It’s Always Day 1
Today was my last day in Amazon. This is a slightly edited version of the message I shared with my organization. I hope you find something useful in it. After 9 years, 14 managers, 10 teams, 1 boomerang, 4 roles,…
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To Stavros, My Friend.
I’ve been thinking about whether to write this or not for a day or two. I don’t think it’s relevant to this blog, and it’s kind of personal. But here goes. When I was 21, I moved back from Berlin…
On Estimation, part 2: What Are Estimates, And Why Do We Care?
We now know many things estimates are not. But then, what are estimates, actually? And what are they really for? The Oxford Dictionary says that an estimate is “an approximate calculation or judgement of the value, number, quantity, or extent…
On Estimation, part 1: What Estimates Are Not
The most controversial team process discussion I always have is the one around estimation. Let’s try and unpack some of the concerns, and introduce a few approaches and techniques for estimating work and meeting dates. 1. Estimates are not commitments…
On Good, On Done, And On How Easy It Is To Get Lost
It’s been a while. Sorry about it. Time flies. What happened you ask? Well, a few things. It’s been somewhat busy at work, kids were sick at points. I had some complicated personal things to care about. That kept me…
STAR Interviewing for Wile E. Coyote
I’ve done over 200 job interviews in just less than a decade, just as an interviewer. I’ve used for all of them the STAR technique. Here’s how that works, so you can ace your next interview. An job interview typically…
Why Math Is Awesome, And a Proof
I find math really interesting. Not just because of the real world implications, but because the mindset it gives you is empowering. You follow the trail of logical breadcrumbs following rules that are so intuitive they are clearly true, and…
6 Good Reasons To Use Simple Text Files For Your Notes
You might have noticed at this point that I have two main note storage formats: an analogic one based on a good notebook and a fountain pen, and “note files”. Here’s the secret: note files, for me, are just text…
Taking Proper Notes 3 – Meeting Notes
We spoke about information notes. We spoke about quick notes. Let’s talk about meeting notes today. Meeting notes are a bit of a special case of quick notes, but there’s some extra detail to think about. The point of meeting…
Taking Proper Notes, 2 – Rapid logging
We spoke about how to take notes at information events like workshops, lectures, conferences, etc. When you need to take in information and summarize it, the Cornell method works great. Sometimes though, you just need to jot a quick reminder,…