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Why there are so many more South Asian CEOs than East Asian CEOs in the US
9 months ago
- South Asians outperform East Asians in leadership positions in Corporate America, with more South Asian CEOs in Fortune 500 companies.
- East Asian cultures emphasize humility and conformity, which can be misinterpreted as lack of assertiveness in American leadership culture.
- Conflict avoidance in East Asian cultures, rooted in Confucian values, can lead to passive aggressiveness and being taken advantage of in other cultural contexts.
- Women, especially East Asian American women, face double burdens due to cultural and societal gender norms that discourage assertiveness.
- Indians prefer approach-based conflict resolution styles like negotiation and confrontation, contrary to the stereotype that collectivist cultures avoid conflict.
- Avoiding conflict has reputational and monetary costs, including capped career growth and demoralized teams.
- Practical steps to embrace conflict include reframing it as an opportunity, being comfortable with discomfort, and leading by example.
Every company has the same hiring criteria
9 months ago
- The primary contrarian belief is that experience is not worth hiring for.
- Hiring criteria can be distilled into three pillars: Agency (drive, ambition), Competence (intelligence, skill), and Character (integrity, ethics).
- Prominent leaders like Jensen Huang, Jeff Bezos, Marc Andreessen, Reed Hastings, and Brad Jacobs emphasize similar traits in their hiring philosophies.
- Company values often overlap with these three axes, though they are frequently vague or overly generalized.
- Specialized roles can be managed using consultants, but ownership and agency should remain with the core team.
- The author concludes that TextQL will hire smart generalists with high agency, intelligence, and good character, avoiding 'years of experience' as a criterion.
Auf Wiedersehen, GitHub – CEO Steps Down
9 months ago
- Thomas Dohmke reflects on his journey from Germany to the US after selling his startup to Microsoft.
- He highlights his roles at GitHub, including leading the acquisition, becoming CEO, and guiding GitHub into the AI era with Copilot.
- Announces his decision to leave GitHub to return to his startup roots, staying until the end of 2025 to assist with the transition.
- GitHub's achievements under his leadership include growth to over 1B repos and 150M developers, and advancements in AI and open-source projects.
- GitHub Copilot's evolution into a leading AI tool with over 20M users, introducing conversational coding and full-stack app creation.
- Emphasizes GitHub's role in democratizing software development, enabling creativity for anyone, regardless of programming fluency.
- Expresses gratitude to the GitHub team and pride in their collective achievements in shaping the future of technology.
Engineering Management in the Age of Agents
9 months ago
- Engineering Managers (EMs) are crucial in bridging the gap between technical and business sides, even in an 'agentic' future.
- EMs need to understand the business, communicate effectively, and manage expectations beyond just coding.
- Managing people and relationships is a key skill for EMs, as AI agents won't replace human collaboration.
- EMs must define technical solutions, manage risks, and guide engineers, which remains valuable with LLM coding tools.
- The combination of EM skills and up-to-date coding knowledge makes EMs highly in demand.
- The article suggests that while coding agents may advance, the role of EMs will evolve rather than disappear.
What sets great managers apart
9 months ago
- Great managers communicate clearly in both directions: ensuring team expectations are understood and representing team needs to upper management.
- Balancing support for the team with advocacy to leadership is rare but essential for resources and recognition.
- Consistency and authenticity in communication build trust, which is foundational for effective management.
- Managers who misrepresent reality to please both sides eventually erode trust when discrepancies emerge.
- Trust enables teams to take risks and innovate, knowing failure won't be penalized.
- Trust must be mutual: teams trust their manager, and upper management trusts the manager to support the team.
- The best managers foster trust in both directions, enabling ambitious work that would otherwise be impossible.
- A great manager is trusted by both their team and their superiors, indicating effective leadership.
Just People in a Room
9 months ago
- The author recounts working at a startup acquired by Autodesk, where their team clashed with the management team from another acquisition, leading to secret development of a competing product.
