The first set of questions are focused on me:

• What are some honest, unfiltered things about you?
  • My energy typically comes in huge spurts.
  • I have a tendency to start or plan lots of independent projects that I don't see all the way through.
  • The more I love and admire the people I work with, the harder I'll work with and for them.
  • I tend not to hold back when I have conviction in an idea and am stubborn, which can create unnecessary conflict in teams I'm on. I'm working on this.
  • I sometimes come off as brusque or overly direct when I'm trying to get to the point of a discussion.
  • I love my teammates and genuinely care for their health and happiness (personal and professional).
  • I prioritize the core tech/idea/mission of what I work on way above the frills, and am laser-focused on letting the things I create speak for themselves.
  • I have little difficulty working on both the big picture and the small details when I'm passionate about a project.
  • I have grown profoundly over the last four years (college). I'm very proud of myself for this growth, large parts of which have been around my relationships with masculinity and empathy.
  • I have a burning desire to be both great and good.
  • I love guiding people through decision-making processes and thinking together.
  • I am a builder. Of communities, products, organizations, relationships, and love.
  • I believe in the power of people, and in technology as a tool to amplify and distribute that power.
• What drives you nuts?
  • Busywork— being told to doing work without knowing the context in which the work is important, or when I'm not allowed to do the work in a way I think would be much better.
  • Unwillingness to do some research/thinking on one's own before asking others for help.
  • Lack of empathy— people not being able or willing to step into someone else's shoes, even for the sake of argument.
  • Trying to 'slip something past' someone, like a low-effort product obscured by fancy marketing and dark patterns.
  • Emails/messages that should be meetings
    • (note: this is the other way around from what most people say! I think there are important things that are best dealt with with voice/video/in person to get context and nuance across)
  • Ending a meeting without defining what's next.
  • Over-optimization— not thinking about whether things are 'good enough', or spending team time on relatively inconsequential details.
• What are your quirks?
  • I'm intensely musical— when working independently (if the space allows!), I hum, whistle, tap, and sing a lot, regardless of whether I have headphones in.
  • Cereal is an all-purpose fuel for me, any time of day or night.
  • I'll ask a lot of questions if you let me!
• How can people earn an extra gold star with you?
  • Come to me with hard questions about the work you're doing and/or how you feel about it- we'll think through it together.
  • Teach me about the things you learn about, or things you find cool! Spontaneous discussions about products, companies, or ideas definitely make an impact.
  • Clear, searchable, written documentation of progress and expectations. (The Stripe API is my dream colleague)
  • Come to meetings prepared and excited.
• What qualities do you particularly value in people who work with you?
  • Grit
  • Strong values
  • Ambition
  • Levity
  • Willingness to speak up for what they believe in
  • Thoughtfulness and deep empathy
  • Learning-centric attitude/growth mindset
• What are some things that people might misunderstand about you that you should clarify?
  • Oftentimes, I'll present a viewpoint or argument for illustrative or "devil's advocate" purposes, and I do it to clarify and justify my team's decisions, not because I hold opposing perspectives.
  • If I come off as stubborn, it's likely because I have deep conviction in my belief and I don't think I've heard the right evidence to change my mind. Tell me I'm being stubborn and I will take a conscious step back, or walk through my thinking with you.
  • Despite sometimes having these deep convictions, I'm extremely evidence-driven and am open to almost any idea within as long as the reasoning and logic behind them are sound.
  • I understand I still have a lot to work on and learn about. I'll always be patient with teammates' personal growth, and ask the same of you for me.

The next set of questions are more focused on how I interact with others:

• How do you coach people to do their best work and develop their talents?
  • Some general advice I've compiled/written (link)
  • Focus on your immediate surroundings to find the best next step towards your North Star. Don't think more than one step ahead.
  • Ask yourself hard questions. Write down the answers.
  • Define success before setting off on a journey of self-improvement, or you'll be chasing it forever.
  • Have fun! 'Growth' is only useful insofar as it helps you get happier and closer to the person you want to be.
• What’s the best way to communicate with you?
  • Text for <1 paragraph comms
  • Email for longer-form updates or asks
  • Notion/Loom/Drive for giving async feedback/updates on documents
  • Zoom/Phone for quick bouncing of ideas or anything that would benefit from back-and-forth (2 minute call once/twice a day can be useful)
  • Zoom/Phone for anything important or urgent (performance, feedback, goal-setting), with documentation/deliverables/todos in Notion
• What’s the best way to convince you to do something?
  • Statement of why I am the right person to do it
  • Show me what the task achieves: what is the impact on people/team?
  • Tell me how you'd prioritize this task versus the other things that I'm working on and why
• How do you like to give feedback?
  • Typically prefer to give written feedback (or will write up notes before live feedback)
  • Will give feedback during a project if I feel the feedback will steer project in the right direction
  • On deliverables- commenting in Notion/Docs
• How do you like to get feedback?
  • Prefer to get feedback live so I can ask follow-up questions as they come to mind
  • I have an innate need to understand the "why" of both positive and negative feedback from first principles and ensuring my perceptions align with reality.
  • Strongly prefer honest, non-sugarcoated feedback. Tell me if I'm not doing well. I don't take much personally.
  • For positive feedback- prefer details on what things went well/where I shone so I can develop superpowers.
  • For deliverables- commenting in Notion/Docs