How to work with me

My Blueprint

Conditions for trust, communication, and building things together for the long run.1

  1. Clear thinking: clear epistemology

    Show the chain. State what each claim rests on, where inference begins, what was left out, and what would disprove it. Name the decision that changes if the claim is true. A precise answer to the wrong question is still wrong.2

    Separate problems, risks, and uncertainties. Say out loud where risk appetites differ. Mistaking that for a disagreement about facts costs days.3

    Know whether the disagreement is about a fact, an inference, an assumption, a goal, a trade-off, or a tolerance.

  2. Priorities: the underbelly of the business

    Show what matters now, what is changing, what is stuck, and what is at risk. Use primary records and source data, financials included, to test the story.4

    When a decision lacks evidence, name the missing measurement, source, or test. More reporting cannot create information the company does not have.

  3. Trust: competence, reliability, sincerity, and involvement

    All four run both ways.5

    Expectations aren’t a burden. Show up consistently and follow through for the people counting on the result.

  4. Execution: clarity, ownership, and follow-through

    Lead with the point. Ask precise questions. Answer directly. Add only the context that changes the decision or the action.

    State what is needed, why it matters, and by when. Make a recommendation. One owner, one next action, one date.

    If nothing is needed from me, say that too. Close the loop with evidence.6

  5. Room to operate: visibility and trust

    Keep the work, the risks, and the blockers visible. Say what is off track early. Less visibility means closer review.

In return

Expect clear priorities, direct feedback, decisions on time, and real help clearing what blocks the work.

Notes

  1. Founder or principal: Know the numbers, don’t run out of cash, hire and lead the people who build the thing, and create the conditions for truth and execution.
    Operating counterpart: Turn direction into operating reality, keep the company close to the facts, and make ownership clear. Back
  2. Pressure-test questions:
    • What question does this answer?
    • What was observed, and what was left out?
    • What is fact, inference, assumption, or unknown?
    • What would prove the conclusion wrong?
    • What decision changes if it is true?
    Back
  3. Problem: Blocks the outcome now. Act on it.
    Risk: May happen, with a likelihood and consequence that can be estimated. Mitigate and monitor.
    Uncertainty: No credible estimate is possible. Inquire, keep options, stay reversible. Back
  4. Company state, what I expect to be able to see:
    • Cash in the bank, gross monthly burn, cash runway
    • Headcount, revenue, growth rate, total dollars raised
    • Technical milestones actually demonstrated
    • Product performance against stated requirements
    • Customer use and experience, and work actually completed
    Evidence standard: Direct observation and primary records. Reports and summaries tie back to source. Every claim carries an as-of date and a stated basis. Back
  5. The four dimensions are defined in My Principles, note 2. Back
  6. Writing is for: a shared record of the facts, evidence, assumptions, and reasoning.
    Meetings are for: decisions, disagreement, live coordination, and repair. Back