When Systems Stop Seeing
Why good ideas get ignored, early signals get missed, and problems only get taken seriously once they're too big to ignore.
Essays in this collection
Human Systems
How founder-led companies scale without losing what made them work
A reflection on founder-led companies, why scaling is not simply about removing the founder from the system, and how the original energy, taste and urgency of a company can move into the people and operating rhythms that carry it forward.
Human Systems
A Hammer often finds a nail
We used to reach for the unconventional expert when the problem was genuinely new. Somewhere along the way, we started reaching for the person who had solved it before. A hammer often finds a nail. The question is whether you actually needed one.
Human Systems
Hypercuriosity and how lack of curiosity in work can actually feel like pain
Ever felt so stuck and bored doing something that it actually starts to feel like physical pain?
Human Systems
On Being Taken Seriously
Why it can be hard to carry the weight of your own face
Human Systems
They've Never Said Hello. Why Does That Bother Me So Much?
They never say hello, but it's not intentional. They're just different to me.
Product Leadership
Where are the older people in technology?
A reflection on the quiet exit of experience, and what it costs us.In almost every job I’ve had over the last decade, I’ve been one of the only people my age.That hasn’t always bothered me.I’ve stayed curious.Learned fast.Led change.But lately, I’ve started noticing something.Older people in tech ar
Product Leadership
Why Do We Resist Foresight?
Foresight isn’t rare. It’s just hard to absorb when it threatens what we’re invested in.There’s a pattern I’ve lived inside for years:You see something You speak it.You offer a way through.And people nod… and then wait.They wait for more evidence.They wait for someone else to say it louder.They wait
Human Systems
When You Get Promoted, It’s Easy to Think You Know What to Do
You don’t need to arrive with all the answers. In fact, that’s often the risk. Here's what to do when you move into a new leadership role.
Product Leadership
The Genius Jerk and the Dam of Stuckness
Genius jerks Every company has one. The person who’s brilliant — but impossible.
Product Leadership
The Supporting Character Problem
What happens when emotionally intelligent leaders hold everything together — but don’t get recognised for it? A quiet call to action