PinnedMy 2022 ReviewI turned thirty this year, and for a hot second considered writing a review of the past decade. These annual reviews, however, are thoughtful enough and getting longer every year anyway (My 2021 Review). I even forced a year-end relationship retro on Bridget while we were on vacation, which wouldn’t…Startup14 min readStartup14 min read
Jun 19Five Lessons From my First Three Months at a StartupI started this draft over four years ago. It was to be the first entry in a series of monthly posts in which I’d share learnings from working at a startup as the first hire. Future employees would read the posts and get a firsthand look at the company’s evolution. …Startup Lessons8 min readStartup Lessons8 min read
Aug 2, 2022Abstractions and ModelsTwo common words we use in software development are abstractions and models. A search of the company Slack returns countless matches: “It turns out that our abstraction for verification checks was right and consistent regardless of what verification type it is.” “Doesn’t matter to me as long as we’re settled…Software Development6 min readSoftware Development6 min read
Jul 23, 2022Speed > ProcessA process is a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end. All companies have processes — there’d be no sane employees left otherwise — but not all processes are the same: Implicit processes mirror general systems or values e.g. collaborating closely with co-workers when…Startup5 min readStartup5 min read
Feb 8, 2022TechnorealismOne of the most memorable conversations of 2021 arose from unexpected circumstances. During a dinner over Thanksgiving break, my partner’s brother, Austin, needed to grab something from the local market. I’d been sedentary and gorging myself all weekend, so I volunteered to walk with him. We’d never interacted in a…Technology4 min readTechnology4 min read
Dec 30, 2021My 2021 Review2021 was a breath of fresh air compared to My 2020 Review. Quality time with friends, family, and co-workers lifted my spirits as I rejoiced at the return of trips with friends, birthday celebrations, family vacations, eating out, live concerts, and that unmistakable office buzz. We enjoyed being physically together…Startup12 min readStartup12 min read
Feb 15, 2021What I Learned From Writing 24 Articles in One MonthWhile I didn’t publish 31 articles for each day in January, I consider the pledge in my 2020 review fulfilled. My goal wasn’t to start a daily journal or jot down my stream of consciousness, although many folks I know find the practice to be meditative and useful in comprehending…Writing4 min readWriting4 min read
Jan 31, 2021Vendor ManagementMy first job after graduation was vendor management at Amazon Video. I managed all aspects of our relationship with digital video partners like NBC Universal that licensed their movies and TV shows to our service. I was responsible for these partners’ P&L: exploring opportunities to increase sales, running campaigns and…Vendors3 min readVendors3 min read
Jan 30, 2021Revenge Bedtime ProcrastinationI learned a new term this week. As I was scrolling through my email newsletter, I immediately fell for the title of this article hook, line and sinker. There was even a visceral reaction because this piece truly spoke to me. The psychology behind 'revenge bedtime procrastination' Emma Rao spent almost three years on China's notorious ' 996 schedule ': working from nine in the morning to nine in…www.bbc.comProcrastination3 min readProcrastination3 min read
Jan 29, 2021Micro-momentsEvery day at a startup, it’s a privilege to be working on a nimble, cohesive team. It just so happens that the team IS the company. At every size of the company, there’s been certain moments I feel really damn proud to be on the team. These moments are special…Startup Life3 min readStartup Life3 min read
