A guide to working well with me. Inspired by Jason Liu.
This is a short guide to how I operate and how we can work well together. Consider it a set of default assumptions to help you navigate working with me. If anything feels off or doesnāt work for you, letās talk.
I donāt like exercising power. Iāll rarely invoke authority. I prefer to convince through reason. When I push strongly, itās usually because I believe the cost of inaction is high.
I care about clarity and momentum. I try to help maintain clear priorities, reduce friction, and ship valuable work regularly.
I believe in autonomy and learning. Youāll have room to explore your own ideas. Sometimes Iāll let you repeat paths Iāve taken if I think thereās value in learning them firsthand. If thereās a rabbit hole, Iāll warn you about it. I wonāt stop you from exploring it, but Iāll value it even more if you take the warning seriously and learn from my experience before going down that path. New missteps are encouraged. Repeated ones are annoying ā Iāll call them out.
I value thoughtfulness. I appreciate intentionality ā in code, in communication, and in how we spend time. Fast is good, but deliberate is better.
Own your craft. Whether youāre junior or senior, I expect you to take pride in your work and keep learning. Stay sharp. Competency and curiosity are baseline.
Ship things that matter. Shipping things matters. You donāt need to wait for perfection. Shipping regularly builds trust, generates feedback, and accelerates learning. I care that we ship stuff out to our customers and collaborators. And I care that what we ship matters.
Master micro-efficiencies. Keyboard shortcuts. Smart tooling. Command-line magic. These things compound. They make you faster and earn you respect.
Cultivate your network. Find a few people inside or outside your team whose feedback you trust and whose knowledge you can draw from. Learning doesnāt have to be top-down.
Interview externally once a year. Itās a healthy habit. For everyone, it helps keep your interviewing muscle strong and gives you a clearer view of the industry. If youāre working directly with me and Iām your line manager, feel free to share ā it gives me a sense of your ambitions. I treat it as data, not disloyalty.
I think in outlines. Structure helps me process faster. Clearly articulated thoughts matter most. If youāre prepping for a meeting with me, consider sending your thoughts written down ahead-of-time. That helps me help you.
I like efficiency, but not at the cost of care. I love fast loops and tight cycles. I also value stepping back to think through edge cases, consequences, and tradeoffs.
I admire useful craft. If you show me a better way to do something (especially something repeatable), Iāll probably adopt it ā and remember that you taught me.
Come prepared. If you're looking for guidance or mentorship, I deeply appreciate when you've thought through your questions in advance. Preparation signals intentionality and helps us make the most of our time together.
Aim for value. I want our conversation to be worth your while. Bring your real challenges, uncertainties, or opportunities. Iāll do my best to offer insight ā or help you discover it.
Take what inspires. Not everything I say will apply directly to your situation. Thatās okay. I often speak from experience, and sometimes itās just meant to spark ideas. Inspiration matters. The more sources you draw from, the more creative your thinking can become.
Use AI where it helps you move faster or think better. You donāt need permission. AI can be an extension of your brain ā a fast, tireless assistant. Use it well.
AI-generated meeting prep is great. If AI helps you organize your thoughts and clearly articulate what you're thinking ā especially for meetings or check-ins ā go for it. I welcome written-down thoughts ahead of time, even if they're transcribed or structured with AI. If that makes you more effective, Iām all for it.
Letās build something great together :)