- A department-wide layoff dissolved all animosity, leaving the author to reflect on the futility of workplace politics and personal grudges.
- Group projects in the author's classes often lead to frustration, with students blaming each other rather than communicating to resolve misunderstandings.
- At Amazon, the author encountered a VP who threatened physical violence over an intern issue, revealing a toxic culture where such behavior was tolerated due to the individual's perceived irreplaceability.
- A senior TPM at Amazon shared that leadership roles increasingly required aggressive behavior, prompting the author to question how to lead effectively without compromising personal ethics.
- While at Snap, the author's emotional email response to internal criticism led to public reprimand by the CEO, highlighting the challenge of maintaining professionalism under stress.
- The author critiques the polished narratives of technical executives, noting how they often sanitize past mistakes to present a trajectory of continuous personal growth.
- Reflecting on leadership, the author argues that poor emotional control is not a strength, despite systems that sometimes reward such behavior if paired with high performance.
- The author now teaches, using group projects to help students navigate interpersonal conflicts in a controlled environment, aiming to foster self-awareness and better teamwork skills.
- The overarching theme is self-reflection and growth, recognizing personal biases and the importance of questioning one's own actions and perceptions in conflicts.
The Management Skill Nobody Talks About
8 months ago
- Managers will inevitably make mistakes, such as giving poor feedback or making misguided decisions.
- The key to good management is not perfection but the ability to repair and acknowledge mistakes.
- Repair involves being specific about the mistake, focusing on the impact on others, and changing behavior.
- Acknowledging mistakes builds trust, whereas ignoring them can lead to losing team members.
- Effective repair includes specific apologies, avoiding excuses, and demonstrating changed behavior over time.
- Embracing repair helps managers make better decisions and fosters growth and stronger relationships.
- Management is about creating value and a supportive environment, not about being perfect.
The problems that accountability can't fix
8 months ago
- Accountability aligns incentives to achieve better outcomes by imposing negative consequences for failures.
- The OceanGate submarine implosion incident is cited as an example where accountability did not prevent disaster.
- Top-down accountability assigns responsibility to individuals but fails in coordination problems involving multiple components.
- Technical Project Managers (TPMs) are used to handle coordination issues across teams in large organizations.
- Bottom-up accountability holds leaders responsible for their actions, but misaligned risk models can still lead to failures.
- Stockton Rush, CEO and pilot of OceanGate, had personal accountability but misjudged risks, leading to the implosion.
- Double binds occur when conflicting incentives (e.g., business vs. safety) undermine accountability.
- Cross-checks and diverse perspectives can mitigate risks better than relying on a single accountable individual.
- An independent safety organization is proposed as a solution to prevent risks arising from double binds.
Thrashing
8 months ago
- The author critiques the common narrative that blames individuals for multitasking and distractions, arguing that systemic issues in management and leadership are the real culprits.
- They highlight how accountability tools like Asana and Trello are often mislabeled as productivity tools, when in reality they shift management responsibilities onto employees.
- The article emphasizes that real productivity tools are those without which work would halt, such as version control, CI systems, or essential software like Excel or R-studio.
- The author asserts that fostering an effective operational culture is a leadership responsibility, not something that can be solved by individual self-control or productivity hacks.
- They conclude that meaningful change in organizations must start with leadership taking responsibility for systemic issues rather than placing blame on employees.
Zuckerberg's AI hires disrupt Meta with Swift exits and threats to leave
8 months ago
- Shengjia Zhao, co-creator of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, threatened to quit Meta shortly after joining and return to OpenAI.
- Zhao was later given the title of Meta’s 'chief AI scientist' to retain him.
- Mark Zuckerberg is reorganizing Meta’s senior leadership to focus on AI dominance, hiring new executives like Zhao, Alexandr Wang, and Nat Friedman.
