Software Lead Weekly

Coronavirus: The Black Swan of 2020 - Sequoia Letter to Founders & CEOs
5 minutes read.

Reading this post by Sequoia reminds me a lot of their R.I.P Good Times from 2008, as the input is a bit different yet the output is almost the same: "Having weathered every business downturn for nearly fifty years, we’ve learned an important lesson — nobody ever regrets making fast and decisive adjustments to changing circumstances. In downturns, revenue and cash levels always fall faster than expenses. In some ways, business mirrors biology. As Darwin surmised, those who survive are not the strongest or the most intelligent, but the most adaptable to change."

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Every Company’s Homegrown Automation
1 minutes read.

My humble effort to help you start the weekend with a smile on your face, even in this difficult time.

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Work in the Time of Corona
11 minutes read.

Alice Goldfuss with one of the best posts I've read this week when it comes to employees who used to work from the office and find themselves working from home now due to COVID-19. When it comes to feeling less lonely, this is great advice by Alice: "I really like to watch streamers play games live. It’s a human event that reconnects me to the world." (my tip: watch Indie Hackers hack and ship things live)

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A Letter to A New Product Manager
3 minutes read.

Brian Armstrong wrote a short email he sends to new PMs who join Coinbase. Setting explicit expectations early on helps navigate both the emotional and productivity rollercoaster in the first few months. The purpose of reading this post should be to make you think and write what you believe is right in your company.

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What Do Executives Do, Anyway?
7 minutes read.

Avery Pennarun's take made me think a lot about my role and what I'd like to see with others around me in the management team. I recommend searching the title in Hacker News and read the thread there, as it will open up a few more directions for you to consider. My favorite takeaway is: "I wish more executives would be transparent about this. Our old strategy wasn't working, because our old values weren't working. Here's the new strategy, and the new values. This is gonna hurt."

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Reading More
7 minutes read.

Paul Stamatiou's posts are incredible. Take the time to read about his gear and how he set his working environment. I'd share this post with people who want to read more but not sure how to make it into a fun habit rather than a chore.

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How to Be More Productive Than Most Programmers
7 minutes read.

"The trick is that most programmers are too focused on how to write programs, and they overlook the essential things that make people productive." -- Di shares his playbook to optimize his productivity. I felt connected to "Stay Positive" and "Prepare" sections as this is what worked for me in my 19 years career so far.

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@AdamMGrant: You don't procrastinate to avoid work. You do it to avoid negative emotions. The task you're avoiding isn't always the one you hate. Sometimes it's the one you fear. The one that's most worth pursuing.

@jewelia: Whenever I see the need to "clarify roles and responsibilities" (eg EM/PM, between EMs of different orgs) I always think to the advice a mentor once gave me: Is it a *role* problem or a *relationship* problem? What really is the source of the friction?