The hottest Management Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

The Cost of Poor Performers

Build To Scale • 19 implied HN points • 21 Aug 23
💼 Business Management Performance Feedback Recruitment Culture
  1. Quickly addressing poor performance is crucial for building a strong performance culture in a company.
  2. Identifying and managing poor performers is essential, especially in fast-growing organizations to maintain a high-performance environment.
  3. Giving clear feedback, setting expectations, and making decisions about poor performers promptly can lead to increased productivity and a stronger team.

Migrating ArgoCD PVCs from One Cluster to Another

Ops Sorry • 19 implied HN points • 26 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Software Deployment Migration Management
  1. Migrating PVCs with ArgoCD can lead to sync issues due to certain parameters becoming immutable.
  2. Modifying PVCs after creation is not possible, so consider letting ArgoCD handle PVC creation and modifying the bound PV instead.
  3. To resolve PVC migration issues with ArgoCD, delete the bound PV, update the PV manifest with new PVC values, and verify the status updates back to 'Bound.'

Answer three questions to make remote work productive for your company

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 19 implied HN points • 26 Sep 23
💼 Business Management Remote work Productivity Team Dynamics Corporate culture
  1. It's important for companies to measure performance at individual, team, and organizational levels. This helps make sure everyone is contributing to their goals.
  2. Culture matters a lot in remote work. A strong culture can keep workers connected and motivated, even when they are not in the same physical space.
  3. Employee satisfaction is key. Happy employees are usually more productive, so companies should focus on what makes their workers feel valued and fulfilled.
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RDEL #3: The top productivity factors for engineers

Research-Driven Engineering Leadership • 19 implied HN points • 31 Jul 23
💼 Business Productivity Engineering Leadership Research Management
  1. Developer productivity is not just about technical tools, but non-technical factors play a significant role.
  2. The top three productivity factors for engineers were found to be non-technical in nature.
  3. Managers aiming to enhance developer productivity should prioritize communication with developers to understand their needs and preferences.

Lessons learned about influencer marketing in developer-focused companies

thedevmarketer • 19 implied HN points • 05 Jul 23
💼 Business Marketing Influencers Collaborations Management Partnerships
  1. Product-led growth blurs B2B and B2C marketing channels, with B2B companies now venturing into influencer marketing on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
  2. Influencer marketing is thriving in developer-focused companies, with channels like YouTube being popular among developers.
  3. Paid distribution is crucial in niche fields like Kubernetes or ML Ops for sustained impact, and choosing influencers wisely based on audience quality is key for successful campaigns.

RDEL #2: What makes a great manager of software engineers?

Research-Driven Engineering Leadership • 19 implied HN points • 24 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Management Software Engineering
  1. The best managers of software engineers create a positive work environment to support their team's success.
  2. Enabling autonomy and fostering talent growth are key attributes that engineers value in their managers.
  3. Engineers prioritize a supportive and autonomous work environment over managers being highly technical.

Tailored Triumph: Crafting Your Personalized Hemorrhoid Management Plan( Part 4/4)

Gutsphere - Your Ultimate Guide to Optimal Gut Health • 19 implied HN points • 18 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Management Prevention Lifestyle Monitoring
  1. Living with hemorrhoids can be frustrating and recurrent, but it's important to understand the challenges and reasons behind it.
  2. Creating a personalized hemorrhoid management plan involves identifying triggers, designing lifestyle changes, and monitoring progress.
  3. Recalibrating our approach based on data, seeking expert advice, and gamifying stool monitoring can help in effective hemorrhoid management.

Engineering Managers Influence Limiting Beliefs

🔮 Crafting Tech Teams • 19 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
💼 Business Management Team Dynamics Tech industry
  1. Engineering managers play a crucial role in addressing and overcoming limiting beliefs within their teams.
  2. It's important for managers to focus on inspiring and supporting their team members, rather than just the technical aspects of the work.
  3. Challenges like unsuccessful projects, financial setbacks, and technical debt are common in tech teams, but they can be opportunities for growth and improvement.

Strategy for Startups

Ways of Working • 19 implied HN points • 08 May 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Strategy Startups Leadership Management
  1. Strategy is the plan for an organization to achieve its vision.
  2. Startups go wrong by mistaking mission, vision, and goals for strategy, not eliminating options, and inducing strategy whiplash.
  3. Creating a strategy requires identifying the starting point, assessing company stage & purpose, gathering inputs, soliciting feedback, going on a PR tour, and executing & iterating.

Hire Executives Who Get Things Done

Build To Scale • 19 implied HN points • 12 Sep 23
💼 Business Leadership Startup Recruitment Innovation Management
  1. When hiring senior executives, probe to understand their past actions and problem-solving approaches to gauge their potential fit with your company.
  2. Beware of big company executives transitioning to startups, as they might struggle with the hands-on, rapid decision-making environment and bring in unnecessary processes.
  3. Always personally check the references of potential executives to get genuine insights on their work ethics and impact.