- New AI hires at Meta are adjusting to the company’s culture while existing staff adapt to changes.
- Some new AI staff, including Ethan Knight and Avi Verma, have left or not started their roles at Meta.
My Failures Onboarding at Splunk
8 months ago
- Author experienced burnout in 2021 and sought a change, moving from NCR to Splunk.
- Joined Splunk as a Senior Engineering Manager, despite a lower title, attracted by the company's culture and growth potential.
- Struggled to get promoted to Director due to onboarding mistakes, including misdefining success criteria and rushing to impress.
- Failed to align with Splunk's culture of drama-free change, leading to setbacks in promotion track.
- Neglected systematic stakeholder alignment, especially with senior leadership, affecting perception of his contributions.
- Realized the importance of focusing on onboarding fundamentals rather than prioritizing promotion.
- Developed a tool to help others with onboarding based on personal experiences and learnings.
Bi-Directional Accountability: The Leadership Shift Most Organizations Avoid
8 months ago
- Accountability in most organizations flows one way, with teams held to strict standards while leaders face looser expectations.
- Collaborate by Contract (CBC) introduces bi-directional accountability, binding both leaders and teams to explicit, documented commitments.
- CBC agreements create a shared ledger of commitments, making authority a responsibility rather than an immunity shield.
- Bi-directional accountability applies across all roles and relationships, internally and externally, normalizing commitment-based work culture.
- CBC challenges leadership ambiguity, exposing competence gaps and replacing vague commitments with documented responsibility.
- Common objections to CBC (e.g., 'This will slow us down') reflect resistance to being held accountable.
- CBC addresses objections by front-loading clarity, operationalizing trust, and allowing intentional adaptation with transparency.
- CBC makes accountability mutual, visible, and enforceable, promoting meritocracy and results over politics and optics.
How Tim Cook sold out Steve Jobs
8 months ago
- Tim Cook's behavior towards Donald Trump is seen as a betrayal of Steve Jobs' legacy.
- Steve Jobs was known for his countercultural roots and willingness to challenge authority.
- Jobs' background as the son of an immigrant influenced his worldview and achievements.
- Apple's current leadership is criticized for lacking the boldness and vision of Jobs.
- The article suggests Apple should leverage its influence to stand up for principles rather than appease the administration.
- There's a call for Apple to inspire its users to advocate for open innovation and rule of law.
- The piece contrasts Jobs' ethos with Cook's perceived subservience to political power.
They Know More Than I Do
8 months ago
- The article discusses the challenges and strategies for managing a team of technical experts when the manager is not an expert in the team's technical domain.
- Key responsibilities of a manager include producing results for the organization, providing clear guidance, context, constraints, and support to the team.
- The article emphasizes the importance of admitting when you are not the expert, asking questions, and sharing what you know with your team.
- Specific recommendations include being clear about tasks, avoiding assumptions, pulling expertise to the work, and being excellent to your team.
- Having a trusted #2 (a right-hand person with technical expertise) is highlighted as a crucial strategy for effective management.
- The article concludes by stressing that technical expertise is not mandatory for managing an expert team, and the real secret is supporting and directing the team to deliver results.
AI Boss Is Back from Vacation and Full of New Ideas
8 months ago
- AI boss returns from vacation in Costa Rica with new ideas.
- Vacation details: stayed at an all-inclusive resort, enjoyed gallo pinto (a traditional dish).
- Expresses confidence in leadership, unlike previous bosses.
- Proposes introducing zip lines in the workplace for team-building.
- Assigns tasks to team members: Janice (design), Amir (materials), Sofia (screenplay review).
- Encourages team wellness, resilience, and taking time off.
- Humorously dismisses others' vacation ideas, claiming to have thought of them already.
Good Managers Write Good (2022)
8 months ago
- Good managers tend to be good writers, while bad managers are often poor writers.
- Writing is thinking: Clear writing reflects clear thinking, essential for good management.
- Writing shows commitment to durable and transparent ideas, fostering a consistent reality for teams.
