Focus#

My focus will always be the core business. I thrive on change but will always work on bringing order to the chaos. I return to first principles and stay grounded in business realities. However, my bias is product: creating something that customers love and want to come back for.

Optimal conditions#

Give me a target or a problem and I will be on it. I like clarity, momentum and getting things moving. I love collaborating with experts and customers to ensure we’re doing the right thing. I work closely with design to get the best out of software. I thrive in a positive environment and will go above and beyond in such a place. While I can (and have) worked in negative environments, you’ll get less bang for your buck. I work hard to create the same environment for my team and the company. I care deeply about how teams are set up for success, not just what they ship. Clear ownership, good management and strong feedback loops make a huge difference. I require honest, real feedback while valuing empathy and tact. I know I don’t know everything and value input and expertise.

Approachability#

With many years of experience, I come with strong opinions but value learning new things every day. I’m always open to being challenged and taught something new. I make fun of myself to remain approachable and invite collaboration. This is my way of creating high-performing teams. However it’s important to me to be able to shift tone as there are times when we have to buckle down and work (although a good dad joke can work wonders with the right timing).

Leading teams#

I work hard to embrace people’s strengths but I’ll also seek out lost causes and weed out toxicity to prevent wasted effort on either side. I lead from the front and will get hands-on when needed to unblock teams, raise standards and build momentum all while making sure I don’t become the bottle neck for teams or a disrupter their velocity. Sometimes I teach new languages or concepts as I get excited about new things as much as others. The best teams are the teams who love solving problems, so I foster curiosity and everyone’s inner nerd. I create a transparent environment and give people the option to know more if they so choose. The best productivity is created in curious and psychologically safe places.

Work ethic#

• I believe in transparency by default.
• I approach problems as a puzzle to be solved and really enjoy out-of-the-box thinking and breaking with convention where appropriate.
• I believe in under-promising, over-delivering, delighting the user/customer.
• Details/nuance matter greatly to me.
• I’m comfortable moving between strategy and execution, from the details of software to the shape and health of the team building it.
• I like using new tools pragmatically e.g. with AI, I’m interested in what genuinely improves speed, quality and learning, not hype.

The magic 🪄#

I believe the most amazing things can happen when you bridge disciplines that traditionally have been kept apart. For example the intersection of design/UX and engineering or hardware and software. I’ll always foster an environment where this is as easy and natural as possible to make “handovers” redundant.

Imperfection#

I have ADHD and ASD, which is a great mix of two forces keeping each other in balance. Understanding these and their challenges will benefit anyone who works with people like me. I will work hard and sometimes, when responsibilities and influence are misaligned, I burn out. I’m always available for people but this is also a risk in overloading me. My signs of burnout are usually high working hours and little sleep.

Help me keep this README up-to-date#

If you’ve worked with me and would like to correct or add something, please open a pull request.