Blog

All blog posts about engineering leadership, software architecture, and building great teams

2026

What Color Is Your Tuesday

Open your calendar and look at the next week without reading any titles. Just look at the colors. If you can't immediately tell which days will drain you and which ones have space to think, your calendar isn't working for you.

Feb 25, 2026 • 4 min read

Innovation Dies in Silence

You don’t build safety in offsites. You build it in how you respond when someone messes up or disagrees.

Feb 23, 2026 • 2 min read

The Bus Factor: How Many People Can You Afford to Lose?

The bus factor is a simple yet powerful way to think about execution risk in engineering organizations. It refers to the number of people who would need to suddenly disappear before a project stalls because the remaining team lacks the knowledge or capability to continue. That disappearance could be someone quitting, getting hit by a bus, taking extended leave, or simply being pulled onto another priority.

Feb 11, 2026 • 3 min read

One-Way vs Two-Way Doors

Not every decision deserves a meeting. But try telling that to some organizations, where even choosing a linting rule somehow requires stakeholder alignment and a follow-up meeting.

Feb 10, 2026 • 2 min read

MCP for the REST of Us

If you've been anywhere near AI tooling lately, you've probably heard about MCPs. Let me break down what MCP actually is, why it exists, and how it differs from the RESTful paradigm we've all grown comfortable with.

Jan 14, 2026 • 9 min read

2025

Put Your "But" on the Table

You spend hours on your presentation. You rehearse in the shower. You nail the delivery. Then Greg from finance raises his hand: "Yeah, but what about X?" Dammit, Greg. Here's how to Greg-proof your next pitch.

Oct 29, 2025 • 3 min read

OKRs That Actually Work

After 10 years of watching companies implement OKRs, I've seen them do two things: transform organizations or become another dreaded management ritual that everyone ignores. The difference isn't the framework itself. It's understanding that OKRs aren't just about setting goals. They're about creating alignment, focus, and outcomes that actually matter. In this blog post, I share what I've learned.

Oct 21, 2025 • 12 min read

Are MVPs and Skateboards still needed in 2025?

As AI tools and LLMs transform not only how we write code but our entire product development lifecycle, we are faced with a fundamental question: are two of our core product delivery methodologies still relevant, or do they need reinvention?

May 3, 2025 • 6 min read

Leading With Clarity

Rethinking leadership in engineering teams - moving beyond command-and-control to intent-based leadership that creates conditions for team success

Apr 26, 2025 • 8 min read