readme

This README is for anyone I work with and for them to know more about my working style and preferences.

These are strong opinions, weakly held.

You can read my public about me as well as principles here.

You can read my product development principles here and details of how I run the engineering team day-to-day here.

what I value

• I value teams that are high-agency (more Alice than Bob), coachable, bring curiosity and grit everyday, and are scrappy

(Artwork credit: Shreyas Doshi)

• I don’t believe in credentialism or past achievements. Like a sports team, we are valuable based on our performance and trajectory. I like people who work on themselves a little bit every day. I work on myself a little bit every day

what you can expect from me

• I will be direct, honest, and kind in giving and receiving feedback. I will be transparent about my thoughts and feelings. I will be a force-multiplying lionheart

• I will help you grow. I will help you learn. I will help you take the next step in your life/career even if it hurts my team in the short-term but is good for you in the long-term

how I like to communicate

• I strive to be and like high bitrate people

• I believe difficult conversations are best had in-person

• I prefer direct communication. I prefer to use my hands and freehand draw things during conversations

• I am high-functioning and on the autism spectrum. Sometimes you will notice I am looking somewhere else while talking, I am not ignoring you or avoiding eye contact, I am just thinking

• I don’t do one-on-ones b/c they are pre-{emptive, mature} optimization blocking everyone’s time into an unknown future. You should be able to pick my brain anytime you want. If you need structured time, my calendar is public and synced to my personal calendar – just send an invite! More on my approach to one-on-ones here

• I make sure that I own the responsibility of the relationship and that we have enough touch points to keep the relationship healthy

how I do feedback

• I like tight feedback loops
• Direct, in the moment and thoughtful feedback is best
• I prefer the praise in public and the criticize in private model

how I handle conflict

• Address head-on and quickly
• Focus on team first
• Confront the problem, not the person
• Create safe space for candor
• Listen first, then coach
• Strengthen relationships through resolution

how I make decisions

• Use data but go with gut
• Faster yet directionally correct is better than slow and perfect
• Don’t disagree-and-commit, agree-and-ship

how I hire

• I strongly believe in hiring for slope versus intercept. I like T-shaped people. I like people who care for their craft and develop a unique taste over time
• I don’t fire people easily, I would rather believe in you and work you hard
• No MVP is ever an asshole; don’t mistake swagger for toxicity

work-life balance

• I believe in designing life versus trying to create walls between its various parts
• Family is important, pain is growth, and work is a means to an end but I trust you to know what’s best for yourself
• I trust you to know when to prioritize work over family, family over work, or when to take a break
• Being able to show up for the journey is a privilege; give it your best
• Pressure is a privilege; use it to grow
• I believe everyone should have a hobby outside of work/life. I can help you find one if you need

how to be high-agency

• Define specific, achievable objectives
• Understand your strengths and weaknesses
• Build capacity to recover from setbacks
• Seek opportunities and act without waiting for prompt
• Trust in your ability through self-talk and past success
• Regularly obtain input from others to refine your actions
• Analyze past actions to learn and improve future performance

life advice

The kind of stuff you are either lucky to have consumed (+internalized) when young or wish you did when you come across as an adult:

personal

• I prefer to be called by my first name
• I don’t like my picture taken or posted online
• I like dogs but I need time to warm up to them
• If you see me with my headsets on and need me, just tap my shoulder
• I like to keep a clean workspace; I don’t like shoes on furniture
• I am a universal donor in case you need blood
• I prioritize my gym blocks highly, but if there’s a genuine emergency e.g. SEV-1, I will adjust
• I started coding with GWBasic and then built my first commercial package in FoxPro. I didn’t own a computer until I was 18
• I studied grad level Chemistry in elementary school b/c I wanted to be a nuclear scientist
• I’m spiritual, believe in non-dualistic divinity but I’m agnostic and not drawn to institutional religion

fin

• This doc is a work in progress forever; if something is unclear, please drop me a DM