Going for four this week.

39.7676715-104.9738261

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 14:31:46 -0700

Checked in at Biju’s Little Curry Shop .

It’s not classic Indian by any stretch, but it is delicious.

39.759571-104.9864898

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 12:53:16 -0700

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

It’s been a while since I came to the office. Good to get out of the house though.

39.761625-104.97923

Mon, 26 Feb 2018 17:26:44 +0000

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Back. For. More.

Sun, 25 Feb 2018 13:48:47 -0600

Checked in at Schebens Manor .

Chilling at home today.

39.7558119-104.9680914

He Predicted The 2016 Fake News Crisis. Now He’s Worried About An Information Apocalypse.

Sun, 25 Feb 2018 17:33:08 +0000

He Predicted The 2016 Fake News Crisis. Now He’s Worried About An Information Apocalypse.

In mid-2016, Aviv Ovadya realized there was something fundamentally wrong with the internet — so wrong that he abandoned his work and sounded an alarm. A few weeks before the 2016 election, he presented his concerns to technologists in San Francisco’s Bay Area and warned of an impending crisis of misinformation in a presentation he titled “Infocalypse.”

How to Run Inclusive Meetings

Sun, 25 Feb 2018 15:33:06 +0000

How to Run Inclusive Meetings

22 Feb 2018

Peer review and feedback season is well upon us, and one of the most

frustrating pieces of feedback I’ve received (and regrettably given) is

“you should talk more in meetings.”

$PERSON should speak up more. They alway have good, thoughtful input,

and I think that $PERSON would be more impactful if they contributed

more in meetings.

I got something along these lines when I was starting out as a

How To Build and Run A Geographically Distributed Engineering Team

Sun, 25 Feb 2018 15:26:26 +0000

How To Build and Run A Geographically Distributed Engineering Team

At Initialized Capital , our share of investments outside the Bay Area has ticked up to about one-quarter of our most recent fund as the cost-of-operating and improved communication tools have made it easier and less expensive to collaborate remotely.

Fred Stevens-Smith and Russell Smith co-founded Rainforest QA, a platform that quickly assigns and collects quality assurance tests for web and mobile products to tens of thousands of testers all over the world.

Sun, 25 Feb 2018 14:53:53 +0000

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

A local favorite and some reading. Not bad Sunday, not bad.

Are You “Default Ship” or “Default Delay”?

Sun, 25 Feb 2018 14:52:57 +0000

Are You “Default Ship” or “Default Delay”?

A couple years ago I ran across a blog post by Paul Jackson where he mentioned in passing the idea of a tension between “default ship” cultures in relation to corporations versus startups. For some reason, those two ends of a spectrum have stuck with me ever since, and after struggling with some culture change in my day-to-day job recently, I thought that it was an interesting subject that deserved a little more attention and dissection. Because, even though Paul positioned it as a startup v. corporate culture issue, my feeling is that it goes much deeper than that and is a topic that every Product Manager should be aware of and have their eyes out for — you never know when the “default delay” police will come knocking on your product’s door…

Sun, 25 Feb 2018 14:47:15 +0000

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

Infinite Scroll: The Web’s Slot Machine – Startup Grind – Medium

Sun, 25 Feb 2018 14:41:29 +0000

Infinite Scroll: The Web’s Slot Machine – Startup Grind – Medium

A few years ago, everyone was clicking. Today, we’re all scrolling. Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram , and Medium — it seems everyone is getting on the infinite scroll bus. What is it about this magical design pattern that has so many consumer web companies using it?

Not too long ago, users were forced to reload pages to progress from one piece of content to the next. Web designers were advised against creating websites with information appearing “below the fold,” the portion of the page. This means underneath what is displayed on the screen.

What is Ambient Computing? – Narain Jashanmal – Medium

Sun, 25 Feb 2018 14:34:48 +0000

What is Ambient Computing? – Narain Jashanmal – Medium

Photo by Sebastien Gabriel on Unsplash

Perhaps it’s easiest to start by saying what it isn’t. It’s not simply another name for the Internet of Things (IOT) — though there are aspects of IOT that embody Ambient Computing.

Nor is it a revolution. Rather, it is guided evolution — making conscious choices about the direction in which we want to see computing go. The definition of computing that we’re working with here being a broad one that encompasses hardware, software, user experience and human machine interaction.

YouTube Service for Keyring

Sun, 25 Feb 2018 12:44:37 +0000

In 7072886 I added a first swing at a YouTube Service definition to Keyring. It’s based heavily on the Google Analytics one that was recently submitted via PR . It’s not part of an official release yet. I’m curious about enabling people to import the videos they publish on YouTube into a WordPress install though, as that feels like something that folks who use it heavily would want as part of their web presence.

Stitching Prototypes – EightShapes – Medium

Sat, 24 Feb 2018 21:32:29 +0000

Stitching Prototypes – EightShapes – Medium

Demoing a User’s Journey Spanning Many In-Flight Products

I once worked with a Head of Design responsible for all the native apps for a large bank during their formative period leading to a design system. In my career, I’ve never met someone who could demo his team’s emerging work better than he could.

He was the quintessential “Minuteman” able to demo any project on a minute’s notice.

Inversion: The Crucial Thinking Skill Nobody Ever Taught You

Sat, 24 Feb 2018 21:18:58 +0000

Inversion: The Crucial Thinking Skill Nobody Ever Taught You

The ancient Stoic philosophers like Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus regularly conducted an exercise known as a premeditatio malorum, which translates to a “premeditation of evils.”1

The goal of this exercise was to envision the negative things that could happen in life. For example, the Stoics would imagine what it would be like to lose their job and become homeless or to suffer an injury and become paralyzed or to have their reputation ruined and lose their status in society.

The big secret of small improvements

Sat, 24 Feb 2018 21:09:26 +0000

The big secret of small improvements

Photo by James Wainscoat

A small improvement on its own is insignificant, but together they make a huge impact.

Every other Monday, we stop everything we’re doing and devote our day to make our product just a bit better. All startups have more work to do than available resources and having focus is the most important thing. However, this often leads to neglecting the small details of their product.

Why Decentralization Matters – Chris Dixon – Medium

Thu, 22 Feb 2018 07:52:30 +0000

Why Decentralization Matters – Chris Dixon – Medium

The first two eras of the internet

During the first era of the internet — from the 1980s through the early 2000s — internet services were built on open protocols that were controlled by the internet community. This meant that people or organizations could grow their internet presence knowing the rules of the game wouldn’t change later on. Huge web properties were started during this era including Yahoo, Google, Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. In the process, the importance of centralized platforms like AOL greatly diminished.

What I wish I knew when I became CTO – SketchDeck developer blog – Medium

Sun, 18 Feb 2018 19:11:23 +0000

What I wish I knew when I became CTO – SketchDeck developer blog – Medium

Over the last four years I’ve been the CTO at SketchDeck and now, as I leave and hand the reins onto the team, I wanted to reflect on the experience and what I wish I’d known at the start.

It’s been a wild and wonderful experience. Founding a startup is an upside-down version of traditional employment: initially you’ve no idea if the company will take off nor if it’ll ever turn into a full-time job, then as it grows you keep on being thrust into new and different jobs. It’s reasonably common to end up doing jobs you’ve never done before. You can accumulate responsibility faster than you can learn how to harness it.

The data-driven corporation – Hacker Noon

Sun, 18 Feb 2018 19:06:13 +0000

The data-driven corporation – Hacker Noon

A self-service data insights platform for employees and other components of the ‘data-driven culture’

picture: pixabay

Modern companies are typically overloaded with large volumes of heterogeneous data, from multiple sources.

They make significant investments on technologies and architectures such as data marts, data warehouses, data lakes and operational data stores with sophisticated Business Intelligence, Analytics and Predictive systems on top.

Nevertheless, data & technology does not ensure better decisions unless an additional component is added to the mix: the data-driven culture.

Sun, 18 Feb 2018 18:48:41 +0000

Snowshoeing! Glorious day for it once we were out of the wind.

Posted on Instagram 6:48 pm, February 18, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m0374e97f6e62238853710879d3c06f0f = { positions : { 775 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.9024’, ‘-105.646’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m0374e97f6e62238853710879d3c06f0f’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m0374e97f6e62238853710879d3c06f0f.positions ) { gmap_m0374e97f6e62238853710879d3c06f0f.bounds.extend( gmap_m0374e97f6e62238853710879d3c06f0f.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m0374e97f6e62238853710879d3c06f0f.positions ) { gmap_m0374e97f6e62238853710879d3c06f0f.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m0374e97f6e62238853710879d3c06f0f.map, position : gmap_m0374e97f6e62238853710879d3c06f0f.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m0374e97f6e62238853710879d3c06f0f.map.setCenter( gmap_m0374e97f6e62238853710879d3c06f0f.positions[775] ); });

Sun, 18 Feb 2018 17:06:15 +0000

Checked in at Costco .

🌭 — with erika

Keyring v1.9

Sat, 17 Feb 2018 20:59:59 +0000

I just released version 1.9 of the Keyring plugin for WordPress .

This version includes a few pretty cool updates and additions, as described in the changelog :

Added a Google Analytics Service definition.
Added a Strava Service definition.
Added a “Settings” link to the plugin listing if you’re using the bundled Admin UI.
Fitbit tokens now refresh properly.
Tumblr now requires HTTPS, so updated all request URLs to use HTTPS.

My favorite part of this release is that I didn’t personally do most of the things in there. Two of my colleagues did some of it (Strava service and Tumblr fixes), while a generous and otherwise unknown contributor on Github added the Google Analytics service.

Sat, 17 Feb 2018 12:50:11 +0000

Going to be curious to check this place out once it’s fully renovated/built.

Posted on Instagram 12:50 pm, February 17, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_md93459d5e499db1586b0662cd11216dd = { positions : { 462 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7714227’, ‘-104.9675534’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_md93459d5e499db1586b0662cd11216dd’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_md93459d5e499db1586b0662cd11216dd.positions ) { gmap_md93459d5e499db1586b0662cd11216dd.bounds.extend( gmap_md93459d5e499db1586b0662cd11216dd.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_md93459d5e499db1586b0662cd11216dd.positions ) { gmap_md93459d5e499db1586b0662cd11216dd.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_md93459d5e499db1586b0662cd11216dd.map, position : gmap_md93459d5e499db1586b0662cd11216dd.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_md93459d5e499db1586b0662cd11216dd.map.setCenter( gmap_md93459d5e499db1586b0662cd11216dd.positions[462] ); });

Sat, 17 Feb 2018 11:53:21 +0000

Checked in at The Source .

Morning run for coffee and croissants — with erika

Mon, 12 Feb 2018 16:10:28 +0000

Checked in at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) .

One more hop to get home

Mon, 12 Feb 2018 14:32:41 +0000

Checked in at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) .

Take me home.

Progressing from tech to leadership

Sat, 10 Feb 2018 13:04:09 +0000

Progressing from tech to leadership

I’ve been a technical person all my life. I started doing vulnerability research in the late 1990s – and even today, when I’m not fiddling with CNC-machined robots or making furniture , I’m probably clobbering together a fuzzer or writing a book about browser protocols and APIs . In other words, I’m a geek at heart.

My career is a different story. Over the past two decades and a change, I went from writing CGI scripts and setting up WAN routers for a chain of shopping malls, to doing pentests for institutional customers, to designing a series of network monitoring platforms and handling incident response for a big telco, to building and running the product security org for one of the largest companies in the world. It’s been an interesting ride – and now that I’m on the hook for the well-being of about 100 folks across more than a dozen subteams around the world, I’ve been thinking a bit about the lessons learned along the way.

The two laws of building products – The Startup – Medium

Sat, 10 Feb 2018 12:36:53 +0000

The two laws of building products – The Startup – Medium

If you can’t sell it, don’t build it
If you can’t build it, don’t sell it

The single necessary and sufficient condition for a business, says MIT’s Bill Aulet , is a paying customer. But that’s not a sufficient requirement for a good business; instead, to use IDEO’s Tim Brown as a guide, we need to apply a ‘design thinking ’ approach, finding the sweet spot of what is desirable to customers, technically feasible and commercially viable. Then we need to sell it, keep selling it and sell it some more.

Directly Responsible Individuals

Sat, 10 Feb 2018 12:19:27 +0000

Directly Responsible Individuals

The context behind the Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) is found in a lesson learned from Steve Jobs. Steve had a habit of making sure someone was responsible for each item on any meeting agenda, so everybody knew who is responsible.

“Any effective meeting at Apple will have an action list,” says a former employee . “Next to each action item will be the DRI.” A common phrase heard around Apple when someone is trying to learn the right contact on a project: “Who’s the DRI on that?”

Sat, 10 Feb 2018 08:42:52 +0000

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Of course the train isn’t running when I need it.

Your company’s Slack is probably sexist

Mon, 29 Jan 2018 21:18:25 -0700

Your company’s Slack is probably sexist

Slack is the bane and the lifeblood of my workplace communication.

Here at Quartz, the workplace messaging app is ubiquitous. Our newsroom uses Slack, which recently raised a quarter-billion dollars , to connect to our bureaus around the world and to colleagues one desk over, with news discussions, procedural questions, banter, gossip, and cute dog photos.

As a new reporter at Quartz, it took me a few weeks to adjust. I got used to the always-on aspects of the system, which pings my phone any time I get a message. I eventually stopped making eye contact when teammates messaged me, and learned the myriad meanings of the dancing pineapple emoji. I liked that Slack allowed me access to senior staffers, and colleagues in other cities and countries.

This is fine: how to balance vision & management. – Ellen’s Blog

Mon, 29 Jan 2018 15:26:43 -0700

This is fine: how to balance vision & management. – Ellen’s Blog

This post originally given as a talk at the Product Leader Summit .

Before I was trying to make it 100x easier to write software, I was the first employee (and VP of product) at a travel startup named Lola . While I was there, we went from a project in an incubator to a Series B company with 50 people. The first six months were actually fine, and the next eighteen months it felt like I lived in this meme:

Decentralized Internet on Blockchain – Hacker Noon

Sun, 28 Jan 2018 12:55:44 -0700

Decentralized Internet on Blockchain – Hacker Noon

How blockchain can mobilize a community to provide Internet for each other and create a new sharing economy

Community powered Internet, coordinated by Andrena’s blockchain

My goal and dream for the past few years has been to replace Internet Service Providers (ISPs) through the power of the community. So I set out a personal and professional journey to start OISP, which stands for the Open Internet Socialization Project.

Beyond the Bitcoin Bubble

Sat, 27 Jan 2018 18:52:18 -0700

Beyond the Bitcoin Bubble

layer innocent nothing argue pottery winner cotton menu task slim merge maid

The sequence of words is meaningless: a random array strung together by an algorithm let loose in an English dictionary. What makes them valuable is that they’ve been generated exclusively for me, by a software tool called MetaMask. In the lingo of cryptography, they’re known as my seed phrase. They might read like an incoherent stream of consciousness, but these words can be transformed into a key that unlocks a digital bank account, or even an online identity. It just takes a few more steps.

China, Unhampered by Rules, Races Ahead in Gene-Editing Trials

Sat, 27 Jan 2018 18:03:30 -0700

China, Unhampered by Rules, Races Ahead in Gene-Editing Trials

HANGZHOU, China—In a hospital west of Shanghai, Wu Shixiu since March has been trying to treat cancer patients using a promising new gene-editing tool.

U.S. scientists helped devise the tool, known as Crispr-Cas9, which has captured global attention since a 2012 report said it can be used to edit DNA. Doctors haven’t been allowed to use it in human trials in America. That isn’t the case for Dr. Wu and others in China.

Why We’re Underestimating American Collapse – Eudaimonia and Co

Sat, 27 Jan 2018 17:42:56 -0700

Why We’re Underestimating American Collapse – Eudaimonia and Co

The Strange New Pathologies of the World’s First Rich Failed State

You might say, having read some of my recent essays, “Umair! Don’t worry! Everything will be fine! It’s not that bad!” I would look at you politely, and then say gently, “To tell you the truth, I don’t think we’re taking collapse nearly seriously enough.”

Why? When we take a hard look at US collapse, we see a number of social pathologies on the rise. Not just any kind. Not even troubling, worrying, and dangerous ones. But strange and bizarre ones. Unique ones. Singular and gruesomely weird ones I’ve never really seen before, and outside of a dystopia written by Dickens and Orwell, nor have you, and neither has history. They suggest that whatever “numbers” we use to represent decline — shrinking real incomes, inequality, and so on —we are in fact grossly underestimating what pundits call the “human toll”, but which sensible human beings like you and I should simply think of as the overwhelming despair, rage, and anxiety of living in a collapsing society.

Share your Manager README

Sat, 27 Jan 2018 17:32:42 -0700

Share your Manager README

As a manager, on-boarding is both tough and really important whether you’re joining a team or they’re joining yours. My very short list for on-boarding in either direction is:

Share expectations
Build trust

That’s it. Everything else comes later. Know what you need to do next? If you know what’s expected of you, you can start moving forward. Have questions? You need some level of trust to ask them.

Why Calendars are More Effective Than To Do Lists

Sat, 27 Jan 2018 17:28:40 -0700

Why Calendars are More Effective Than To Do Lists

Photo Credit: marcoverch Flickr via Compfight cc

If there’s one pattern I’ve come across in dozens of articles, books I’ve read, and the 100’s of people that I’ve interviewed, it’s that the most prolific, productive and successful ones don’t depend on to-do lists, they depend on a calendar. It’s a lesson I’ve learned over and over again in my own work. The likelihood of me getting anything done goes up significantly when I put something on the calendar.

Go Deeper, Not Wider

Sat, 27 Jan 2018 10:26:45 -0700

Go Deeper, Not Wider

I keep imagining a tradition I’d like to invent. After you’re established in your career, and you have some neat stuff in your house, you take a whole year in which you don’t start anything new or acquire any new possessions you don’t need.

No new hobbies, equipment, games, or books are allowed during this year. Instead, you have to find the value in what you already own or what you’ve already started.

Fri, 26 Jan 2018 17:25:09 -0600

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

Crushing.

39.761625-104.97923

Fri, 26 Jan 2018 13:56:35 -0600

Checked in at Green Seed .

Mega lunching

39.759211-104.984621

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 21:11:28 +0000

Checked in at WaterCourse Foods .

First time here! — with Kelly

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 17:24:04 +0000

Good work on the sunset, Denver. #nofilter

#nofilter

Posted on Instagram 5:24 pm, January 25, 2018 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mf9d734f768d4d956a489d5c4078f2620 = { positions : { 441 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7675084’, ‘-104.9740488’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mf9d734f768d4d956a489d5c4078f2620’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mf9d734f768d4d956a489d5c4078f2620.positions ) { gmap_mf9d734f768d4d956a489d5c4078f2620.bounds.extend( gmap_mf9d734f768d4d956a489d5c4078f2620.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mf9d734f768d4d956a489d5c4078f2620.positions ) { gmap_mf9d734f768d4d956a489d5c4078f2620.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mf9d734f768d4d956a489d5c4078f2620.map, position : gmap_mf9d734f768d4d956a489d5c4078f2620.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mf9d734f768d4d956a489d5c4078f2620.map.setCenter( gmap_mf9d734f768d4d956a489d5c4078f2620.positions[441] ); });

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 17:23:03 +0000

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

One more, into the breach!

Imagining a Better Online – Internet Law and Ethics 101 – Medium

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 21:42:49 -0600

Imagining a Better Online – Internet Law and Ethics 101 – Medium

Is it possible the internet will be a garbage fire hellscape forever? And if so, what then?

Credit: Lightcome/iStock via Getty Images Plus

“Everything is about to change. The world is going to crack wide open.”

Those are the final words from a character on Halt and Catch Fire, AMC’s series about the dawn of Silicon Valley and the digital age. It’s the late 1980s, and the character (we won’t spoil who it is) had just leaped to their death rather than face prison time for computer crimes, leaving behind a suicide note, a profound voiceover from beyond the grave explaining their motive and, in doing so, predicting The Internet As We Know It:

Is Your Team Too Big? Too Small? What’s the Right Number? – Knowledge@Wharton

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 21:34:12 -0600

Is Your Team Too Big? Too Small? What’s the Right Number? – Knowledge@Wharton

When it comes to athletics, sports teams have a specific number of team players: A basketball team needs five, baseball nine, and soccer 11. But when it comes to the workplace, where teamwork is increasingly widespread throughout complex and expanding organizations, there is no hard-and-fast rule to determine the optimal number to have on each team.

How to Start Thinking Like a Data Scientist

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 21:20:41 -0600

How to Start Thinking Like a Data Scientist

Slowly but steadily, data are forcing their way into every nook and cranny of every industry, company, and job. Managers who aren’t data savvy, who can’t conduct basic analyses, interpret more complex ones, and interact with data scientists are already at a disadvantage. Companies without a large and growing cadre of data-savvy managers are similarly disadvantaged.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be a data scientist or a Bayesian statistician to tease useful insights from data. This post explores an exercise I’ve used for 20 years to help those with an open mind (and a pencil, paper, and calculator) get started. One post won’t make you data savvy, but it will help you become data literate, open your eyes to the millions of small data opportunities, and enable you work a bit more effectively with data scientists, analytics, and all things quantitative.

Big Data’s Biggest Challenge? Convincing People NOT to Trust Their Judgment

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 21:15:43 -0600

Big Data’s Biggest Challenge? Convincing People NOT to Trust Their Judgment

Here’s a simple rule for the second machine age we’re in now: as the amount of data goes up, the importance of human judgment should go down.

The previous statement reads like heresy, doesn’t it? Management education today is largely about educating for judgment —developing future leaders’ pattern-matching abilities, usually via exposure to a lot of case studies and other examples, so that they’ll be able to confidently navigate the business landscape. And whether or not we’re in b-school, we’re told to trust our guts and instincts, and that (especially after we gain experience) we can make accurate assessments in a blink .

An Introduction to Data-Driven Decisions for Managers Who Don’t Like Math

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 21:10:04 -0600

An Introduction to Data-Driven Decisions for Managers Who Don’t Like Math

Not a week goes by without us publishing something here at HBR about the value of data in business. Big data, small data, internal, external, experimental, observational — everywhere we look, information is being captured, quantified, and used to make business decisions.

Not everyone needs to become a quant. But it is worth brushing up on the basics of quantitative analysis, so as to understand and improve the use of data in your business. We’ve created a reading list of the best HBR articles on the subject to get you started.

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 18:44:19 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Should not have done this two days in a row

39.7676715-104.9738261

Sat, 20 Jan 2018 11:05:59 +0000

Checked in at Star Kitchen .

Dim sum! — with erika

Jean Hsu on people-centric management – Inside Intercom

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 12:07:36 -0600

Jean Hsu on people-centric management – Inside Intercom

When it comes to the importance of good people management, one data point speaks loudly above the rest. That is, people leave managers not companies.

Yet the transition from individual contributor to first-time manager is never easy, and there’s no perfect playbook. Engineering leadership coach Jean Hsu is on a mission to bridge that gap.

Following stints at Google, Pulse and most recently Medium, Jean works with technical leads through workshops and 1:1 coaching to help them get the most from their team beyond the immediate product cycle or feature release. She’s frequently writing about leadership on her blog , and just recently announced a new project with fellow engineering leader Edmond Lau , which you can learn more about here .

Working Out While Traveling

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 17:53:23 +0000

I travel a fair bit for work, and have historically let it affect (read: completely stop) any sort of fitness routine I might have going at home. Normally I try to get to the gym 2-3 times a week, and do whatever is the WOD at my CrossFit (Sprint) gym. When traveling, I just let it slide normally, and then try to get back into a routine when I get home.

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 15:02:25 +0000

Checked in at Schebens Manor .

Home for reals

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 13:54:58 +0000

Checked in at RTD – Denver Airport Station .

When your manager isn’t supporting you, build a Voltron

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 10:20:39 +0000

When your manager isn’t supporting you, build a Voltron

In my years of coaching managers and individual contributors, I’ve routinely heard the following complaints about their bosses:

“My manager isn’t giving me any feedback.”
“My manager won’t help me define my team’s goals.”
“My manager can’t/won’t tell me where this company is heading.”
“My manager won’t tell me how I can get to the next level.”
“I have no idea what my manager does all day.”

It can feel tremendously frustrating to expect a particular kind of support of your manager, and have them fail to deliver it, or even acknowledge it. In my own career, I’ve had plenty of manager bad-fits: folks who were good executors but not good at managing people, folks who gave me little-to-no constructive feedback (more on this phenomenon ), folks who prioritized supporting their peers over supporting their team.

Building a design-driven culture

Mon, 15 Jan 2018 08:27:13 +0000

Building a design-driven culture

Mon, 15 Jan 2018 07:57:09 +0000

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Ice on the road. Rear wheel drive. Broken TV. No space for carry on. It’s all happening this morning.

Sat, 13 Jan 2018 18:48:16 -0700

Checked in at Cart-Driver .

Sustenance time — with erika

39.757531-104.98634

Sun, 31 Dec 2017 12:13:34 +0000

Checked in at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre .

with erika

Sun, 31 Dec 2017 10:21:31 +0000

Snowshoeing near Coppper.

Posted on Instagram 10:21 am, December 31, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_md704a959ceb96a283e0e1f33210cf25f = { positions : { 923 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.500861’, ‘-106.1535167’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_md704a959ceb96a283e0e1f33210cf25f’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_md704a959ceb96a283e0e1f33210cf25f.positions ) { gmap_md704a959ceb96a283e0e1f33210cf25f.bounds.extend( gmap_md704a959ceb96a283e0e1f33210cf25f.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_md704a959ceb96a283e0e1f33210cf25f.positions ) { gmap_md704a959ceb96a283e0e1f33210cf25f.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_md704a959ceb96a283e0e1f33210cf25f.map, position : gmap_md704a959ceb96a283e0e1f33210cf25f.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_md704a959ceb96a283e0e1f33210cf25f.map.setCenter( gmap_md704a959ceb96a283e0e1f33210cf25f.positions[923] ); });

Sat, 30 Dec 2017 21:36:34 +0000

Checked in at Denver Wrangler .

Nightcap + pool — with erika

Tue, 26 Dec 2017 12:06:53 +0000

Checked in at The Home Depot .

Bambi’s first Home Depot adventure.

Tue, 26 Dec 2017 09:40:05 +0000

Christmas Eve dinner was spectacular, thanks to @akires

Posted on Instagram 9:40 am, December 26, 2017

Sat, 16 Dec 2017 15:31:01 +0000

Checked in at Empty Quiver Archery .

Archering!

Sat, 16 Dec 2017 12:48:56 +0000

Checked in at GQue BBQ .

OMG yeah #bbq

Sat, 16 Dec 2017 09:27:01 +0000

Best elements in the table!

Posted on Instagram 9:27 am, December 16, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m917b5c4c719ab68997513c4b6aaf0670 = { positions : { 502 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.760328348259’, ‘-105.02221113277’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m917b5c4c719ab68997513c4b6aaf0670’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m917b5c4c719ab68997513c4b6aaf0670.positions ) { gmap_m917b5c4c719ab68997513c4b6aaf0670.bounds.extend( gmap_m917b5c4c719ab68997513c4b6aaf0670.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m917b5c4c719ab68997513c4b6aaf0670.positions ) { gmap_m917b5c4c719ab68997513c4b6aaf0670.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m917b5c4c719ab68997513c4b6aaf0670.map, position : gmap_m917b5c4c719ab68997513c4b6aaf0670.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m917b5c4c719ab68997513c4b6aaf0670.map.setCenter( gmap_m917b5c4c719ab68997513c4b6aaf0670.positions[502] ); });

Sat, 16 Dec 2017 09:13:22 +0000

Checked in at Denver North High School .

