The best part of a deep cleansing of the space is the next morning. You don’t get a sense of the total difference while you’re doing it because you’re there for each part of the gradual change. After a night’s sleep, you forget a bit, and the results are shocking. (click for larger versions) I’ve… More
Tech Life
Weekend Project: Cave Renovations
I love my Cave. Earlier this week, I finished the book. This is the third book I’ve mostly written in the Cave. There’s been lots of outside writing spots, coffee shops, vacations, and airplanes, but the bulk of the work has been completed right here. Sitting in a hoodie, coffee to the left, Bear fired… More
The Housekeeping of the Intangible
I’m a manager type, which means the calendar is usually full of meetings. Now, it is my goal in life to make sure that every single meeting must actively defend its right to exist, but even with that constant fight going on, I am in a lot of meetings. 9am until 5pm is 85% meetings.… More
A Few Small Things You Can Do as a Leader
As much as possible, make sure to hold existing staff and 1:1 meetings as usual. Structure in these times of flux is critical. Lots of folks have more family at home and will need to shift their schedule. Full support. Make it a non-issue for being off the grid for folks to focus on the… More
Still Playing Destiny (On a PC)
I’m currently on the Pro Leisure Circuit, and with a lot of time on my hands, so I have been playing a lot of video games. Strike that. I’ve been playing one single game, Destiny 2. Yes, I am still playing Destiny, but there’s a twist. I bought a PC. No one is more surprised… More
Ok, I’m in Darkshore, and It Just Started Raining
(Ok, first hit play on the above video. This article has a soundtrack.) In World of Warcraft, Darkshore is the first major city outside of the Night Elf starting area and stands in dark contrast to the mystical and deeply saturated pink realm of Teldrassil. It’s where you discover that the game is full of… More
The 2018 Emoji Report
I do a lot of work in Slack. It’s been almost three years since I started working there and can’t remember a world where I needed to wait anywhere from two minutes to two days for someone to get through their inbox and respond to that urgent email. I take it for granted that everyone… More
Traveling with Me is a Nightmare
Check-in on my phone. Confirm airport, departure time, and gate. Count the number of days I’ll be gone. One outfit for each day. Always extra socks and extra underwear because the unexpected is amplified while traveling. If the trip requires more outfits than my overhead Tumi luggage will hold, remind myself there is dry cleaning… More
Kobayashi Maru Management
Ted’s feeling pretty good. He sits across from me in the conference room and says, “Program launch is solid. We’ve been working on the details for almost a month. We vetted the concept with all the affected teams and made tweaks, and now they’re fine. The only step left is sending the announcement to the… More
Everything Goes in a Context Bucket
The easiest way to improve your information consumption practices is to watch someone you trust to do their work. I get glimpses every day. At the beginning of meetings during the traditional inane five minutes of wondering why the AV never works, I eagerly await your shared screen on the room’s monitor see how you… More
