Authority Issues

In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: * Crushing Kendall's dreams * How much rachel missed her own home and bed * All the biking Kendall did in Spain * Fraud avoidance via CarFax * The varying qualities of our guests * rachel's propensity for initial kneejerk low assessment of every recording * Our lack of investment in recording quality * The breadth and scope of our interviewees and their employers * What we've been bad at * The frustrations of trying to get guests to talk about themselves * How well we balanced each other's extremes * Episode highlights * Our varying assessments of how well we know each other * Unexpected listener vectors * Humanizing our heroes, possibly a little too much? * Being prepared to stop Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Sonja talk about: * The fact that this podcast is not sponsored by USAA * A journey that started with childhood on a "poser farm" in North Carolina * Driving the tractor as a path to an enjoyment of adventure and power * Discovering that being a defense lawyer meant you would represent a lot of guilty people * How Kendall ruins everything * Being the data pusher and getting hooked on her own supply * The Stephen Covey 7 Habits seminar, aka a sausagefest * Early interpretations of leadership as a command and control process, feedback from other managers, being curious, being willing to apologize and grow * Kendall gets his due, FINALLY * Learning more from mistakes than successes * That there's a difference between listening and "waiting to speak" * The fun of building and running her own "retail lab" aka fake grocery store theater for research * Advocating for the strategic pre-meeting when decisions are being made * Reasons to switch to the nonprofit world, including a cancer diagnosis * What strong 501c3 nonprofit board leadership looks like * That all workers deserve joy in their work * The tragedy of over-volunteering, trying to extricate herself * Recommendations for exploring the Olympic Peninsula * Friends: you should make some and spend time with them :) You can find Sonja at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonja-mathews-63a6a02/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Ali talk about: * The rarity of a "traditional" computer science background * Antique hardware * Learning a lot in the fashion business * Why startups are more fun than big companies * The need for deepfake detection * Measuring performance * Designing to mitigate the abuse of your product * Lack of interest in hierarchy * The difficulties of balancing work and life * Sailing, and having a skipper's license * The importance of remaining calm * Getting pwned in your own interview process * A recommendation for watching Terminator 2 You can find Ali on Twitter at @A_Shahriyari and on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alishahriyari/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: * rachel's need to finish things and coping mechanisms around that * The recent spate of cold weather/storms and a tale of Kendall's friend and the whisky night * (This podcast may be sponsored by Friday Deployment Spirits, i guess) * An unsurprising objection regarding terminology * How Kendall is obviously a Markov Chain bot, and how have i never noticed this before * The fact that AI-directed research is nothing new * Public access to AI-type tools and how it has expanded the hype cycle * Environmental concerns around resources required * Robots and why they should just exist to do stuff humans don't want to do * Implications of the mismatch in public expectations vs the reality of what AI is actually capable of * Losing the ability of finding the needles of useful information in the haystack of real and generated content * How the hype is definitely hype but it should still be in your pitch deck * The word rachel was looking for: Captcha * Usefulness as a writing tool, but not as an author * Kendall's tantalizing taste of socialized medicine * rachel recommends: Shelter Point distillery's Smoke Point whiskey (Vancouver Island, BC) * Kendall recommends: barrel-finished/aged gins * rachel also recommends: The Future by Naomi Alderman * Kendall also recommends: Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: * rachel's stuffed animal ownership * Podcast homework * How busy on top of busy Kendall is * Ungulates and double welt pockets * The power of understanding motivation * Wil Wheaton's first law is also Kendall's first law * Context is for kings * Digging into bridge burning * Unpacking what "I love this job" really means * Being a person who works hard * An agreement to play a shit-giving game of cards * Why rachel retired (redux) * Why Kendall is the Patron Saint of Whimsy (hint: it's because he wants to make you smile) * Recommendations: * rachel is excited about new work from James S.A. Corey (the people who wrote The Expanse Series) * Kendall is looking forward to his dad's memoir Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Seif talk about: * The pressures of what your parents want, in various cultures * Quitting a "good job" because they made you a manager * Bringing your team with you to the next company * Open source culture and the meritocracy * The tensions inherent between product management and innovators * Respective hirsuteness * When it's the right time to go off the rails * Acknowledging a need for the rails * A team as a functioning organism, nerdy giant robot references * The gravitational pull of excitement and going off-plan * Recommendations for "Getting to Yes," "Getting Past No," and "Drive" * Smelling things! * Reverse engineering what your kid wants You can find Seif on the Axiom Discord as "Seif" Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: * Maritime traffic and the construction of cruise ships * How hard it is to be a foster parent * Kendall's new booze company: Friday Deployment Spirits * Improvements in Kendall's family life post-return from Portugal * rachel's reasons for choosing to not have kids * Why being a woman might impact this perspective * Kendall's awareness of not being an 'equal partner' in the raising of his kids * A lifechanging interaction for Kendall * Why maybe you should get a dog instead * Making the assumption that your kids will take care of you when you're old * The relationship between leadership/management and parenting * Sexism and Kendall's thoughts on having daughters * Not wanting to bring kids into the world we're leaving them * How many kids is enough kids * Recommendations: rachel is looking forward to reading Starter Villain by John Scalzi, Kendall recommends The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, and a podcast called If Books Could Kill Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Ilan talk about: * Moving from the IT to the