Risk management is one of many essential skills not taught in our undergraduate degrees. The adage, “good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment”, is an effective description of our on the job learning approach to managing
Team
About team leadership & management
Sustainable Pace
Last week I interviewed an engineer with good analytics, solid software design skills, and relevant professional experience. He would have been a good potential fit for my team with one exception: his belief that he could not produce good software
Software Munchausen By Proxy
Software Muchausen By Proxy (SMBP) is a syndrome first diagnosed by me over a decade ago, and contrary to the opinion of some, represents my only contribution to the American Psychological Association. The diagnosis came while managing a small team
Top 7 Influence Mistakes of the Technical Professional
A few years back, Fred Engel, who was VP of engineering of Concord Communications from startup to IPO, gave me this professional insight (paraphrased): So after 15 to 20 years of working in the industry, you have become the VP
Acquisition Tips For the Startup Executive
I thought I’d commemorate my last week at Dell with tips for startup executives in integrating into an acquiring company. SilverBack Technologies was my third startup to be acquired. This list is the result of experiences of myself and
Build a Great Software Team
Several years ago I went on a customer call with a sales rep who had raced crew in college. Over lunch she told me how her coach found the best racing team each year. At the beginning of the season,