Somebody has to do it
January 7, 2026
We hear this from individual contributors, and we hear it from team leads and line managers, and we hear it from Directors and VPs, too.
World's Best Newsletter Archive
The thing that feels better than I told you so
December 10, 2025
Even as we’re setting up something ambitious, we can often spot the things lurking in the shadows that are going to get in the way.
With love in our hearts for your eventual revolution
November 12, 2025
If we want work to be better, we need possibility, not futility.
You are not a machine that receives tasks
September 17, 2025
Folks who study meaning at work have three buckets. We love a good three-bucket framework. Let’s go.
Busy is not a personality
June 25, 2025
What would you do if you had a week to just clear out backlog?
The poser manifesto
April 16, 2025
We talk with people building amazing things all the time, from founders to interns, and none of them sound like this.
The heart of it
February 19, 2025
To be worthy of your time, work needs to have dignity, meaning, and impact.
What’s the opposite of mercenary?
December 11, 2024
There is no narrative arc more dystopian than insecure people with power and limited accountability.
Even better than inbox zero
July 10, 2024
Not all months are created equal. And July, in particular, is a gift for many orgs if you’re able to grab it.
That’s not how any of this works
February 21, 2024
The problem is that most advice about work is wrong, and usually for the same reason.
Whose job is it?
February 7, 2024
Folks are quick to say, “I’m not actively looking. I’m happy where I am. I feel lucky to have a job. But…”
If it’s urgent, call my cell
December 27, 2023
Do this work long enough and every aspect of the human condition will at some point show up for someone you manage. Or for yourself.
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