Giving out holiday boxes — with erika

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 19:56:20 -0700

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

Happy hour at our local — with erika

39.7550951-104.9770794

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 11:54:04 -0700

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

39.761625-104.97923

Launch is the beginning – The Year of the Looking Glass – Medium

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 05:40:30 +0000

Launch is the beginning – The Year of the Looking Glass – Medium

This was first published on my mailing list The Looking Glass . Every week, I answer a reader’s question.

Photo by Glenn Beltz

Q: My team is about to launch a major new feature in our software. I’ve been working on this since I joined the company six month ago, so this is my first time shipping a product. I’m excited to bring my work to the world, but also worried it will fail. What advice can you share on how approach a launch?

Becoming Your Future Self

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 05:29:22 +0000

Becoming Your Future Self

01 Dec 2017

In my five years as a VC, I’ve worked closely with the founders of 50+ companies. Many of these companies have grown headcount substantially since I first met them. One of the biggest challenges that founders and early employees face is scaling up personally to meet the ever-growing needs of a business. People sometimes gets stuck and become bottlenecks because they are reluctant to delegate the things they are great at, or they don’t want their role to include new tasks that arise as a company grows. As executive coach Marshall Goldsmith says, “what got you here won’t get you there .”

Asynchronous Slack Scrum

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 21:28:28 +0000

Asynchronous Slack Scrum

For the past four years, we’ve done scrum the same way. Standing up at 9am sharp.

Our scrum is straightforward. What were you working on yesterday? What are you working on today? Are there any changes to plans or intersecting efforts that should be discussed?

When we were small, this worked great. As we grew, we needed to tighten up our scrum updates to keep scrum an efficient use of everyone’s time. Then our web and mobile teams started participating in a combined scrum so we had to make our updates even more concise. Around this time we also made a decision to save any tangents or questions for after scrum to make sure we weren’t wasting a large portion of the team’s time while two engineers went into the weeds on something.

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 20:19:54 +0000

@akires rocking dem self-painted christmas nails

Posted on Instagram 8:19 pm, December 12, 2017

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 21:34:28 +0000

#blossomsoflight

#blossomsoflight

Posted on Instagram 9:34 pm, December 11, 2017

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 21:33:29 +0000

#blossomsoflight show is lit!

#blossomsoflight

Posted on Instagram 9:33 pm, December 11, 2017

Rad light show at the #blossomsoflight show last night.

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 21:31:50 +0000

https://dentedreality.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/25027416_115323165924366_7861851547003518976_n.mp4

Rad light show at the #blossomsoflight show last night.

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Fri, 08 Dec 2017 20:28:30 +0000

I love you hot pot

Posted on Instagram 8:28 pm, December 8, 2017

iPhone X / High Sierra Update

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 10:45:02 +0000

Yesterday, I received my new iPhone X. I thought I’d post some notes on the painful process that has been switching over to it. Might be time to start experimenting with a Pixel .

I’m on the Apple Upgrade program , so I assumed it would be a relatively simple process to get bumped up to the next phone, since it’s been more than a year since I got the iPhone 7 Plus. Instead, it ended up involving talking to multiple different people at the Apple store before I could figure out how it all worked, and how to get a new phone, even though my current phone had a cracked screen. Their online eligibility check kept saying that I had used my allotted AppleCare instances, even though I’ve never used any. Eventually I found out that I need to just tell their system there’s nothing wrong with my phone, and then when I send it back in, I’ll end up being asked to pay the $29 to fix the screen, and then they’ll accept is as a trade-in. OK, fine.

Why a Flat Organizational Structure will Fail as You Grow

Sun, 03 Dec 2017 15:53:45 +0000

Why a Flat Organizational Structure will Fail as You Grow

A few years ago, having a flat organizational structure was all the rage. Well-known companies like Zappos, Medium, and Buffer were singing its praises and writing detailed posts explaining their reasoning.

Tired of bad bosses, and corporate politics, the internet rejoiced.

On paper it sounded so great. Why do we need managers? Who needs structure? We’re all adults here, right?!?

Sun, 03 Dec 2017 12:41:52 +0000

Checked in at Nashville International Airport (BNA) .

Time to jet back home already.

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 12:46:52 -0700

Checked in at WordCamp US 2017 .

@ctaylor talking about the next phase of growth for WordPress at #wcus

36.157781-86.777524

Box’s VP Engineering on Biohacks For A Better Career

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 10:44:07 -0700

Box’s VP Engineering on Biohacks For A Better Career

Tomas Barreto , VP of Engineering at Box , takes biohacking seriously. Like sequencing-his-genome, running-currents-through-his-body seriously.

But don’t call it a hobby or a side project. Barreto draws a straight line between the biohacking work he’s done to not only a more thoughtful, healthier life but also the trajectory of his career. It’s brought him longevity and increasing responsibility at Box, where he’s been promoted five times, starting as a software engineer to his current role as VP of Engineering. He credits biohacking for giving him resilience and capacity, both of which he needed in spades to grow his subset of the engineering team from 5 to 130, from its early days through a high-profile IPO.

Working On The Right Thing

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 10:11:46 +0000

Working On The Right Thing

Illustration by mikoto

Using the AAA model to ensure everybody on your team is working on the task they fit the best

3 out of 5 people are either mismatched or mis-qualified for the tasks they are doing during the day. Did I just make up this statistic? A little bit. But it is probably not far off the mark.

Finding the right task for someone is not a simple process. A problem should not be too easy or hard. It has to be interesting to the individual. There has to be meaning. The team needs to work well together. As we can see there are lots of things to consider when matching someone to a task. But why is this important?

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 08:59:47 +0000

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Pretty quiet this morning.

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 17:26:29 -0700

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

One more time before one more trip.

39.7676715-104.9738261

7 Steps to Learning from Our Mistakes

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 22:52:55 -0700

7 Steps to Learning from Our Mistakes

Here a sailor loads a torpedo. Even when operations don’t have glaring problems, an assessment can reveal areas for improvement.

Learning from Mistakes is key to Continuous Improvement. Here’s a 7 step process.

You would like the practice of learning from your mistakes throughout your organization. Learning is the key to continuous improvement and our own mistakes provide the best cases because we have more insight into what happened and more immediacy since it happened to us.

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 19:29:23 +0000

Checked in at Kiki’s Japanese Dining .

Ramen time — with erika

Shipping is the beginning of a process – Inside Intercom

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 19:01:49 +0000

Shipping is the beginning of a process – Inside Intercom

All too often, shipping product is seen as an end. A milestone reached, a good time to move onto the next project, an even better time to move onto another team. We believe the opposite is true, that shipping is a beginning.

A few weeks ago, Fabrizio and Stephen , two product engineers, joined our team at Intercom. On his second day, Fabrizio pushed code to production, reducing our number of message types from five to three. On his third day, we designed a new in-line reply, and Fabrizio had it live a few days later. By the end of the first week, Stephen had shipped a range of product changes, including new action buttons in our inbox and a redesigned message summary.

Quip

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 13:47:40 +0000

Documents with superpowers. Faster than an email thread. More powerful than a three-hour meeting. Able to bring your team together in a single doc. Quip is here to save the workday.

— Quip

Macro-Focus: The Most Important Skill That Can Change Your Life

Sun, 26 Nov 2017 21:31:27 -0700

Macro-Focus: The Most Important Skill That Can Change Your Life

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com

What is the most important skill for a successful and happy life? There is an old story of a reporter who went up to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett at an event. The reporter asked each of them to write downone wordthat they believe to be the most important key to success. As the story goes, without consulting each other, the two billionaires wrote down the same word! So what was the most important key to success, according to them?

A growing number of young Americans are leaving desk jobs to farm

Sun, 26 Nov 2017 09:23:35 -0700

A growing number of young Americans are leaving desk jobs to farm

Economy

November 23, 2017 at 2:12 PM

Rachel Clement picks purple mustard before the first hard freeze of the season at Owl’s Nest Farm in Upper Marlboro, Md., on Nov. 9. Many women, highly educated and city-bred, are taking to the farm life. Clement has worked at the farm since August. (Michael Robinson Chavez/Washington D.C.)

Liz Whitehurst dabbled in several careers before she ended up here, crating fistfuls of fresh-cut arugula in the early-November chill.

We are the people they warned you about – Chris Anderson – Medium

Sat, 25 Nov 2017 10:05:05 -0700

We are the people they warned you about – Chris Anderson – Medium

As the “Slaughterbots” video of (fictional) killer drones goes viral, here are some quick thoughts from a guy who helped start the “hey, open source drones , what could go wrong?” movement. (I also run Dronecode , the leading drone software consortium)

I’m not super concerned about the particular scenario in the video (swarms of microdrones carrying shaped charges hunting down individuals and putting holes in their head) because it seems technically unfeasible — microdrones are less maneuverable than insects, and we can swat bugs away easily. But in general, I have a bigger problem with the message of the video: I’m an enabler of what’s described in that scenario, but I have no idea what I should do differently.

Fri, 24 Nov 2017 15:30:52 +0000

Checked in at Okhi .

Neat little shop — with erika

Thu, 23 Nov 2017 16:26:50 +0000

Ridiculous meal, prepared entirely by @akires. ❤️

Posted on Instagram 4:26 pm, November 23, 2017

In the loop: Jony Ive on Apple’s new HQ and the disappearing iPhone | Design | Wallpaper* Magazine

Thu, 23 Nov 2017 09:00:06 +0000

In the loop: Jony Ive on Apple’s new HQ and the disappearing iPhone | Design | Wallpaper* Magazine

IN THE LOOP

Jony Ive on Apple’s new HQ and the disappearing iPhone

PHOTOGRAPHY: MARK MAHANEY
INTERVIEW: NICK COMPTON

The glass fins provide shade from the Californian sun. Foster + Partners and Apple’s design team considered fabric and fibreglass fins before settling on the final design

Anticipation was higher than usual – and it always runs to feverish – when the press and other interested parties made their way to California’s Silicon Valley last September for the latest Apple keynote presentation. The most titanic of the valley’s tech titans was due to unveil its most significant update to the iPhone since its launch, ten years previous. In that time the iPhone has upended industries and transformed how we do just about everything. The update was a big deal. But most of the golden ticket holders were as excited about where they were as what they were about to see.

Sun, 19 Nov 2017 18:44:50 +0000

One-eyed Cthulhu Parsnip

Posted on Instagram 6:44 pm, November 19, 2017

Sun, 19 Nov 2017 18:43:25 +0000

Impressive sunset, Denver. #nofilter

#nofilter

Posted on Instagram 6:43 pm, November 19, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m48ba06b55ce0d3fcd5a942226ce4d475 = { positions : { 843 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m48ba06b55ce0d3fcd5a942226ce4d475’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m48ba06b55ce0d3fcd5a942226ce4d475.positions ) { gmap_m48ba06b55ce0d3fcd5a942226ce4d475.bounds.extend( gmap_m48ba06b55ce0d3fcd5a942226ce4d475.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m48ba06b55ce0d3fcd5a942226ce4d475.positions ) { gmap_m48ba06b55ce0d3fcd5a942226ce4d475.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m48ba06b55ce0d3fcd5a942226ce4d475.map, position : gmap_m48ba06b55ce0d3fcd5a942226ce4d475.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m48ba06b55ce0d3fcd5a942226ce4d475.map.setCenter( gmap_m48ba06b55ce0d3fcd5a942226ce4d475.positions[843] ); });

Research: Vague Feedback Is Holding Women Back

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 21:32:22 +0000

Research: Vague Feedback Is Holding Women Back

laura schneider FOR HBR

Although companies have invested heavily in programs to advance women leaders, the number of women in executive roles has not changed significantly in the last decade. Even if women are well represented as middle managers, their numbers drop off when making the jump to VP-level executives. Why are women not rising to executive ranks?

One reason is the feedback men and women receive along the way. Our research shows that women are systematically less likely to receive specific feedback tied to outcomes, both when they receive praise and when the feedback is developmental. In other words, men are offered a clearer picture of what they are doing well and more-specific guidance of what is needed to get to the next level.

What I Learned Helping Blue Apron Grow 25X in 3.5 Years

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 21:24:00 +0000

What I Learned Helping Blue Apron Grow 25X in 3.5 Years

Being at an early-stage startup is a bit like being in grade school — but in this version, you have to skip a grade every 6 months and still get all As.You learn quickly because you have to. And while you manage to skip grade after grade, there are many times when you fall short. Then, once you’ve graduated, you look back and realize just how much you’ve learned, and how much you wish you could help others have an easier time with their path.

Six Things I Learned From Spending almost 72 Hours off the Social Grid, and Why You Should Do it…

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 21:12:24 +0000

Six Things I Learned From Spending almost 72 Hours off the Social Grid, and Why You Should Do it…

Long story short: I learned that going completely off the social grid for a few days has tremendous benefits, and very few downsides. The hardest part is starting.

This past weekend, starting Friday at 8am, and ending Monday at 4:30am, I went off the grid completely. I kept my mobile phone on airplane mode. I kept my laptop closed (with the exception of the flights to write.) The only time I turned on my phone was to show my boarding pass Friday morning and again Sunday afternoon to come home. I didn’t check email, I didn’t check Facebook or Twitter, I didn’t post to any social outlet, I didn’t even Instagram.

Three rules of maintenance – Andrew Spittle

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 07:33:07 -0700

Three rules of maintenance – Andrew Spittle

The condo building I live in has a property management company. This makes sense. The building is 120+ units across 12 floors with retail and office space. What doesn’t make sense is this same company’s poor communication. They are consistently unclear and underwhelming, particularly when it comes to maintenance.

Today they were servicing the fire safety system. This also makes sense. Fire is an existential threat to a 12-floor building and maintaining that safety system is key. But during this maintenance the alarm system speaker in our unit continually blipped on and off. Imagine the sound of plugging headphones in-and-out, in-and-out. Just a little blip. But that blip emanates from a unit typically used to signal a fire alarm or emergency. So let’s call this a disconcerting blip.

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 14:12:27 -0700

Checked in at Purple Door Coffee .

#cafeworking for the afternoon.

39.7574256-104.9743858

Gin

Sun, 12 Nov 2017 18:22:59 -0700

The exact types and amounts of botanicals used in gins are usually a closely guarded secret. However, by law, gin must contain juniper berries. Juniper berries & coriander seed typically constitute 90% of the total botanicals used.

Source: Home Distiller

Sun, 12 Nov 2017 15:10:45 +0000

Making my own gin, like a freaking hipster.

Posted on Instagram 3:10 pm, November 12, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mc4e98cbb2210acb8f3379be705b51806 = { positions : { 840 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mc4e98cbb2210acb8f3379be705b51806’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mc4e98cbb2210acb8f3379be705b51806.positions ) { gmap_mc4e98cbb2210acb8f3379be705b51806.bounds.extend( gmap_mc4e98cbb2210acb8f3379be705b51806.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mc4e98cbb2210acb8f3379be705b51806.positions ) { gmap_mc4e98cbb2210acb8f3379be705b51806.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mc4e98cbb2210acb8f3379be705b51806.map, position : gmap_mc4e98cbb2210acb8f3379be705b51806.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mc4e98cbb2210acb8f3379be705b51806.map.setCenter( gmap_mc4e98cbb2210acb8f3379be705b51806.positions[840] ); });

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 11:30:32 -0600

Checked in at Schebens Manor .

Finally. Home.

39.7558119-104.9680914

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 16:48:46 +0000

Checked in at Strange Craft Beer Company .

May as well drink beers since I’m home — with erika

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 12:21:27 +0000

Apartment laundry

Posted on Instagram 12:21 pm, November 10, 2017

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 03:44:44 +0000

Checked in at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) .

Back in the US! Not too far until home now.

Wed, 08 Nov 2017 21:16:00 +0000

Checked in at The Orchid Mumbai .

Last day here. Has been epic.

Tue, 07 Nov 2017 05:17:45 -0700

Checked in at The Orchid Mumbai .

19.09717772.8548662

How I Socially Engineer Myself Into High Security Facilities

Fri, 27 Oct 2017 11:14:23 +0000

How I Socially Engineer Myself Into High Security Facilities

Sophie is a physical penetration tester and information security consultant. She specializes in social engineering security assessments including physical, voice (vishing) and text (phishing). She consults in remediation and prevention of security incidents through creation of policy and procedures, as well as customized training for your individual office culture. Prior to working in infosec, Sophie was a journalist, photographer, and a mom.

Command-line-text-processing/gnu_awk.md at master · learnbyexample/Command-line-text-processing

Fri, 27 Oct 2017 11:13:58 +0000

Hundreds of examples on how to use awk, the extremely powerful UNIX string manipulation tool.

Source: Command-line-text-processing/gnu_awk.md at master · learnbyexample/Command-line-text-processing

Paw – A full-featured visual HTTP client

Fri, 27 Oct 2017 11:11:50 +0000

A native macOS HTTP client for working with API requests, including handling for dynamic values, authentication, extensions and more.

Paw – A full-featured visual HTTP client

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:54:53 -0600

Checked in at United Club .

Just ran into Chris Finke outside. Wild!

37.6180458-122.3854841

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 22:24:07 +0000

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Home! Even it’s only for a week this time 😵

What I Learned From Reading Every Amazon Shareholders Letter

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 22:13:16 +0000

What I Learned From Reading Every Amazon Shareholders Letter

A new mentor of mine suggested I read Jeff Bezos’ Letter to Shareholders to refine my thoughts around building a career and a business.

So I read them all dating back to 1997 and here are my takeaways:

Amazon – Investor Relations – Annual Reports, Proxies and Shareholder Letters
Annual Reports, Proxies and Shareholder Lettersphx.corporate-ir.net

1/ Jeff Bezos is still Jeff Bezos

Despite memes (below) to the contrarian, the core operating principles of Amazon hasn’t changed much if at all since the company went public in 1997.

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 23:59:31 +0000

Checked in at Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant & Bar .

Quick, late dinner.

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 12:32:33 +0000

At #chromedevsummit with @goldsounds. He’ll be speaking later about PWAs and #WordPress via #Jetpack

Posted on Instagram 12:32 pm, October 23, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m05762764a86af7c695fe8d385ee0385c = { positions : { 440 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘37.784916242722’, ‘-122.40201715675’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m05762764a86af7c695fe8d385ee0385c’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m05762764a86af7c695fe8d385ee0385c.positions ) { gmap_m05762764a86af7c695fe8d385ee0385c.bounds.extend( gmap_m05762764a86af7c695fe8d385ee0385c.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m05762764a86af7c695fe8d385ee0385c.positions ) { gmap_m05762764a86af7c695fe8d385ee0385c.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m05762764a86af7c695fe8d385ee0385c.map, position : gmap_m05762764a86af7c695fe8d385ee0385c.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m05762764a86af7c695fe8d385ee0385c.map.setCenter( gmap_m05762764a86af7c695fe8d385ee0385c.positions[440] ); });

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 09:50:19 +0000

Checked in at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater .

#chromedevsummit

Sun, 22 Oct 2017 22:56:15 -0600

Checked in at Tunnel Top .

Drinks with friends!

37.790278-122.4072362

Sun, 22 Oct 2017 16:08:34 -0600

Checked in at Taqueria Cancun .

The other Cancun — with erika

37.7454316-122.4199967

Sat, 21 Oct 2017 18:11:49 -0600

Checked in at Warby Parker .

Trying to do this while we’re here — with erika

37.7768639-122.421964

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 23:14:10 -0600

Checked in at Final Final .

After after dinner drinks drinks — with erika

37.7986127-122.445823

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 21:31:46 -0600

Checked in at Sessions at the Presidio .

After dinner drinks — with erika

37.7991539-122.4478894

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 19:32:50 -0600

Checked in at Isa Restaurant .

37.8001093-122.4377012

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 16:31:22 -0600

Checked in at Taqueria Cancún .

All of my heart — with erika

37.760452-122.4194126

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 15:29:23 -0600

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

Oh Hai, San Francisco! — with erika

37.6173044-122.3853406

Robert Scoble and Me – Quinn Norton – Medium

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 12:56:34 -0600

Robert Scoble and Me – Quinn Norton – Medium

Foo Camp, the original unconference thrown by O’Reilly every year, is one of my favorite events in the technology world. In many ways, it’s often felt like one of the safest — it welcomes crazy ideas, breaks down social barriers, starts cross disciplinary conversations. Their format encourages people to contribute to sessions, or leave them, not if they’re angry, but just if they’re not getting much out of it or have much to contribute. People bounce around the space and ideas and conversations, and so many of the normal social distances break down into collaboration. This format is creative, and gave me access to both people and ideas that helped me shape my work and get it in front of a wider audience.

Sun, 15 Oct 2017 19:38:50 -0600

Checked in at Gozo .

with erika

39.7159319-104.9872886

Sat, 14 Oct 2017 20:15:03 -0600

@akires and I turned one of our home grown pumpkins into roasted chipotle seeds and delicious bread. #winning

#winning

Posted on Instagram 8:15 pm, October 14, 2017

Sat, 14 Oct 2017 17:22:27 -0600

Leek. Parsnip. #todaysharvest #garden

#garden
#todaysharvest

Posted on Instagram 5:22 pm, October 14, 2017

Sat, 14 Oct 2017 11:00:30 -0600

Checked in at Rivers And Roads Coffee .

Back again and this place is hoppin — with erika

39.764749-104.956478

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 15:33:24 -0600

Checked in at Taquitos Jalisco .

And a little #burritofriday to round out the week.

39.763369-104.973137

The Coming Software Apocalypse

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 12:26:37 -0600

The Coming Software Apocalypse

There were six hours during the night of April 10, 2014, when the entire population of Washington State had no 911 service. People who called for help got a busy signal. One Seattle woman dialed 911 at least 37 times while a stranger was trying to break into her house. When he finally crawled into her living room through a window, she picked up a kitchen knife. The man fled.

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 12:20:56 -0600

This place is really cute, and seems to be a good spot for #cafeworking. Will try their food as well.

39.76464-104.95653

#cafeworking

Posted on Instagram 12:20 pm, October 13, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m49bf99362a63b74961929ba691381850 = { positions : { 272 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.76464’, ‘-104.95653’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m49bf99362a63b74961929ba691381850’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m49bf99362a63b74961929ba691381850.positions ) { gmap_m49bf99362a63b74961929ba691381850.bounds.extend( gmap_m49bf99362a63b74961929ba691381850.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m49bf99362a63b74961929ba691381850.positions ) { gmap_m49bf99362a63b74961929ba691381850.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m49bf99362a63b74961929ba691381850.map, position : gmap_m49bf99362a63b74961929ba691381850.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m49bf99362a63b74961929ba691381850.map.setCenter( gmap_m49bf99362a63b74961929ba691381850.positions[272] ); });

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 12:13:20 -0600

Checked in at Rivers And Roads Coffee .

Need coffee to survive today, and wanted to check out this new place.

39.764749-104.956478

The Airport Bomber From Last Week You Never Heard About

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 06:52:22 -0600

The Airport Bomber From Last Week You Never Heard About

What the smartest people do on the weekend is what everyone else will do during the week in ten years

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 06:15:07 -0600

What the smartest people do on the weekend is what everyone else will do during the week in ten years

Many breakthrough technologies were hatched by hobbyists in garages and dorm rooms. Prominent examples include the PC, the web, blogs, and most open source software.

The fact that flip-flop wearing hobbyists spawn large industries is commonly viewed as an amusing eccentricity of the technology industry. But there is a reason why hobbies are so important.

Data Viz Project

Sun, 01 Oct 2017 09:14:16 +0000

http://datavizproject.com/

Really cool library of visualizations with standardized colors to remove unnecessary visual variations. Love it.

Operational Ruthlessness, the key to fast growth startups

Sat, 30 Sep 2017 23:27:07 -0600

Operational Ruthlessness, the key to fast growth startups

Share27 Share99 Shares 128

Since 2010, I’ve been religiously blogging about the ToutApp journey , but about 24 months ago I had to go on a blogging hiatus except for one small post about personal growth .

Over the past two years, ToutApp has grown from 7 people in size to 60+ people, delivered strong quarter over quarter growth, raised $3.3m and then $15m of venture capital from the best venture capital firm in the valley, and have built a crack team of badasses across our executive and management team .

An Introduction to Interaction Flows – UX Planet

Sat, 30 Sep 2017 21:15:31 -0600

An Introduction to Interaction Flows – UX Planet

Could IX Flows be a key to smoother design/dev handoffs?

Illustration by Havana Nguyen

As UX Designers, we put care and critical thought in our projects. Every interaction is planted with a specific purpose for the user. This is why it makes it that much more painful for us when the final developed interface does not align with our original vision.

Three Paths in the Tech Industry: Founder, Executive, or Employee

Sat, 30 Sep 2017 21:08:30 -0600

Three Paths in the Tech Industry: Founder, Executive, or Employee

When people ask me for tech career advice I find it helpful to lay out the three paths I’ve encountered most in my career: founder, executive, and employee. I’m leaving out investor because the best path to being an investor that I’ve seen starts with being successful (or failing) at one of these three first.

Below I’ll outline what I see as the pros/cons and useful strategies for each role.

Sat, 30 Sep 2017 15:11:42 -0600

Checked in at Five Points .

Truck Stop food truck fest! — with erika

39.7546468-104.9780989

On 1:1s

Fri, 22 Sep 2017 23:12:49 -0600

On 1:1s

Credit: Flickr / Ivan

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that 1:1s are one of the most important activities of being a manager. And yet we all know of managers who don’t do them, or do them so badly that they can hardly be called 1:1s at all. I’ve heard about managers who show up to the 1:1 and talk at their report until the time is over. I’m not sure if this is better or worse than no 1:1 at all. The worst manager I ever had, I dreaded our 1:1s so much that I used to get up an hour later on days when I would have to speak to him. My recollection of them was that there would be a terrible, awkward silence, which I would feel compelled to fill, but anything I said would be judged and used against me.

Are You Ready To Consider That Capitalism Is The Real Problem?

Fri, 22 Sep 2017 17:00:00 +0000

Are You Ready To Consider That Capitalism Is The Real Problem?

This story reflects the views of this author, but not necessarily the editorial position of Fast Company.

In February, college sophomore Trevor Hill stood up during a televised town hall meeting in New York and posed a simple question to Nancy Pelosi , the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives. He cited a study by Harvard University showing that 51% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 no longer support the system of capitalism , and asked whether the Democrats could embrace this fast-changing reality and stake out a clearer contrast to right-wing economics.

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 23:49:55 -0600

Mixmaster @scratchymonkey

50.1122886-122.9558218

Posted on Instagram 11:49 pm, September 21, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m1bde92a47f9d67f87c17ce909366ee13 = { positions : { 281 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘50.112288625037’, ‘-122.95582178407’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m1bde92a47f9d67f87c17ce909366ee13’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m1bde92a47f9d67f87c17ce909366ee13.positions ) { gmap_m1bde92a47f9d67f87c17ce909366ee13.bounds.extend( gmap_m1bde92a47f9d67f87c17ce909366ee13.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m1bde92a47f9d67f87c17ce909366ee13.positions ) { gmap_m1bde92a47f9d67f87c17ce909366ee13.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m1bde92a47f9d67f87c17ce909366ee13.map, position : gmap_m1bde92a47f9d67f87c17ce909366ee13.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m1bde92a47f9d67f87c17ce909366ee13.map.setCenter( gmap_m1bde92a47f9d67f87c17ce909366ee13.positions[281] ); });

From Coding To Management To Leadership

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 23:30:33 -0600

From Coding To Management To Leadership

This post was first published on CoderHood as From Coding to Management to Leadership . CoderHood is a blog dedicated to the human dimension of software engineering.

Management is not for everyone.

The skills required to code and the skills needed to manage people are very different. Being a good manager is also not the same as being a good leader. Moreover, being a good manager of developers requires being able to think like a developer.