Ops side of the house * Being on both sides of "the wall" * Wearing All The Hats at Datadog * The nature of "glue work" * How org size affects leadership roles * Stretching and doing new things vs "fake it 'til you make it" * How product management roles change as you move up the ladder * The relationship between domain expertise and authority * How sometimes it's not a democracy * Taking a break to find out what's next * The pressure of prior successes * Learning how to chill out a bit :) You can find Ilan at https://www.linkedin.com/in/irabinovitch/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Edafe talk about: * An early and enduring love of working with data * Getting a job at JP Morgan Chase because of a tweet * The kind of data problems one solves at the World Bank * Turning a sexist assignment into communication of data issues * Maturing beyond being the complainer * The impact of giving a talk * Gaining context as you go up the mountain * Coming to the universal realization that, yes, people are the problem :) * Style guides for goths * Learning to communicate at the appropriate level, removing jargon * Expressing what's possible to help someone solve a problem * Approaches to decisionmaking * Knowing when to let people learn for themselves * Catering to the needs of a yearning cat * Special contractor time math You can find Edafe at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekoner/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: * Kendall being back in the US, how many desks he has had to order, and the various benefits of Pickleball vs Paddleball * rachel's reign of terror over a particular kind of cooking pan, being sick, and heading to Vegas to dj at DEFCON * Why people might be pivoting away from their tech careers, looking for greater meaning * What actually is a midlife crisis? * Planning for your midlife crisis, understanding your path forward * What triggers a midlife crisis? What does one look like? * How unwillingness to talk about death as a society makes this a crisis for us * Living life well when you know you're going to die * The impact of having grown up in genX, the assumption that no one is going to take care of you when you're old * Perpetuating a cycle of dissatisfaction * The fallacy of "follow your dreams and everything will be fine" vs "enjoy the work you have because life is short" * Intentionally doing things inefficiently in order to enjoy the process more, thank you Kurt Vonnegut (see https://www.mondaymorningmemo.com/kurt-vonnegut-farting-around/ for the full quote/story) * How does one's belief in an afterlife impact these things? * Whether having some control over the time and manner of one's death is comforting * What living well means to Kendall, and his upcoming book :) * recommendation from rachel: The Witch King by Martha Wells * recommendation from Kendall: Eat something so spicy you leave your physical body temporarily Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: * The long journey to a big whisky delivery * Kendall's triumphant return * The magical locale that is Port Townsend * A particularly pleasing hat * The conflict in question * What actual family means vs "your work family" * How the pandemic has strained the definition of "take all the time you need" for companies * Parental leave as a possible model for policymaking * Doing The Math * The SVB failure as a case study of doing the Math * What would you do? * The impact of the pandemic on views of the value of "working" * Opportunities as a leader to improve the situation when it arises * Kendall recommends: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hands * rachel recommends: The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi, Pokerface (tv show) on Peacock * rachel's advice on cask programs * How to reach us Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Ricardo talk about: * How we're a global podcast! * Rough times of wearing a suit to work in the morning * A lack of startups in Portugal in the early 2000s, moving to London on a whim * The Land Before APIs (and podcasts) * Discovering a penchant for leadership * The differences between raising VC money in EU vs US, definitions of success * Trying to keep a startup going after the runway runs out * German startup culture vs Portuguese startup culture * What does "long story short" even mean anymore? :) * Reflecting on past decisions * Suddenly realizing the scope of responsibility * Arriving at Stake (whew!) * An emotional response to being a builder vs a fixer * Pragmatism in technology choices * Running a sourdough bakery with his wife You can find Ricardo at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardobrizido/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: * Freakin' time zones * Whisky delivery news * The subtleties of F to C conversions * Migration to Mastodon, bike community trends * Kendall's new CTO Lunches business undertaking and travel plans * Going from having all your friends come from work to having most friends originate outside of work * Benefits of socializing with your more senior colleagues * How the pandemic has impacted work friendships, especially for early-career people * The change in dynamic when you become the boss * Progressively wanting and needing less social contact at work as time passes * Hiring your friends * Relationship-building as a strategy * Giving less of a fuck as you get older, tolerating more weirdness in others * Energy level imbalance anxiety therapy session for rachel * The value of being optimistic about people you encounter at work * Recommendations: rachel recommends the Monk and Robot series of novellas by Becky Chambers. Kendall recommends you go sailing, and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. * A warning from Kendall Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Virgile talk about: * Starting out as a CS student, but wanting more human interaction * A path through HR tooling to HR generalist role with a detour to Perth, Australia * The elephant in the room: is HR "the bad guy"? * How to manage the tension inherent in doing HR work * Differences in the role when a company is small vs large * Getting some experience in an entrepreneurial culture * Discovering firsthand the need for reliable compensation data * Tying the lack of data to salary level disparity and unfairness * Walking the line between corporate best interest and employee best interests * Deep differences between employment policies in the US vs France * The stress of hiring thoughtfully and effectively * How crucial it is to understand onesself before one can develop the empathy to manage others well * The ego required to feel ok about being responsible for peoples' livelihoods vs the humility required to do it effectively * How hard it is to give away one's legos * Fulfillment