Why Good Employees Get Laid Off

It seems like we’ve been seeing a lot of layoffs in the tech sector lately. More than usual. I’ve been thinking about this lately because I saw an analogy online that stuck with me. Someone said something like, “I’m a PhD and one of the world’s best electric vehicle scientists! Why would they lay me […]

It’s Easy (But Easy for Whom?)

I’ve been noticing a pattern at work lately: people getting frustrated with their teammates because “It’s easy, why are we having challenges?” After this happened more than once while discussing a project that was facing implementation challenges, I started thinking about it. Was it easy, what the team was struggling with? If it truly was […]

When “No” Doesn’t Mean “No”

I remember a valuable lesson I learned from a mentor a few years ago. I was speaking to this person and probably complaining about how our organization had so many processes and policies that it felt like we couldn’t do anything, everything we wanted to do we were told “no”. He said something really valuable. […]

Living in the Contradictions

One important personal concept that you have to learn to handle, especially as you get more senior, is how to handle what are seemingly contradictions. Let me explain via example. As you get more and more senior, you need to stop worrying about the days, in terms of what specific things did you accomplish today. […]

Picking Apples vs Planting an Orchard

Imagine your goal is to gather apples. Your immediate instinct might be to wander through a forest, spotting ripe fruit on the ground and collecting them. For a small family or a spontaneous snack, this works perfectly. There are apples readily available, and the effort is minimal. This “foraging” approach is akin to how many […]