Engineering Leadership Principles

Software Engineering by Hugo Dias • 19 implied HN points • 03 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Engineering Leadership Management Product Delivery
  1. High-performing teams have clear purpose, small size, stable structure, and autonomy for improvement.
  2. Ensuring project completion, minimizing waiting times, and shipping regularly are key to effective project delivery.
  3. Product success relies on setting clear goals, measuring progress, iterating frequently, and valuing team ideas in feature development.

Really, really good blog posts on building, scaling, and financing startups

The Down Round • 19 implied HN points • 07 Mar 23
💼 Business Startups Funding SaaS Economics Management
  1. Having a core group of users who love your product is crucial for startup success and growth.
  2. Carefully consider how much funding your startup actually needs, as too little or too much can have negative consequences.
  3. Not all revenue is the same in a business, focus on creating high-value revenue streams for success.

Meetings

Splattern • 19 implied HN points • 20 Sep 23
💼 Business Meetings Management Productivity Team Dynamics Communication
  1. Meetings often lack a clear agenda and can derail into side discussions, making them less efficient. It's important to have a structured plan to keep everyone focused.
  2. Bringing together different team representatives in a meeting can be beneficial for making well-rounded decisions. However, managing all these perspectives can be challenging.
  3. Taking the time to communicate effectively and set clear expectations can help ensure that meetings achieve their goals without running over time.

Hitting the ground running

Splattern • 19 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
💼 Business Management Leadership Project management Career development Workplace culture
  1. Starting a project well means preparing for it and breaking down tasks ahead of time. It helps to think through every step and potential problem before jumping in.
  2. Having a manager who supports you can make a big difference in your work life. When you show that you care and take ownership, they are more likely to invest in your growth.
  3. Being valued for your work is important. Many people find purpose and motivation when they know their contributions matter to the team.

Navigating the First 90 Days Without (Too Many) Hiccups

Pragmatism • 64 implied HN points • 07 Mar 23
💼 Business Management Product Strategy Leadership Career
  1. In the first 30 days, focus on building relationships and understanding the company dynamics.
  2. From 30 to 60 days, dive into working with product and engineering counterparts, prioritize quick wins, and showcase thought leadership.
  3. Within 60 to 90 days, become a key stakeholder in planning, ship your first feature, refine the product roadmap, and take ownership of your product suite.

Levelling up the public relations profession

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
💼 Business Public Relations Diversity Education Management Recruitment
  1. Public relations needs to work harder on diversity, focusing not just on race or gender but also on socio-economic backgrounds, education, and geography. This broader view can help make the industry more inclusive.
  2. There is a significant gap in public relations jobs for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Many PR professionals come from fee-paying schools, which limits opportunities for others.
  3. Creating awareness of public relations careers in schools is essential. Programs like apprenticeships can help, but strong partnerships with educational organizations need to be revived to support future talent.

Something's Rotten in the State of Washington

Ulysses • 6 HN points • 22 Mar 24
💼 Business Management Outsourcing Aerospace Quality control
  1. Boeing faced a downward spiral due to mismanagement involving outsourcing, cost-cutting, and layoffs. These actions affected safety, reliability, and led to tragic consequences.
  2. The decision to outsource important design work to international centers, such as in Moscow and India, resulted in errors and quality issues due to inexperienced engineers and layoffs of experienced staff.
  3. The lack of quality control and oversight in Boeing's manufacturing processes led to significant issues, including faulty oxygen systems and non-conforming parts, raising serious concerns about aviation safety.

Cash, Culture, Creativity

Venture Prose • 219 implied HN points • 13 Mar 20
💼 Business Startups Management Culture Creativity
  1. Speed of reaction is crucial under tough circumstances. Act now as every step matters for the future. Be extra-rational about managing cash.
  2. Maintain a strong culture by reinforcing trust, commitment, and results. Regular communication and active listening are key during challenging times.
  3. Challenging situations can spark creativity. Encourage your team to think innovatively and explore new ideas when faced with adverse conditions.

Full of contempt, she refused to talk to the engineers

Respectful Leadership • 74 HN points • 24 Mar 23
💼 Business Leadership Management Communication Technology Outsourcing
  1. The project was over-budget and behind schedule because of a lack of communication and relationship-building with the team.
  2. High turnover in outsourcing relationships can lead to accumulating technical debt and lower quality of work.
  3. Building a long-term, trusting relationship with essential technology or roles is crucial for successful outcomes.

