Writing.
Practical takes on product, design, and building startups that last.
Hard work, skill, and luck.
We like to think success is mostly about hard work and skill. The data tells a different story, and it changes how I think about building companies.
The internet ruined some of the best startup advice.
Most startup advice is great. The problem is how literally people take it, and how the internet has twisted it into something the original person never meant.
My playbook for managing up and owning the product roadmap.
Managing up isn't about saying no. It's about building a dynamic where the debates barely happen. Here's what I've actually done, not what the internet tells you to do.
The real reason founders can't focus.
Founders don't avoid hard things. They avoid friction. And the work they're avoiding is usually the work that matters most.
Stop trying to fix your team. Fix how you manage them.
Most managers try to reshape people to fit the work. The best managers reshape the work to fit the people. It sounds obvious. Almost nobody does it.
Should you raise money or bootstrap? You're asking the wrong question.
People demonize one side or the other. The real answer depends on what you're building, not ideology.
Apple standards, bootstrap mentality.
You don't have to choose between building a profitable business and building a world-class product. That's a false tradeoff.
Why I Was Afraid to Share My Opinion
After 20 years of building products for other people, I never put my thinking out there. Here's what changed.