This guide should help you understand my quirks, preferences, and how we can do great work together.
When I'm At My Best
I thrive in remote environments where I can focus and get stuff done. That said, I love collaborating with people, but I prefer having a purpose when we get together in the same room. I'm all about creating real value, solving problems, and making things that matter.
I believe in work-life integration more than work-life balance. Balance implies they're opposing forces, which doesn't fit my style. You might find me working from the ski club in the summer or thinking through problems while on the bike. Even when I'm away from work, challenges and solutions are churning in the back of my mind.
That said, I deeply believe in taking real time away. It's crucial for creativity and perspective. I often find the best solutions when I step away.
My Natural Rhythm
- Morning person (but generally busy with life until about 9:30 AM)
- Best thinking happens before the afternoon slump kicks in
- Can focus intensely for up to 4 hours (then my brain needs a reset)
- Generally around until 7 PM, might pop up later if inspiration strikes
- Please, no early Monday meetings or late Friday afternoon tough guy sufferfests
How to Reach Me (In Order of Preference)
- Slack: My go-to for most things. I'll get back to you within a couple hours at most.
- Email: Perfect for the meaty stuff that needs detail. I'll respond within 24 hours.
- Text: Need me quicker? Text works (I'll reply within the hour).
- Zoom: When we need to see faces and hash things out (but let's schedule it if we can).
- Phone: Reserved for "help, the building's on fire" moments.
Pro tip: I love bullet points. Like, I really love them. Long essays? Not so much.
How I Like to Work Together
Yes, Please
- Small, focused groups tackling specific problems
- Taking initiative and running with things
- Regular updates (but skip the formal status reports)
- Direct communication across teams
- Finding solutions instead of dwelling on problems
- Injecting humor whenever possible
- Outcomes and results over hours spent and effort shown
- Leaning into AI tooling to work smarter and faster
Rather Not
- Debating endlessly when confronted with ambiguity (let's just try it and learn)
- Meetings that could've been emails
- Drowning in process (not all process is bad, but too much suffocates)
- Too many cooks in the kitchen
- Office politics (we have too much in the world already)
- "Hard work theater" (I value output over input)
A Word on AI
AI is fundamentally changing how we work. We're well past the turning point. I expect everyone to be leaning in, experimenting, and finding ways to use AI to amplify what they do. This isn't about replacing people, it's about unlocking capabilities that weren't possible before. If you're not curious about how AI can make your work better, we should talk about that.
This is especially true for the traditional product/engineering/design triad. Those boundaries are blurring fast. AI is giving designers the ability to prototype functionally, engineers the ability to think more like product managers, and product people the ability to go deeper technically. I find that exciting, not threatening. Lean into the overlap.
Trust & Values
I'm big on transparency and trust. If you don't understand something, just say so. I'd rather hear "I have no idea what you're talking about" than find out later you nodded along but were lost.
About Commitments & Deadlines: Because I hate letting people down, I'm very careful about what I commit to. It's not about avoiding commitments; it's about ensuring I can follow through on what I promise. If I commit to something, you can count on it getting done. If I push back on a deadline, it generally means I need more confidence in what we're striving for.
What Impresses Me
People who:
- Jump in and solve problems
- Keep learning and stay curious
- Get stuff done without drama
- Work well with others without playing politics
- Care about the customer (internal or external)
What Kills Trust
Being a hypocrite, going behind backs, playing politics, being overly self centered or pretending to know things you don't. Also not a fan of chronic complainers or people who love to grandstand.
Feedback Style
Getting Feedback: I prefer the band-aid approach — rip it off quickly. Tell me straight up when I mess up, but keep it fact-based. Don't press the point by getting overly emotional or expressive. I appreciate recognition but get uncomfortable with over-the-top praise. I'll probably deflect it. That's just me.
Giving Feedback: I aim for the sweet spot between direct and supportive. I won't let issues fester, but I also won't hammer you with criticism. Stay curious and open — defensiveness makes it harder for both of us to learn.
Navigating Conflict with Me
Conflicts happen. That's not the end of the world. In fact it's a good thing and often will get us to a better place if we navigate it productively. Tell me directly, be honest that it's a point of contention, work with me to understand your rationale. I still might disagree but we'll have a much better foundation to disagree and commit if we at least understand each other.
If I'm not getting you what you need, please just tell me. My trust erodes when you engage my manager before engaging me.
If you disagree with a product decision or prioritization, let's talk as soon as possible. I don't pretend to have all the answers. Prioritization in any world is equal parts art and science.
My Superpowers & Kryptonite
What I Bring to the Table
- Creative problem-solving is my jam
- Deep empathy for customer needs
- Quick to understand what makes people tick
- Connecting the dots across product, design, engineering, ops, partnerships, and technology to see the bigger system
- Action-oriented (sometimes to a fault)
Where I Need Support
- I move fast and might miss details
- Need downtime to recharge (I'm an introvert trying to play an extrovert on tv)
- Prefer time to process vs. on-the-spot ideating (despite my action orientation)
- Can get too wrapped up in caring about people's opinions
What People Often Misunderstand
- If I need alone time, it's not you. It's me recharging.
- My quick decisions come from wanting to learn and iterate, not from being careless.
- When I'm quiet in meetings, I'm processing, not checking out.
- I care deeply about people while trying to make objective decisions.
- My deep questioning of new ideas often reads as pushback or negativity. It's not. It's me engaging and chewing on it. If I don't ask probing questions… that's when you should start to worry.
The Human Behind the Work
When I'm not solving problems and helping to build amazing software products, you'll find me:
- Snow skiing on any hill that will hold snow in the winter
- Getting dragged around slalom waterski courses in the summer
- Mountain biking (or really any kind of cycling but I especially like the dirt)
- Generally being happier outside than in
- Hanging at my happy place (Squam Lake, NH)
- Loving on any dog I meet
- Trying to keep up with two young adult daughters
- Making sure I leave something for my wife of 20+ years
This manual is my attempt to help us work better together. It's not set in stone — I'm always learning and evolving. Questions? Just ask.