- Writing requires humility: Good managers and writers invite and integrate critical feedback.
- Writing requires handling ambiguity: Good managers thrive in complexity, unlike bad managers who avoid it.
- Good writing and good management both involve navigating ambiguous variables successfully.
- Suggestions include using writing prompts in manager interviews and encouraging managers to improve their writing skills.
- Writing skills are likely crucial for jobs involving leadership or convincing highly-skilled knowledge workers.
Getting More Strategic
7 months ago
- Strategy is contextual and must adapt to different situations and market changes.
- Good strategy involves defining proximate objectives—incremental steps towards a larger goal.
- Four key elements for effective strategy: time, context, direction, and expertise.
- Product strategy drives proximate objectives and requires engineering input and alignment.
- Technical strategy should solve real problems, not just adopt new technologies for their own sake.
- Team strategy must focus on execution within business constraints, especially in resource-limited environments.
- Personal strategy involves carving out time to think beyond immediate tasks to long-term goals.
- Being seen as strategic requires balancing vision with execution and navigating organizational politics effectively.
How to Be a Leader When the Vibes Are Off
7 months ago
- The tech industry is experiencing a shift in mood due to AI hype, return-to-office mandates, and layoffs.
- AI has caused destabilization, with concerns about job security and the introduction of 'AI Workslop' making work harder.
- Return-to-office mandates are breaking trust, with rigid rules like fixed working hours signaling a lack of trust in employees.
- Layoffs have changed the job market, reducing the previously high job security in the tech industry.
- C-Suite executives are now more efficiency-focused and less mission-driven, shifting away from employee-centric approaches.
- Leaders should balance representing company decisions publicly while acknowledging team concerns privately.
- Validating employees' emotions and avoiding false promises are crucial for maintaining trust.
- Providing small workarounds and flexibility can help maintain morale despite strict company policies.
- During uncertain times, direct leaders play a key role in providing stability and fostering loyalty.
- The industry will eventually settle into a new normal, and leaders can help by maintaining a positive work environment.
Ruby deserves better leadership than DHH
7 months ago
- Ruby and Rails were revolutionary, changing web development for many.
- DHH's harmful rhetoric is driving people away from the Ruby community.
- His comments on race, gender, and identity create an unwelcoming environment.
- Ruby's leadership has largely remained silent on these issues.
- Technical contributions should not excuse harmful behavior.
- Conference organizers and sponsors should reconsider their association with DHH.
- New leadership is needed to champion Ruby's inclusive future.
- The Ruby community must move beyond DHH's toxicity to thrive.
Great Question (YC W21) Is Hiring Director of Product
7 months ago
- Hiring a Director or Senior Director of Product to lead and innovate.
- Role involves strategic leadership, execution, and product innovation.
- Reports to CTO and collaborates with CEO, Head of Design, and Director of Engineering.
- Responsibilities include mentoring PMs, refining product org structure, and driving execution.
- Focus on AI innovation, metrics, cross-functional alignment, and commercial thinking.
- Looking for 7–12 years of PM experience with leadership roles.
- Experience in AI-driven products and early-stage startups preferred.
- Must have strong product instincts, organizational skills, and commercial acumen.
- Based in North America, working Pacific Time Zone hours.

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#leadership

Why there are so many more South Asian CEOs than East Asian CEOs in the US

Every company has the same hiring criteria

Auf Wiedersehen, GitHub – CEO Steps Down

Engineering Management in the Age of Agents

What sets great managers apart

Just People in a Room

The Management Skill Nobody Talks About

The problems that accountability can't fix

Thrashing

Zuckerberg's AI hires disrupt Meta with Swift exits and threats to leave

My Failures Onboarding at Splunk

Bi-Directional Accountability: The Leadership Shift Most Organizations Avoid

How Tim Cook sold out Steve Jobs

They Know More Than I Do

AI Boss Is Back from Vacation and Full of New Ideas

Good Managers Write Good (2022)

Getting More Strategic

How to Be a Leader When the Vibes Are Off

Ruby deserves better leadership than DHH

Great Question (YC W21) Is Hiring Director of Product