Why are CEOs failing software engineers?

Why Are CEOs Failing Software Engineers?

"New value is a function of failure, not success; and much of software engineering is about discovering new value. So, in effect, nearly everything you are taught as a business major or leader is seemingly incompatible with software engineering." I found myself nodding in agreement the whole time while reading this article, and I consider it a must-read for any leader who has even a single software engineer on their team. 

How Mark Cuban Runs His Entire Life on Email

How does a guy like Mark Cuban get so much done? The answer may surprise you: email. He uses it as a way to replace meetings and calls, giving him almost complete control over his time. He even accepts and responds to pitches over email. Defaulting to email over calls and meetings is something I do to have more control over my time, but Cuban is on a whole other level. I'm inspired! 

First-Hand Lessons From 80+ Failed Startups

You can find more than 80 "failed startup" interviews on Failory. When one founder was asked to do an interview, he ended up spending several days reading through all of them to see if there were any recurring themes in the mistakes and lessons mentioned. Here's a look at what he gleaned. Can you guess what the top reason was for startup failure? 

This VP Is Doing Things Differently in the Product Org

Divvy's VP of Product and Strategy Tyler Hogge believes that PMs are the GMs of their product, and they are responsible not just for shipping software, but also delivering business outcomes. It's a statement many leaders might agree with, but few actually put into practice. This is a thought-provoking look at how he's building an outcome-obsessed product organization from the ground up. 

Do You Despise Marketing?

This Hacker News thread reminds me a bit of the tone in Rand's article above: We're all tired of the same old marketing techniques. Isn't it time we try a different approach? This thread is full of comments about people expressing their disdain for marketing, but I think that's because marketing is starting to feel increasingly more deceptive, spammy, and predictable. What would it look like to create a marketing strategy that felt delightful to potential users rather than intrusive?

5 Ways to Slow Company Growth Down on Purpose

Bannerbear founder Jon Yongfook wants to create a stronger, more resilient business. His solution? Grow more slowly and intentionally. Here's a simple strategy Jon is trying that I really like: Send an email on every payment instead of disabling payment notifications like most businesses do. I think a lot of startup founders would benefit from taking a similar approach rather than prioritizing rapid growth that isn't necessarily sustainable.

Early Startup Employees and Company Growth

People who join early-stage startups usually do so because they are looking for fast track career growth and opportunities to learn new skills. But, as a company scales, an employee has to scale themselves as fast (or faster) to continue leveling up. Here are the best ways you can do that—from developing a growth mindset to learning how to manage up. 

Why Efficiency is Dangerous and Slowing Down Makes Life Better

I think one of the unexpected benefits that has come out of the pandemic is the collective realization that too much efficiency isn't necessarily a good thing. Our culture worships efficiency, but many of us are seeing how slowing down might actually make life better. Professor Barry Schwartz makes the case that building more friction into our lives—as individuals and as a society—might actually be a good thing.