Obvious Rules to Live By, for Corporate Sanity
After nearly two decades of corporate experience spanning seed stage startup to Fortune 500, I’ve slowly built a list of rules to live by at work. They’re pretty obvious, but that’s ok – most good ideas are. I’d like to think they help keep work more straightforward, less wasteful, and probably a lot more pleasant.…
TCF: The Origin Story
Over the last few years, as the IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) has been in and out of the news, a few of my friends across the industry have nudged me to put the story behind the TCF down on paper. After eight years, some of the details are a bit hazy to…
Deliverables vs. Outcomes: A Classic Corporate Tragedy
Technology teams often confuse “done” with “delivered,” neglecting impact. Focusing on deliverables over outcomes leads to dysfunction, cynicism, and lower quality products…
On Building Resilience in a Startup
If the word “resilience” makes you groan, much like the words “synergy,” “best-in-class” or “unprecedented times” might, I get it. But, hear me out. Resilience is one of the most underappreciated and important character traits in humans—especially when working at a startup. So what does it mean to be resilient within a startup context? Embrace…
Why should they stay? How having a clear employee value proposition can help you snag top talent
The media stories speak for themselves. Just like today’s real estate market, it’s an employee’s job market. Companies are hemorrhaging talent and struggling to rehire. As of last month, there were 8.4 million unemployed individuals in the U.S. despite 10 million job openings. Job-seekers are able to be more selective and can negotiate terms that work best…
The 5W’s of Software Products
Over the last decade of building software products, I’ve noticed a pattern: product initiatives are more likely to fail if they don’t have the right roles in play. Why, What, How, When, and Who: Each of these five questions needs a specific name assigned to it. Job title and management lines may not matter, as…
Meetings and Coronavirus-induced WFH
Before COVID-19, many executives easily dismissed the benefits of a remote work culture, because “in person just works better.” Now that we’re over half a year into this forced experiment, it’s time to recognize an anti-pattern: do not attempt to directly replace in-person interactions with video calls. Instead: embrace the cultural changes needed to make…
Wil.README
Over the last few years years, I’ve found myself repeating roughly the same spiel every time I onboard a new direct report. When I ran across the concept of a Manager README, it seemed like a good and obvious idea to spend some time writing one down. Some Things About Me My Role Regardless of…