Metrics-Driven Development

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 23:19:16 -0600

Metrics-Driven Development

Metrics-Driven Development is an emerging term developing from the

practices of continuous integration, continuous delivery, dev ops, and

agile software methodologies. This article serves to define what

metrics-driven development is, why it is useful, and how to use it to

drive software changes.Let’s start with a definition of [metrics-driven

development](http://blog.librato.com/posts/2014/7/16/metrics-driven-development) . Metrics-Driven Development (MDD) The use of real-time metrics to drive rapid, precise,

and granular software iterations.

This definition is simple and straightforward, but does leave room for

Three Powerful Conversations Managers Must Have To Develop Their People

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 22:09:32 -0600

Three Powerful Conversations Managers Must Have To Develop Their People

The fog of war envelops every battlefield. When the plan breaks down amid the chaos and ambiguity, how do young Marines know what to do next? How can they take relevant action in the present when their carefully detailed plan has been rendered useless? Every leader communicates something called Commander’s Intent — effectively an end state or envisioned future of the battlefield when all is said and done. Understanding this vision, even the most green Marines can take decisive, relevant action right now. Managers should equip their people to achieve the same level of clarity in their careers, says Candor, Inc. co-founder and COO and former military leader Russ Laraway .

When Will the Planet Be Too Hot For Humans? Much, Much Sooner Than You Imagine.

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 21:51:43 -0600

When Will the Planet Be Too Hot For Humans? Much, Much Sooner Than You Imagine.

To read an annotated version of this article, complete with interviews with scientists and links to further reading, click here .

I. ‘Doomsday’

Peering beyond scientific reticence.

It is, I promise, worse than you think. If your anxiety about global warming is dominated by fears of sea-level rise, you are barely scratching the surface of what terrors are possible, even within the lifetime of a teenager today. And yet the swelling seas — and the cities they will drown — have so dominated the picture of global warming, and so overwhelmed our capacity for climate panic, that they have occluded our perception of other threats, many much closer at hand. Rising oceans are bad, in fact very bad; but fleeing the coastline will not be enough.

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 19:46:21 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Home! Can haz sleep plz? — with Kelly

39.8568484-104.6738338

Stables and Volatiles

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 18:54:05 -0600

Stables and Volatiles

Stephen was a hired gun at my first start-up. His contract started a year before I arrived, but he was long gone before I walked in the door. The story goes that when Stephen started, he found a small, solid team of five engineers, a QA lead, and a project manager. They were slowly and steadily going… nowhere. After two weeks of watching the team’s slug-like pace, Stephen was fed up.

If You Never Have Enough Time, Notice Where Time Leaks…Then Declutter Your Routine

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 18:36:08 -0600

If You Never Have Enough Time, Notice Where Time Leaks…Then Declutter Your Routine

Photo by Kelly Jean on Unsplash

In the current smartphone age, you are highly accessible and distractible.

It’s an unquestioned truth of modern life: we are starved for time. Time pressures are multiplying at a dizzying rate.

Time is a non-renewable resource, wherever you are, whatever the time of day. Try your best to plan it out and make the most of it.

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 13:57:33 -0600

Checked in at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) .

So exhausted. End of another amazing #a8cgm — with Kelly

49.1944217-123.1797889

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 14:31:45 -0600

Checked in at The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler .

#a8cgm home for the week!

50.1122091-122.9555633

The one thing CEOs should delay as long as possible

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 13:27:16 -0600

The one thing CEOs should delay as long as possible

Most CEOs are an urgent breed.

Every CEO I know laments how they need to instill a stronger sense of urgency in their company around every single thing, to get things done faster.

However, there is one very important thing they should have zero urgency around.

In fact, they should try to delay it as much as possible; ideally, forever.

10+ Startup Tech Leaders Reveal How They Prioritise Software Development

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 13:15:42 -0600

10+ Startup Tech Leaders Reveal How They Prioritise Software Development

It turned out that one of the biggest challenges startup tech leaders are facing is prioritising software development.

In fact, 25% of the respondents said this is their biggest challenge, according to the State of Software Development report.

If it’s a challenge you’re facing then this post is for you.

But how do other tech leaders actually try to overcome this?

We decided to ask more than 10 tech leaders (mostly CTOs) about the practices they use to prioritise software development. The goal of this post isn’t to select one best way but rather to show different approaches you can select from or gain inspiration from as you come up with your own method.

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 11:19:55 -0600

Checked in at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) .

#a8cgm here we go

49.1948983-123.178766

Bungie’s 13-year battle with crunch culture

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 10:26:21 -0600

Bungie’s 13-year battle with crunch culture

Matthew Handrahan

Editor-in-Chief

Friday 4th August 2017

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Companies in this article

Bungie

Destiny 2 will mark the end of Bungie’s struggle to eliminate enforced crunch, according to head of engineering Luke Timmins, a process that started with the “brutal” experience of finishing and shipping Halo 2.

Speaking at Casual Connect USA this week, Timmins traced the evolution of Bungie’s approach to “people management” in his 16 years at the company, which he joined as a tester five months prior to the launch of Halo.

Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 10:19:40 -0600

Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?

One day last summer, around noon, I called Athena, a 13-year-old who lives in Houston, Texas. She answered her phone—she’s had an iPhone since she was 11—sounding as if she’d just woken up. We chatted about her favorite songs and TV shows, and I asked her what she likes to do with her friends. “We go to the mall,” she said. “Do your parents drop you off?,” I asked, recalling my own middle-school days, in the 1980s, when I’d enjoy a few parent-free hours shopping with my friends. “No—I go with my family,” she replied. “We’ll go with my mom and brothers and walk a little behind them. I just have to tell my mom where we’re going. I have to check in every hour or every 30 minutes.”

10,000 Hours With Claude Shannon: How A Genius Thinks, Works, and Lives

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 09:19:59 -0600

10,000 Hours With Claude Shannon: How A Genius Thinks, Works, and Lives

We got up-close-and-personal with a genius for five years. Here are 12 things we learned.

Credit: Nokia Bell Labs

By Rob Goodman and Jimmy Soni, co-authors, A MIND AT PLAY

For the last five years, we lived with one of the most brilliant people on the planet.

Sort of.

See, we just published the biography of Dr. Claude Shannon. He’s the most important genius you’ve never heard of, a man whose intellect was on par with Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton.

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 07:09:56 +0000

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Here I come #a8cgm

The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Become a Manager

Sun, 10 Sep 2017 22:24:02 -0600

The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Become a Manager

TL;DR: If you are unsure whether you should pursue a career in management, ask yourself certain questions: Do you truly care about your co-workers? Can you enjoy working with people? Can you listen? Can you spot talent? Do you feel fully comfortable in your technical field? Only if you can answer a majority of these questions with “yes” should you switch to management.

Hearts and Minds: Shaping dev culture through technical training

Sun, 10 Sep 2017 22:30:39 +0000

Hearts and Minds: Shaping dev culture through technical training

Culture is a set of norms, implicit rules and values that a group of people live by. It entails what is right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable in people’s behavior. Culture is a living, breathing thing, constantly changing and evolving. Wix Engineering is proud of its dev-centric culture . It puts us at an advantage in recruiting and retaining top developers.

Thu, 07 Sep 2017 19:06:22 -0600

#todaysharvest #beans #zucchini #squash #cucumber

Posted on Instagram 7:06 pm, September 7, 2017

Ted Rheingold

Thu, 07 Sep 2017 16:52:16 +0000

I’m sad to hear that Ted Rheingold has lost his fight with cancer, and died on Monday . Through a pretty random turn of events, Ted was one of the very first people I met in the SF technology “scene”, back in 2005, after I moved to San Francisco. I attended the first BarCamp , and didn’t have a good way to get there. In amongst the communications about attending, Ted volunteered to give anyone a lift from SF down to the South Bay, so I accepted graciously, and grabbed a ride with him. We chatted all the way there and back, and on and off throughout the day. I remember Ted being open, energetic, passionate, and really light hearted about who he was, what he did, and what he valued. I can’t really imagine a better introduction to those days of the web, and to the community helping build it.

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 15:10:05 -0600

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

39.761688-104.979971

The Biology of Productivity: How to Stay Motivated

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 22:59:36 -0600

The Biology of Productivity: How to Stay Motivated

Superb time-management skills are worthless when you’re feeling unmotivated, distracted or tired at work. Until robots take over our day-to-day workloads, our productivity is directly linked to our mental and physical well-being.

via GIPHY

The expectation at work to remain competent, motivated and attentive for the entire workday puts a huge strain on our biological resources. Thankfully modern science has given us a better understanding of how our bodies work, which can help us leverage our physiology to work smarter.

Why You Need to Do Burpees

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 22:48:39 -0600

Why You Need to Do Burpees

What is the best predictor of when you’ll die? That seems like a hard—not to mention morbid—question, but, incredibly, study after study is showing that simple tests of physical performance are highly predictive of future mortality.

My favorite recent example is a study from Brazil that tracked just over 2,000 subjects age 50 and up. A 10 point score system was developed to assess how easily they could get up off the floor based on a sitting-rising test (SRT):

Inside Uber’s new approach to employee performance reviews

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 22:57:33 -0600

Inside Uber’s new approach to employee performance reviews

Uber SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer Liane Hornsey vividly remembers the day Susan Fowler published her blog post alleging workplace harassment and management issues came out.

It was Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017 — her dad’s birthday. And the company was also “literally thrown into shock,” she told me at Uber’s headquarters in San Francisco last week.

“I’ve literally never seen employees so shocked by something and so put off by something,” Hornsey said. “And I then decided, because I could see this hurt, I could see the shock, that what the company needed more than anything, honestly, was to be listened to.”

Design your personal growth

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 22:46:03 -0600

Design your personal growth

Illustration by Fanny Luor

Over the years, I’ve been so lucky to work on teams that support my growth. Most notably, I’ve learned so much from Percolate, Dropbox, and leadership coaches.

I’ve tried lots of growth frameworks and found the best ones promote self discovery and focus.

In recent conversation, I discovered many of my friends are trying to grow, but struggling to make progress. I dug deeper and realized, growth frameworks are not widely known or practiced.

Better Business Through Sci-Fi

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 22:22:47 -0600

Better Business Through Sci-Fi

Why are C.E.O.s and military leaders paying novelists to imagine the future for them?

Illustration by Mark Pernice

About five years ago, Ari Popper enrolled in a course on science-fiction

writing at the University of California, Los Angeles, hoping to distract

himself from the boredom of his day job as the president of a

market-research company. “It was, like, the best ten weeks of my life,”

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 13:13:58 -0600

Checked in at Biju’s Little Curry Shop .

39.759607-104.986556

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 08:55:36 -0600

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

GSD.

39.761688-104.979971

We Evolved to Run—But We’re Doing It All Wrong

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

We Evolved to Run—But We’re Doing It All Wrong

View Images

China hopes to be world competitive in track and field soon. Races during the National Games competition.

By Simon Worrall

PUBLISHED

These days, running seems to have little to do with survival—it’s all about sport watches and burning calories.

But for our remote ancestors, the ability to run over long distances in pursuit of prey, such as ostrich or antelope, gave us an evolutionary edge—as well as an Achilles tendon ideal for going the distance. (Related: “Humans Were Born to Run, Fossil Study Suggests .”)

Thu, 24 Aug 2017 20:33:22 -0600

Checked in at Crooked Stave @ The Source .

After dinner tipples — with erika

39.7686213-104.979453

Sat, 19 Aug 2017 12:28:58 -0600

Checked in at Daniel Junction Foodmart .

Almost there.

42.8916856-110.0741245

Sun, 13 Aug 2017 15:54:56 -0600

Afternoon beers after a rough 4wd in, plus rain while setting up camp. Birthday weekend for @akires

39.8358205-105.678059

Posted on Instagram 3:54 pm, August 13, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mb7f7cb13cc27277a72ca4a710c01d67c = { positions : { 453 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.8358205’, ‘-105.678059’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mb7f7cb13cc27277a72ca4a710c01d67c’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mb7f7cb13cc27277a72ca4a710c01d67c.positions ) { gmap_mb7f7cb13cc27277a72ca4a710c01d67c.bounds.extend( gmap_mb7f7cb13cc27277a72ca4a710c01d67c.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mb7f7cb13cc27277a72ca4a710c01d67c.positions ) { gmap_mb7f7cb13cc27277a72ca4a710c01d67c.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mb7f7cb13cc27277a72ca4a710c01d67c.map, position : gmap_mb7f7cb13cc27277a72ca4a710c01d67c.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mb7f7cb13cc27277a72ca4a710c01d67c.map.setCenter( gmap_mb7f7cb13cc27277a72ca4a710c01d67c.positions[453] ); });

Sun, 13 Aug 2017 15:52:24 -0600

Yesterday’s haul. #vegetablegarden #veggies #beets #cucumber #squash #zucchini #tomatoes #carrots #jalapeno

Posted on Instagram 3:52 pm, August 13, 2017

Sat, 12 Aug 2017 12:45:28 -0600

Checked in at Costco .

Grabbing some stuff on the way out camping — with erika

39.7897752-105.0826406

Canoeing the Colorado

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 11:02:34 +0000

A few weeks ago, Erika and I joined some friends on the Colorado River for a repeat of a trip we took last year .

I got all my gear sorted out on Thursday afternoon/evening, then drove out to Fruita (our put-in point) on Friday morning. By noon we were all loaded up in our canoes and ready to hit the water.

This year’s highlight was probably the felon we ran into who claimed to be on the run. Seriously. Right when we started, we saw someone putting in on the other side of the river in a yellow kayak. Not too long later he caught up with us, and asked to borrow a phone. His story was confusing and rambling, but he claimed to be on the run from Federal Marshals, and was taking one last river trip before he was put away for 20+ years on a felony “paleolithic” offense, which apparently involved finding and trying to sell a dinosaur bone on federal property. The guy was wearing jeans and runners, and had nothing with him. Our guess is that he stole the kayak and was just making a run for it.

Floating succulents.

Sat, 05 Aug 2017 13:59:19 -0600

https://dentedreality-content.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/14182411/20677256_1111381005661891_2997938231179214848_n.mp4

Floating succulents.

Sat, 05 Aug 2017 07:02:09 +0000

Bricked

Posted on Instagram 7:02 am, August 5, 2017

Sat, 05 Aug 2017 07:00:30 +0000

Our doorstep canal.

Posted on Instagram 7:00 am, August 5, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m3486e39b179685cb00eea8ba435ef2be = { positions : { 383 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘52.0833’, ‘5.13333’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m3486e39b179685cb00eea8ba435ef2be’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m3486e39b179685cb00eea8ba435ef2be.positions ) { gmap_m3486e39b179685cb00eea8ba435ef2be.bounds.extend( gmap_m3486e39b179685cb00eea8ba435ef2be.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m3486e39b179685cb00eea8ba435ef2be.positions ) { gmap_m3486e39b179685cb00eea8ba435ef2be.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m3486e39b179685cb00eea8ba435ef2be.map, position : gmap_m3486e39b179685cb00eea8ba435ef2be.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m3486e39b179685cb00eea8ba435ef2be.map.setCenter( gmap_m3486e39b179685cb00eea8ba435ef2be.positions[383] ); });

Sat, 05 Aug 2017 05:30:47 +0000

Sushi

Posted on Instagram 5:30 am, August 5, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mbbbc39360fd29bd0999880b0fca2bb24 = { positions : { 750 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘52.361659686179’, ‘4.8825574754137’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mbbbc39360fd29bd0999880b0fca2bb24’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mbbbc39360fd29bd0999880b0fca2bb24.positions ) { gmap_mbbbc39360fd29bd0999880b0fca2bb24.bounds.extend( gmap_mbbbc39360fd29bd0999880b0fca2bb24.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mbbbc39360fd29bd0999880b0fca2bb24.positions ) { gmap_mbbbc39360fd29bd0999880b0fca2bb24.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mbbbc39360fd29bd0999880b0fca2bb24.map, position : gmap_mbbbc39360fd29bd0999880b0fca2bb24.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mbbbc39360fd29bd0999880b0fca2bb24.map.setCenter( gmap_mbbbc39360fd29bd0999880b0fca2bb24.positions[750] ); });

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 14:41:56 -0600

Checked in at Fier .

This place was amazing! — with Kelly, Matty, Paul

52.37038214.8682985

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 03:40:52 -0600

Checked in at CoffeeConcepts .

#cafeworking with the Growth crew. #automattic

52.35767374.8743723

How to Run a Quarterly Product Strategy Meeting: A Board Meeting for Product

Sun, 30 Jul 2017 22:18:16 -0600

How to Run a Quarterly Product Strategy Meeting: A Board Meeting for Product

One of the greatest challenges for the Head of Product at a fast-growing startup is to maintain focus on product strategy, to enable good, fast consumer and data-driven decisions, and to pass on learnings across the organization as it grows. It’s easy when the company is a dozen people, but how do you scale the fast decision-making of startups when the company grows beyond fifty or a hundred people?

What To Do If Your Product Isn’t Growing – Initialized Capital – Medium

Sun, 30 Jul 2017 19:32:21 -0600

What To Do If Your Product Isn’t Growing – Initialized Capital – Medium

How ‘Critical User Journeys’ can help a product take off

As a founder, product lead at Pinterest and PM for a couple products at Google , as well as a growth partner for Initialized Capital , I’ve seen many product teams struggle to grow.

Many products start out with a bang. Some find product-market fit with sustained growth. A few have gone through spurts of hyper-growth. But more often than not, I’ve seen most of them linger then fizzle.

Being Busy Permanently Reduces Your Capacity to Think Deeply and Creatively

Sun, 30 Jul 2017 19:23:06 -0600

Being Busy Permanently Reduces Your Capacity to Think Deeply and Creatively

The other day a friend mentioned that he’s looking forward to autonomous cars, as it will help lower the accident and fatality rates caused by distracted driving. True, was my initial reply, with a caveat: what we gain on the roads we lose in general attention. Having yet another place to be distracted does not add to our mental and social health.

Sun, 30 Jul 2017 15:01:07 -0600

Checked in at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) .

ORD:AMS — with Kelly

41.97151-87.89537

Why Organizations Don’t Learn

Sun, 30 Jul 2017 13:42:28 -0600

Why Organizations Don’t Learn

Idea in Brief

The Problem

Even companies dedicated to continuous improvement struggle to stay on the path. Research suggests that’s because of deeply ingrained biases: We focus too much on success, take action too quickly, try too hard to fit in, and depend too much on outside experts.

The Impediments

These biases manifest themselves in 10 conditions that impede learning. These include fear of failure, insufficient reflection, believing that we need to conform, and inadequate frontline involvement in addressing problems.

If You Want to Be Creative, Don’t Be Data Driven – Microsoft Design – Medium

Sun, 30 Jul 2017 13:00:39 -0600

If You Want to Be Creative, Don’t Be Data Driven – Microsoft Design – Medium

3 Ideas that will completely change how you think about data

There is no inherent value in any piece of data because all information is meaningless in itself. Why? Because information doesn’t tell you what to do.
— Beau Lotto

As I write this I’m sitting in a small conference room on the second floor of an office building. The view from the windows is a paved courtyard down below roughly 25 feet from the building with some tables, chairs, and well-manicured landscaping. I can see that the sun is shining, and it looks like a lovely day. Based on that data, should I go work outdoors? Consider your answer, and we’ll come back to the question later.

Sun, 30 Jul 2017 11:51:52 -0700

Checked in at United Club West .

Pre-flight pre-game?

39.8587265-104.6758246

Sun, 30 Jul 2017 11:37:12 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Off we go again! DEN:ORD.

39.8578235-104.6738224

Why we choose profit – Signal v. Noise

Sat, 29 Jul 2017 23:50:50 -0600

Why we choose profit – Signal v. Noise

We’re outspoken about running a profitable company in an industry that so often eschews profits for potential. So why? People ask us why all the time. Why choose profit?

So I thought I’d detail some of the reasons why we designed Basecamp , our company, to be profitable as quickly and consistently as possible. And 17 years into it, we’ve been profitable for 17 years straight. Being profitable is a feature of our company (companies are products too).

The Real Roots of Midlife Crisis

Sat, 29 Jul 2017 23:42:20 -0600

The Real Roots of Midlife Crisis

This summer, a friend called in a state of unhappy perplexity. At age 47, after years of struggling to find security in academia, he had received tenure. Instead of feeling satisfied, however, he felt trapped. He fantasized about escape. His reaction had taken him by surprise. It made no sense. Was there something wrong with him? I gave him the best answer I know. I told him about the U-curve.

Sat, 29 Jul 2017 16:35:27 -0600

Apparently we are now in the private CSA business.

Posted on Instagram 4:35 pm, July 29, 2017

Sat, 29 Jul 2017 11:25:18 -0600

Quick harvest this morning. #Cucumber, pint of #blackberries, some #swisschard and a ton of 3 different types of #kale.

Posted on Instagram 11:25 am, July 29, 2017

Companion Planting: Three Sisters

Sat, 29 Jul 2017 10:57:28 +0000

Corn, beans, and squash are called the “three sisters.” Native Americans always inter-planted this trio because they thrive together, much like three inseparable sisters.

Source: Companion Planting: Three Sisters | The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Hoi Ann. Loving it.

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 22:08:58 -0600

https://dentedreality-content.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/14182411/20271362_1835203006809425_2866936750784118784_n.mp4

Hoi Ann. Loving it.

39.76985-104.97295 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m629268bd9c1d15b4b249ffcb6e477be6 = { positions : { 175 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.76985’, ‘-104.97295’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m629268bd9c1d15b4b249ffcb6e477be6’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m629268bd9c1d15b4b249ffcb6e477be6.positions ) { gmap_m629268bd9c1d15b4b249ffcb6e477be6.bounds.extend( gmap_m629268bd9c1d15b4b249ffcb6e477be6.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m629268bd9c1d15b4b249ffcb6e477be6.positions ) { gmap_m629268bd9c1d15b4b249ffcb6e477be6.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m629268bd9c1d15b4b249ffcb6e477be6.map, position : gmap_m629268bd9c1d15b4b249ffcb6e477be6.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m629268bd9c1d15b4b249ffcb6e477be6.map.setCenter( gmap_m629268bd9c1d15b4b249ffcb6e477be6.positions[175] ); });

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 20:44:33 -0600

Checked in at Black Shirt Brewing Co. .

Bear, no Beasts. — with erika

39.7697818-104.9728693

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 19:53:21 -0600

Checked in at Birdcall .

Trying out the new place in the hood. Excited! — with erika

39.754522-104.976802

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 17:45:53 -0600

Checked in at REI .

with erika

39.755622-105.009853

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 22:56:41 +0000

Chilling in the river. #Colorado #Utah #river #canoecamping

Posted on Instagram 10:56 pm, July 24, 2017

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 22:53:43 +0000

Union Pacific. Toot, toot. #train #unionpacific #colorado #canoecamping #camping #river #utah

Posted on Instagram 10:53 pm, July 24, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m7f4fffe718ac166a72a7308e8d4cff1c = { positions : { 392 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.862997046629’, ‘-105.08438988874’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m7f4fffe718ac166a72a7308e8d4cff1c’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m7f4fffe718ac166a72a7308e8d4cff1c.positions ) { gmap_m7f4fffe718ac166a72a7308e8d4cff1c.bounds.extend( gmap_m7f4fffe718ac166a72a7308e8d4cff1c.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m7f4fffe718ac166a72a7308e8d4cff1c.positions ) { gmap_m7f4fffe718ac166a72a7308e8d4cff1c.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m7f4fffe718ac166a72a7308e8d4cff1c.map, position : gmap_m7f4fffe718ac166a72a7308e8d4cff1c.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m7f4fffe718ac166a72a7308e8d4cff1c.map.setCenter( gmap_m7f4fffe718ac166a72a7308e8d4cff1c.positions[392] ); });

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 22:47:17 +0000

Tents in the darkness. #canoecamping #camping #tent #coleman

Posted on Instagram 10:47 pm, July 24, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_md6d7657b3574e59117ad5ae109a68f2f = { positions : { 785 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.862997046629’, ‘-105.08438988874’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_md6d7657b3574e59117ad5ae109a68f2f’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_md6d7657b3574e59117ad5ae109a68f2f.positions ) { gmap_md6d7657b3574e59117ad5ae109a68f2f.bounds.extend( gmap_md6d7657b3574e59117ad5ae109a68f2f.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_md6d7657b3574e59117ad5ae109a68f2f.positions ) { gmap_md6d7657b3574e59117ad5ae109a68f2f.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_md6d7657b3574e59117ad5ae109a68f2f.map, position : gmap_md6d7657b3574e59117ad5ae109a68f2f.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_md6d7657b3574e59117ad5ae109a68f2f.map.setCenter( gmap_md6d7657b3574e59117ad5ae109a68f2f.positions[785] ); });

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 22:42:55 +0000

Day Two campsite. Incredible. #canoeing #canoecamping #colorado #utah #river #canyon

Posted on Instagram 10:42 pm, July 24, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m1013717c82ee4fd64bfab1f32935f3a0 = { positions : { 143 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.142171016667’, ‘-109.00057068333’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m1013717c82ee4fd64bfab1f32935f3a0’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m1013717c82ee4fd64bfab1f32935f3a0.positions ) { gmap_m1013717c82ee4fd64bfab1f32935f3a0.bounds.extend( gmap_m1013717c82ee4fd64bfab1f32935f3a0.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m1013717c82ee4fd64bfab1f32935f3a0.positions ) { gmap_m1013717c82ee4fd64bfab1f32935f3a0.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m1013717c82ee4fd64bfab1f32935f3a0.map, position : gmap_m1013717c82ee4fd64bfab1f32935f3a0.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m1013717c82ee4fd64bfab1f32935f3a0.map.setCenter( gmap_m1013717c82ee4fd64bfab1f32935f3a0.positions[143] ); });

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 22:07:30 +0000

Checked in at Ratio Beerworks .

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 18:19:28 +0000

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

Back to the grind.

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 13:38:17 +0000

#colorado #canoecamping

#canoecamping
#colorado

Posted on Instagram 1:38 pm, July 24, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m2f5f15c3d51a7676ffde46a6e97dd50a = { positions : { 285 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.862997046629’, ‘-105.08438988874’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m2f5f15c3d51a7676ffde46a6e97dd50a’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m2f5f15c3d51a7676ffde46a6e97dd50a.positions ) { gmap_m2f5f15c3d51a7676ffde46a6e97dd50a.bounds.extend( gmap_m2f5f15c3d51a7676ffde46a6e97dd50a.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m2f5f15c3d51a7676ffde46a6e97dd50a.positions ) { gmap_m2f5f15c3d51a7676ffde46a6e97dd50a.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m2f5f15c3d51a7676ffde46a6e97dd50a.map, position : gmap_m2f5f15c3d51a7676ffde46a6e97dd50a.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m2f5f15c3d51a7676ffde46a6e97dd50a.map.setCenter( gmap_m2f5f15c3d51a7676ffde46a6e97dd50a.positions[285] ); });

Row, row, row your boat…

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 13:36:34 +0000

http://dentedreality.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/20405032_1593677547339985_190401500869033984_n-1.mp4

Row, row, row your boat…

Fri, 21 Jul 2017 14:25:46 -0600

Checked in at Rimrock Adventures .

Canoe crew x 2!

39.1399134-108.7373328

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 21:01:06 -0600

Still life of garden harvest. #vegetablegarden #harvest #zucchini #squash #summersquash #cucumber #tomatoes #beetroot

Posted on Instagram 9:01 pm, July 20, 2017

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 17:48:44 -0600

Checked in at King Soopers .

Dry ice me!

