• Most managers shouldn't be managers.
• If it feels easy to work with someone, they are working hard to make it that way.
• Great things arise from collaboration and healthy debate between people who respect one another.
• Ego is never respected.
• Argue passionately for what you believe in. Be receptive to the possibility that it’s wrong.
• Communication and self awareness are underrated and often overlooked for hard abilities. I’d rather work with 5 average people that talk to each other vs. 5 rockstars who would think they’ve got it all figured out.
• Improve by learning how to foster honest and constructive feedback.
• “Sleeping on it” is a great way to make progress.
• Vision and goals are important because people can’t operate together without shared beliefs.
• Talent makes useless things without focus.
• Most of the job of a leader is to bring out the best in others by inspiring them, removing obstacles for them, and believing in them.
• Use paper and pen to think through a problem. Use a whiteboard and marker to think through one with a team.
• Burn out is real. You have to experience it a few times to know how to prevent the next one.
• If you don’t know what mistakes you made, you will never improve.
• What is measured is managed.
• Face to face > video chat > phone call > chat > email. Nobody’s made a proper video chat yet.
• If you feel like tuning out during a meeting, you shouldn’t be there, or it shouldn’t be happening in the first place.
• Truly great things are rare.
• There are few true craftspeople in the world. They’re never comfortable with the level of their abilities and are constantly striving to get better. If you find one, keep them close.
• Each person has great things to share. Some are better than others at doing it.
• Helping others helps me.
• Half the job of working on a team is managing expectations.
• Understanding the effort:benefit ratio of work varies at each stage of a project. Most get this wrong.
• Each person expresses passion differently.
• Learn. Always.
• No idea is precious.
• Asking questions is one of the most powerful ways to work.
• People need change, but don’t like it when it arrives.
• Learn how to listen.
• Remember the people who do something for you and don’t ask for anything in return.
• If it feels complex, it is complex.
• Simplicity belies the work that has gone into making it simple.
• If they seem like they have it all figured out, they don’t.
• A team that eats together works together.
• My favorite look in a co-worker's eyes is pride.

Last edited Feb 26, 2024