Lessons

Over my career, I’ve kept a short, private list of the most important lessons I’ve learned, usually the hard way. In hopes that others might avoid the mistakes I’ve made, I’ve decided to publish and maintain that list here.

  1. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
  2. Stay away from people who khomplexoniphy. (Fire them.)
  3. Domain expertise isn't everything, but it is something.
  4. Make things smaller to make them easier to change.
  5. Nobody is irreplaceable.
  6. Managers should be able to get in the weeds but do it rarely.
  7. Have a big vision, but execute incrementally.
  8. Your most important relationship is with your boss's boss.
  9. Beware of people who ask for a template instead of charging forward.
  10. When things get political, get valuable.
    1. Even when you get valuable, you might get laid off. Don't fret about what's not in your control.
Career Leadership