39.7308919-104.9736851

Wed, 19 Jul 2017 16:20:51 -0600

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

39.761688-104.979971

Wed, 19 Jul 2017 11:35:33 -0600

It’s coming #garden #vegetablegarden #pumpkin

Posted on Instagram 11:35 am, July 19, 2017

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 18:35:58 -0600

Home-cooked #brisket #smokedbrisket #meat

Posted on Instagram 6:35 pm, July 18, 2017

On Failure and Organization Resilience

Sun, 16 Jul 2017 18:03:06 -0600

On Failure and Organization Resilience

Like many people in ops-adjacent parts of the internet, I had a lot of feels around this reddit post , where a new software developer trying to follow instructions to set up his development environment accidentally borked the production database and was summarily fired as a result. Dr. Richard Cook of SNAFUCatchers wrote a piece in response looking at different ways that organizations can respond to failure . The reddit story is a pretty clear example of what Dr. Cook calls “blame and train”, but he notes that this is not the optimal reaction to failure as it tends to lead to organizational brittleness. More positive reactions to failure can lead instead towards organizational resilience, and Dr. Cook encouraged me to share a story of what that could look like.

Reducing hours by focusing your job

Sun, 16 Jul 2017 17:57:25 -0600

Reducing hours by focusing your job

In preparation for our 32-hour work weeks , I’ve been working with some folks on our team to help them more clearly define their roles. To achieve the same amount of work in less time, we have to make sure that we’re all working on the right things and that everyone is clear on their part in our combined success.

I’ve been using a process that we developed when Chris and I were trying to define our own roles. This really helps people in roles where the job is multi-faceted, like a Product Manager, a lead, etc. The end result we’re looking for is a clearly defined set of tasks and goals for each person on your team. Meaning, when hit a fork in the road, everyone knows which road to take because it was clearly defined ahead of time.

Amazon: The Company with a 100 CEOs Cannot Be Stopped

Sun, 16 Jul 2017 16:52:41 -0600

Amazon: The Company with a 100 CEOs Cannot Be Stopped

A company with a 100 CEOs can do anything.

Amazon appears to be a unique success when it comes to not just the success it has achieved but the diversity of businesses it has succeeded in — from online retail to web services, and the march continues into many, many new lines of business.

Almost every large, successful company struggles with growing beyond its core business. Oracle is great at selling software, Salesforce is great at cloud CRM, Apple is great at selling devices and they do an okay to good job of selling products and services that are complimentary — often through the exact same distribution channel.

Pell

Sun, 16 Jul 2017 15:25:10 +0000

the simplest and smallest (1kB) WYSIWYG text editor for web, with no dependencies

Source: jaredreich/pell: 📝 the simplest and smallest (1kB) WYSIWYG text editor for web, with no dependencies

What can you learn from 10 days without electricity?

Fri, 14 Jul 2017 23:11:03 -0600

What can you learn from 10 days without electricity?

At the time of writing, my electricity has just been switched back on after 10 days.

Thankfully, it wasn’t due to a lack of money or chronic apartment deficiency that we were out of juice for so long. It was simple mid-twenties idiocy — we forgot to pay the bill on time, and we paid the price (for all of you out there who are worrying about your adulting skills, don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I’m winning the “can’t function in the real world race” by at least a mile).

Thu, 13 Jul 2017 15:23:49 -0600

Checked in at Café Miriam .

Cute new neighborhood cafe. Decent range of pastries, good coffee and friendly people. No wifi, so BYO for #cafeworking.

39.748322-104.960264

Build APIs You Won’t Hate

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 15:37:07 +0000

Everyone And Their Dog Wants An API, So You Should Probably Learn How To Build Them.

Source: *Build APIs You Won’t Hate ,*hat tip: Cate .

Sat, 08 Jul 2017 10:01:29 -0600

Checked in at Meyers Ranch Open Space .

First ride of the season 😱 — with Kelly, erika

39.5462263-105.2730915

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 14:23:30 -0600

Checked in at Dos Santos .

39.7433504-104.9691154

I went from sedentary academic to 100-mile marathon runner—thanks to the science of self-control

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 23:39:12 -0600

I went from sedentary academic to 100-mile marathon runner—thanks to the science of self-control

Most people have days they’ll never forget. For me, that day is April 26, 2011.

It was my first time appearing on National Public Radio. As part of the program All Things Considered , host Michele Norris interviewed me about my research that suggested increasing narcissism in pop music lyrics. Michele was curious, insightful, and put me at ease. When I left my office and walked to my car, I felt light as a feather floating across campus, free of care and worry. I had no idea that what would happen over the next 24 hours would upend everything in my life. That day would take me down a different path—one that included regularly running 100-mile footraces.

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 09:04:24 -0600

Finishers #fjallravenclassicusa

39.500861-106.1535167

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 9:04 am, July 3, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m8718b15b5ec4be54d230d8f8dd405e25 = { positions : { 242 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.500861’, ‘-106.1535167’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m8718b15b5ec4be54d230d8f8dd405e25’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m8718b15b5ec4be54d230d8f8dd405e25.positions ) { gmap_m8718b15b5ec4be54d230d8f8dd405e25.bounds.extend( gmap_m8718b15b5ec4be54d230d8f8dd405e25.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m8718b15b5ec4be54d230d8f8dd405e25.positions ) { gmap_m8718b15b5ec4be54d230d8f8dd405e25.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m8718b15b5ec4be54d230d8f8dd405e25.map, position : gmap_m8718b15b5ec4be54d230d8f8dd405e25.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m8718b15b5ec4be54d230d8f8dd405e25.map.setCenter( gmap_m8718b15b5ec4be54d230d8f8dd405e25.positions[242] ); });

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 22:16:38 -0600

Ridgeline pathways at 12,500 ft #fjallravenclassicusa

39.4938756-106.111132

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 10:16 pm, July 2, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m5f8e33bf36f76065b2e9d7c96a685910 = { positions : { 709 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.4938756’, ‘-106.111132’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m5f8e33bf36f76065b2e9d7c96a685910’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m5f8e33bf36f76065b2e9d7c96a685910.positions ) { gmap_m5f8e33bf36f76065b2e9d7c96a685910.bounds.extend( gmap_m5f8e33bf36f76065b2e9d7c96a685910.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m5f8e33bf36f76065b2e9d7c96a685910.positions ) { gmap_m5f8e33bf36f76065b2e9d7c96a685910.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m5f8e33bf36f76065b2e9d7c96a685910.map, position : gmap_m5f8e33bf36f76065b2e9d7c96a685910.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m5f8e33bf36f76065b2e9d7c96a685910.map.setCenter( gmap_m5f8e33bf36f76065b2e9d7c96a685910.positions[709] ); });

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 22:00:10 -0600

Food break during one of the brutal ascents on day 3 of the #fjallravenclassicusa

39.4938756-106.111132

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 10:00 pm, July 2, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m89a4edc05e618a2221cc4218c414f901 = { positions : { 179 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.4938756’, ‘-106.111132’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m89a4edc05e618a2221cc4218c414f901’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m89a4edc05e618a2221cc4218c414f901.positions ) { gmap_m89a4edc05e618a2221cc4218c414f901.bounds.extend( gmap_m89a4edc05e618a2221cc4218c414f901.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m89a4edc05e618a2221cc4218c414f901.positions ) { gmap_m89a4edc05e618a2221cc4218c414f901.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m89a4edc05e618a2221cc4218c414f901.map, position : gmap_m89a4edc05e618a2221cc4218c414f901.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m89a4edc05e618a2221cc4218c414f901.map.setCenter( gmap_m89a4edc05e618a2221cc4218c414f901.positions[179] ); });

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 16:04:25 -0600

Ascending the bowl #fjallravenclassicusa

39.3973-106.106

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 4:04 pm, July 2, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mb3e735676a6b80d58501ff7f37208ecf = { positions : { 721 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.3973’, ‘-106.106’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mb3e735676a6b80d58501ff7f37208ecf’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mb3e735676a6b80d58501ff7f37208ecf.positions ) { gmap_mb3e735676a6b80d58501ff7f37208ecf.bounds.extend( gmap_mb3e735676a6b80d58501ff7f37208ecf.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mb3e735676a6b80d58501ff7f37208ecf.positions ) { gmap_mb3e735676a6b80d58501ff7f37208ecf.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mb3e735676a6b80d58501ff7f37208ecf.map, position : gmap_mb3e735676a6b80d58501ff7f37208ecf.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mb3e735676a6b80d58501ff7f37208ecf.map.setCenter( gmap_mb3e735676a6b80d58501ff7f37208ecf.positions[721] ); });

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 09:19:36 -0600

#fjallravenclassicusa views. #nofilter

39.4864-106.044

Posted on Instagram 9:19 am, July 2, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m78a595dd735df3389dd8a73725a673ab = { positions : { 274 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.4864’, ‘-106.044’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m78a595dd735df3389dd8a73725a673ab’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m78a595dd735df3389dd8a73725a673ab.positions ) { gmap_m78a595dd735df3389dd8a73725a673ab.bounds.extend( gmap_m78a595dd735df3389dd8a73725a673ab.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m78a595dd735df3389dd8a73725a673ab.positions ) { gmap_m78a595dd735df3389dd8a73725a673ab.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m78a595dd735df3389dd8a73725a673ab.map, position : gmap_m78a595dd735df3389dd8a73725a673ab.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m78a595dd735df3389dd8a73725a673ab.map.setCenter( gmap_m78a595dd735df3389dd8a73725a673ab.positions[274] ); });

Fjällräven Classic, USA, 2017

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 15:19:04 +0000

This week, I’ve been roaming the Colorado wilderness with 250 of my closest/unknown friends, participating in the second annual Fjällräven Classic, USA . I participated in the inaugural event last year , which conveniently fell during my 3-month sabbatical from work . At the time, I said that no matter what else was going on, I would definitely be attending again in 2017. As promised, when the 2017 Classic was announced, I immediately grabbed tickets, and this time even talked Erika into going.

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 09:23:24 +0000

Icy ascent #fjallravenclassicusa

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 9:23 am, July 2, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m851f816329592eb12ca5174f5673cca0 = { positions : { 45 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.4938756’, ‘-106.111132’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m851f816329592eb12ca5174f5673cca0’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m851f816329592eb12ca5174f5673cca0.positions ) { gmap_m851f816329592eb12ca5174f5673cca0.bounds.extend( gmap_m851f816329592eb12ca5174f5673cca0.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m851f816329592eb12ca5174f5673cca0.positions ) { gmap_m851f816329592eb12ca5174f5673cca0.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m851f816329592eb12ca5174f5673cca0.map, position : gmap_m851f816329592eb12ca5174f5673cca0.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m851f816329592eb12ca5174f5673cca0.map.setCenter( gmap_m851f816329592eb12ca5174f5673cca0.positions[45] ); });

Sat, 01 Jul 2017 08:30:50 -0600

Checked in at Butterhorn Bakery & Cafe .

OMG real food. So hungry — with erika

39.5759113-106.0969878

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 22:20:58 -0600

Checking in for the #fjallravenclassicusa. Super psyched!

39.500861-106.1535167

#fjallravenclassicusa

Posted on Instagram 10:20 pm, June 30, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mb545b78f538082129ae976cf7631cf77 = { positions : { 974 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.500861’, ‘-106.1535167’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mb545b78f538082129ae976cf7631cf77’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mb545b78f538082129ae976cf7631cf77.positions ) { gmap_mb545b78f538082129ae976cf7631cf77.bounds.extend( gmap_mb545b78f538082129ae976cf7631cf77.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mb545b78f538082129ae976cf7631cf77.positions ) { gmap_mb545b78f538082129ae976cf7631cf77.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mb545b78f538082129ae976cf7631cf77.map, position : gmap_mb545b78f538082129ae976cf7631cf77.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mb545b78f538082129ae976cf7631cf77.map.setCenter( gmap_mb545b78f538082129ae976cf7631cf77.positions[974] ); });

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 17:07:24 -0600

Checked in at Copper Mountain .

So glad to be sleeping here tonight vs driving home after #fjallravenclassicusa

39.500332-106.1559105

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 08:45:18 -0600

Checked in at Copper Mountain .

#fjallravenclassicusa is underway — with erika

39.500332-106.1559105

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 07:51:24 -0600

#fjallravenclassic kickoff!

39.500861-106.1535167

Posted on Instagram 7:51 am, June 28, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mb3bee7b119c132c473b2d3c87ae189e8 = { positions : { 322 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.500861’, ‘-106.1535167’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mb3bee7b119c132c473b2d3c87ae189e8’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mb3bee7b119c132c473b2d3c87ae189e8.positions ) { gmap_mb3bee7b119c132c473b2d3c87ae189e8.bounds.extend( gmap_mb3bee7b119c132c473b2d3c87ae189e8.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mb3bee7b119c132c473b2d3c87ae189e8.positions ) { gmap_mb3bee7b119c132c473b2d3c87ae189e8.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mb3bee7b119c132c473b2d3c87ae189e8.map, position : gmap_mb3bee7b119c132c473b2d3c87ae189e8.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mb3bee7b119c132c473b2d3c87ae189e8.map.setCenter( gmap_mb3bee7b119c132c473b2d3c87ae189e8.positions[322] ); });

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 10:34:45 -0600

Checked in at The Rolling Pin Bakeshop .

Carbreakfast — with erika

39.755005-104.97746

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 09:45:14 -0600

Woke up to this stunning creature just hanging out in our tomato plant.

Posted on Instagram 9:45 am, June 24, 2017

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 21:10:10 -0600

Checked in at Little Machine Beer .

Beering. — with erika

39.7474174-105.0242967

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 19:53:07 -0600

Checked in at Thuan Viet Restaurant .

I give up on Lao Wang. I’m convinced it’s not a real place — with erika

39.69992-105.025457

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 17:50:24 -0600

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

39.761688-104.979971

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:59:08 -0600

Checked in at Ratio Beerworks .

Lunch at the food truck.

39.7615172-104.9810869

Amazon’s New Customer

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 22:51:33 -0600

Amazon’s New Customer

Back in 2006, when the iPhone was a mere rumor, Palm CEO Ed Colligan was asked if he was worried:

“We’ve learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone,” he said. “PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in.” What if Steve Jobs’ company did bring an iPod phone to market? Well, it would probably use WiFi technology and could be distributed through the Apple stores and not the carriers like Verizon or Cingular, Colligan theorized.

Decentralization Index

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 15:52:56 +0000

List of decentralized web projects, tools, etc.

Source: Decentralization Index

uPort: Self-Sovereign Identity

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 15:49:57 +0000

uPort is an open source software project to establish a global, unified, sovereign identity system for people, businesses, organizations, devices, and bots.

Source: uPort: Self-Sovereign Identity

IPFS

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 15:45:51 +0000

A peer-to-peer hypermedia protocol to make the web faster, safer, and more open.

Source: IPFS is the Distributed Web

Statebus

Mon, 19 Jun 2017 22:18:25 +0000

Statebus is new version of HTTP that synchronizes state. It is backwards-compatible, easier to program with, and breaks up walled gardens.

— Statebus

Sun, 18 Jun 2017 19:07:37 +0000

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

Made it back. Now take me home! — with erika

37 Simple Daily Behaviors That Will Immediately Free up Hours in Your Weekly Schedule

Sun, 18 Jun 2017 16:41:12 +0000

37 Simple Daily Behaviors That Will Immediately Free up Hours in Your Weekly Schedule

https://www.pexels.com/photo/apple-magic-keyboard-besides-white-letter-envelope-162616/

Time is the only element in the world that is irretrievable when it’s lost. Lose money and you can make more. Lose a job and you can find another.

Eighty percent of your time can be used better. A few actions done well bring you the most results, according to the Pareto principle.

Making good use of your time isn’t always easy. There are tough choices to make, and sometimes it means cutting out things you like to make room for important things that can help you work better, faster and smarter.

Sun, 18 Jun 2017 10:23:33 -0600

Thanks for confirming that you are, without a doubt, a terrible airport, EWR/Newark.

40.6925-74.1686

Posted on Instagram 10:23 am, June 18, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mf32411b1817b7fa5f58482e270c90b5d = { positions : { 12 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘40.6925’, ‘-74.1686’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mf32411b1817b7fa5f58482e270c90b5d’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mf32411b1817b7fa5f58482e270c90b5d.positions ) { gmap_mf32411b1817b7fa5f58482e270c90b5d.bounds.extend( gmap_mf32411b1817b7fa5f58482e270c90b5d.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mf32411b1817b7fa5f58482e270c90b5d.positions ) { gmap_mf32411b1817b7fa5f58482e270c90b5d.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mf32411b1817b7fa5f58482e270c90b5d.map, position : gmap_mf32411b1817b7fa5f58482e270c90b5d.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mf32411b1817b7fa5f58482e270c90b5d.map.setCenter( gmap_mf32411b1817b7fa5f58482e270c90b5d.positions[12] ); });

Sun, 18 Jun 2017 09:43:19 -0600

Checked in at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) .

Getting there — with erika

40.6931534-74.1772224

Ask HN: What are we doing about Facebook, Google, and the closed internet? | Hacker News

Sun, 18 Jun 2017 13:35:52 +0000

Ask HN: What are we doing about Facebook, Google, and the closed internet? | Hacker News

Sat, 17 Jun 2017 23:56:16 -0600

Checked in at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) (Aéroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle) .

Off home again. So long Paris, it’s been delightful — with erika

49.00468522.5702929

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 08:58:27 -0600

Checked in at Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris) .

48.85312442.3495615

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 08:06:50 -0600

Priority focus #eiffeltower

48.87336922.2965205

#eiffeltower

Posted on Instagram 8:06 am, June 14, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mb0a9ca7d4086744b22665b67686b7f13 = { positions : { 177 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘48.873369178314’, ‘2.2965205289044’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mb0a9ca7d4086744b22665b67686b7f13’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mb0a9ca7d4086744b22665b67686b7f13.positions ) { gmap_mb0a9ca7d4086744b22665b67686b7f13.bounds.extend( gmap_mb0a9ca7d4086744b22665b67686b7f13.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mb0a9ca7d4086744b22665b67686b7f13.positions ) { gmap_mb0a9ca7d4086744b22665b67686b7f13.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mb0a9ca7d4086744b22665b67686b7f13.map, position : gmap_mb0a9ca7d4086744b22665b67686b7f13.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mb0a9ca7d4086744b22665b67686b7f13.map.setCenter( gmap_mb0a9ca7d4086744b22665b67686b7f13.positions[177] ); });

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 07:04:07 -0600

Checked in at Orsay Museum (Musée d’Orsay) .

with erika

48.85999282.3263872

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 18:33:21 +0000

Rainy streets. #london #night #lights

Posted on Instagram 18:33, 2017-06-08 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m2c560cf91fe5e4aa194d2efc99ef7d72 = { positions : { 152 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘51.507114863624’, ‘-0.12731805236353’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m2c560cf91fe5e4aa194d2efc99ef7d72’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m2c560cf91fe5e4aa194d2efc99ef7d72.positions ) { gmap_m2c560cf91fe5e4aa194d2efc99ef7d72.bounds.extend( gmap_m2c560cf91fe5e4aa194d2efc99ef7d72.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m2c560cf91fe5e4aa194d2efc99ef7d72.positions ) { gmap_m2c560cf91fe5e4aa194d2efc99ef7d72.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m2c560cf91fe5e4aa194d2efc99ef7d72.map, position : gmap_m2c560cf91fe5e4aa194d2efc99ef7d72.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m2c560cf91fe5e4aa194d2efc99ef7d72.map.setCenter( gmap_m2c560cf91fe5e4aa194d2efc99ef7d72.positions[152] ); });

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 14:58:19 +0000

Checked in at Clayton Hotel .

So tired — with erika

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:56:29 +0000

Checked in at Dishoom .

Apparently super legit Indian food — with erika

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 11:45:52 +0000

Checked in at Ladurée .

Macaroons! — with erika

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 11:44:42 +0000

Checked in at Buckingham Palace .

Saying hi to Her Majesty — with erika

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 08:05:51 +0000

Checked in at Chris’s Fish Bar .

Real deal local F&C — with erika

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 06:24:24 +0000

Checked in at Clayton Hotel .

Home base — with erika

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 05:10:29 +0000

Checked in at Terminal 2 – The Queen’s Terminal .

Arrived! — with erika

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 20:03:50 +0000

Off to London. Pip pip cheerio old chum!

Posted on Instagram 8:03 pm, June 6, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m34e3d93d4dace6906cafa3372b8fcf61 = { positions : { 816 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘41.977518173276’, ‘-87.904465198517’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m34e3d93d4dace6906cafa3372b8fcf61’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m34e3d93d4dace6906cafa3372b8fcf61.positions ) { gmap_m34e3d93d4dace6906cafa3372b8fcf61.bounds.extend( gmap_m34e3d93d4dace6906cafa3372b8fcf61.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m34e3d93d4dace6906cafa3372b8fcf61.positions ) { gmap_m34e3d93d4dace6906cafa3372b8fcf61.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m34e3d93d4dace6906cafa3372b8fcf61.map, position : gmap_m34e3d93d4dace6906cafa3372b8fcf61.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m34e3d93d4dace6906cafa3372b8fcf61.map.setCenter( gmap_m34e3d93d4dace6906cafa3372b8fcf61.positions[816] ); });

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 19:19:04 +0000

Checked in at America’s Dog .

Living the dream — with erika

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 18:42:52 +0000

Checked in at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) .

ORD:LHR — with erika

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 14:47:21 +0000

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

DEN:ORD — with erika

Fuck Productivity

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 00:04:33 +0000

Fuck Productivity

For my whole life, people have commented on my ability to get things done. I am a productive person, constantly tackling projects and tasks and using my time and my energy to produce results.

But there is dark for every light.

I have never been good at giving myself a break. I have always beat myself up for not being productive enough even though those that know and love me assure me that I am ahead of the curve.

How One Engineer Made His Hobby Pay Off – NerdWallet

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 00:02:40 +0000

How One Engineer Made His Hobby Pay Off – NerdWallet

For years, Jacques Hopkins wanted to make money online with a flexible side gig. Now the former electrical engineer has found a niche that has become his career: teaching people to play modern songs on the piano in 21 days, all over the internet.

Hopkins didn’t make the transition overnight. He and his wife had been saving for years before he started his own business. Here’s how they did it — and how you can turn a hobby into your main hustle.

Your Team Is Brainstorming All Wrong

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 23:59:05 +0000

Your Team Is Brainstorming All Wrong

Jennifer Maravillas for HBR

When your team is tasked with generating ideas to solve a problem, suggesting a brainstorming session is a natural reaction. But does that approach actually work?

Although the term “brainstorming” is now used as a generic term for having groups develop ideas, it began as the name of a specific technique proposed by advertising executive Alex Osborn in the 1950s. He codified the basic rules that many of us follow when getting people together to generate ideas: Toss out as many ideas as possible. Don’t worry if they’re too crazy. Build on the ideas people generate. Don’t criticize initially.

Voice is the future and Google is best

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 23:53:38 +0000

Voice is the future and Google is best

Almost a year ago, I was lucky enough to be given an Amazon Echo from someone whose family wasn’t that comfortable with an always-on device listening to them, so he gave it to me to play with. My life is quite boring, listen away devices.

So my family likes the Echo, it works well enough – though our primary use case was as a kitchen timer and to play music. My kids also like the occasional joke but beyond that we didn’t really use it. We got trained by Alexa to not ask it to do too much – for example, we’d ask it to translate a word, or ask for the score of a game, and it wouldn’t have an answer.

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 20:35:25 +0000

Checked in at Chada Thai .

Trying out a new Thai place that is apparently pretty good.

Can Do Vs Must Do

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 10:59:31 +0000

Can Do Vs Must Do

Over the past few months, I’ve been reminded about the difference between “can do” and “must do” and how companies often confuse the two.

With the abundance of capital sloshing around the tech sector, our portfolio companies often have the resources to do more than they can and should do. They greenlight a bunch of projects that are “can do” projects but not “must do” projects. And a number of not so great things happen when they do this, including but not limited to:

Can You Build a Great Brand on Amazon? – NewCo Shift

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 10:56:14 +0000

Can You Build a Great Brand on Amazon? – NewCo Shift

Amazon is the first destination for most US consumers searching for products online. For venture-backed startups building direct-to-consumer brands, Amazon is often an afterthought. They fear ceding any level of control over the brand narrative and customer relationship, the core drivers of brand value. However, it’s becoming increasingly perilous to ignore Amazon.

Consumer Influence

With each passing quarter, an abundance of reports illustrate Amazon’s growing stranglehold on consumer spend. According to Raymond James , 52% of consumers typically start an online product search on Amazon. According to Slice Intelligence , 43% of online dollars in 2016 were spent on Amazon, and the company accounted for an astounding 53% of online sales growth.

Fuck Facebook

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 10:19:46 +0000

Fuck Facebook

Dave Winer, “Why I Can’t/Won’t Point to Facebook Blog Posts ”:

It’s impractical. I don’t know what your privacy settings are.

So if I point to your post, it’s possible a lot of people might

not be able to read it, and thus will bring the grief to me,

not you, because they have no idea who you are or what you

wrote.

It’s supporting their downgrading and killing the web. Your

post sucks because it doesn’t contain links, styling, and you

Sun, 04 Jun 2017 18:52:39 +0000

Checked in at City Park .

Jazz in the park with our neighbors! — with erika

Sun, 04 Jun 2017 13:22:44 +0000

Checked in at Alderfer/Three Sisters Park .

Last training hike for #fjallclassic2017 before we head to Europe for a few weeks — with erika

Sat, 03 Jun 2017 23:36:01 +0000

Checked in at Schebens Manor .

Ahhhh home.

Sat, 03 Jun 2017 20:55:59 +0000

Checked in at The Populist .

Sixth anniversary dinner — with erika

Sat, 03 Jun 2017 20:53:51 +0000

Checked in at Bar Fausto .

Pre dinner cocktails — with erika

Sat, 03 Jun 2017 13:35:37 +0000

New additions to the #vegetablegarden. Last season’s dried sunflower-stalk supported trellises for #tomatoes and #beans to grow on.

Posted on Instagram 1:35 pm, June 3, 2017

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 18:06:15 +0000

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Back at it. #swole.

Wed, 31 May 2017 20:27:31 +0000

Checked in at My Brother’s Bar .

Classic.

Wed, 31 May 2017 18:42:57 +0000

Checked in at Galvanize Denver – Platte .

Checking out some cool #graphql and #wordpress stuff with @jasonbahl

Wed, 31 May 2017 16:12:47 +0000

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

Getting things done.

Wed, 31 May 2017 14:18:16 +0000

Checked in at The Denver Central Market .

They’re filming something outside…

Wed, 31 May 2017 14:17:55 +0000

Checked in at Green Seed .

Late lunchin.

Lessons scaling from 10 to 20 people

Mon, 29 May 2017 18:26:01 +0000

Lessons scaling from 10 to 20 people

Opinion | We Aren’t Built to Live in the Moment

Mon, 29 May 2017 18:14:56 +0000

Opinion | We Aren’t Built to Live in the Moment

Maxwell Holyoke-Hirsch

We are misnamed. We call ourselves Homo sapiens*,* the “wise man,” but that’s more of a boast than a description. What makes us wise? What sets us apart from other animals? Various answers have been proposed — language, tools, cooperation, culture, tasting bad to predators — but none is unique to humans.

What best distinguishes our species is an ability that scientists are just beginning to appreciate: We contemplate the future. Our singular foresight created civilization and sustains society. It usually lifts our spirits, but it’s also the source of most depression and anxiety, whether we’re evaluating our own lives or worrying about the nation. Other animals have springtime rituals for educating the young, but only we subject them to “commencement” speeches grandly informing them that today is the first day of the rest of their lives.

Fri, 26 May 2017 14:40:51 -0600

Checked in at Purple Door Coffee .

Haven’t been here in ages! Knocking out some afternoon #cafeworking

39.7574511-104.9743867

Thu, 25 May 2017 18:07:49 +0000

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

Let’s do it again.

