Don't go off creating or filling positions by cargo-culting what you see in other companies, assuming that's the right path forward. Similarly, if you're a tech executive, don't charge ahead going for a title or role that's not the right one for you or the company. Cultivating an effective executive team requires us to consider these three basic questions to set up the company and ourselves for success.    Join my free 30-minute live session: Sparing the Midnight Oil! Grab a copy of my...

It takes two to tango, and you have to know how to lead or you're both going to end up on your behinds. This week's short podcast episode is about realizing your agency to unleash effective and rapid coaching. Stop waiting for spontaneous human improvement. Create it. Check out my free live session: Sparing the Midnight Oil! Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives.For any questions or...

If you want to genuinely become an executive and be viewed as a peer to business partners, you're going to have to stop it with the binary options. The world's not black and white, and those who leverage and create a continuum of options are worth their weight in gold. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives.For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: [email protected]

Making mistakes is an essential part of growing as a leader. Letting your people is something you have to live with to accelerate their growth. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean you're going to be in ostrich mode and ignore it all. Check out this week's short episode for three pitfalls to avoid. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives.For any questions or comments, reach out to me...

Sometimes, when you procrastinate or reject making a choice, that can open up new opportunities. Other times, that's a sign of weak leadership. How do you make the choice to choose? Check out this week's short podcast episode for some meta-thinking on upgrading your own decision-making. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives.For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly:...

Hiring has changed dramatically. I for one am happy most people aren't spending 50% of their time interviewing and onboarding new hires. Nevertheless, it means that we need a different set of guidelines to handle growth correctly. Check out this week's episode to ensure you're on track to create a profitable product-engineering team as you grow it. Join my free live session: Profitable Engineering 101! Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating...

The 10x engineer, the 10x leader, and the 10x strategy exist. However, they are often not easy to spot. Realizing that you don't need to come up with something that feels like someone from the future told you can actually increase your odds of achieving 10x work. For more on doing just that, check out this week's episode! Join my free live session: Profitable Engineering 101! Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best...

There are probably right now different issues that you're aware of that are allowed to fester and deteriorate. As you're busy putting out fires, the next wildfire is creeping up. That's what we get when we trade actual leadership for a simplistic greedy algorithm that only addresses things that have gone past the point of no return and must be solved. If you'd like to transition to genuine leadership and be less managed by the events, check out this week's episode. Sign up to attend my free...

Boy, the last 4 years have been one hectic decade, am I right? The worst thing you can do is give your team the sense that whatever last crisis you had was the last one. It wasn't. Leadership is about handling these moving targets. Learn more in this week's episode. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives.For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: [email protected] 

Especially when teams have waited too long to redo certain parts of their technology, they are way more prone to overshoot and over-engineer the new solution. That's the classic second-system syndrome at play. However, you're only likely to succeed if you know how to keep your team's cleverness at bay. Check out this week's episode about managing cleverness and how to tell whether you're over-doing something. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive...

How can you create a product-engineering organization that's profitable? Where growth is aligned with business needs; where engineers don't do tech for tech's sake; where value is the first… value? This week's podcast episode is a quick recap of topics from my four-part series about such organizations. Tune in to create a team worth leading. The articles in the series: Highly Profitable Engineering TeamsMaking Profitable SoftwareProfitable R&D Structure and GrowthR&D Innovation for...

How is your team branching out daily, just like in code, and how might you suffer from merge conflicts? Let's peel back the layers of how our individual perceptions shape our professional interactions and decisions. Discover the power of external perspectives and the surprising impact of communication nuances within tech teams. In this episode, we delve into a journey of understanding and connecting our divergent views to foster stronger, more cohesive teams. Grab a copy of my books,...

When you first consider it, you might not realize what "theory" has to do with leading product engineering. However, there is quite a bit you can and should be aware of in order to help your team thrive and operate faster. In this week's 9-minute episode, I share the two levels of thinking required in order to leverage theory and share it across your team. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech...

Some teams punch above their weight. You can see that many organizations are still suffering from too much bloat, and defocused work. This week's episode shares more insights from my recent conversations with over 100 tech leaders globally about leveraging the concept of non-linearity to create profitable eng teams. New offering: I’ve talked to 100+ tech leaders recently about their 2024 plans and got repeating requests to offer help with this. The way you kick off the year has the potential...

Sometimes, what might seem initially like a needle-in-a-haystack problem is a lot simpler. And when you realize that, you can leverage it so your efforts are more effective. This week's episode is about the connection between mousetraps and making people handle their cheese being moved. New offering: I’ve talked to 100+ tech leaders recently about their 2024 plans and got repeating requests to offer help with this. The way you kick off the year has the potential to set you up for remarkable...

Stop focusing your attention on those who are problematic. Handle those situations quickly and move on. Your focus should be on your top performers. Squeaky wheels, no matter how greased, are not likely to get you past the finish line. Check out this week's episode for more on creating effective rapid coaching. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives.For any questions or comments, reach...

Are you going to let another year pass by more or less the same? Are you prone to what Albert Einstein described as "insanity"? Life's too short for that. Listen to this week's short episode to get out of the meager loop you've been in and start your path toward a bigger future. And, you just might win the raffle! Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives.For any questions or comments,...

I'm sure you've got some big goals, plans, and hopes for 2024. However, you're not likely to reach them by just promising yourself you'll work harder this time. Repeating the same methods and applying more and more force will just result in RSI. This week's five-minute podcast episode is about how you can get better results without burning the midnight oil. Wishing you a fantastic 2024! Join the Leading Edge Club!Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive...

Every executive needs to know how to talk to the company's board and handle it effectively. Don't appease it, don't be subservient, and don't surprise it. In this week's episode, I'm sharing common problems and some guidelines to improve your communication and decrease the odds of you making the board become too tactical. Join the Leading Edge Club!Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech...

Being a tech executive means that things sometimes change. You might be unsure about where you're headed to provide more impact. However, as Tolkien has taught us geeks, not all those who wander are lost. Let's talk about finding your new direction. Join the Leading Edge Club!Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives.For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly:...

Someone quit? A long vacation? A friggin' war? Learn how to embrace disruptions, create shorter and more focused roadmaps, and empower your team to thrive in times of change. Discover how unexpected challenges can be opportunities for exponential improvement. Whether you're leading a tech team or looking for ways to drive innovation, this episode will inspire you to harness the power of non-linear growth. Join my annual wrap-up / yearly kickoff free session: 2024 Launchpad. Join the Leading...

Did you make a mistake recently? To err is human, and to futilely try and avoid all possible mistakes is being an engineer. Executives with a tech background seem more afraid than their peers to operate in uncertainty, thus capping their teams. Set out to make some good mistakes next year. Join my annual wrap-up / yearly kickoff free session: 2024 Launchpad. Join the Leading Edge Club!Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to...

Freddy Mercury famously sang that friends will be friends. That's right. But they shouldn't be your employees. Check out this week's episode for unpopular opinions about hiring and promoting people. Join my year-end/yearly-kickoff free webinar! 2024 Launchpad: Velocity Mastery Join the Leading Edge Club!Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives.For any questions or comments, reach out to...

You're constantly busy. I mean, you're overwhelmed! No one can blame you for procrastination… or can they? This week's podcast is about the leadership equivalent of cleaning up the house when you've got a deadline. Claim your seat at my year-end/year-kickoff free webinar. 2024 Launchpad: Velocity Mastery. Join the Leading Edge Club!Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and  The Tech Executive Operating System.Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives.For any...