at work leading to a happier home life * How many bikes is too many bikes? You can find Virgile on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vraingeard/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: * Why rachel retired * A brief diversion into the fundraising lifecycle of a nonprofit * Why Kendall gets offered weed on the street in Portugal * Visas and the eldritch horrors of the permitting system * Settling one's family into Portuguese living * Appreciation of walkable living environments * How bootstrapped and venture-backed startups are different experiences * Merging acquisitions into larger corporate environments * rachel's theories about why Splunk was such a success story * Kendall's thoughts on new vs additive markets, effort, and growth * A Tale of Two Shitshows * An enumeration of variables in our defense * What attracts people to different stages of company growth * Freedom vs risk, another set of axes to consider * Minor regrets on scope * Our recommendations for distractions of late: * rachel recommends the Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novik and the Star Wars show Endor * Kendall recommends learning Portuguese Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Maya talk about: * Competitive athletics as a driver of leadership skills and high performance teamwork * The power of the history of the University of Michigan * Preparing for when athleticism will be a memory * Serving in the military, leading software dev teams...in the military * Doing things young, when you have less to lose, less context * Learning the value of a holistic product view * Wanting to change the world * Motivation differences in the military vs the civilian working world * Getting an MBA and why it felt kind of relaxing * Different leadership requirements for the different stages of childhood development * Getting her mind blown launching products at a huge org like Symantec * Adaptability and how the process of problem solving is essentially unchanged * Using authority as a tool vs a bludgeon * Being where she wants to be You can find Maya on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayamandel/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: * The art of mending things beautifully (the words rachel was trying to remember are Kintsugi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi) and Sashiko (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashiko), in that order) * The art of mending things not so beautifully, aka hacking off the bottom of your favorite pants and adding bits of your favorite shirt so they fit better (Kendall subsequently found some photos, but none of them from after the shirt addition...) * Why Kendall sounds echo-ey (also, maybe this is why there's an annoying echo of rachel throughout this recording, apologies) * Why we're talking about systems thinking: https://twitter.com/johncutlefish/status/1518361842342453248 (no longer pinned) * Context, and why it rules from orbit * How seeing the big picture can be frustrating when one has limited power or scope * Optimization, in a shockingly nerdy gaming analogy * When it's hard to share context due to business volatility * Wait, what actually do we mean when we say systems thinking? * How systems thinking is actually largely about understanding people and their motivations * A former podcast guest we both think is a super impressive systems thinker but did not name ;) Thanks to John Cutler (@jcutlefish on Twitter) for a thought-provoking list! Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: * Not looking a gift Wagyu steak in the...mouth? marbling? * The primal/spiritual nature of singing with other people and joining a Threshold Choir * Taking Kendall Seriously * Moving to Portugal updates from Kendall * Dentistry nightmares * How far up the corporate ladder is far enough? * Theorizing about the impact of being part of Gen-X on rachel's career path * Caring about money vs caring about power and ways some companies exploit the latter * Speculation and validation around why Kendall keeps at the grind * An interlude to let you know that this episode was brought to you (in part) by gin * Things that complicate the equation of when to stop * rachel reins in her judginess (a bit) * How being a woman in the tech industry affects things * Kendall plugs the Radial Development Group * rachel marvels at Kids These Days and their nomadic lifestyles * Echoes of Episode 81 * Deep Thoughts with Kendall and rachel * Kendall recommends a podcast: The Fall of Civilization, especially the episode about Assyria Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Sarah talk about: * Making the choice to go into software engineering * The daily life of a team lead * How one becomes a team lead, awesome support from Jasmine and others! * The power of empathy in leadership * Being able to ask questions across the org * Approaches to building trust * Being highly concensus-driven, associating "authority" with top-down directives * How leaders should always remember they have more to learn * Just How Very Tired Kendall Is * That it's important for leaders to be approachable/accessible to people at all levels of the org * How "Building up relationships in a company is like building up a friendship" * Learning how to paint, using 3D printed items to practice drawing * Disrupting the "deciding where to eat" market You can find Sarah on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-rieger-66617a145/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: * The good vs the bad kind of underwater * Why one should make one's own underpants * Ear infections and their provenance, also Kendall made a pearl with his ear * rachel's new e-bike and how it's awesome * Kendall learns about the magical thing that is kolhrabi * rachel's plans and anxieties about travel during the pandemic * Why Kendall chooses the opposite of "stability" * How that impacts motivation to invest in the future in a given community * rachel learns about the turbo-plus version of notarization called "apostille" * Kendall's new working situation, goals for work environments * Why work when you don't have to? * Feelings of pointlessness regarding activism * The magical allure of Portugal Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Anurag talk about: * Getting left in charge as a career progression mechanism * An "unusual" level of interest in affecting long-term strategy and systems thinking from an economics background * Betting on more candidates by giving them an opportunity outside of their current background * The vagueness of product management and strategy * Instilling a culture of ownership/safety when everyone is working remotely * How sometimes more meetings is...good? At least when onboarding, as a way to develop culture by seeing other people