This document is a kickstart to getting to know me on a professional level. It quickly describes my work habits, communication style, values etc.
My Daily Cadence
I try to use flexible work time to a full extent. Sometimes I work in the evening and over weekends, and sometimes if I finish work earlier, I might take a day off to recharge. Watch my slack statuses.
It’s okay for me to stay late if needed. Starting earlier is a stretch; if critical - try to let me know in advance.
I have ‘deep work’ sessions in my calendar - please respect them; these spaces are not open for ad-hoc meetings.
My Work Style
I believe in high-level goals and ‘just enough description’. If I haven’t described how exactly something should work - that usually means I think you are better suited to make that call.
For new ideas, my default way of thinking is to cut the scope. I believe it’s OK to accumulate tech debt and cut corners to test the idea ASAP - we can always improve on it later. There are, of course, exceptions.
I believe in managing the process, not the people. Workflows, checklists, and templates are my thing. If not overly constraining, a good process can save a lot of headaches. But of course, overdoing processes should be avoided.
When it comes to execution, call me Cycle Time evangelist. That’s the delivery metric I usually care about the most.
My holy-grail objective is to build a culture and processes where the product manager is no longer needed.
If you didn’t manage to fulfil your commitments - I don’t need any elaborate explanations. Just tell me you’ll miss the deadline, and let’s not fuss about it. I believe you did your best, and there was some reason for the delay; you don’t have to prove that.
My Communication Style
If there’s an emergency and you work with me - my phone number is in my slack profile - it’s okay to use it unless explicitly asked not to.
Try to use shared communication channels as the default. If you're sending me a DM, make sure that there is a good urgent reason. Having strong work-life boundaries makes me more effective at what I do.
My default mode of oral communication doesn’t have many filters - I joke around and swear. It might not resonate with everyone - just let me know; it’s crucial for me that you feel comfortable talking with me.
I don’t mind getting messages at any time of the day or evening - if my notifications are on, that’s my choice; I can always turn them off. I might also send you messages as and when I get new ideas.
Where you can misunderstand me
My default mode of assessment is to de-risk and look for things that can go wrong. Sometimes it might come off as pessimism, but that’s not it. The more I search for problems and loopholes, the more I care.
I like using hyperboles to spice up the story or stress the point. Let me know if I go overboard and cause confusion.
In bigger meetings, I tend to be the quiet one; sometimes, I can go through the whole meeting without saying a word. It doesn’t mean I am not listening or multitasking; I just feel we tend to talk too much and listen too little.
What I value
Ownership and challenging status quo. I like to own my beliefs and do my best to test them in real life. I'm not afraid to challenge the status quo. If I’m wrong, let me know and we can work together to converge on a better set of beliefs.
Self-awareness. Being aware of our strengths, weaknesses, and preferences helps us as individuals, but it also enables the whole team to perform better and fill each others gaps; many bonus points for that!
Ambition. I don’t think it’s bad to ‘do your shift’ and live your life, but if you have stretch goals for your development, we’ll get along well.
What I don't value
Silo thinking. We are in the same boat, so if there’s a hole in the hull, we should all equally care about fixing it. The "it’s not my job" syndrome gets me fuming.
Unjustified perfection. I do believe quality and UX are critical, but there are times when the learning pace and speed of iteration are more important. Let's not overdo on "quality is important" when running simple experiments.
Complaining without action. If you don’t like something, fix it. If you don’t know how or feel it’s beyond your control, hook me up, and we’ll figure something out. Let your actions speak more than your words.
How I like to get feedback
Direct, preferably as it happens. There is no need for sandwich techniques or beating around the bush; the fact you want to help me grow is enough.
I usually need both negative feedback (improvements to work on) and positive feedback (to reinforce that I am working in the direction).
Feel free to schedule a chat with me and let me know what you'd like to talk about.
Random Fun Facts
I love to binge-watch Netflix! The amount of content I consume is worrisome.
Science Fiction is my favorite! Space-time movies spike the adrenaline like nothing else.
I love to experiment with food and you would always catch me trying out new cuisines every other weekend. It’s “bon appetit!” for most every other appetite in my world.
Being in nature’s lap gets me going. There’s something adventurous about being outdoors among all that green, and I’ve often driven my friends to develop this taste for the picturesque.
I’ve always had a good collection of songs to recommend to people, another proof of my stellar aesthetic taste. And yes, as you might have guessed, modesty does come naturally to me.
You’ll find me reading personal development books (Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, Atomic Habits by James Clear, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill) and learning one new thing at a time. For instance, these days I have been trying to learn Pottery. A few months back, I tried my hand at yoga and got completely hooked to it! The list goes on.
In short, I’m constantly working on being a better version of myself — and sniffing out fun ways to do just that.
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