And I know I’m the reason, but I refuse to change.
The same story has been unfolding since late 2010: my most promising hires all move on within 3-5 years, sometimes sooner. Just this month my best engineer quit on me, although not entirely unexpected.
After having pulled my ass out of a few fires over the past 18 months, she’s accepted a position as the Director of Software Engineering with a killer company just south of Washington, D.C.
So once again, I am sorting through resumes, looking for that perfect candidate.
I was annoyed the first time this happened. After spending 5 years turning a new college grad into someone…
Entrepreneurship
It’s not as crazy as it sounds.
I’m clearly insane. Right?
Maybe. But I’d rather set seemingly insane goals for myself as opposed to ones that I know I can knock out. Goals you know you can accomplish aren’t goals, they're just tasks, and while tasks get the job done they don’t force growth.
Go big or go home. Set insane goals for yourself and even if you fall short you’ll still have made progress. Physical, mental, and financial.
In this post I discuss breaking seemingly impossible problems down into manageable chunks, how I apply this technique to my financial goals, detail my plan to generate an additional $100K, and walk…
Aim small, miss small.
Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve loved earning my own money. Paper route, pizza delivery, lawn mowing, etc. My goals were simple, make enough money to buy the crap I wanted that my parents (rightfully so) wouldn’t waste their money on.
As I grew older, I had similar financial goals: make enough money to put a little away each month for a down payment on a house, be able to make the house payment, buy a car, take a vacation now and then, etc.
Nothing wrong with that.
In my early 20’s, I learned that I’d been thinking…
Strategies to help you thrive in this new environment
Asynchronous remote work scares the hell out of some execs and those mid-level managers facing irrelevance.
But it doesn’t have to be scary for anyone. It has worked well for many years in the creative and knowledge industries. As people in other industries witness the benefits of asynchronous work, its usage will expand.
Some of you might be asking, what is asynchronous work? Asynchronous is a big word that means not occurring at the same time. In simple terms, think flexibility. For example, let’s say you are assigned a task and a due date. You check your calendar to see…
And I’m pretty sure that Iridium flare was him smiling at me.
I’d roll with my Grandfather when he would go collecting from his commercial accounts. He owned the largest waste management company in the area at the time and business was booming.
Every visit to a customer site was the same. Pull up to an office trailer, stomp up the stairs, yank open the door, and burst inside. Everyone would look up and start smiling.
Nervously.
I’d be handed a little white styrofoam cup half full of stale black coffee and told to go wait outside on the steps. Really? Even back then my little 7-year-old head was thinking “WTF boss?”
…
A playbook for those entering the new world of work
Just when it seemed we were going to be heading back into the office, it turns out that we’re staying home.
I don’t mind; it’s where I’d rather be. I’m much more productive when working in an environment where I can control the volume, temperature, and distractions.
But it’s a new world for many people, a new work paradigm, and it certainly comes with its challenges. The following three things have helped me work remotely with a geographically distributed team and can help you have a more enjoyable work from home experience.
Get your face time
Office politics is a very real thing, and…
It all fell apart from there.
She was one of the writers I followed when I first landed on this platform.
I read everything she wrote.
I ended up following her on YouTube.
I bought stuff from her.
Then I discovered she uses a pen name.
Turns out I was just following her down her funnel.
My brain did that weird little crackly electrical thing that it does every time reality-reality stands in contrast to my reality.
Like Ralphie Parker, upon realizing he’d decoded a crummy commercial, I went out to face the world again, wiser.
For entertainment purposes only.
Wait, what? You’re not you? Is this all bullshit? …
Life, work, or otherwise. It’s just different.
I noticed something was amiss as I pulled into the Myrtle Beach Costco.
It was 8:30 AM on a Tuesday. The parking lot was full and there was a line at the gas pumps. I chalked it up to an influx of spring breakers.
When the Hell is bike week anyway?
Gas had dipped below $1.85 per gallon and I stood in line to grab a few steaks and a case of beer.
Something wasn’t right.
Nothing made sense.
Am I here?
It’s a weird question for sure, but one I ask myself when things seem a little off.
It’s something I started…
And it’s the best investment you will ever make.
You know that feeling you get when you’re interacting with someone and they seem like they know you well? They’re friendly but not uncomfortably familiar?
They call you by your name, recall things you’ve talked about before, and make you feel like you’re doing something amazing for them?
These people make you feel like a complete badass and you enjoy being around them.
Why not do that for other people as often as possible? It could be a real game-changer for us all.
Making someone feel like a badass won’t cost you a dime.
I mean honestly, it’s just words. …
Medium is a meritocracy. Spend more time learning the platform and polishing your craft and less time crying about why you’re not earning a living on the platform.