Wed, 24 May 2017 15:40:05 -0600

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

#cafeworking at my “real office” for a change. #officetoday

39.761688-104.979971

The Barbarians Are at Etsy’s Hand-Hewn, Responsibly Sourced Gates

Mon, 22 May 2017 10:36:28 +0000

The Barbarians Are at Etsy’s Hand-Hewn, Responsibly Sourced Gates

“There is one and only one social responsibility of business,” the economist Milton Friedman famously wrote in 1962. And that is “to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits.” Those words helped establish the now pervasive idea that companies are exclusively responsible, within the limits of the law, to the people who own them. Even the most soft-hearted public-company chief executive treats the idea with a measure of respect. In March, at his final annual meeting, Starbucks Corp. CEO Howard Schultz declared that, notwithstanding his plans to hire refugees and open stores in poor neighborhoods, the company’s commitment to shareholder value remained “absolute.”

Mycroft

Mon, 22 May 2017 08:45:43 +0000

Open source voice assistant. Voice control and AI for everyone. Already collecting a bunch of skills. Maybe pair it up with Home Assistant?

Source: Home – Mycroft

This Open-Source AI Voice Assistant Is Challenging Siri and Alexa for Market Superiority

Sun, 21 May 2017 22:22:11 +0000

This Open-Source AI Voice Assistant Is Challenging Siri and Alexa for Market Superiority

Shutterstock

When you issue a command to a virtual assistant like Siri, Alexa, or Cortana, natural language processing technology (NLP) allows the program to interpret your speech and respond in everyday language. Apple, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are making great strides forward in NLP technology, but unfortunately, these tech giants aren’t interested in sharing how they do it.

Invite Your Engineers To Talk Business. Here’s Why.

Sun, 21 May 2017 22:16:52 +0000

Invite Your Engineers To Talk Business. Here’s Why.

Mar 7, 2017 –

Traditionally, engineers may have been shielded from the “business parts” of the organization. In today’s technology landscape, that’s no longer a viable option.

Watch Code Review: A Business Imperative

Every business today is a technology business. Whether it supports your business model or itself is the business model, your technology stack plays a key role. What your engineering team ships, and how they ship, has direct and measurable consequences for your business, even if they traditionally prefer to think otherwise. Engineering goals are now closer than ever to business goals, and understanding that will help companies thrive in the business technology world today.

Great PMs don’t spend their time on solutions

Sun, 21 May 2017 22:09:40 +0000

Great PMs don’t spend their time on solutions

Over the past few years, we’ve learned a lot about building product at Intercom.

Some things have worked really well, some less so. To try and learn how to replicate our product successes as we scale, and teach new people what is working, we’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on how we work.

There is one thing we do at Intercom that I believe is a major factor in contributing to our progress so far. This thing, is deeply understanding the problem each project sets out to solve. This sounds obvious, and is something that others say they do too, but we do it a little differently. Let me explain.

Sun, 21 May 2017 13:16:54 -0600

Checked in at North Table Mountain Park .

#fjallraven training hike — with erika

39.7815012-105.2245574

Sun, 21 May 2017 18:07:13 +0000

Views.

Posted on Instagram 6:07 pm, May 21, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_medb866a6380fea66db444e5292de5609 = { positions : { 108 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7683409616’, ‘-105.215712653’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_medb866a6380fea66db444e5292de5609’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_medb866a6380fea66db444e5292de5609.positions ) { gmap_medb866a6380fea66db444e5292de5609.bounds.extend( gmap_medb866a6380fea66db444e5292de5609.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_medb866a6380fea66db444e5292de5609.positions ) { gmap_medb866a6380fea66db444e5292de5609.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_medb866a6380fea66db444e5292de5609.map, position : gmap_medb866a6380fea66db444e5292de5609.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_medb866a6380fea66db444e5292de5609.map.setCenter( gmap_medb866a6380fea66db444e5292de5609.positions[108] ); });

Sun, 21 May 2017 18:06:25 +0000

Some tricky descents, when you’re carrying a 30lb pack.

Posted on Instagram 6:06 pm, May 21, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m7efc9c39dbc3aad964e19a45fc583b54 = { positions : { 971 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7683409616’, ‘-105.215712653’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m7efc9c39dbc3aad964e19a45fc583b54’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m7efc9c39dbc3aad964e19a45fc583b54.positions ) { gmap_m7efc9c39dbc3aad964e19a45fc583b54.bounds.extend( gmap_m7efc9c39dbc3aad964e19a45fc583b54.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m7efc9c39dbc3aad964e19a45fc583b54.positions ) { gmap_m7efc9c39dbc3aad964e19a45fc583b54.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m7efc9c39dbc3aad964e19a45fc583b54.map, position : gmap_m7efc9c39dbc3aad964e19a45fc583b54.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m7efc9c39dbc3aad964e19a45fc583b54.map.setCenter( gmap_m7efc9c39dbc3aad964e19a45fc583b54.positions[971] ); });

Sun, 21 May 2017 18:03:18 +0000

Another training hike for #fjällrävenclassic2017. Accidentally 10 miles.

Posted on Instagram 6:03 pm, May 21, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m0a8309a1044ae11fae92242018353ef2 = { positions : { 37 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7683409616’, ‘-105.215712653’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m0a8309a1044ae11fae92242018353ef2’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m0a8309a1044ae11fae92242018353ef2.positions ) { gmap_m0a8309a1044ae11fae92242018353ef2.bounds.extend( gmap_m0a8309a1044ae11fae92242018353ef2.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m0a8309a1044ae11fae92242018353ef2.positions ) { gmap_m0a8309a1044ae11fae92242018353ef2.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m0a8309a1044ae11fae92242018353ef2.map, position : gmap_m0a8309a1044ae11fae92242018353ef2.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m0a8309a1044ae11fae92242018353ef2.map.setCenter( gmap_m0a8309a1044ae11fae92242018353ef2.positions[37] ); });

Scalable and reliable data ingestion at Pinterest – Pinterest Engineering – Medium

Sat, 20 May 2017 20:52:40 +0000

Scalable and reliable data ingestion at Pinterest – Pinterest Engineering – Medium

Yu Yang | Pinterest engineer, Data

At Pinterest, we use data to gain insights to make decisions for everything, and ultimately improve the whole experience for Pinners. Every day we log over 100 terabytes of data. In order to use data effectively, we first have to reliably ingest it and prepare it for downstream usage. In this post, we’ll cover the evolution of our data ingestion pipelines and present our current data ingestion infrastructure. Looking ahead, we’ll have a series of follow-up posts to describe each component in greater detail.

‘The Internet Is Broken’: @ev Is Trying to Salvage It

Sat, 20 May 2017 20:38:02 +0000

‘The Internet Is Broken’: @ev Is Trying to Salvage It

“I thought once everybody could speak freely and exchange information and ideas, the world is automatically going to be a better place,” Evan Williams says. “I was wrong about that.”

Jason Henry for The New York Times

SAN FRANCISCO — Evan Williams is the guy who opened up Pandora’s box. Until he came along, people had few places to go with their overflowing emotions and wild opinions, other than writing a letter to the newspaper or haranguing the neighbors.

Sat, 20 May 2017 18:01:00 +0000

Anderson Valley Briney Melon Gose

Posted on Instagram 6:01 pm, May 20, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m7c4b07114ea616fa2be2c58183423035 = { positions : { 38 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.75597’, ‘-104.97679’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m7c4b07114ea616fa2be2c58183423035’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m7c4b07114ea616fa2be2c58183423035.positions ) { gmap_m7c4b07114ea616fa2be2c58183423035.bounds.extend( gmap_m7c4b07114ea616fa2be2c58183423035.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m7c4b07114ea616fa2be2c58183423035.positions ) { gmap_m7c4b07114ea616fa2be2c58183423035.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m7c4b07114ea616fa2be2c58183423035.map, position : gmap_m7c4b07114ea616fa2be2c58183423035.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m7c4b07114ea616fa2be2c58183423035.map.setCenter( gmap_m7c4b07114ea616fa2be2c58183423035.positions[38] ); });

Sat, 20 May 2017 17:59:11 +0000

Architectural

Posted on Instagram 5:59 pm, May 20, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_ma54c58e1c651e67fbba3e31c513cf15e = { positions : { 759 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘42.3314’, ‘-83.0458’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_ma54c58e1c651e67fbba3e31c513cf15e’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_ma54c58e1c651e67fbba3e31c513cf15e.positions ) { gmap_ma54c58e1c651e67fbba3e31c513cf15e.bounds.extend( gmap_ma54c58e1c651e67fbba3e31c513cf15e.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_ma54c58e1c651e67fbba3e31c513cf15e.positions ) { gmap_ma54c58e1c651e67fbba3e31c513cf15e.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_ma54c58e1c651e67fbba3e31c513cf15e.map, position : gmap_ma54c58e1c651e67fbba3e31c513cf15e.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_ma54c58e1c651e67fbba3e31c513cf15e.map.setCenter( gmap_ma54c58e1c651e67fbba3e31c513cf15e.positions[759] ); });

The Future of the Web

Sat, 20 May 2017 13:23:28 +0000

I recently spoke at a small conference we put on in Detroit. I talked about The Future of the Web, in the context of data ownership, and proprietary vs open platforms. It was the first time I’ve done a talk like this without slides of any kind, so I actually wrote out the whole thing (below). The live version was a little different, as you can hear in the audio (sorry it’s a bit echo-y):

Scrapinghub | Web Crawling Platform & Data as a Service

Sat, 20 May 2017 12:23:03 +0000

Scrapy Cloud, our cloud-based web crawling platform, allows you to easily deploy crawlers and scale them on demand – without needing to worry about servers, monitoring, backups, or cron jobs. It helps developers like you turn over two billion web pages per month into valuable data.

Source: Web Crawling Platform & Data as a Service | Scrapinghub

Fri, 19 May 2017 17:09:49 -0600

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

This is going to hurt.

39.7660919-104.9768971

JSON Feed: Announcing JSON Feed

Fri, 19 May 2017 16:55:15 +0000

JSON has become the developers’ choice for APIs, and that developers will often go out of their way to avoid XML. JSON is simpler to read and write, and it’s less prone to bugs. So we developed JSON Feed, a format similar to RSS and Atom but in JSON. It reflects the lessons learned from our years of work reading and publishing feeds.

Source: JSON Feed: Announcing JSON Feed

Seth’s Blog: The candy diet

Fri, 19 May 2017 12:42:32 +0000

Seth’s Blog: The candy diet

The bestselling novel of 1961 was Allen Drury’s Advise and Consent. Millions of people read this 690-page political novel. In 2016, the big sellers were coloring books.

Fifteen years ago, cable channels like TLC (the “L” stood for Learning), Bravo and the History Channel (the “History” stood for History) promised to add texture and information to the blighted TV landscape. Now these networks run shows about marrying people based on how well they kiss.

The formula for winning at life is actually incredibly simple

Fri, 19 May 2017 09:48:02 +0000

The formula for winning at life is actually incredibly simple

Welcome, Player One, to a strategy guide for the game known as life.

As you’ve undoubtedly discovered, the game of life is often quite difficult. You will face unexpected challenges and long periods of frustration. You will often struggle with self-doubt, feel overwhelmed by helplessness and loss, and sometimes take a shit when you’re out of toilet paper.

Yes, life is hard, as the saying goes.

Aligning Projects with Business Goals

Fri, 19 May 2017 09:18:48 +0000

Aligning Projects with Business Goals

If you’ve read our blog, or heard us speak at conferences, you probably know by now that DNSimple is a completely distributed team. We have team members all over the world, often travelling from one location to another while still working. Trying to keep everyone on the same heading, aligned with the overall strategic goals of the business, is a challenge, even with our small team of twelve. Starting in December, we began experimenting with a new system for ensuring that we work on projects that are most likely to help us achieve our business goals. It all starts with a project template and a spreadsheet.

Why we only work 4 days a week during summer – Signal v. Noise

Fri, 19 May 2017 07:48:28 +0000

Why we only work 4 days a week during summer – Signal v. Noise

Kris Niles Product Designer at Basecamp, working remotely from the Rockies. Previously at InVision and Citrix May 4

(And why you should too)

As I write this it’s the first week of May, and there’s an energetic buzz in the air — because it means that Summer Hours are about to start here at Basecamp. The description of Summer Hours in our employee handbook is simple:

A Million Words Published at Work in a Remote Company

Fri, 19 May 2017 07:46:02 +0000

A Million Words Published at Work in a Remote Company

Three years ago, I shared 10 lessons from working 4 years remotely , and today I passed another milestone while working at a remote company. After almost 7 years of working at Automattic , today I published my millionth word.

The amazing thing is every single one of these words is searchable, indexed, and transparent to all 500+ of my colleagues, no matter when they started working at the company.

Why Amazon is eating the world

Fri, 19 May 2017 07:18:21 +0000

Why Amazon is eating the world

Zack Kanter

Contributor

Zack Kanter is the co-founder of Stedi .

I co-founded a software startup in December. Each month, I send out an update to our investors to keep them updated on our progress. But the past month was a bit different — our industry (retail) is going through a transformation.

Instead of just writing about our “internal” news, I wrote about the impending apocalypse in the broader world of retail. More specifically, I included some thoughts on Amazon and why their commanding lead is only going to get larger. Amazon is the most impressive company on earth, and I think it is one of the least understood. A few people suggested that I post this publicly, so here goes.

How Stripe teaches employees to code

Fri, 19 May 2017 07:01:54 +0000

How Stripe teaches employees to code

Code is central to Stripe: we build APIs, software tools, and infrastructure that are in turn used by other software engineering-driven businesses. And of course code is also central—by definition—at other software companies.

It’s easy for familiarity with code to become a barrier between different groups within a technology company: lots of companies have an upper tier of code-wrangling wizards that are supported by the rest of the company, sometimes known as the non-engineers. From the beginning, we’ve tried hard to avoid this at Stripe. In seating, we mix engineering teams with non-engineering teams. When we hire, we seek out engineers who are excited about problems beyond code itself. When we communicate internally, we make sure our engineering work is open and comprehensible to all Stripes, and that each improvement to our platform and even internal infrastructure is shared widely.

Tue, 16 May 2017 11:03:53 +0000

The #rebrandcities road trip begins!

#rebrandcities

Posted on Instagram 11:03 am, May 16, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_md1a4f2b60da673373cca2fdbe8d3d253 = { positions : { 654 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘42.3581102’, ‘-83.022511’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_md1a4f2b60da673373cca2fdbe8d3d253’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_md1a4f2b60da673373cca2fdbe8d3d253.positions ) { gmap_md1a4f2b60da673373cca2fdbe8d3d253.bounds.extend( gmap_md1a4f2b60da673373cca2fdbe8d3d253.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_md1a4f2b60da673373cca2fdbe8d3d253.positions ) { gmap_md1a4f2b60da673373cca2fdbe8d3d253.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_md1a4f2b60da673373cca2fdbe8d3d253.map, position : gmap_md1a4f2b60da673373cca2fdbe8d3d253.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_md1a4f2b60da673373cca2fdbe8d3d253.map.setCenter( gmap_md1a4f2b60da673373cca2fdbe8d3d253.positions[654] ); });

Tue, 16 May 2017 09:41:09 +0000

Hearing from our driver, getting this show on the road. #rebrandcities #rebranddetroit

Posted on Instagram 9:41 am, May 16, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m6f7eb59bf4f94050694a2578ea322075 = { positions : { 477 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘42.32833’, ‘-83.04835’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m6f7eb59bf4f94050694a2578ea322075’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m6f7eb59bf4f94050694a2578ea322075.positions ) { gmap_m6f7eb59bf4f94050694a2578ea322075.bounds.extend( gmap_m6f7eb59bf4f94050694a2578ea322075.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m6f7eb59bf4f94050694a2578ea322075.positions ) { gmap_m6f7eb59bf4f94050694a2578ea322075.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m6f7eb59bf4f94050694a2578ea322075.map, position : gmap_m6f7eb59bf4f94050694a2578ea322075.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m6f7eb59bf4f94050694a2578ea322075.map.setCenter( gmap_m6f7eb59bf4f94050694a2578ea322075.positions[477] ); });

Silicon Valley: A Reality Check

Mon, 15 May 2017 20:06:07 +0000

Silicon Valley: A Reality Check

The nation has spoken: weird useless $400 wi-fi enabled juicing company Juicero is the perfect symbol of Silicon Valley.

So says the Washington Post: Juicero Shows What’s Wrong With Silicon Valley Thinking . So says TechCrunch, which calls Juicero “the absurd avatar of Silicon Valley hubris” . So says Newsweek, which renames the area Silly-Con Valley in its honor. And of course there’s Deadspin , which calls it “the best story ever written about Silicon Valley… a stupid libertarian dystopia where investor-class vampires are the consumers and a regular person’s money is what they go shopping for.”

Fri, 12 May 2017 12:47:22 -0700

Checked in at La Abeja .

#burritofriday reunion with Hugo, Patrick, Michael, Kelly, Kevin and Rose!

39.740067-104.980933

Classic Training Hike

Wed, 10 May 2017 19:54:40 +0000

On Sunday, Erika and I went on a training hike, to start getting into shape for the Fjallraven Classic . This year it’s over 30 miles of backpacking within 3 days, and we’re both a bit nervous about being able to keep up the pace! We went up to White Ranch Park , and ended up hiking about 8 miles (Belcher Hill, Longhorn, Shorthorn, Longhorn, Whippletree, Belcher Hill), with roughly 20lb packs. We went pretty slow, but I think we did OK considering it was our first longer (and loaded) hike of the season. We’ll definitely need to get a few more in between now and the end of June, along with a bunch of basic walking/hiking training as well. The elevation (10,000 ft+) for the Classic is going to be rough, even for us Mile-Highers.

Tue, 09 May 2017 21:25:38 +0000

Pure Massacre. #hail storm and aftermath. So many little 🌿 shredded and most likely dead ☠️

#hail

Posted on Instagram 9:25 pm, May 9, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m4168420a2acb68191b9b358fc1c7d1e1 = { positions : { 803 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m4168420a2acb68191b9b358fc1c7d1e1’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m4168420a2acb68191b9b358fc1c7d1e1.positions ) { gmap_m4168420a2acb68191b9b358fc1c7d1e1.bounds.extend( gmap_m4168420a2acb68191b9b358fc1c7d1e1.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m4168420a2acb68191b9b358fc1c7d1e1.positions ) { gmap_m4168420a2acb68191b9b358fc1c7d1e1.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m4168420a2acb68191b9b358fc1c7d1e1.map, position : gmap_m4168420a2acb68191b9b358fc1c7d1e1.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m4168420a2acb68191b9b358fc1c7d1e1.map.setCenter( gmap_m4168420a2acb68191b9b358fc1c7d1e1.positions[803] ); });

Tue, 09 May 2017 17:54:48 +0000

Checked in at CrossFit Verve .

First real class here 😱

Mon, 08 May 2017 13:23:07 +0000

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

Sun, 07 May 2017 17:18:25 +0000

Views. #optoutside #hiking #backpacking

Posted on Instagram 5:18 pm, May 7, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_ma452eae95040ccf72a916a3ad1cccd08 = { positions : { 921 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.804645818434’, ‘-105.2691078186’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_ma452eae95040ccf72a916a3ad1cccd08’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_ma452eae95040ccf72a916a3ad1cccd08.positions ) { gmap_ma452eae95040ccf72a916a3ad1cccd08.bounds.extend( gmap_ma452eae95040ccf72a916a3ad1cccd08.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_ma452eae95040ccf72a916a3ad1cccd08.positions ) { gmap_ma452eae95040ccf72a916a3ad1cccd08.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_ma452eae95040ccf72a916a3ad1cccd08.map, position : gmap_ma452eae95040ccf72a916a3ad1cccd08.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_ma452eae95040ccf72a916a3ad1cccd08.map.setCenter( gmap_ma452eae95040ccf72a916a3ad1cccd08.positions[921] ); });

Sun, 07 May 2017 17:16:26 +0000

Steep trail. #optoutside #mountainbiking #hiking

Posted on Instagram 5:16 pm, May 7, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mefb7d7bdeadc64ca355859ae66095fa1 = { positions : { 256 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.804645818434’, ‘-105.2691078186’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mefb7d7bdeadc64ca355859ae66095fa1’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mefb7d7bdeadc64ca355859ae66095fa1.positions ) { gmap_mefb7d7bdeadc64ca355859ae66095fa1.bounds.extend( gmap_mefb7d7bdeadc64ca355859ae66095fa1.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mefb7d7bdeadc64ca355859ae66095fa1.positions ) { gmap_mefb7d7bdeadc64ca355859ae66095fa1.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mefb7d7bdeadc64ca355859ae66095fa1.map, position : gmap_mefb7d7bdeadc64ca355859ae66095fa1.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mefb7d7bdeadc64ca355859ae66095fa1.map.setCenter( gmap_mefb7d7bdeadc64ca355859ae66095fa1.positions[256] ); });

Sun, 07 May 2017 16:02:53 +0000

Checked in at Costco Gasoline .

Do a little dance.

Sun, 07 May 2017 13:54:55 +0000

https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t50.2886-16/18344200_1875993326059677_329280131673620480_n.mp4

Do a little dance.

Creepin. Crawlin.

Sat, 06 May 2017 12:38:29 +0000

https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t50.2886-16/18343728_1956926234529666_5319050291511820288_n.mp4

Creepin. Crawlin.

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m7ed7c539a2216bcd080ac7ef47084cbe = { positions : { 475 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.710432295834’, ‘-105.01383279153’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m7ed7c539a2216bcd080ac7ef47084cbe’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m7ed7c539a2216bcd080ac7ef47084cbe.positions ) { gmap_m7ed7c539a2216bcd080ac7ef47084cbe.bounds.extend( gmap_m7ed7c539a2216bcd080ac7ef47084cbe.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m7ed7c539a2216bcd080ac7ef47084cbe.positions ) { gmap_m7ed7c539a2216bcd080ac7ef47084cbe.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m7ed7c539a2216bcd080ac7ef47084cbe.map, position : gmap_m7ed7c539a2216bcd080ac7ef47084cbe.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m7ed7c539a2216bcd080ac7ef47084cbe.map.setCenter( gmap_m7ed7c539a2216bcd080ac7ef47084cbe.positions[475] ); });

Fri, 05 May 2017 13:14:57 -0600

Checked in at Weathervane Cafe .

#cafeworking with Michael and Kelly

39.743349-104.96652

Fri, 05 May 2017 12:14:03 -0600

Checked in at Bocaza .

#burritofriday with mah #a12s

39.7430279-104.9661147

Wed, 03 May 2017 17:33:12 +0000

Longs days. Beer needed.

Posted on Instagram 5:33 pm, May 3, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m7d5b88a6a8d28aa3cf7876f6f74d29ef = { positions : { 289 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.760583166684’, ‘-104.98253524303’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m7d5b88a6a8d28aa3cf7876f6f74d29ef’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m7d5b88a6a8d28aa3cf7876f6f74d29ef.positions ) { gmap_m7d5b88a6a8d28aa3cf7876f6f74d29ef.bounds.extend( gmap_m7d5b88a6a8d28aa3cf7876f6f74d29ef.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m7d5b88a6a8d28aa3cf7876f6f74d29ef.positions ) { gmap_m7d5b88a6a8d28aa3cf7876f6f74d29ef.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m7d5b88a6a8d28aa3cf7876f6f74d29ef.map, position : gmap_m7d5b88a6a8d28aa3cf7876f6f74d29ef.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m7d5b88a6a8d28aa3cf7876f6f74d29ef.map.setCenter( gmap_m7d5b88a6a8d28aa3cf7876f6f74d29ef.positions[289] ); });

Tue, 02 May 2017 20:11:56 +0000

Jank level is high. #spare

#spare

Posted on Instagram 8:11 pm, May 2, 2017

Dented Reality on New Dedicated Virtual at Media Temple

Mon, 01 May 2017 22:58:27 +0000

I’ve completed the migration of dentedreality.com.au (along with all my other domains, excluding this one) to a new dedicated virtual server with Media Temple . Mad props to them, they’ve been great in helping me handle some pieces of the process, which has gone relatively smoothly. Things I’m looking forward to on the new host include:

Working with Plesk Onyx
Trying out Let’s Encrypt 🔐
PHP 7 😍
Hopefully consolidating and simplifying some things

This site (beau.blog ) is now my main blogging/writing space, with Dented Reality being more of a full archive of my digital footsteps.

Mon, 01 May 2017 20:03:09 +0000

Checked in at Pizzeria Locale .

Teachers BOGO! — with erika

The Whale – 500ish Words

Sun, 30 Apr 2017 22:55:58 -0600

The Whale – 500ish Words

M.G. Siegler General Partner @ GV (formerly Google Ventures). In past lives I wrote at TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and ParisLemon. A man of few words. Except when writing. 🍻 Apr 20

The Squid & the Whale

Amazon swims towards $1 trillion…

Earlier this month, Amazon’s stock price eclipsed $900-a-share for the first time. The company is now valued around $430 billion. And with the run, founder/CEO Jeff Bezos is now the second wealthiest person in the world .

“I Hate Kanban…”

Sun, 30 Apr 2017 22:50:31 -0600

“I Hate Kanban…”

Wandering the conference halls I overhear…

Yeah. Kanban sucks. I hate it! Didn’t change anything …

Forget for a moment that you can model anything with Kanban (it is “way” agnostic)…

I’ve been fascinated by something lately. When given the path to visualize work and make working agreements explicit, so many many organizations balk. Why? Why would we opt against continuous improvement? Why, if given an option, would we adopt the most complicated and heavy processes (and hire droves of project managers), but hesitate to make work visual?

How to Reliably Get Your Team to Write Articles for Your Engineering Blog

Sun, 30 Apr 2017 22:46:15 -0600

How to Reliably Get Your Team to Write Articles for Your Engineering Blog

You probably already know why it’s so helpful to have your team write

engineering articles:

They’re massively useful for recruiting, even if only a few people read them
If many people read your articles, you’ll get tons more applicants
If you sell to developers, your articles create trust and lead to more

sales, on top of the above

Why Tim Cook Is the Genius Apple Needs

Sun, 30 Apr 2017 17:00:00 -0600

Why Tim Cook Is the Genius Apple Needs

Later this morning, Apple CEO Tim Cook is going to unveil the iPhone 7, and when he does, the familiar litany of complaints will almost certainly be aired. “This new phone is evolutionary, not revolutionary.” “Apple’s very good at making money, but its spark has gone.” “Why can’t it innovate any more?”Some people will come out and say it explicitly: Why can’t Tim Cook be more like Steve Jobs?

Migrating to a new server

Sat, 29 Apr 2017 12:25:18 +0000

Pardon the dust.

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 20:48:11 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

39.8544452-104.6737655

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 16:40:44 -0600

Checked in at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) .

Back in the US and A. Almost home.

29.9872-95.34774

Nature’s Already Figured It Out. – NewCo Shift

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 14:19:46 -0600

Nature’s Already Figured It Out. – NewCo Shift

NewCo Shift Forum

Nature’s Already Figured It Out.

The CEO of Twist Bioscience on why writable DNA will change just about everything

Continuing our exploration of health-related companies that are fundamentally shifting our understanding of the industry, meet Emily Leproust, the Parisian founder of Twist Bioscience . An industrial chemist with a PhD in bioscience, Leproust and her team are reimagining industrial processes using nature’s most powerful mechanisms. The results are stunning: replacements for oil-based products, spider silk at scale, and a new kind of digital storage that lasts for generations. Below is Leproust’s presentation at NewCo Shift Forum , and a transcript, edited for clarity.

How Elon Musk Learns Faster And Better Than Everyone Else

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 14:12:28 +0000

How Elon Musk Learns Faster And Better Than Everyone Else

Photo Credit: Heisenberg Media

How is it even possible that Elon Musk could build four multibillion companies by his mid-40s — in four separate fields (software, energy, transportation, and aerospace)?

To explain Musk’s success, others have pointed to his heroic work ethic (he regularly works 85-hour weeks ), his ability to set reality-distorting visions for the future , and his incredible resilience .