interact. * Onboarding that results in checking in code within 5 days * LOUD NOISES * Admiration for one's leaders, learning by watching them * Authority as responsibility to one's team vs power * Intermission to enjoy Kendall's dog * Safety to make mistakes as a child, wanting that for your team * rachel has Opinions about calling your colleagues your "family" * Loyalty to people vs company * Enjoyment of natural places * Using leadership skills to improve life with friends and family You can find Anurag on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asblr/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: * Coping mechanisms: are some worse than others? Where is the line? * What happens when a planner can't make any plans? * rachel's effusive declarations about indie sewing patterns * Kendall's...disappointing COVID experience * Why does it seem wrong to feel happy when people around the world are suffering? * When it's helpful to compartmentalize * Clarifying what you're actually feeling guilty about * Happiness as self-care * How much authenticity is too much, at work? * The need for a mechanism for feeling hope * Hitting that bucket list * A song that changed the path of a life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXk5dXYw728 * A quick detour for hot tub recommendations and rap lyrics from Kendall * The value of self-understanding, introspection, honesty * Polarization for good and bad reasons * Doing the little things that make you happy (like making a podcast with a good friend

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Sean talk about: * The genesis of this podcast, and who we have to thank * How taking the traditional path of CS to engineering leadership is the rare case * Getting into guiding and mentoring at a small company named Huge (lol) * Being glad for having done the deathmarch type work when you were younger * Learning many important lessons via a failed startup * Why consulting is often not appealing * Finally getting into bonafide engineering management, with no training * A free podcast idea: Awkward Silences * The blessing and curse of being a problemsolver * The idea that listening is an action * Not being able to let go of puns * Timing complexity when trying to promote internally * How high trust environments must exist across a given company to work well, and how this makes hiring a much higher stakes proposition * Intent to 3D print and make things out of wood You can find Sean at seanoc.com Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: * Dietary constraints for gout sufferers * Non-traditional Thanksgiving fare and excitement about cabbage rolls * Kendall's adventures in escalating vegetarianism * The definition of "assuming positive intent" * How the power dynamic matters * Why it's unreasonable to expect marginalized people to assume positive intent by default * Kendall realizes once again he's playing the game on "easy" mode * When assuming positive intent works well, why it's valuable and to whom * Why this episode has the "explicit" tag :) * A time when Kendall did not assume positive intent * The dangers of making "assume positive intent" a corporate policy * How this relates to injustice in the greater social world * Kendall's unflagging optimism about people * rachel's tactics for navigating a situation where you can't assume positive intent * Why intent is not as important as impact * How to serve a colleague or employee who reports discrimination * Our desire for more topics to discuss, tweet us at @djpiebob and @blatanterror with your requests! Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Marilyn talk about: * Wishing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our guest :) * Growing up in a household that had computers * Working in tech: doing math, but also making money! * Going back to school, getting an internship at Google * The value of just having credentials (why to get a Masters degree) * The Wrong Kind of Management Training * Going back to being an IC....briefly * Getting crappy leadership advice * When not to "lighten the mood" and how the rules are different for men vs women * Enjoying the peer support of being a leader among several instead of being The One Boss * Educating Kendall about K&R, a rare opportunity to gatekeep for rachel :) * Enjoying being involved in decisionmaking vs being The Authority * Enthusiasm for houseplants and reading during the pandemic You can find Marilyn on Twitter as @mmmarilyn :) Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Eli talk about: * The most apt failed startup name ever * A terrible first experience as a manager and being voluntold to try it again * Enjoying the force multiplier of leadership vs individual contribution * Oracle acquisition zingers (nice one, Kendall) * Being Guild-less at Spotify * Going from being told what to build to asking what should be built * Learning that it's important to also care about the business plan * Communicating and marketing business context to [naive|entitled] engineers * How that context helps drive a more collaborative process and empowers engineers * How big is too big? Kendall asking the important questions * The inevitability of acquiring a "superstructure of bullshit" * Outgrowing the "rah rah" aspect of working at a company * Feelings of beard inadequacy and enjoyment of bicycles * The romance of building a sailboat with your life partner You can find Eli on the Rands Leadership Slack and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-daniel/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: * Kendall's amazing inflatable hot tub * Having a little bit of guest visit enjoyment, as a treat * The quaint marvel that is rachel's small-town paper's Police Blotter (here's the video i reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mG2RGp-lcw&t=5s ) * Wildlife encounters * Not blaming people who choose safety over working a service industry job * The need for a social safety net * A heartwarming tale of anonymous free fancy dinner * How companies who think "remote first" was just a phase are losing employees to the ones who realize it is the way of the future * The investment in support and infrastructure needed to successfully implement a "remote first" workplace * Ego-driven leadership and the need to survey one's domain * A theory about innovation needing people being in a room together * Whether the ability to multi-task during your Zoom meetings /really/ mean you're more productive? * How not having drive-by interruptions all day definitely helps * The possibility of a cultural split among companies -- in-person culture vs remote-first culture * Whether our listeners want more of this kind of episode--let us know! Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: * More than you wanted to know about grocery store ginger purchases * How some people use the term "a couple" to mean something other than exactly 2 and that they are Wrong * Examples of technologies that suck but people still use * Being caught up in the glories of the past (rachel would like to point out that she used a sharpie to black out Gene Simmons on her KISS shirt) * The downsides of Agile/continuous shipping of things vs Waterfall (warning, heresy inside) * Blaming growing inflexibility as one gets older * Unselfawareness in the face of serial shittiness * Two reasons: arrogance or laziness * How one gets stuck, how to know if you're stuck * Recommendations: * rachel: The Great British Sewing Bee (tv show, if you liked GBBO, you'll probably like this too) * rachel: The Alienist (kinda gruesome, moody period crime drama) * Kendall: fail videos from user mrmrmike on YouTube (great way to learn things NOT to do) Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: * Spending money on Things and our feelings about that * Are we the baddies? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JOpPNra4bw) * The nature of golden handcuffs * What is "enough"? * "Work" as a social outlet * Contentment vs. satisfaction * Kendall's wanderlust and associated twitchiness * Enabling satisfaction for your employees * Impact and the effectiveness of giving money vs. personal involvement and time * Whether it's simpler (NOT easier) to be "poor" * Underlying feelings of guilt/not deserving * The stress of not being able to make working "good" for one's employees * Recommendations for (unrelated) books: * Kendall recommends: James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time * rachel recommends: Gamechanger and Dealbreaker by L.X. Beckett (and Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Al Switzler, Ron McMillan) Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Amy talk about: * The olden dayze of Geocities and people hating on Javascript * The scrum leadership to management pipeline * Kendall's Litany Of Agile Atereotypes * Getting promoted Too Fast * Hypotheses about the ability to succeed using progressive management philosophies * Wanting to leave the tech industry "better than we found it" * Joining early for a greater impact on the culture * Focus on strategy vs process as a signifier of seniority * Twitter as a leadership training ground * Leveraging authority should be uncomfortable * The "ooh, shiny" approach to hobby acquisition * Woodworking nerdery, a macrame + shelf project! You can find Amy on Twitter at @amychanta Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Dee talk about: * Coming from dropping out of school in at 16 years old * The struggles of being a manager in a bar in Singapore as a teenager * Developing "scripts" for the various interactions that kept recurring * Internships as cheap labor rackets * Immediate promotion from intern to being in charge of customer comms * Premonitions about layoffs * The camaraderie of joint suffering * Kendall admits that Marketing runs the universe * Gatekeeping as an indicator of a real discipline * The difficulties of managing people who are significantly older than you, especially in Singaporean culture * Predicting her own future, again * Iterating toward a less blunt approach to management * Preferences for feedback via chat vs in person * Experiencing joy when reports succeed * Self-reflection when reports are failing * Cooking experiments You can find Dee on twitter or instagram as @tomyumsushi :) Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Aye talk about: * Being an Old (Java 1.0 certified!) * Realizing he used to be "hard to work with" * Transitioning away from electrical engineering and into enterprise software * The idea that management is where people who can't build software anymore "go to die" * Starting to understand that there is more to life than writing Java code * Moving to Las Vegas and having his life changed by the Zappos culture * Parades! * Learning how to be a better manager from a good team * How knowing the wrong things to do is not the same as knowing the right things to do * Starting a company...to help managers do a better job (at 1:1s)! * Discovering that marketing and sales is hard and that most places don't invest in management tools :( * Finding a desirable culture and good work-life balance at Slack * Wishing he had a good leadership mentor earlier in his work life * The fact that the immature asshole developer is a pretty common archetype * Enjoyment of kettlebell exercises and a whole new world for Kendall You can find Aye on LinkedIn and on Twitter as @damnitjim ;) Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Brett talk about: * Realizing you're the facilitator person in your friend group..and in college, and grad school... * The reality of mechanical engineering not living up to the idea of it * Getting that first software engineering job with no software engineering background * The power of networking * The consequences of having no real management experience * How being less outgoing/energetic than Kendall affects one's management style * Leadership based in assembling the Avengers and stepping aside * Modeling team interactions and desired behaviors * Hiring a leadership coach and how it was lifechanging * How authoritarian leadership slows things down * Surprise beekeeping hobby! * Biking as a mental health practice You can find Brett on LinkedIn, on Twitter as @bnekolny, and on the Rands Leadership Slack. Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Miki talk about: * The three eras of Miki so far: technology, self-identity, and relationships * Early failures to thrive -- early admission to college, and the professional world * Navel-contemplation and some key realizations * Getting a job with room to evolve and let off steam * The differences among marketing-driven, engineering-driven, and sales-driven companies * A change of pace: the finance industry :) * The Google-related diaspora of an early household * Flying ever-nearer to the flame of leadership, getting burned, and taking another orbit * Delaying the investment in building relationships until she could fully be herself at work * The requirement for executive support when driving change * Making an incremental transition and beginning to invest in relationships * Engineers and the skewed power dynamic involved in managing them * Scalability in the decisionmaking process * Decoupling personal life from professional life, intent and authenticity * 3D printing as aspirational pandemic hobby You can find Miki on Twitter as @dichro and on Instagram as @hbmiki Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Irina talk about: * Moving to LA from Moscow during elementary school * Enjoyment of donuts and data * Getting alignment before doing things (shocking, right? :)) * Shaving yaks in order to work at JPL * Learning how to learn, learning in the trenches * Accommodating the needs of team members * How leadership as a consultant is different * The perils of messy data * How it's never too soon to begin collecting the data you need * Deepening her social network * Dealing with ageism as a university instructor * Dealing with Kendall's assumptions about interest in data :) You can find Irina at https://www.ikukuyeva.com/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Kari talk about: * Getting management experience in the nonprofit world * From a young age, wanting to be...a math teacher? :) * Finally getting some management training * Working with a personal leadership coach * Strategic vs tactical planning * Learning and re-learning the value of self-care * The practice of self-promotion * Doing away with a bad hiring practice * Allowing for awkward silences * An unexpected enjoyment of gardening * Leading too much in one's personal life You can find Kari on Twitter at @karianneban Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Matt talk about: * The impact of coming from an entrepreneurial family * The siren call of "freedom" * Needing a team to make a dent in the universe * What's valuable about an MBA program, and how it's like an endless Group Project * Kendall's Epic Disclaimer and differing recollections of their mutual origin story ;) * What having kids teaches you about leadership * The N Dysfunctions of a Serial Startup Exec * How everybody's got a boss * Deep Thoughts courtesy of Star Trek * The concept of anti-hobbies You can find Matt on the internet on Twitter @mattrogish and on mattrogish.com Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Dominique talk about: * Getting into computers so she could communicate with her friends * How crappy Dreamweaver was * Benefiting from IBM programs * Stepping into project management * Leaving IBM for a much smaller company... * Making assumptions about working patterns...with mixed results :) * How hiring quickly is in tension against achieving diversity * Practicing giving feedback via "speedback sessions" * Needing to know the "why" before following the rules * Asking for her promotions * Getting ready to garden and an obsession with whole grains * Painting for 3 weeks * What's hard about children :) You can find Dominique on Twitter @dominiquesr and on Medium under her full name. Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Yaz talk about: * A love of languages, molecular biology, art * The less-than-romantic reality of becoming an architect * How creation is creation--programming is a creative act * A painful introduction to the responsibilities of management * Finally becoming an architect (of software ;) ) * Guilting himself into becoming a people leader * Moving to the US, going back to smaller companies/startups * Kendall's insecurity about title inflation :) * That the relationship you have with your team/manager is often more important than the work * Cultural variances in leadership styles and expectations * The downsides of being pre-emptively trusting * Balancing the responsibilities of leadership with the responsibilities of family * A secret management coaching weapon at home :) * Kendall's atrocious parenting ;), Yaz's difficulties teaching his kid how to play guitar * Being a beekeeper?! So cool! Additional fascinating hobbies * Yet another recommendation for the Crucial Conversations books Yaz recommends The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier, Crucial Conversations by Al Switzler, Joseph Grenny, and Ron McMillan, Multipliers by Liz Wiseman, and reading The Daily Stoic. You can find Yaz on the internet on LinkedIn and at https://yagiz.medium.com/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Lena talk about: * Starting out in finance, the arts, classic cars journalism, and more... * Uses (appropriate or not) for creativity in leadership * Realizing that a potential lifelong career in banking would be...boring * First startup experience as a web copywriter * First formal leadership experience as a bootstrapped startup CEO * Ebola outbreak response...no biggie, right?! * Becoming more intentional as a leader, learning about leadership frameworks * Growing out of the 'relationship' as a cofounder, wanting different things * Big, International, Complicated :) * Becoming a regular old Engineering Manager, and...immediately becoming a VP of Engineering * Twitter as a source of leadership learning, despite the trashfire * Managing in all directions, 360 degree leadership * Acknowledging that leadership successes depend on the quality of the team * Hiring tenets, "value add" vs "culture fit" * Finding the right role at CircleCI * Authority and how to swing it, understanding power distance * Maintaining a list of hobbies to take up as a hobby * A strong desire for "really good fries" * A recommendation for poetry books by Omar Sakr, more books recommended below * Working on dialing back the tendency to take charge in non-work life (such a familiar struggle :)) More books Lena recommends: - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50887097-why-fish-don-t-exist - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43131602-into-the-planet - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39731655-in-extremis You can find Lena on the internet at: - http://twitter.com/lrnrd - https://lenareinhard.com - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenareinhard/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Yazhi talk about: * How Yazhi doesn't know what "old" means ;) * A life story framed as Lord of the Rings * Growing up with stereotypical Asian parental expectations, coloring within the lines * >>recordscratch>> growing up in FIJI?! (Kendall spends 5 minutes squee-ing) * rachel's turn to squee, someone who sees the value of useful error logging :heart-eyes: * A first taste of travel in the US * Personal development smorgasbord at IBM * Personal life upheaval driving big changes, no more coloring inside the lines * Moving to the US and starting an IT consulting company * When people usually rebel, how much of a rule-follower Kendall is * Discovering America with gusto, FREE SODA REFILLS :D * Trying out the stay-at-home mom thing and not being able to keep still * Pivoting to building businesses from home * Remembering you're working with actual people, not just resources * Managing resistance to new process implementation through curiosity and humility * How yet again, the problem is people * Getting over yourself to get the job done * The Rules and how to ignore them, for the sake of the children * Why you should own goats You can find Yazhi on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/yazhi/ Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