Building Codiga: Becoming CEO

Tech Ramblings • 19 implied HN points • 30 Aug 23
💼 Business Startups Leadership Management Entrepreneurship Human Resources
  1. A CEO's main jobs are to communicate a vision, hire and fire the right people, and ensure the company doesn't run out of money. This might sound easy, but many CEOs struggle with these tasks.
  2. It's essential for a CEO to repeatedly share the company's mission and vision. Keeping everyone aligned with the core purpose helps employees feel motivated to work towards common goals.
  3. Hiring well and letting go of employees who aren't a fit is crucial. Quickly addressing performance issues can help maintain a positive culture and keeps the team focused on success.

Manager or short order cook?

Sunday Letters • 59 implied HN points • 28 Aug 22
💼 Business Management Quality Assurance Organizational Behavior Leadership Engineering
  1. Organizations often say they value things like quality, but they might not really mean it. It's important to see if they make real choices based on those values.
  2. If engineers are just completing tasks without context, it can hurt quality and user experience. This 'short order cook' approach can lead to many problems.
  3. When interviewing or leading, ask if engineers can delay releases for quality issues. It’s a good way to understand how much the organization cares about quality.

Fantastic Builders and Where to Find Them, 3rd installment

Building the Builders • 2 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Marketing Management Branding
  1. Estée Lauder believed strongly in her products. She felt that to sell beauty, you have to genuinely love and believe in beauty yourself.
  2. Her journey was not just about business; it was a lifelong mission to teach women how to be and feel beautiful. This passion shaped her identity and life choices.
  3. Estée's experiences with beauty began in childhood, leading her to realize that creating beauty could be more than just a hobby; it could be a serious, fulfilling career.

Airport Queue Management: Is More Information Better?

Gad’s Newsletter • 38 implied HN points • 24 Jul 23
💼 Business Management Innovation Customer Behavior
  1. Airport Queue Management systems use sensors to track security line speeds and update wait times for travelers to see.
  2. Providing information on queue lengths can help passengers decide which checkpoint to go through ahead of time.
  3. Although the system may create some initial imbalances as people adjust to the information, overall it can improve passenger satisfaction and reduce waiting time costs.

Organizational lessons from a Director of Analytics at LinkedIn [Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 07 Aug 22
💼 Business Management Communication Productivity Organizational Structure Leadership
  1. Define processes and delegate implementations as you progress in seniority, focusing on strategy and long-term goals, while trusting your team with day-to-day tasks.
  2. Communicate obsessively within your team to align on needs, goals, and challenges, fostering a culture of clear communication and mutual understanding.
  3. Clarity is crucial in business cases and evaluations, ensuring that all stakeholders can articulate the purpose and priorities of a project, promoting productivity and direction.

Run your 1:1 with your manager the best way

Askwhy: UX Research, Product Management, Design & Careers • 50 implied HN points • 11 Apr 23
💼 Business Management Career development Communication Productivity Professional development
  1. Your 1:1 with your manager is crucial for building trust and working on your relationship.
  2. Set clear goals for your 1:1 meetings, including understanding priorities, receiving feedback, and discussing career development.
  3. Organize your agenda, prepare in advance, and follow up effectively to make the most out of your 1:1 meetings.

Principles and discomfort

Sunday Letters • 59 implied HN points • 31 Jul 22
💼 Business Management Culture Strategy Decision-making Team Dynamics
  1. Companies should write down their principles, but they need to focus on real-life situations. It's important to consider what happens during conflicts or tight deadlines.
  2. It's good to prioritize principles so everyone knows what matters most. Listing trade-offs can help teams make better decisions when things get tough.
  3. Successful teams must design principles that reflect real choices and constraints. This way, they can handle stress better and understand what they truly value.

Decisions Before the Decision

DruGroup • 79 implied HN points • 23 Mar 22
💼 Business Leadership Decision-making Management Strategy Organizational Behavior
  1. Before making a big decision, ask yourself five key questions: When do you need to decide, who should be involved, what are your options, where might your choices lead, and how will you respond to outcomes.
  2. Getting the right people in the room can help improve decision-making. Their different perspectives can highlight mistakes and open up better choices.
  3. Thinking through the potential results and responses to your decision can ensure you’re prepared for whatever happens next. It helps make the final choice clearer and gives you more confidence.

TWH#48: OKRs Are Not OK

The Hagakure • 53 implied HN points • 02 Mar 23
💼 Business Management Leadership Strategy Startups Organizational Behavior
  1. OKRs are commonly used in startups but often fail to work effectively due to misuse and lack of context.
  2. Senior leaders typically use OKRs for control and predictability, focusing on execution rather than learning and exploration.
  3. The VC-backed startup model emphasizes predictability and control over complex systems, which can hinder innovation and adaptive learning.