What to Do About Mediocrity on Your Team

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 14:03:05 +0000

What to Do About Mediocrity on Your Team

The toughest test of a manager is not how they deal with poor performance — it’s how they address mediocrity.

I’ve been struck over the years watching executives opine in public about the need for “accountability” and “high performance,” then complain helplessly in private about one or two middling members of their own team. You have no moral authority to ask other managers to hold people accountable if you’re not doing so yourself. Are you sure you’re doing enough to push for high performance? What do you do when someone’s work is good but not great? How many employees do you have whose performance isn’t bad enough for termination, but whom you’d pass on if you could get a do-over on hiring them?

Why Being a Middle Manager Is So Exhausting

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 13:54:46 +0000

Why Being a Middle Manager Is So Exhausting

There is no shortage of advice for how to navigate power dynamics within organizations — from managing toxic or exceptionally gifted subordinates to dealing with unpredictable and narcissistic bosses. Researchers have devoted entire careers to systematically cataloging the many ways in which those who have power differ from those who lack power with respect to their motivations, behaviors, biases, etc. (a sampling of these findings can be found here , here , here , and here ).

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 11:08:58 +0000

Checked in at Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría (SJO) .

Chow Costa Rica. Pura Vida!

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 21:52:21 +0000

Checked in at Playa Blanca .

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 20:10:09 +0000

Checked in at Marisqueria La Ostra .

Final dinner. We’re all exhausted.

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 19:32:55 +0000

Crocs! #costarica #puntaleona #crocodile

Posted on Instagram 7:32 pm, April 27, 2017

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 00:55:12 -0600

Checked in at Hotel Punta Leona .

Tonight’s grilled dinner was pretty absurd. Also delicious. #tuna #lobster #shrimp #peppers #corn #grill #seafood

9.7031533-84.6607982

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 00:55:10 -0600

Tonight’s grilled dinner was pretty absurd. Also delicious. #tuna #lobster #shrimp #peppers #corn #grill #seafood

9.7029733-84.6605084

Posted on Instagram 12:55 am, April 27, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m63f270b6679a68766abca9a784de0473 = { positions : { 539 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘9.7029733395391’, ‘-84.660508412921’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m63f270b6679a68766abca9a784de0473’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m63f270b6679a68766abca9a784de0473.positions ) { gmap_m63f270b6679a68766abca9a784de0473.bounds.extend( gmap_m63f270b6679a68766abca9a784de0473.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m63f270b6679a68766abca9a784de0473.positions ) { gmap_m63f270b6679a68766abca9a784de0473.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m63f270b6679a68766abca9a784de0473.map, position : gmap_m63f270b6679a68766abca9a784de0473.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m63f270b6679a68766abca9a784de0473.map.setCenter( gmap_m63f270b6679a68766abca9a784de0473.positions[539] ); });

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 17:08:21 -0600

Checked in at Playa Blanca .

9.7030631-84.6673511

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 16:00:56 -0600

Checked in at Plaza Herradura .

Shop shop.

9.6615104-84.6389787

Tue, 25 Apr 2017 15:35:25 -0700

Checked in at Playa Blanca .

#meetup

9.7030631-84.6673511

Tue, 25 Apr 2017 14:08:46 -0600

Checked in at Carabelas .

Lunching in a rainforest.

9.7000459-84.6598635

Mon, 24 Apr 2017 21:42:26 -0600

Checked in at Patacon Cevichero .

Dinner. #fish #wholefish #platacones

9.718096-84.63182

Mon, 24 Apr 2017 21:42:23 -0600

Dinner. #fish #wholefish #platacones

9.7177712-84.6317307

Posted on Instagram 9:42 pm, April 24, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m5b63ac04dc0db349e1d74ece45407f97 = { positions : { 153 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘9.7177711688073’, ‘-84.631730737243’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m5b63ac04dc0db349e1d74ece45407f97’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m5b63ac04dc0db349e1d74ece45407f97.positions ) { gmap_m5b63ac04dc0db349e1d74ece45407f97.bounds.extend( gmap_m5b63ac04dc0db349e1d74ece45407f97.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m5b63ac04dc0db349e1d74ece45407f97.positions ) { gmap_m5b63ac04dc0db349e1d74ece45407f97.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m5b63ac04dc0db349e1d74ece45407f97.map, position : gmap_m5b63ac04dc0db349e1d74ece45407f97.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m5b63ac04dc0db349e1d74ece45407f97.map.setCenter( gmap_m5b63ac04dc0db349e1d74ece45407f97.positions[153] ); });

How Google builds web frameworks – freeCodeCamp

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 16:45:14 -0600

How Google builds web frameworks – freeCodeCamp

It’s public knowledge that Google uses a single repository to share code — all 2 billion lines of it — and that it uses the trunk-based development paradigm.

This is easily one of the largest single code repositories in the world. Source .

For many developers outside the company, this is surprising and counterintuitive, but it works really well. (The article linked above gives good examples, so I won’t repeat them here.)

The missing piece of a manager’s responsibilities

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 16:33:46 -0600

The missing piece of a manager’s responsibilities

In September 2016 I gave a presentation on managerial focus at the Calibrate Conference. In that talk I outlined the responsibilities of a manager and shared the tools I have been developing to decide which responsibilities to focus at any given time. But now, after giving that talk, I realize that there is a major responsibility that I left out. It’s the core of what we do as managers, but it was so easy for me to overlook because the focus is internal. I call it, “digging deep”: owning your successes and knowing that you can overcome whatever challenges come your way.

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 15:39:50 -0600

Texas!

29.9844444-95.3413889

Posted on Instagram 3:39 pm, April 23, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m03d94a8bb6bf09129fa50eef60814e3d = { positions : { 377 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘29.984444444444’, ‘-95.341388888889’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m03d94a8bb6bf09129fa50eef60814e3d’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m03d94a8bb6bf09129fa50eef60814e3d.positions ) { gmap_m03d94a8bb6bf09129fa50eef60814e3d.bounds.extend( gmap_m03d94a8bb6bf09129fa50eef60814e3d.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m03d94a8bb6bf09129fa50eef60814e3d.positions ) { gmap_m03d94a8bb6bf09129fa50eef60814e3d.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m03d94a8bb6bf09129fa50eef60814e3d.map, position : gmap_m03d94a8bb6bf09129fa50eef60814e3d.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m03d94a8bb6bf09129fa50eef60814e3d.map.setCenter( gmap_m03d94a8bb6bf09129fa50eef60814e3d.positions[377] ); });

Your non-linear problem of 90% utilization

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 14:18:47 -0600

Your non-linear problem of 90% utilization

Does it feel like everyone is working very hard, all the time, and yet not accomplishing as much as everyone would like?

Maybe this is why.

Suppose a web server is running at 50% of its full capacity. Browser traffic doesn’t arrive in regular, smooth amounts; it comes in spurts and occasionally large spikes. Because the server is under-utilized, when a spike arrives there are spare resource to deal with the increase. If the spike is sufficiently large, performance will degrade, and if larger still, many of the requests will have to be rejected rather than answered; after all, there’s some limit past which the server cannot do any additional work.

Things We Learned Creating Technology Career Steps — Medium

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 13:35:02 -0600

Things We Learned Creating Technology Career Steps — Medium

Things We Learned Creating Technology Career Steps

This is part three of a three-part series on how we created a career path framework for the individual contributors at Spotify. Part one discussed the process we used to formulate the framework. Part two contained version 1.0 of our framework. In this segment, I’ll talk about the lessons we learned rolling out the framework to the technology organization. If you haven’t read the first two parts, I suggest that you read those first before proceeding with this one.

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 11:46:31 -0600

Checked in at Denver International Airport (DEN) .

It’s almost like I live here. DEN:IAH.

39.8529241-104.6736744

Sat, 22 Apr 2017 06:46:56 -0600

Floating! #hotairballoon #balloon

#balloon
#hotairballoon

Posted on Instagram 6:46 am, April 22, 2017

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 22:52:55 -0600

Checked in at Extended Stay America Albuquerque – Rio Rancho .

Last night in ABQ.

35.2129134-106.6590514

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 21:02:31 -0600

Checked in at Duel Brewing ABQ .

MOAR beer!

35.0848632-106.6544111

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 19:00:57 -0600

Checked in at Thai House Restaurant .

#jetpack meetup with the local @wordpress crew

35.0804737-106.623772

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 19:00:52 -0600

#jetpack meetup with the local @wordpress crew

35.0805111-106.6239609

#jetpack

Posted on Instagram 7:00 pm, April 21, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m94857d6f6226018f0d78a35fdd23314c = { positions : { 931 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘35.080511066667’, ‘-106.6239609’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m94857d6f6226018f0d78a35fdd23314c’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m94857d6f6226018f0d78a35fdd23314c.positions ) { gmap_m94857d6f6226018f0d78a35fdd23314c.bounds.extend( gmap_m94857d6f6226018f0d78a35fdd23314c.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m94857d6f6226018f0d78a35fdd23314c.positions ) { gmap_m94857d6f6226018f0d78a35fdd23314c.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m94857d6f6226018f0d78a35fdd23314c.map, position : gmap_m94857d6f6226018f0d78a35fdd23314c.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m94857d6f6226018f0d78a35fdd23314c.map.setCenter( gmap_m94857d6f6226018f0d78a35fdd23314c.positions[931] ); });

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 13:56:05 -0600

Checked in at City of Albuquerque .

Serious hotdog business.

35.0840609-106.6509819

Import posts from Jetpack/WordPress.com

Sat, 15 Apr 2017 17:07:47 +0000

I’ve just released version 1.8 of both Keyring , and the Keyring Social Importers . This version includes a new service file, and an accompanying importer, which allows you to import content from a Jetpack-powered WordPress site, using the WordPress.com REST API . That means any site hosted on WordPress.com, or any self-hosted site with the Jetpack plugin installed. There are also a few key fixes for the Twitter and LinkedIn services/importers, so it’s a nice update.

Vegetable Gardening in the Mountains

Sat, 15 Apr 2017 11:02:42 +0000

Growing vegetables in Colorado presents challenges, but growing vegetables in the mountains is harder still. This is due to the much shorter growing season, cool nights, wind, critters, and possible watering restrictions. For the purposes of this fact sheet, ‘high elevation’ or ‘mountains’ means anything over 7,500 feet in elevation in Colorado.

Source: Vegetable Gardening in the Mountains – 7.248 – ExtensionExtension

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 12:31:20 -0700

Checked in at La Abeja .

#burritofriday with a12s

39.740067-104.980933

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 17:00:17 +0000

Checked in at Ratio Beerworks .

Spring drinks at Ratio.

Dabbling in Home Automation and The Internet of Things

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 11:30:11 +0000

Now that I own my own house, and some of the technologies involved are a bit more stable, I’ve gotten into the idea of home automation a bit more. Here’s a quick run down of my current configuration.

At the center of most things, I have a wink hub (first generation). I configure as much as possible through that, since it simplifies interacting with them if they’re all available in one place.

Sun, 09 Apr 2017 16:27:39 -0600

Got all the cooler season things planted finally. Even though it’s pretty warm already, and forecast for more of the same.

39.7572-104.967

Posted on Instagram 4:27 pm, April 9, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mbfbfe6a153079cb2a2d0fe39cb79bb1f = { positions : { 184 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mbfbfe6a153079cb2a2d0fe39cb79bb1f’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mbfbfe6a153079cb2a2d0fe39cb79bb1f.positions ) { gmap_mbfbfe6a153079cb2a2d0fe39cb79bb1f.bounds.extend( gmap_mbfbfe6a153079cb2a2d0fe39cb79bb1f.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mbfbfe6a153079cb2a2d0fe39cb79bb1f.positions ) { gmap_mbfbfe6a153079cb2a2d0fe39cb79bb1f.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mbfbfe6a153079cb2a2d0fe39cb79bb1f.map, position : gmap_mbfbfe6a153079cb2a2d0fe39cb79bb1f.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mbfbfe6a153079cb2a2d0fe39cb79bb1f.map.setCenter( gmap_mbfbfe6a153079cb2a2d0fe39cb79bb1f.positions[184] ); });

Sun, 09 Apr 2017 16:25:07 -0600

Serious garden planning business this morning.

Posted on Instagram 4:25 pm, April 9, 2017

Sun, 09 Apr 2017 16:21:10 -0600

Tulip Party #flowers #tulips #garden

39.7321442-104.9607721

Posted on Instagram 4:21 pm, April 9, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m719251e6b75e67beff0021ddf8c4bf85 = { positions : { 392 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.73214416473’, ‘-104.9607721189’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m719251e6b75e67beff0021ddf8c4bf85’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m719251e6b75e67beff0021ddf8c4bf85.positions ) { gmap_m719251e6b75e67beff0021ddf8c4bf85.bounds.extend( gmap_m719251e6b75e67beff0021ddf8c4bf85.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m719251e6b75e67beff0021ddf8c4bf85.positions ) { gmap_m719251e6b75e67beff0021ddf8c4bf85.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m719251e6b75e67beff0021ddf8c4bf85.map, position : gmap_m719251e6b75e67beff0021ddf8c4bf85.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m719251e6b75e67beff0021ddf8c4bf85.map.setCenter( gmap_m719251e6b75e67beff0021ddf8c4bf85.positions[392] ); });

Sun, 09 Apr 2017 14:29:25 -0600

Checked in at Denver Botanic Gardens .

Spring research — with erika

39.7317459-104.960289

Spring Plantingpalooza

Sun, 09 Apr 2017 18:03:29 +0000

Last year, Erika and I planted our first ever vegetable garden. We quickly became obsessed with it, and this year we’ve upgraded from 2 beds with approximately 50 square feet, to a total of 6 beds, with over 285 square feet (more than 5x the growing space)! We’re pretty psyched to see what we can produce this year, and will be trying a bunch of new vegetables, in addition to more of the varieties we liked from last year.

Fri, 07 Apr 2017 12:28:56 -0600

Checked in at The Denver Central Market .

Lunchin

39.7592821-104.9846435

I Was As Average As Humanly Possible For A Week

Sat, 01 Apr 2017 19:58:13 +0000

I Was As Average As Humanly Possible For A Week

My week as a mediocre American.

In 1927, an enterprising magazine writer named William Dutton got an idea: Let’s find the most average man in America and see what he’s like. He scoured the country to find America’s most average town — Fort Madison, Iowa — and then surveyed the people there until he met Roy L. Gray .

Sat, 01 Apr 2017 17:50:56 +0000

Heavy modifications required, but getting good coverage now. #gardening #irrigation #vegetablegarden

Posted on Instagram 5:50 pm, April 1, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mcf9873a8f4158f268d441f141a0dd337 = { positions : { 386 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mcf9873a8f4158f268d441f141a0dd337’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mcf9873a8f4158f268d441f141a0dd337.positions ) { gmap_mcf9873a8f4158f268d441f141a0dd337.bounds.extend( gmap_mcf9873a8f4158f268d441f141a0dd337.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mcf9873a8f4158f268d441f141a0dd337.positions ) { gmap_mcf9873a8f4158f268d441f141a0dd337.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mcf9873a8f4158f268d441f141a0dd337.map, position : gmap_mcf9873a8f4158f268d441f141a0dd337.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mcf9873a8f4158f268d441f141a0dd337.map.setCenter( gmap_mcf9873a8f4158f268d441f141a0dd337.positions[386] ); });

Sat, 01 Apr 2017 13:22:27 +0000

Checked in at The Home Depot .

More irrigation supplies — with erika

Modern JavaScript for Ancient Web Developers

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 23:26:38 -0600

Modern JavaScript for Ancient Web Developers

Learn JavaScript using… JavaScript. Image via learnyounode .

There’s a certain kind of old-school, backend web developer who, a long time ago, mastered things like Perl or Python or PHP or Java Server Pages, maybe even Rails or Django. This person worked with giant relational databases and built APIs that serve up JSON and even (gasp!) XML.

This person is a backend developer, so for a long time, JavaScript was just a fun little toy that added a bit of frontend trickery that could make things on a web page change color. If JavaScript was being really useful, it would add form validation that helped prevent the wrong information from getting into the database. Eight years ago jQuery blew this person’s mind . JavaScript itself was a language one merely tolerated, but never embraced.

Ruthless Prioritization – Startup Grind – Medium

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 23:18:52 -0600

Ruthless Prioritization – Startup Grind – Medium

sorting.at

All high functioning teams must prioritize. Not once a month, not once a week — but rigorously, and ruthlessly.

Prioritization means doing the things that are most important first. If you build products, it means doing the things that create the most customer value first.

In my experience, the craft of making prioritization decisions is one of the most difficult skills to impart on teams because of how complex those decisions can become, and while it’s usually a core responsibility of product managers, I’ve found that the best teams are the ones where everyone is maniacally prioritizing towards the same goal, and doing so in a way that’s consistent with each other.

Five Lessons from Scaling Pinterest – Greylock Perspectives

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 23:00:20 -0600

Five Lessons from Scaling Pinterest – Greylock Perspectives

I was involved with Pinterest from 5 employees through 650. Here’s what I learned.

When you’re scaling quickly, you get a lot right, but you inevitably get some things wrong. The best companies — like Pinterest — are the ones that learn from those mistakes and adjust quickly.

This post is a distillation of the lessons I learned, first as one of the company’s first product managers, and finally leading product for our discovery team — overseeing search, recommendations, our visual search team, and more.

How to Manage Your Former Peers

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 22:48:08 -0600

How to Manage Your Former Peers

Becoming the boss is an exciting transition, but it can also be a nerve-wracking one. This is especially true if you are now managing people who used to be your peers. You need to establish your credibility and authority, without acting like the promotion’s gone to your head. How you walk this line will depend on your organization and your leadership style, but here are some general rules to make any transition smoother.

Speed up your site with a little machine learning – Hacker Noon

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 09:11:44 -0600

Speed up your site with a little machine learning – Hacker Noon

I spend roughly 73% of my life thinking about web performance — hitting that sweet 60FPS on slow phones, loading my assets in the perfect order, offline-caching everything I can. Other examples.

But recently I’ve been wondering if my definition of web performance is too narrow. From a user’s perspective, all that jazz is a tiny piece of the performance pie.

Sun, 26 Mar 2017 22:35:35 -0600

Finally got all of our irrigation in on all the beds. Officially ready for planting #garden #vegetablegarden #spring #irrigation

39.7572-104.967

Posted on Instagram 10:35 pm, March 26, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m84a8b9e37f86d81e612cb82863ba0ee1 = { positions : { 358 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m84a8b9e37f86d81e612cb82863ba0ee1’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m84a8b9e37f86d81e612cb82863ba0ee1.positions ) { gmap_m84a8b9e37f86d81e612cb82863ba0ee1.bounds.extend( gmap_m84a8b9e37f86d81e612cb82863ba0ee1.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m84a8b9e37f86d81e612cb82863ba0ee1.positions ) { gmap_m84a8b9e37f86d81e612cb82863ba0ee1.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m84a8b9e37f86d81e612cb82863ba0ee1.map, position : gmap_m84a8b9e37f86d81e612cb82863ba0ee1.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m84a8b9e37f86d81e612cb82863ba0ee1.map.setCenter( gmap_m84a8b9e37f86d81e612cb82863ba0ee1.positions[358] ); });

Sun, 26 Mar 2017 16:14:37 -0600

Checked in at Burger King .

For some reason, craving this junk.

39.7623054-104.9729185

Fri, 24 Mar 2017 13:22:27 -0600

Productive morning. #garden #yard #mulch

39.7572-104.967

Posted on Instagram 1:22 pm, March 24, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m3f8522e130bcac9c8c0956aee689e52a = { positions : { 218 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m3f8522e130bcac9c8c0956aee689e52a’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m3f8522e130bcac9c8c0956aee689e52a.positions ) { gmap_m3f8522e130bcac9c8c0956aee689e52a.bounds.extend( gmap_m3f8522e130bcac9c8c0956aee689e52a.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m3f8522e130bcac9c8c0956aee689e52a.positions ) { gmap_m3f8522e130bcac9c8c0956aee689e52a.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m3f8522e130bcac9c8c0956aee689e52a.map, position : gmap_m3f8522e130bcac9c8c0956aee689e52a.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m3f8522e130bcac9c8c0956aee689e52a.map.setCenter( gmap_m3f8522e130bcac9c8c0956aee689e52a.positions[218] ); });

Wed, 22 Mar 2017 19:30:08 -0600

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

Some birthday drinks — with erika

39.7550963-104.9769142

A static business is a healthy business

Wed, 22 Mar 2017 17:00:00 -0600

A static business is a healthy business

Is that the sun? No, it’s our business. Read on…

A static business is a healthy business

Aim for many nondescript dots, not a few obvious ones

Last year I wrote an article suggesting that you shouldn’t let any one (or small group) of customers overpay you.

If you have a small handful of customers paying you significantly more than most of your customers, you’re no longer a product company — you’re actually a consulting company working for those big payers. You’ll do what they say — often at the detriment of your smaller customers — because the big guys pay the big bucks.

Voice and the uncanny valley of AI

Mon, 20 Mar 2017 20:26:43 +0000

Voice and the uncanny valley of AI

Voice is a Big Deal in tech this year. Amazon has probably sold 10m Echos, you couldn’t move for Alexa partnerships at CES, Google has made its own and, it seems, this is the new platform. There are a couple of different causes for this explosion, and, also, a couple of problems. To begin, the causes.

First, voice is a big deal because voice input now works in a way that it did not until very recently. The advances in machine learning in the past couple of years mean (to simplify hugely) that computers are getting much better at recognizing what people are saying. Technically, there are two different fields here; voice recognition and natural language processing. Voice recognition is the transcribing of audio to text and natural language processing is taking that text and working out what command might be in it. Since 2012, error rates for these tasks have gone from perhaps a third to under 5%. In other words, this works, mostly, when in the past it didn’t. This isn’t perfect yet – with normal use a 5% error rate can be something you run into every day or two, and Twitter is full of people posting examples of voice assistants not understanding at all. But this is continuing to improve – we know how to do this now.

Fri, 17 Mar 2017 14:08:08 -0700

#burritofriday

39.7401244-104.963292

#burritofriday

Posted on Instagram 2:08 pm, March 17, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mc4e0573bd447bd7597143c62f63c5e45 = { positions : { 285 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.740124419831’, ‘-104.96329197258’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mc4e0573bd447bd7597143c62f63c5e45’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mc4e0573bd447bd7597143c62f63c5e45.positions ) { gmap_mc4e0573bd447bd7597143c62f63c5e45.bounds.extend( gmap_mc4e0573bd447bd7597143c62f63c5e45.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mc4e0573bd447bd7597143c62f63c5e45.positions ) { gmap_mc4e0573bd447bd7597143c62f63c5e45.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mc4e0573bd447bd7597143c62f63c5e45.map, position : gmap_mc4e0573bd447bd7597143c62f63c5e45.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mc4e0573bd447bd7597143c62f63c5e45.map.setCenter( gmap_mc4e0573bd447bd7597143c62f63c5e45.positions[285] ); });

Fri, 10 Mar 2017 12:34:54 -0700

Checked in at Vine Street Pub & Brewery .

#burritofriday — with Michael

39.7433781-104.9619788

Sun, 05 Mar 2017 07:04:48 +0000

Checked in at Georgetown Visitor Center .

“How” ages faster than “Why”

Sat, 04 Mar 2017 22:16:18 +0000

“How” ages faster than “Why”

I used to write a lot of Angular back in 2015. But recently, the JS community has largely moved on from Angular 1 to other libraries, and in turn, so have my projects. I always knew in the back of my mind that technology — and the knowledge that goes along with it — becomes outdated, but this was the first time I experienced it for myself. I wondered: what parts of my Angular knowledge are now obsolete? What parts are long-lasting? And most importantly, how can I make sure that I always get better as an engineer in the face of all those fleeting frameworks and libraries?

What are some of the dark lessons that life showed you?

Sat, 04 Mar 2017 22:11:05 +0000

What are some of the dark lessons that life showed you?

A question I originally answered on Quora : What are some of the dark lessons that life showed you?

I can picture it right now: my youngest daughter will one day breathe her last breath. She will be buried. And then she will be forgotten.

Or the seas will rise up and claim us all. Or most of the people I know are mentally ill criminals.

Sat, 04 Mar 2017 20:41:13 +0000

Checked in at Stem Ciders .

Tasty ciders — with Chelsea, erika

Sat, 04 Mar 2017 18:00:09 +0000

Checked in at Ratio Beerworks .

with Chelsea

Let’s stop calling them ‘soft skills’ – It’s Your Turn

Sat, 04 Mar 2017 16:37:31 +0000

Let’s stop calling them ‘soft skills’ – It’s Your Turn

They might be skills, but they’re not soft

Are you good at your job?

Different, easier question: Was Ty Cobb good at baseball?

Ty Cobb: Competitive Jerk

It’s generally understood that Ty Cobb was a jerk. His teammates didn’t like him very much. But he’s still in the Hall of Fame. That’s because baseball keeps score… of hits, of runs and of catches.

Sat, 04 Mar 2017 14:50:09 +0000

#immigrants

#immigrants

Posted on Instagram 2:50 pm, March 4, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m257573dd0cbab736fdcb1cf89db7b13b = { positions : { 996 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.747694765574’, ‘-104.98420639855’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m257573dd0cbab736fdcb1cf89db7b13b’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m257573dd0cbab736fdcb1cf89db7b13b.positions ) { gmap_m257573dd0cbab736fdcb1cf89db7b13b.bounds.extend( gmap_m257573dd0cbab736fdcb1cf89db7b13b.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m257573dd0cbab736fdcb1cf89db7b13b.positions ) { gmap_m257573dd0cbab736fdcb1cf89db7b13b.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m257573dd0cbab736fdcb1cf89db7b13b.map, position : gmap_m257573dd0cbab736fdcb1cf89db7b13b.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m257573dd0cbab736fdcb1cf89db7b13b.map.setCenter( gmap_m257573dd0cbab736fdcb1cf89db7b13b.positions[996] ); });

Recent Social Importer Updates

Sat, 04 Mar 2017 13:43:58 +0000

I’ve been trying to make small improvements to the Keyring Social Importers package (and People & Places) that I maintain, and have made a number of them over the last few weeks. Here are some details of recent updates which you may have missed:

People & Places

Improved the labels being used for each taxonomy, so that you don’t get random mentions of “tags” in the WordPress UI.
Improved the add_place_to_post() method so that you can add multiple Places to a single Post.
Now exposing both the people and places taxonomies via the REST API .

Keyring Social Importers

Thu, 02 Mar 2017 19:57:27 -0700

Checked in at The Preservery .

39.764171-104.98132

Thu, 02 Mar 2017 19:57:23 -0700

Final night #meetup dinner.

39.7638893-104.9813919

#meetup

Posted on Instagram 7:57 pm, March 2, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_ma7f2dd4044a9e807a31528c911c3f4e8 = { positions : { 914 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7638893’, ‘-104.9813919’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_ma7f2dd4044a9e807a31528c911c3f4e8’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_ma7f2dd4044a9e807a31528c911c3f4e8.positions ) { gmap_ma7f2dd4044a9e807a31528c911c3f4e8.bounds.extend( gmap_ma7f2dd4044a9e807a31528c911c3f4e8.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_ma7f2dd4044a9e807a31528c911c3f4e8.positions ) { gmap_ma7f2dd4044a9e807a31528c911c3f4e8.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_ma7f2dd4044a9e807a31528c911c3f4e8.map, position : gmap_ma7f2dd4044a9e807a31528c911c3f4e8.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_ma7f2dd4044a9e807a31528c911c3f4e8.map.setCenter( gmap_ma7f2dd4044a9e807a31528c911c3f4e8.positions[914] ); });

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 19:40:09 -0700

Checked in at Shish Kabob Grill .

39.7401559-104.9835545

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 14:14:38 -0700

Checked in at Osaka Ramen .