Better late than never, rachel and Kendall Have Opinions About 2020: * Introverts and extroverts, living together in perfect harmony (on this podcast, at least) * How to meet new podcast guests, the Kendall Miller Way * Pie and the art of house maintenance * Cheater's yeast, and the ubiquitous breadmaking theme of 2020 * Guilt and all its many facets * Coping mechanisms (some people buy bikes, some people go for uphill walks) * 2020 episode highlights, sponsored by rachel's terrible internet connection * The substance you're using to get by during the pandemic is (probably) OK * 50-something episodes, and over 25,000 downloads! * Find us on Twitter to tell us what you think! @djpiebob and @blatanterror * Discussion of the 2020 episode highlights above :) * Hiring for additive benefits vs sameness * GIving up control to get better results * (Kendall probably does not like beets, stay tuned) * Recommendation for Turn The Ship Around by David L. Marquet * rachel is excited about working on a to-be-named leadership book project * The power of hope as a third way to move forward into 2021 Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Jibran talk about: * Is art school a weird starting point for a designer? * Vowing to never work on web sites (lol) * Having an unusually good experience in the gaming industry * Getting the full "I moved to SF for a startup and it shut down as soon as I got there" experience * Accusations of being responsible for LinkedIn "Stories" ;) * When companies don't grow their own leaders * A good manager tells you when you need to leave to move forward * Bombshell: leaving the SFBA for a startup in the Midwest! * Bringing design practices into the insurance industry -- with humility * Growing up as a leader alongside the company * Partnering with a new-to-tech HR org to build a hiring pipeline * Enjoying interviewing candidates * What an awesome resource the Rands Leadership Slack is * Constant disagreement with everybody ;) * Kendall's argument-winning fantasies * An amazing lesson learned at the right time * Asking for clear direction, transparency works both ways * [We are not sponsored by The Morning Show on AppleTV+] * Understanding motivation as a way to communicate leadership decisions you don't agree with * Being into old cars and how that is a bit of an outlier for a progressive/socialist-leaning person :) You can find Jibran on Twitter as @jkutik :)

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Tessa talk about: * Studying computer science because she "ran out of math classes" at her high school * ACTUALLY using trigonometry in real life * How all-women educational environments are awesome * Unlearning the Seattle culture in favor of the New York culture * Translating academic experiences into tech industry programming interviews * Getting a foot in the door via content production * Freelancing to live, not living to freelance * The joys?! of maintaining legacy code and CMSes * Management training at NYTimes * Understanding the responsibilities of the middle manager * Going into management to create the environments she wants others to experience * Telling a bad job that you're not a "culture fit" for them * Being intrinsically motivated vs deferring to authority * Remembering that current authority structures are not designed for marginalized people * How leadership experience can be good and bad for non-work interactions Books Tessa recommended: https://www.amazon.com/Managers-Path-Leaders-Navigating-Growth/dp/1491973897 https://www.amazon.com/Rework-Jason-Fried/dp/0307463745 + https://www.amazon.com/Doesnt-Have-Be-Crazy-Work/dp/0062874780/ Tessa's favorite leadership book: https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Self-Deception-Getting-Out-Box/dp/1576759776 You can find Tessa on twitter and on Medium as @c0d3rgirl Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Rishi talk about: * Having a nerdy family to kick things off * First exposures to leadership issues while trying to code a game with friends * Our inability to not interrupt people just when they're trying to make a point * Discovering an appreciation for working at smaller companies, starting at larger companies * Needing to see the result of his efforts * Discovering a desire to play multiple roles via competitive ultimate frisbee * Solving the parking problem * Challenges in building a hardware solution * The value of hiring the right person for the environment vs the technical skill * "Are we the right fit for /them/" * Tailoring the technical interview to the context of the interviewee * Leadership variances as a consultant, the authority of the outsider * Guessing (correctly) that most entrepreneurial folk have a complex relationship with authority :) * Developing the skill of motivating people who do not report to you * The value of understanding your audience and their history before trying to influence them * Book recommendation: Never Split The Difference * Progressive Metal band recommendation: Protest The Hero You can find Rishi on Twitter as @whoisthisogre :) Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Val talk about: * Coming up to technical leadership via graphic design and creative writing * Becoming the person who fixes the printer * "If you can get through Finnegan's Wake, you can get through the technical manual" * Discipline, leadership, making herself heard in the Air Force Civil Air Patrol program and military family connections * Adjusting her military-learned leadership style for training interns * What "IT Communications" means * Learning the important difference between being effective and being right * Resiliency vs perfection * Prioritizing reinforcing the skills you can improve, some weaknesses won't be improved by grinding * Deciding to push through skill deficit for the love of sports * How academia means managing relationships for the long term with a soupçon of Game Of Thrones * Using one's physical assets to project confidence and be heard * Recognizing when you don't have to be the one who is in charge, freeing yourself * The joys of Strongman training and exploring the limits of human strength You can find Val on the internet at http://pantagruel.net :) Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this Very Special Episode, rachel, Kendall, and Luke talk about: * Coming from different evangelical backgrounds * The shaping of our respective authority issues as related to religious upbringing * Luke's birth /literally/ in a baptismal font :) * What we mean when we say "religion" * Tech salary as a way to fund a church planting career * Leaving the church behind but bringing the leadership lessons along * Good and bad authority structures represented by the church * Detoxing from evangelicisim, finding a new purpose * Choosing between being right or being good Switching to rachel's background: * Moving to the US at 11, with