39.7595548-104.9861225

This researcher programmed bots to fight racism on Twitter. It worked.

Mon, 27 Feb 2017 23:23:40 -0700

This researcher programmed bots to fight racism on Twitter. It worked.

Example of message designed to remind harassers of the humanity of their victims and to reconsider the norms of online behavior. (Screen shot from Twitter by Kevin Munger/TMC)

Despite rising concern among the public, social-media companies have had little success stemming the wave of online harassment. As part of research recently published in the journal Political Behavior , I conducted an experiment on Twitter to find out the best tactics people can use to discourage other users from using harassing language. I found that these sanctioning messages do have an effect, but not in all contexts.

Key Takeaways from the Gallup State of the American Workplace Study

Mon, 27 Feb 2017 23:29:25 -0600

Key Takeaways from the Gallup State of the American Workplace Study

Last week, Gallup released its State of the American Workplace study (read it here ). This is yet another of their comprehensive looks at what really motivates and engages employees.

As we’ve done in the past for Gallup’s State of the American Manager , Deloitte’s Study of Millennials , and others, we’ve pulled out some of the essential takeaways you should know for your teams and companies.

Mon, 27 Feb 2017 14:15:17 -0700

Checked in at Enterprise 5280 .

39.761688-104.979971

Mon, 27 Feb 2017 09:00:40 -0700

Checked in at Schebens Manor .

39.7558119-104.9680914

New Collar Goods

Sun, 26 Feb 2017 13:47:26 +0000

We’re a two-person team building modern furniture in Denver, Colorado

Source: New Collar Goods

This was happening a few days ago. Today it’s sunny and gorgeous. #cowx

Sun, 26 Feb 2017 10:40:16 +0000

http://dentedreality.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/16995142_863580967115146_6529591715857170432_n-1.mp4

This was happening a few days ago. Today it’s sunny and gorgeous. #cowx

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mea0181fac987c97c4618ad8135108d95 = { positions : { 105 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mea0181fac987c97c4618ad8135108d95’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mea0181fac987c97c4618ad8135108d95.positions ) { gmap_mea0181fac987c97c4618ad8135108d95.bounds.extend( gmap_mea0181fac987c97c4618ad8135108d95.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mea0181fac987c97c4618ad8135108d95.positions ) { gmap_mea0181fac987c97c4618ad8135108d95.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mea0181fac987c97c4618ad8135108d95.map, position : gmap_mea0181fac987c97c4618ad8135108d95.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mea0181fac987c97c4618ad8135108d95.map.setCenter( gmap_mea0181fac987c97c4618ad8135108d95.positions[105] ); });

Sat, 25 Feb 2017 11:26:45 -0700

Checked in at Syrup .

Long waits for pancakes — with erika

39.746219-104.960127

Sat, 25 Feb 2017 10:38:50 -0700

Setting up some rain barrels now that it’s no longer illegal in CO

Posted on Instagram 10:38 am, February 25, 2017

Fri, 24 Feb 2017 18:55:16 -0700

Checked in at Denver North High School .

Theater! — with erika

39.7607535-105.0221566

Fri, 24 Feb 2017 17:58:32 -0700

Checked in at Park Burger .

Going to a school play. Need food first. — with erika

39.7621-105.0200477

Fri, 24 Feb 2017 15:06:10 -0700

Checked in at Burro King .

This place is legit. #burritofriday

39.772723-104.912323

Amazon’s Leadership Principles

Fri, 24 Feb 2017 16:51:00 +0000

Amazon’s Leadership Principles

Find jobs

Leadership Principles

Our Leadership Principles aren’t just a pretty inspirational wall hanging. These Principles work hard, just like we do. Amazonians use them, every day, whether they’re discussing ideas for new projects, deciding on the best solution for a customer’s problem, or interviewing candidates. It’s just one of the things that makes Amazon peculiar.

Customer Obsession

Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers.

The Root Cause Fallacy

Sun, 19 Feb 2017 22:43:35 +0000

The Root Cause Fallacy

Mon, Jul 21, 2014 in

Operations

Best Of

Wouldn’t you like to find the root cause of that downtime incident? Many people

would. But experience has taught me that there is no such thing as a single root

cause. Instead, there’s a chain of interrelated causes, each of which is

necessary but none of which is sufficient to cause the overall problem.

Sun, 19 Feb 2017 20:16:14 +0000

Checked in at Black Shirt Brewing Co. .

Tiny Red Yuzu and Lemongrass Gose

Sat, 18 Feb 2017 19:08:34 +0000

Checked in at Rebel Restaurant .

Finally trying this place out — with erika

Sat, 18 Feb 2017 11:45:39 +0000

Checked in at The Home Depot .

Is it project season already? — with erika

Fri, 17 Feb 2017 22:36:37 +0000

Checked in at Schebens Manor .

Fri, 17 Feb 2017 21:37:35 +0000

Checked in at Paxti’s Pizza .

Fri, 17 Feb 2017 13:48:11 -0700

Checked in at Illegal Pete’s Colfax .

#burritofriday

39.7401902-104.9632877

SaaStr Annual, 2017

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 11:20:32 +0000

I attended the SaaStr Annual conference in San Francisco last week, and here are some of the notes I took in amongst the different sessions.

The nature of business is shifting towards:

Multiplayer/collaborative
Mobile and multi-device
International/localized everything

In addition to knowing who your customers are, you should know who they are not. Who are you willing to be bad for?

If your LTV is 3x your CAC, then you’re in a good place.

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 12:30:25 +0000

Happy Retirement, random United pilot.

#united

Posted on Instagram 12:30 pm, February 15, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m99bb98e9d3d014968e84be962a63a727 = { positions : { 878 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘29.984444444444’, ‘-95.341388888889’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m99bb98e9d3d014968e84be962a63a727’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m99bb98e9d3d014968e84be962a63a727.positions ) { gmap_m99bb98e9d3d014968e84be962a63a727.bounds.extend( gmap_m99bb98e9d3d014968e84be962a63a727.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m99bb98e9d3d014968e84be962a63a727.positions ) { gmap_m99bb98e9d3d014968e84be962a63a727.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m99bb98e9d3d014968e84be962a63a727.map, position : gmap_m99bb98e9d3d014968e84be962a63a727.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m99bb98e9d3d014968e84be962a63a727.map.setCenter( gmap_m99bb98e9d3d014968e84be962a63a727.positions[878] ); });

Inside Instagram’s reinvention

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 02:47:01 +0000

Inside Instagram’s reinvention

Toward the tail end of 2015, Kevin Systrom, the CEO of Instagram, came to a realization: The photo-sharing app he had founded five years earlier was straying too far from its roots.

Instagram was growing, yes, and finally generating some serious ad dollars — which Facebook had been waiting for since it bought the company for $1 billion back in 2012.

But its user base was also growing, and it wasn’t all good growth: Instagram feeds that were once dominated by photos from friends and family members were becoming more impersonal.

INSIDE MEDIUM’S MELTDOWN: How an idealistic Silicon Valley founder raised $134 million to change journalism, then crashed into reality

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 02:36:29 +0000

INSIDE MEDIUM’S MELTDOWN: How an idealistic Silicon Valley founder raised $134 million to change journalism, then crashed into reality

Four days into 2017, Medium’s employees came to work and were told that one-third of them, 50 people, were fired.

They were shocked. Their adored boss, billionaire CEO Ev Williams, best known as the cofounder of Twitter, seemed to care so deeply for each of them.

But he told the world about the layoff in a blog post even before all the people who lost their jobs were informed, a former employee tells Business Insider.

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 00:40:31 +0000

Bikes for days.

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Tue, 14 Feb 2017 13:53:51 +0000

Checked in at Zest .

Tue, 14 Feb 2017 04:19:47 +0000

Checked in at Art Apartment Amsterdam .

Sun, 12 Feb 2017 17:19:05 +0000

Canals.

Posted on Instagram 5:19 pm, February 12, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m4b468848a0cc94c959bcdaa1140edba7 = { positions : { 142 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘52.3731’, ‘4.8922’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m4b468848a0cc94c959bcdaa1140edba7’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m4b468848a0cc94c959bcdaa1140edba7.positions ) { gmap_m4b468848a0cc94c959bcdaa1140edba7.bounds.extend( gmap_m4b468848a0cc94c959bcdaa1140edba7.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m4b468848a0cc94c959bcdaa1140edba7.positions ) { gmap_m4b468848a0cc94c959bcdaa1140edba7.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m4b468848a0cc94c959bcdaa1140edba7.map, position : gmap_m4b468848a0cc94c959bcdaa1140edba7.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m4b468848a0cc94c959bcdaa1140edba7.map.setCenter( gmap_m4b468848a0cc94c959bcdaa1140edba7.positions[142] ); });

Sun, 12 Feb 2017 13:03:25 +0000

Accidentally stumbled into Brooklyn. In Amsterdam.

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Sun, 12 Feb 2017 00:27:36 +0000

Checked in at Owl Hotel .

Sat, 11 Feb 2017 07:54:14 +0000

Ceiling

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Sat, 11 Feb 2017 06:31:44 +0000

Checked in at Owl Hotel .

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 14:49:16 +0000

Checked in at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) .

Moving right along

Mobile 2.0

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 14:47:38 +0000

Mobile 2.0

In 2004, ten years after Netscape launched, Tim O’Reilly launched the ‘Web 2.0’ conference, proposing (or branding) a generational shift in how the web worked. There were lots of trends, and none of them really started in 2004, but to me, looking back, the key thing was that people said ‘if we forget about dial-up and forget about supporting old and buggy web browsers, and presume that lots of people are online and have got used to this stuff now, what can we build now that we couldn’t build before?’

Case study: How complexity creeps in – Signal v. Noise

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 14:38:32 +0000

Case study: How complexity creeps in – Signal v. Noise

Seemingly inconsequential decisions can open the door to significant organizational and operational complexity

Lately we’ve been on a bit of a tear internally working to eliminate operational complexity from our business.

Complexity is like addiction… It comes on slowly, forming weak bonds that you can barely feel. But as it continues, the bonds strengthen quietly until they calcify and become hard to break.

Why do programmers need long periods of silence in order to do their job?

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 14:32:08 +0000

Why do programmers need long periods of silence in order to do their job?

Written 38w ago · Upvoted by

Ido Moshe

, Full stack web development for over 18 years

Well let me see if i can come up with an example that would be understandable to a non programmer.

Hopefully, you all know how to do long division (if you don’t, then look it up). So lets say you have this long division problem in front of you:

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 09:46:35 +0000

Checked in at City of Denver .

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 09:46:25 +0000

Breakfast at the United Club, on a layover in my own home airport.

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My dad predicted Trump in 1985 – it’s not Orwell, he warned, it’s Brave New World

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 09:26:23 +0000

My dad predicted Trump in 1985 – it’s not Orwell, he warned, it’s Brave New World

We were keeping our eye on 1984. But it’s Brave New World we should have feared instead.

Photograph: Flickr/Urban Integration

Over the last year, as the presidential campaign grew increasingly bizarre and Donald Trump took us places we had never been before, I saw a spike in media references to Amusing Ourselves to Death , a book written by my late father, Neil Postman, which anticipated back in 1985 so much about what has become of our current public discourse.

The Bad Product Fallacy: Don’t confuse “I don’t like it” with “That’s a bad product and it’ll fail”

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 09:07:11 +0000

The Bad Product Fallacy: Don’t confuse “I don’t like it” with “That’s a bad product and it’ll fail”

Benedict Evans at a16z recently tweeted the following:

There’s so much truth in this tweet. And it resonates so much, I think it deserves a name:

The Bad Product Fallacy

Your personal use cases and opinion are a shitty predictor of a product’s future success.

I’ve been in the Bay Area for 10 years now , and nothing stings more than whiffing on the prediction of whether a product will be success. Getting this wrong can hurt the ego and sometimes the checkbook too – just ask the dozens of investors who’ve passed on Facebook, Google, Uber, and so on! Personally, I missed completely on Facebook’s potential , and that’s just one of many bad predictions over the years.

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 19:00:22 +0000

Checked in at Hotel Abri .

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 14:51:22 +0000

One of these things is not like the others. #vegemite #notmedicine

#notmedicine
#vegemite

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Mon, 06 Feb 2017 13:41:37 +0000

Checked in at Automattic Lounge .

Home.

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 12:59:24 +0000

True Love.

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Mon, 06 Feb 2017 12:39:08 +0000

Checked in at Taqueria Cancún .

TTB: 1 hour, 23 minutes. Heaven.

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 12:36:48 +0000

Land in SF, immediately spot guy wearing fur-trimmed cloak, with light-up crazy shoes.

Posted on Instagram 12:36 pm, February 6, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m9b9e0bd386b2a9affe78a3e1f1b489c8 = { positions : { 232 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘37.615608’, ‘-122.389544’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m9b9e0bd386b2a9affe78a3e1f1b489c8’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m9b9e0bd386b2a9affe78a3e1f1b489c8.positions ) { gmap_m9b9e0bd386b2a9affe78a3e1f1b489c8.bounds.extend( gmap_m9b9e0bd386b2a9affe78a3e1f1b489c8.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m9b9e0bd386b2a9affe78a3e1f1b489c8.positions ) { gmap_m9b9e0bd386b2a9affe78a3e1f1b489c8.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m9b9e0bd386b2a9affe78a3e1f1b489c8.map, position : gmap_m9b9e0bd386b2a9affe78a3e1f1b489c8.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m9b9e0bd386b2a9affe78a3e1f1b489c8.map.setCenter( gmap_m9b9e0bd386b2a9affe78a3e1f1b489c8.positions[232] ); });

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 11:14:39 +0000

Checked in at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

Oh hai, SF!

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 07:19:54 +0000

Checked in at Concourse B .

There is a bigger Group 1 than there is Group 2 😱

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 12:23:48 +0000

Checked in at REI .

Time-less. Is technology shaping a 6th sense or have we opened the door to the 4th dimension?

Sat, 04 Feb 2017 17:59:17 +0000

Time-less. Is technology shaping a 6th sense or have we opened the door to the 4th dimension?

Do you ever feel like your entire life is on a schedule

Can you sense people in a hurry or feel them standing behind you in lines at the store?

How often can you sense someone in a hurry from just an emoji or the lack of a response in a text message?

The Future of Food With David Friedberg – NewCo Shift

Sat, 04 Feb 2017 17:56:57 +0000

The Future of Food With David Friedberg – NewCo Shift

NewCo Speaker Spotlight

David Friedberg is a serial entrepreneur and investor in Silicon Valley, having started a number of notable companies including The Climate Corporation , a climate-prediction startup, Eatsa , an automated quinoa-based fast food chain with no cashiers, and Metromile , a pay-per-mile auto insurance company.

An ex-Googler with a degree in astrophysics, Friedberg was involved in launching products like AdWords and Gmail. In 2006, he quit Google to co-found The Climate Corporation, which builds weather prediction tools for farmers. He sold the company to Monsanto for $1.1 billion in 2013.

Team of Teams & Complexity: An Approach for breaking down Silos

Sat, 04 Feb 2017 17:53:34 +0000

Team of Teams & Complexity: An Approach for breaking down Silos

Once upon a time we categorized companies into two broad categories with regards to decision making: Centralized & De-centralized. This model is easy to comprehend when we think of a central headquarters housing centralized functions and executives, and then a large number of branches which service local regions. A bank or retail operation is a common example. Thinking on the subject seems non-applicable to companies that lack this distributed branch structure.

Sat, 04 Feb 2017 13:22:49 +0000

Checked in at Colorado Convention Center .

Home and Garden show — with erika

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 17:17:06 -0600

Checked in at Cart-Driver .

Love this place

39.7575674-104.9861111

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L Review

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 22:34:10 +0000

Towards the end of last year, I jumped on the Kickstarter bandwagon for a new backpack . They blew their goal away, and it turned out to be a really professional release that went smoothly, and delivered on time. Major kudos to the folks at Peak Design .

I had previously been using a free backpack that was one of the swag items we gave away to some of our VIP clients , but wanted something a bit bigger, and more comfortable. The 20L version of the Everyday Backpack has thus far proven to be exactly that, and much more.

Fri, 27 Jan 2017 21:25:59 +0000

Checked in at Larimer Lounge , for The Yawpers.

Friday night music — with erika

Thoughts on Bots – Cody Simms – Medium

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 01:37:38 +0000

Thoughts on Bots – Cody Simms – Medium

What should we expect from a bot ecosystem?

Image via Giphy: http://giphy.com/gifs/someone-robot-typing-RPZu7v6zA2WOI

Thoughts on bots.
Hot hot hot.
Bots have thoughts on lots and lots.
No dots. Just bots.
Hot / not? Great Scott!

If you talk like Dr Seuss to a bot, can it learn to respond in rhyme? We shall see. Yippee!

The internet is abuzz this week on the bot ecosystem that Facebook is seeking to create around Messenger, and of course Slack has been investing here for some time as well. Personally I found the bot announcements at Facebook’s F8 way less profound than Zuckerberg’s approach to a 10-year roadmap , his images of airplanes that can fly at 60K feet for months at a time and beam internet around the world, and his vision that in an AR-enabled future everything that projects an image today (such as a television) will be just a $1 app in an AR app store . (If you have not watched his F8 keynote , take the 30 minutes to do so. I’m convinced that he’s the living embodiment of Steve Jobs, as no one else comes close to having his scale of impact on culture from a technology-led perspective.)

The Science of the One-Inch Punch

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 01:27:18 +0000

The Science of the One-Inch Punch

Physiology and neuroscience combine to explain Bruce Lee’s master move.

Getty Images

Forget all those broken boards and crumbled concrete slabs. No feat of martial arts is more impressive than Bruce Lee’s famous strike, the one-inch punch . From a single inch away, Lee was able to muster an explosive blow that could knock opponents clean off the ground. Lee mastered it, fans worldwide adored it, and Kill Bill “borrowed” it . But if you’re like us, you want to know how it works.

The most important thing Dropbox did to scale Product Management

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 00:07:54 +0000

The most important thing Dropbox did to scale Product Management

These opinions are entirely my own, distilled from my experience at Dropbox in 2012–2015 as well as working with other startups. Since it’s been a few years, I’m sure Dropbox and their process look quite a bit different now.

I spent a lot of time in 2016 doing mentoring, advising, and consulting. Many conversations revolved around building product management teams, and through those conversations, I’ve got to reflect on the lessons I’ve learned from past PM roles. Some of those lessons are common sense and shared across most tech companies I’ve talked with. Others aren’t as obvious.

Work at different management levels | Lara Hogan

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 00:00:39 +0000

Work at different management levels | Lara Hogan

I remember working as a developer at a company and complaining that I had no idea what the bosses did all day. It felt like while we engineers were working hard and shipping stuff, managers just talked to a lot of people all the time, or sat in their offices behind closed doors, and I had no idea what their work looked like.

How We Structure Our Days as a Remote Team for Optimal Collaboration, Productivity and Creativity

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 23:38:15 +0000

How We Structure Our Days as a Remote Team for Optimal Collaboration, Productivity and Creativity

How do you work best throughout the day?

For some of us on the Buffer team, it’s about the right morning routine to set the day right. For others, the right evening routine is what it takes to get ahead for the next day.

We’ve found there’s no one way to organize your work day — and that the best fit looks different for every person.

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 23:18:49 +0000

#australiaday #invasionday #vegemite

Posted on Instagram 11:18 pm, January 25, 2017

Tue, 24 Jan 2017 18:32:20 +0000

Checked in at No Limits Archery .

Been a while — with erika

Adam Gopnik on Darwin’s Brilliant Strategy for Preempting Criticism and the True Mark of Genius

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 21:42:32 +0000

Adam Gopnik on Darwin’s Brilliant Strategy for Preempting Criticism and the True Mark of Genius

“People are generally better persuaded by the reasons which they have themselves discovered than by those which have come into the mind of others,” the great seventeenth-century French physicist, philosopher, and inventor Blaise Pascal wrote as he contemplated the art of changing minds . Two centuries later, Charles Darwin (February 12, 1809–April 19, 1882) provided supreme practical proof of Pascal’s insight as he forever changed the way we think about the origin of life on Earth. And he did so with immense rhetorical ingenuity, instructive in the intricate art of crippling potential criticism of one’s ideas by taking charge of all conceivable counterarguments.

Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think (Taming the Mammoth) – Wait But Why

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 21:32:39 +0000

Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think (Taming the Mammoth) – Wait But Why

We made a fancy PDF of this post for printing and offline viewing. Buy it here. (Or see a preview .)

Part 1: Meet Your Mammoth

The first day I was in second grade, I came to school and noticed that there was a new, very pretty girl in the class—someone who hadn’t been there the previous two years. Her name was Alana and within an hour, she was everything to me.

Zeromalist – Zero is more | Jonathan Verrecchia

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 21:06:25 +0000

Zeromalist – Zero is more | Jonathan Verrecchia

Zeromalist – Zero is more

This manifesto documents my minimalism and simple living guidelines.

Embracing minimalism on different aspects of your life has plenty of benefits, like peace of mind, knowing where things are, and being low-maintenance in general. By pushing for minimalism all the way to actually reaching zero, you unlock features. These can be significant (like letting you rent your apartment on Airbnb) or minor (like not having to check-in any luggage at the airport).

How to use 1 on 1 meetings to drive performance & prevent turnover

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 20:50:27 +0000

How to use 1 on 1 meetings to drive performance & prevent turnover

“I need to give my notice. I’ve found another job.”

Susan’s greatest fear had become a reality. Allen, one of her best people, was leaving.

With an overwhelming sinking feeling, she thought to herself, “What do I do now?”

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

There’s no easy answers when you lose a good person. The best thing you can do is prevent it from ever happening.

3 Things I Learned Working for a Micromanager – NewCo Shift

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 20:44:47 +0000

3 Things I Learned Working for a Micromanager – NewCo Shift

Get Shift Done: Management

First off, I hate using the term micromanager***,*** it is so negative. Before deciding to write this post, I read a few articles just to make sure my experience matched the general consensus regarding micromanagement. I certainly do not want to throw this term out without consideration of what it represents. My conclusion is still that unfortunately I did find myself working for a micromanager, and just like the term, it was a negative experience. Given all of that, here are few lessons I was able to gleam from the whole thing…

Home Assistant

Sun, 22 Jan 2017 16:18:20 +0000

https://home-assistant.io/

Home Assistant is an open-source home automation platform running on Python 3. Track and control all devices at home and automate control. Installation in less than a minute.

Hat-tip: Erick Hitter

Sat, 21 Jan 2017 11:33:33 +0000

Checked in at Capitol Hill .

Denver Downtown is lit #womensmarch

Sat, 21 Jan 2017 11:33:30 +0000

Denver Downtown is lit #womensmarch

#womensmarch

Posted on Instagram 11:33 am, January 21, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_me07140c36931067d28f13b98100cebad = { positions : { 560 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7392’, ‘-104.984’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_me07140c36931067d28f13b98100cebad’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_me07140c36931067d28f13b98100cebad.positions ) { gmap_me07140c36931067d28f13b98100cebad.bounds.extend( gmap_me07140c36931067d28f13b98100cebad.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_me07140c36931067d28f13b98100cebad.positions ) { gmap_me07140c36931067d28f13b98100cebad.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_me07140c36931067d28f13b98100cebad.map, position : gmap_me07140c36931067d28f13b98100cebad.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_me07140c36931067d28f13b98100cebad.map.setCenter( gmap_me07140c36931067d28f13b98100cebad.positions[560] ); });

Fri, 20 Jan 2017 22:13:35 +0000

Checked in at 10barrel brewing .

Amazon Echo (Alexa) vs Google Home (Assistant)

Mon, 16 Jan 2017 13:42:05 +0000

I have both of these devices at home, and have had them each for a few months (at least now). I got the Amazon Echo first, so have had it for a lot longer. I grabbed a Google Home because they were on sale and I wanted to compare the 2 systems. Here’s an outline of my experience thus far.

Amazon Echo/Alexa

Far superior audio quality. The speaker blows the Google Home away.
Microphones/initial detection seem to be better, so you can yell from another room, from around a corner, etc, and Alexa will respond.
Earlier to the game with a developer program , so there are a lot of “skills” available , although a lot (most?) of them are pretty useless trivia type games.
Smart Home integration is much better so far. Includes an “internal” concept of devices, so you can create groups of devices natively within the Alexa app, and use them in commands, even if they’re different device types. For example I can group a LIFX light bulb, and a light that’s controlled through Wink , and have it all controlled as a single group via Alexa.
Wink hub integration is nice, and I centralize as much as possible through there.
Developing for Alexa is kind of cool. I built a few test skills using Lambda hosting, and was able to interact with Car2Go and WordPress.com pretty easily.
Radio integration (via TuneIn ) is pretty nice, and being able to just “play triple j radio” (Australian station ) is awesome.
I use Spotify for all my music, and it gets a little tedious having to say “on Spotify” for everything (because Alexa will default to Amazon Prime music otherwise).
It feels like total magic to walk into my house with music streaming from Spotify to headphones (via my phone), and then say “Alexa, play from Spotify” and it’ll just take over mid-track and keep playing.

Google Home/Assistant

Linking it up with a Chromecast allows for some really nice integrations.
No Wink integration yet leaves me pretty sad. It means that basically none of the home automation stuff that I have is accessible directly through the Home. I have to set things up as a shortcut in Wink, then as an IFTTT trigger against that shortcut. Pretty annoying.
I turned to IFTTT pretty quickly to do any of the interesting home automation stuff I wanted to play with, because of the lack of Wink integration. It works reasonably well, but is a little slower than I’d like since it has to get to Google, IFTTT, then (in my case), Wink, and finally control something in my house.
Integrations are only available for Nest (thermostat only), Philips Hue and SmartThings on the home automation front.
I like the lights/interaction with the Google Home a bit more. The colored dots/animations feel “friendlier”.
The touch-sensitive top of the Home is a nice addition. I have mine on my desk and find myself just tapping it quickly to pause, and sometimes using the spiral/swipe to adjust volume (although that’s a kind of awkward interaction).
I haven’t built anything on it yet, but Google’s API.ai looks really interesting, and provides a pretty nice interface (and learning system) compared to having to write/generate a ton of utterances with Alexa.
I don’t find the microphones/initial detection particularly good. I prefer to say “Hey Google” than “OK Google”, but either way I often find myself repeating it a few times to “get its attention”, and I also seem to see more “false-triggers” on the Google Home than I do on the Echo.
The app prompts me to download separate apps, which I guess provide some level of integration? I tried downloading the TuneIn one, but couldn’t play JJJ radio because it “could not be found”.
Setting Spotify as my default music source is nice, so now if I just ask for a track/artist, it always uses Spotify. I do find that often the first attempt to play music from Spotify doesn’t work though. Assistant will say “ok, playing from Spotify…” then just go quiet. If I repeat myself, it’ll work the next time. I have a feeling it’s related to the way Spotify handles multiple devices on the same account though, which seems to be a little bit funky with the Google Home in particular.
Google seems generally better at answering “random” questions, and seems to come up with something for a lot more queries than Alexa.
The set up process for the Home + Chromecast was a bit nicer than for the Echo.

h/t to Luca’s post that inspired me to write up my own experiences.

Sun, 15 Jan 2017 20:17:17 -0700

Checked in at Schebens Manor .

39.7558119-104.9680914

Sun, 15 Jan 2017 16:05:46 +0000

Checked in at Costco .

Sun, 15 Jan 2017 13:04:37 +0000

Yesterday’s project. #garage #shelving #woodwork #storage

Posted on Instagram 1:04 pm, January 15, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m2b9f0ce5b804e6d91de06e2180842c44 = { positions : { 87 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m2b9f0ce5b804e6d91de06e2180842c44’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m2b9f0ce5b804e6d91de06e2180842c44.positions ) { gmap_m2b9f0ce5b804e6d91de06e2180842c44.bounds.extend( gmap_m2b9f0ce5b804e6d91de06e2180842c44.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m2b9f0ce5b804e6d91de06e2180842c44.positions ) { gmap_m2b9f0ce5b804e6d91de06e2180842c44.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m2b9f0ce5b804e6d91de06e2180842c44.map, position : gmap_m2b9f0ce5b804e6d91de06e2180842c44.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m2b9f0ce5b804e6d91de06e2180842c44.map.setCenter( gmap_m2b9f0ce5b804e6d91de06e2180842c44.positions[87] ); });

Sun, 15 Jan 2017 12:48:41 +0000

Checked in at Colorado .

Snowshoeing. Blazing trails. #snow #trees #winter #colorado

Sun, 15 Jan 2017 12:48:34 +0000

Snowshoeing. Blazing trails. #snow #trees #winter #colorado

Posted on Instagram 12:48 pm, January 15, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_m20952802e6711907d186d8d79948f4eb = { positions : { 279 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.5815’, ‘-105.868’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_m20952802e6711907d186d8d79948f4eb’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_m20952802e6711907d186d8d79948f4eb.positions ) { gmap_m20952802e6711907d186d8d79948f4eb.bounds.extend( gmap_m20952802e6711907d186d8d79948f4eb.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_m20952802e6711907d186d8d79948f4eb.positions ) { gmap_m20952802e6711907d186d8d79948f4eb.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_m20952802e6711907d186d8d79948f4eb.map, position : gmap_m20952802e6711907d186d8d79948f4eb.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_m20952802e6711907d186d8d79948f4eb.map.setCenter( gmap_m20952802e6711907d186d8d79948f4eb.positions[279] ); });

Sun, 15 Jan 2017 12:39:55 +0000

Checked in at Snake River Village .

J.M. Fortier and the Rise of the High-Profit Micro Farm – Modern Farmer

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 22:58:04 -0600

J.M. Fortier and the Rise of the High-Profit Micro Farm – Modern Farmer

It’s a warmer-than-average December day in Selmer, Tennessee. A diverse group of farmers, from teen-aged to late fifties, are all waiting around patiently, mingling and sipping coffee. Everyone has a name tag with his or her home state on it, and the range is wide: Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky.

Ray Tyler, owner of Selmer’s Rosecreek Farms and coordinator of the event later says that as many as eighty farmers from more than a dozen states attended this sold-out demo—came there, an hour from anything, to hear Jean-Martin Fortier talk about what he calls “six-figure farming.”

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 13:21:55 -0700

Checked in at Bocaza .

#burritofriday with a side of work

39.7430279-104.9661147

Mon, 09 Jan 2017 08:09:43 -0700

Checked in at Emick’s Auto Service .

Didn’t really want to be back here yet…

39.739753-104.91843

Social Importer Upgrade

Sun, 08 Jan 2017 22:02:20 +0000

Today I pushed some updates to:

These updates make it so that the Twitter, Foursquare and Instagram importers are now dynamically identifying and indexing People and Places, and marking them with a taxonomy within WordPress. I’ve also added a new system for “reprocessing” old posts which Keyring imported, so that you can go back and perform some function on those posts without having to import them again. You’ll find reprocessing tools under Tools > Import > Reprocess Keyring Data.

The Art of the Awkward 1:1

Sun, 08 Jan 2017 09:53:44 -0700

The Art of the Awkward 1:1

You probably do a lot of one-on-one meetings at work: with your manager, teammates, folks from other teams. Unfortunately, most people totally waste their 1:1 time. The problem: the 1:1s aren’t awkward enough*. Here’s how to make them better.*

The 1:1 is a sacred space. It’s intimate. It’s dedicated to just you and the other person. It’s super high bandwidth for complex and uncertain content, especially emotions, hopes, and fears. It’s also the most inefficient way you can devise to disseminate non-controversial info.

Amaranths: Ancient and Modern (National Gardening Association)

Sun, 08 Jan 2017 11:17:49 +0000

https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/345/

Sat, 07 Jan 2017 12:01:59 +0000

Checked in at North Denver .

Brunchin with @akires

Sat, 07 Jan 2017 12:01:57 +0000

Brunchin with @akires

Posted on Instagram 12:01 pm, January 7, 2017 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mde3d160889ac85f0fbbb3f8aff431400 = { positions : { 805 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.75949’, ‘-104.98465’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mde3d160889ac85f0fbbb3f8aff431400’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mde3d160889ac85f0fbbb3f8aff431400.positions ) { gmap_mde3d160889ac85f0fbbb3f8aff431400.bounds.extend( gmap_mde3d160889ac85f0fbbb3f8aff431400.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mde3d160889ac85f0fbbb3f8aff431400.positions ) { gmap_mde3d160889ac85f0fbbb3f8aff431400.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mde3d160889ac85f0fbbb3f8aff431400.map, position : gmap_mde3d160889ac85f0fbbb3f8aff431400.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mde3d160889ac85f0fbbb3f8aff431400.map.setCenter( gmap_mde3d160889ac85f0fbbb3f8aff431400.positions[805] ); });

Sat, 07 Jan 2017 11:50:45 +0000

Checked in at The Denver Central Market .

Snowy, but sunny and beautiful walk to get here — with erika

About predictability and clearly defining team goals

Mon, 02 Jan 2017 20:09:52 +0000

About predictability and clearly defining team goals

It’s an Engineering Manager responsibility to guarantee the team health measured in terms of qualities such as performance, commitment, accountability and predictability (among lot of others). However this can’t be forced by the Manager. It’s actually the team effort and its proper channelling the decisive factors for achieving these goals. Because these are goals, aren’t these?

Well, that’s an interesting first discussion. What is the real value of having these qualities accomplished? Can the company sell “predictability” to its customers? Is predictability a new application feature?

The Sanctity of Your Calendar – The Year of the Looking Glass

Mon, 02 Jan 2017 19:57:59 +0000

The Sanctity of Your Calendar – The Year of the Looking Glass

Photo by Leticia Chamorro

The Sanctity of Your Calendar

I am currently on parental leave, so these days I wake up to the freedom of an empty calendar that’s ready to be filled with toddler train rides, visits to the pumpkin patch, and round after round of couch-snuggling. As this stretch of time at home with my family is so very limited, I am determined to cherish, to the very best of my abilities, the simple pleasure of every little moment.

On Digital Minimalism – Study Hacks – Cal Newport

Mon, 02 Jan 2017 19:37:13 +0000

On Digital Minimalism – Study Hacks – Cal Newport

On Digital Minimalism

December 18th, 2016 · 47 comments

The Curmudgeonly Optimist

People are sometimes confused about my personal relationship with digital communication technologies.

On the one hand, I’m a computer scientist who studies and improves these tools. As you might therefore expect, I’m incredibly optimistic about the role of computing and networks in our future.

On the other hand, as a writer I’m often pointing out my dissatisfaction with certain developments of the Internet Era. I’m critical, for example, of our culture’s increasingly Orwellian allegiance to social media and am indifferent to my smartphone.

I’m Jason Fried, CEO of Basecamp, and This Is How I Work

Mon, 02 Jan 2017 18:44:09 +0000

I’m Jason Fried, CEO of Basecamp, and This Is How I Work

Basecamp is a web-based project management tool, and like so many other software tools and startups before it, the creators of Basecamp made it for themselves. They just needed a decent way to manage projects and collaborations. It just happens that other people want to use it to.

The company now known as Basecamp was founded 17 years ago by Jason Fried, Carlos Segura, and Ernest Kim. Originally called 37signals and involved with various types of web design and development—including products like Campfire as well as what became Ruby on Rails —they eventually shifted their focus to their namesake product, Basecamp.

Recipe: Leonardo Vignoli’s Cacio e Pepe – Gear Patrol

Mon, 02 Jan 2017 15:35:11 +0000

Italy’s Version of Macaroni and Cheese Is Better, Faster and Easier

Source: Recipe: Leonardo Vignoli’s Cacio e Pepe – Gear Patrol

Happy New Year!

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 02:05:53 +0000

http://dentedreality.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/15821743_1095216430607062_922794232014438400_n.mp4

Happy New Year!

People & Places

Sat, 31 Dec 2016 20:28:41 +0000

Over the years, I’ve been working on a system to aggregate data that I publish to other social networks/sites back into my control, on my own WordPress install. Thus far, that has resulted in the creation of Keyring (plugin) to provide an abstracted interface to all of the web services I’m interested in, Keyring Social Importers (plugin) to do the basics of importing the data from different places, and Homeroom (theme) to display it all. Today, I’ve been working on a system that will detect people who are mentioned in an interaction, and link them across posts using a custom taxonomy. It does the same for physical locations, so I’ve called it People & Places .

Sat, 31 Dec 2016 09:48:49 +0000

Checked in at Joyeria El Morro .

Getting aligned

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 19:54:22 +0000

Finally opening the @stranahans #snowflake #crestonepeak. Sweeter, smoother and maybe even tastier than the original! Outstanding.

#crestonepeak
#Snowflake

Posted on Instagram 7:54 pm, December 30, 2016

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 12:11:17 -0700

Checked in at REI .

39.755622-105.009853

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 10:58:47 -0700

Checked in at Root Down .

First time here — with erika

39.7630613-105.0056764

Mass production pizza.

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 15:54:13 +0000

http://dentedreality.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/15819813_1218393051588528_7932294641360044032_n.mp4

Mass production pizza.

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_me2694524a39df5c45074447e4f573d4c = { positions : { 671 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.78939’, ‘-105.0826699’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_me2694524a39df5c45074447e4f573d4c’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_me2694524a39df5c45074447e4f573d4c.positions ) { gmap_me2694524a39df5c45074447e4f573d4c.bounds.extend( gmap_me2694524a39df5c45074447e4f573d4c.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_me2694524a39df5c45074447e4f573d4c.positions ) { gmap_me2694524a39df5c45074447e4f573d4c.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_me2694524a39df5c45074447e4f573d4c.map, position : gmap_me2694524a39df5c45074447e4f573d4c.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_me2694524a39df5c45074447e4f573d4c.map.setCenter( gmap_me2694524a39df5c45074447e4f573d4c.positions[671] ); });

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 15:07:04 +0000

Checked in at Costco .

They sell the Dash here now?! — with erika

Snow-shoeing in Breckenridge, CO

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 10:12:31 +0000

Yesterday I went up to Breck with Erika . She went snowboarding, and I tried out my new MSR snowshoes . I started out at the Breck Nordic Center , and hiked for maybe 3 miles or so, before heading back to Peak 8 to meet up for bloody marys and fries. It was a gorgeous day, and snowshoeing was fun. I ran into a few people who said there were moose around, but I didn’t see them unfortunately. Being out there made me really curious about what it’d be like to do with a full pack on, and be going backpacking in full winter. That’s still on my list of things to try out. Here are some pics from the trails I took (Willow, Engleman, Peaks Trail).

Thu, 29 Dec 2016 16:31:59 -0600

Checked in at Schebens Manor .

Aaaaand back home again.

39.7558119-104.9680914

Object-Oriented UX

Mon, 26 Dec 2016 00:01:54 -0700

Object-Oriented UX

Issue № 431

Illustration by

Sue Lockwood

Object-Oriented UX

In June 2012, while working at CNN.com , I was tasked with designing the user experience of election night. The next five months of my life would be dedicated to that single night—but success to me had nothing to do with who won. I was concerned with findability, data visualization, a shape-shifting canvas, and how the hell mouse-over flyouts were going to work on an iPhone. For the first time in history, CNN.com was releasing a responsive experience. And, for the first time in history, I was going to design a responsive experience.

@akires had outdone herself this time. #primerib

Sat, 24 Dec 2016 22:52:10 +0000

http://dentedreality.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/15720345_204552430004899_4613925195332190208_n.mp4

@akires had outdone herself this time. #primerib

Sat, 24 Dec 2016 09:20:57 +0000

Fancy drinks. #cocktail

#cocktail

Posted on Instagram 9:20 am, December 24, 2016 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mbbfd1799e7bdd1216490d39b476cdb1f = { positions : { 895 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7558597’, ‘-105.2223768’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mbbfd1799e7bdd1216490d39b476cdb1f’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mbbfd1799e7bdd1216490d39b476cdb1f.positions ) { gmap_mbbfd1799e7bdd1216490d39b476cdb1f.bounds.extend( gmap_mbbfd1799e7bdd1216490d39b476cdb1f.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mbbfd1799e7bdd1216490d39b476cdb1f.positions ) { gmap_mbbfd1799e7bdd1216490d39b476cdb1f.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mbbfd1799e7bdd1216490d39b476cdb1f.map, position : gmap_mbbfd1799e7bdd1216490d39b476cdb1f.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mbbfd1799e7bdd1216490d39b476cdb1f.map.setCenter( gmap_mbbfd1799e7bdd1216490d39b476cdb1f.positions[895] ); });

Fri, 23 Dec 2016 19:18:30 +0000

Checked in at Golden Moon Speakeasy .

Holiday drinks — with erika

A Clean Slate

Tue, 20 Dec 2016 20:08:53 -0600

I’m pretty excited to be setting up a brand new website here on my brand new domain, beau.blog. As part of being the company managing the new .blog domain name, we were able to reserve a single domain each, and I grabbed my own name, which I think is pretty darned neat.

My plan is to move my personal blogging over here to beau.blog, and keep Dented Reality as something of a lifestream/aggregation tool. I’ll probably experiment with some really non-traditional-blog display of the data over there, and keep this one pretty “bloggy”.

Speed as a Habit – First Round Review

Tue, 20 Dec 2016 19:59:37 -0600

Speed as a Habit – First Round Review

This article is by Dave Girouard , CEO of personal finance startup Upstart , and former President of Google Enterprise Apps. He’s well known for building Google’s enterprise apps division into a $1B+ global business. Here he shares his tips for making speed fundamental to your company.

I’ve long believed that speed is the ultimate weapon in business. All else being equal, the fastest company in any market will win. Speed is a defining characteristic — if not the defining characteristic — of the leader in virtually every industry you look at.

Mon, 19 Dec 2016 18:54:48 +0000

Checked in at Epic Brewing Denver .

Mon, 19 Dec 2016 18:37:00 +0000

Actually, that’s “math”.

Posted on Instagram 6:37 pm, December 19, 2016

Value Based Pricing 101: The Necessities and Your Pricing Strategy

Sun, 18 Dec 2016 23:30:47 +0000

Value Based Pricing 101: The Necessities and Your Pricing Strategy

Please note: This post is the third post in a five part series on the main pricing methodologies, highlighting the pros and cons of each. Check out the first post on cost plus pricing and second post on competitor based pricing .

We’re beginning every one of these posts with the same statement: “Pricing is the most important aspect of your business.” No other lever has a higher impact on improving profits. We elaborated on this assertion in a previous pricing strategy post, but realize that a 1% improvement in price optimization results in an average boost of 11.1% in profits. That’s no small change.

How to simplify complex decisions by cleaving the facts

Sun, 18 Dec 2016 10:59:28 -0700

How to simplify complex decisions by cleaving the facts

We all face complex business decisions for which there is no one, correct answer, and yet a strong and occasionally permanent decision is required of us.

Sometimes the puzzle is created by fundamental uncertainty inherent in the decision. Examples: how a market will evolve, what competitors are investing in, whether new marketing campaigns will be successful, or how an important new hire will perform.

Working on an iPad

Sun, 18 Dec 2016 15:28:44 +0000

I recently picked up an iPad Pro (9.7″), along with the Apple Pencil and a Logitech keyboard/case . I’m trying the package out as an alternate work configuration, and so far am quite enjoying it. It’s also good to force me to test more of our software from a mobile perspective.

The screen on the iPad Pro is gorgeous, so it’s pretty similar to using a MacBook Pro. Being completely touch-based makes it feel much more interactive and “engaging”, which is weird. I also find myself using the Apple Pencil quite often, just because it’s so precise, and is surprisingly pleasant to use for interacting with even very finger-touch optimized UIs. I’ve been doing some diagraming and “visual” type work lately as well, so it’s refreshing to be able to do that digitally and feel like it’s not a huge compromise over just doing it with paper/pencil/post-its.

Sat, 17 Dec 2016 15:52:51 -0600

Checked in at SuperTarget .

39.7083965-104.9377931

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 18:32:19 -0600

Checked in at Farm House at Breckenridge Brewery .

39.5936259-105.0249187

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 18:09:19 -0600

Checked in at Breckenridge Brewery .

#automattic holiday party — with Kelly

39.593758-105.02357

Sun, 11 Dec 2016 19:17:24 -0700

Getting lit. #christmastree #christmas

#christmas
#christmastree

Posted on Instagram 7:17 pm, December 11, 2016

Sat, 10 Dec 2016 16:57:22 -0700

Checked in at Switchback Smokehouse .

Smoked brisket. Tasted close to pastrami. #bbq #smoked #meat

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Sat, 10 Dec 2016 16:57:21 -0700

Smoked brisket. Tasted close to pastrami. #bbq #smoked #meat

39.6564791-105.2978815

Posted on Instagram 4:57 pm, December 10, 2016

Sat, 10 Dec 2016 13:53:38 -0700

Checked in at Costco .

39.7897752-105.0826406

Crisp’s Blog » Making sense of MVP (Minimum Viable Product) – and why I prefer Earliest Testable/Usable/Lovable

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 06:25:38 +0000

Crisp’s Blog » Making sense of MVP (Minimum Viable Product) – and why I prefer Earliest Testable/Usable/Lovable

A couple of years ago I drew this picture and started using it in various presentations about agile and lean development:

Since then the drawing has gone viral! Shows up all over the place, in articles and presentations, even in a book (Jeff Patton’s “User Story Mapping ” – an excellent read by the way). Many tell me the drawing really captures the essence of iterative & incremental development, lean startup, MVP (minimum viable product), and what not. However, some misinterpret it, which is quite natural when you take a picture out of it’s original context. Some criticize it for oversimplifying things, which is true. The picture is a metaphor. It is not about actual car development, it is about product development in general, using a car as a metaphor.

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 05:13:15 +0000

Checked in at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) .

PHL:DEN. Headed home!

Fri, 02 Dec 2016 08:17:47 -0700

Checked in at WordCamp US 2016 .

Come say hi at the @jetpack booth #wcus!

39.955149-75.162453

Fri, 02 Dec 2016 06:35:11 -0700

Checked in at HubBub Coffee .

Caffeine me #wcus

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Fri, 02 Dec 2016 06:09:28 -0700

Checked in at Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel .

#wcus begins

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Mon, 28 Nov 2016 12:04:48 -0700

Checked in at Staples .

#officesupplies

39.950861-75.165866

Mon, 28 Nov 2016 10:14:26 -0700

Checked in at National Mechanics .

Lunch with #jetpack #vaultpress crew.

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Mon, 28 Nov 2016 06:28:44 -0700

Checked in at Sheraton Philadelphia Society Hill Hotel .

The real work begins.

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Sun, 27 Nov 2016 07:03:36 -0700

Checked in at Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing .

One and done

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Sat, 26 Nov 2016 20:57:01 +0000

Checked in at Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing .

More 14ers – Grays and Torreys Peaks, Colorado

Sat, 26 Nov 2016 20:49:31 +0000

A week after our first 14er , we decided that we wanted to not only hit another one, but do a combo, and go for 2 in one day. Grays and Torreys are in the Front Range, and pretty accessible as long as you’ve got a high-clearance (preferably 4WD) vehicle, which luckily, we now do!

We headed up there super early again, this time just Erika and I. It turned out that we really needed the truck, because the road was super rutted out, with big deep holes in it, and a small creek crossing at one point. If you couldn’t make it up that road, it’d add a few miles to your trip. We picked up a few folks on the way up who had already parked their 2WD and were walking the rest of the way. Once at the trailhead, we had a quick bathroom break and then got moving as quickly as we could.

Sat, 26 Nov 2016 20:00:51 +0000

Checked in at Center City East .

This escalated quickly. #bbq #brisket #macncheese #sweetpotatofries

Sat, 26 Nov 2016 18:20:15 +0000

Checked in at 30th Street Station (ZFV) .

Sat, 26 Nov 2016 15:55:14 +0000

Checked in at Union Station .

Off to PHL

Tue, 22 Nov 2016 15:05:56 -0700

Checked in at Le Diplomate .

Fancy dinner. — with erika

38.911237-77.0317395

To the stars. #stars #space #art

Tue, 22 Nov 2016 12:37:25 -0700

https://dentedreality-content.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/14182415/15192397_210204466093374_3897248733070360576_n-1.mp4

To the stars. #stars #space #art

38.8913594-77.0199482 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_md2cbbe32f71092c57565094595b8ff01 = { positions : { 717 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘38.891359415’, ‘-77.019948174347’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_md2cbbe32f71092c57565094595b8ff01’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_md2cbbe32f71092c57565094595b8ff01.positions ) { gmap_md2cbbe32f71092c57565094595b8ff01.bounds.extend( gmap_md2cbbe32f71092c57565094595b8ff01.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_md2cbbe32f71092c57565094595b8ff01.positions ) { gmap_md2cbbe32f71092c57565094595b8ff01.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_md2cbbe32f71092c57565094595b8ff01.map, position : gmap_md2cbbe32f71092c57565094595b8ff01.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_md2cbbe32f71092c57565094595b8ff01.map.setCenter( gmap_md2cbbe32f71092c57565094595b8ff01.positions[717] ); });

Tue, 22 Nov 2016 12:26:51 -0700

Checked in at National Museum of the American Indian .

38.8881267-77.0166492

You Don’t Need a Master Plan — You Just Need to Start

Mon, 21 Nov 2016 14:54:00 -0700

You Don’t Need a Master Plan — You Just Need to Start

Startups are overdosing on ambition these days

Everything has to be a billion dollar idea that changes the world or it isn’t worth doing.

These days, even a billion doesn’t seem to be enough :

I’ve probably sat in on eight unicorn presentations [recently], and five of them use the world ‘trillion.’ Now I don’t think I had heard the word trillion in an investor presentation before that day.“

Tobias van Schneider › Is the Ringelmann Effect Holding You Back?

Mon, 21 Nov 2016 13:22:54 +0000

Tobias van Schneider › Is the Ringelmann Effect Holding You Back?

In 1913, a guy named Max Ringelmann noticed something strange about humans. Ringelmann, a French agricultural engineer, took a rope and asked individual people to pull on it.

Then he asked those same people to pull on the rope with a group. He observed that when people pulled with a group, they put in less effort than when pulling on their own.

On 1:1s

Sun, 13 Nov 2016 22:03:49 -0700

On 1:1s

Credit: Flickr / Ivan

Status meetings are the scourge – Signal v. Noise

Sun, 13 Nov 2016 22:16:36 -0600

Status meetings are the scourge – Signal v. Noise

Jason Fried Founder & CEO at Basecamp. Co-author of Getting Real, Remote, and NYT Bestseller REWORK. http://basecamp.com Oct 31

Status meetings are the worst kinds of meetings. Eliminate them and you’ll actually know more, save a pile of money, and regain dozens of hours a month.

A status meeting — sometimes called a stand-up — is a meeting where a bunch of people get together in a room (or virtually via video chat) and speak one at a time. Someone gets the floor, they fill the group in on something that’s going on, then they cede the floor to someone else who does the same thing. One after another, around they go.

Sun, 13 Nov 2016 11:47:36 -0600

Hipster breakfast at home #avocadotoast #avocado #eggs #breakfast #tomatoes #coffee

39.7572-104.967

Posted on Instagram 11:47 am, November 13, 2016 jQuery(document).ready(function(){ var gmap_mfcbd307d2a09c954872ba432b84b96e4 = { positions : { 771 : new google.maps.LatLng( ‘39.7572’, ‘-104.967’ ) }, bounds : new google.maps.LatLngBounds(), // empty for now, we’ll dynamically extend it later map : new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( ‘gmap_mfcbd307d2a09c954872ba432b84b96e4’ ), { mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP, center: new google.maps.LatLng( 0, 0 ), zoom: 16 // Seems to be a good zoom for a single point } ), markers : {}, }; // end of gmap // Extend the bounds of interest based on our positions for ( var m in gmap_mfcbd307d2a09c954872ba432b84b96e4.positions ) { gmap_mfcbd307d2a09c954872ba432b84b96e4.bounds.extend( gmap_mfcbd307d2a09c954872ba432b84b96e4.positions[m] ); } // Render markers for ( var m in gmap_mfcbd307d2a09c954872ba432b84b96e4.positions ) { gmap_mfcbd307d2a09c954872ba432b84b96e4.markers[m] = new google.maps.Marker( { clickable: true, map : gmap_mfcbd307d2a09c954872ba432b84b96e4.map, position : gmap_mfcbd307d2a09c954872ba432b84b96e4.positions[m] } ); } // Redraw map to fit our new marker-based bounds gmap_mfcbd307d2a09c954872ba432b84b96e4.map.setCenter( gmap_mfcbd307d2a09c954872ba432b84b96e4.positions[771] ); });

Sat, 12 Nov 2016 12:34:23 -0700

New RiNo art! #art #streetart

39.75949-104.98465

#art
#streetart

Posted on Instagram 12:34 pm, November 12, 2016

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 14:20:29 -0700

Checked in at Denver Bicycle Cafe .

Also becoming a tradition — with Kelly

39.7431563-104.9703933

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 13:36:20 -0700

Checked in at Illegal Pete’s Colfax .

#burritofriday is becoming a tradition — with Kelly

39.7401902-104.9632877

Sun, 06 Nov 2016 12:12:12 +0000

Checked in at WordCamp Denver .

#wcden day 2. Some great town halls today.

Sat, 05 Nov 2016 22:01:33 +0000

Checked in at Bar Fausto .

Glorious #wcden after after party — with Cami, Sonja

Sat, 05 Nov 2016 20:00:47 +0000

Checked in at Stem Ciders .

#wcden after party!

Sat, 05 Nov 2016 19:36:33 +0000

Checked in at Osaka Ramen .

Sat, 05 Nov 2016 13:01:03 +0000

Checked in at SpringHill Suites Denver Downtown .

#wcden!

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 13:05:34 -0600

Checked in at La Abeja .

#burritofriday with mah a12s! — with Kelly

39.740067-104.980933

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 17:43:11 +0000

Checked in at Schebens Manor .

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 19:34:06 +0000

Checked in at Spangalang Brewery .

(Free!) Jazz and great beer on a Tuesday. — with erika

A Tale of 2 API Platforms – GGV Capital – Medium

Mon, 31 Oct 2016 09:52:20 -0600

A Tale of 2 API Platforms – GGV Capital – Medium

Opening up an API is a big commitment, one that needs to be managed well over time in order to ensure a healthy and thriving ecosystem. If a company is still in the throes of developing a product strategy and business model, it’s worth waiting to offer a highly accessible, external API. It’s better to understand first where you’re going as a company, and then enable a massive network of partnerships to accelerate your product in that direction, with complementary experiences. If your company is thinking about offering a public API, this post is for your consideration. Let’s take a look at Twitter and Slack to illustrate the ways this can play out.

The NYT buying Wirecutter and Sweethome is so much more amazing than you think

Mon, 31 Oct 2016 08:02:52 -0600

The NYT buying Wirecutter and Sweethome is so much more amazing than you think

I was happy to read that the New York Times bought Brian Lam’s Wirecutter and Sweethome sites for $30 million today .

Brian built incredibly useful sites that run on their own combo of trust and earnest nerdiness, offering up a killer utility to readers without asking for money or annoying everyone with advertisements. I use these sites at least once a month when I need to buy something—when I don’t have time or energy to spend an hour or two researching, and instead I just get whatever they say is the best product. I’ve never been disappointed in a purchase. Ever.

Sun, 30 Oct 2016 18:15:16 -0600

I’m pretty lucky to have meals like this cooked for me 😍

Posted on Instagram 6:15 pm, October 30, 2016