no real religious upbringing before that * Trying hard to buy into the fundamentalist Baptist faith * Leaving for college and never returning * Atheism vs agnosticism * Whether your beliefs are a choice * The value of faith in one's own community and whether humanity deserves the asteroid treatment And on to Kendall's Christian upbringing: * Dad fasting and actually praying on his knees for guidance * The weird incentives and blame structures of fundamentalism * Noticing the tendency to open the Bible more often to curse than to bless * Working for a religious organization in China for 10 years * Realizing that much of evangelical Christianity as it is practiced in the US is very much culturally a White American thing * Not needing to understand how praying works * Does it matter if you're wrong about faith? Nah. What matters is being willing to be wrong. * Servant leadership and how it works for both sacred and commercial applications if done well Back to Luke: * Was the "walk to remember" a kind of psychic break, or prayer? * Realizing all you really need is validation * Only needing a loose grip on the framework to get the benefit * Not wanting to tell people what to do, and all the insecurities that represents * Not being able to follow instructions if the goal isn't clear * How an aversion to certainty can get in the way of leading * What is justice, if not love at scale? You can accost Luke with ideas for scaling love on Twitter at @saintlukas :) Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Aaron talk about: * Learning about managing interpersonal issues from his dad, an "interim CEO of ministers" * Putting that learning into practice building and fixing teams at startups * Helping teams identify their own weaknesses as a form of counseling * How this podcast is not sponsored by Knives Out (ps: Kendall has seen the movie since we recorded this podcast and didn't find it as good as Aaron did.) * Following the energy on the management > IC > management cycle * Finally choosing the simplicity of leadership ;) * Long-term career planning * The entire category of software that exists because leaders don't trust their people * Authority trauma from Kendall's past * The realization that leadership sometimes requires making decisions about things without getting concensus from your team first * The relationship between unease at doing the above and lack of comfort with authority in general * Determining how much detail to provide when giving direction * When your positive ability to build concensus turns into a need and a negative * The enjoyment when your authority issues align with your role * How leadership is a lot more about collaboration and cooperation than it is telling people what to do * Rubik's cube, hiking, being underprepared for overnight conditions You can find Aaron on Twitter at @aaronlerch Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Anthony talk about: * Feeling late to the Black Lives Matter movement and going to Ferguson * Learning to lead national campaigns for peace * Realizing communication is about storytelling * Being seen, being heard, what it means to win * The need to inspire vision as a leader * Optimism vs hope * Finding affirmation in current events while still taking the long view * Managing frustrations and engaging in self-care * The idea of being "well-adjusted to injustice" * Meeting Cornel West (!) and mentorship from Dr. Vincent Harding (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Harding) * The need to question authority, who benefits from it * Redefining profit to include greater context * Hope in future generations voting with their career choices * Leading "with" vs "over" * The joy of asking a ton of questions :) * What white people can do to join the movement and show support: * Get off the fence * Don't jump in unschooled, but don't wait until you think you know everything either * Don't assume your help will fix everything * Get used to being uncomfortable, exercise those muscles, grow * Don't let this moment pass you by * That Anthony's movie (https://www.anthonygrimes.com/mr-somebody-watts-la) was chosen for the Tribeca Film Festival! * Missing going out and dancing, traveling You can find Anthony at his website (https://www.anthonygrimes.com), and on most social media as @antbuilder Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: * Whether Kendall is either hot or a mess or both * How hard it is to set expectations...for anything * Working on developing new patterns because it's not going to go "back to normal" anytime soon * Coping with the death of a parent, most likely of the coronavirus * The unreality of the danger unless it has touched you personally * Weighing one's mental health vs physical health * Putting all plans for travel on hold through the end of the year * How contact tracing works * Dark thoughts about the need for a revolution * Leveraging planning for the future as an emotional coping tactic * More about making new habits...that aren't unhealthy over the long term * Letting yourself feel it * This episode's self-soothing recommendations: * rachel: Socializing via simulwatching movies on chat. Bailing on books you're not enjoying. Animal Crossing. * Kendall: Letterkenny on Hulu. Meeting friends for socially-distanced takeout. Popeye's Chicken. * Obligatory sourdough discussion * Kicking one's own ass in gear when there isn't a reason to go on a drive (yet) * Zoom calls and takeout aren't a substitute for being in the room, for networking, for the hallway track, for the ambiance * Feeling unsafe talking about how bad things might actually be * How good leaders take care of themselves so they don't take things out on their team * Being kind is good for everyone involved Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music

In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Alicia talk about: * Germophobia, and being right all along * Realizing managing humans is more interesting than engineering * What HR isn't for * Building experience in the consulting world * Being reminded that there will be a "next" job * Choosing stability over passion * Kendall's lack of patience * The desire for influence vs cultural and procedural debt * Leading a community group at work * Creating space for the team to process the pandemic, a human stand-up * The effort required to explain how you're doing * How instead of a drop in productivity, many folks are seeking control by getting things done, connection by working together more closely * Social and physical meditation * Negative connotations of authority * The relief of having someone tell you what to do * Spending more time cooking, the challenge of constraints on ingredients * Digital minimalism You can find Alicia on Twitter as @macapplechick Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music