The hottest Management Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

On hiring - A-players and the folly of the ideal candidate

Joseph Gefroh • 0 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Startup leaders often seek perfect, 'A-player' candidates but end up damaging their companies by delaying hiring unnecessarily.
  2. A-players aren't flawless - they have weaknesses and can't excel at everything. It's better to hire adaptable 'B-players' with potential.
  3. Fix your hiring strategy by focusing on teamwork, being realistic about needs, and considering a mix of generalists and specialists.

War Stories - How I turned around a paralyzed Product organization into a rapid delivery engine

Joseph Gefroh • 0 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Management
  1. The Product Management organization struggled with defining and prioritizing work, leading to underutilization of engineers and ill-defined requirements.
  2. The Product Managers faced challenges due to analysis paralysis, fear of making mistakes, and a desire for full consensus before decisions.
  3. To address the issues, a bold approach was taken to focus on building the muscle of delivering change, removing fear barriers, and banning A/B tests to prevent decision-making delays.

Making decisions - When should you trade off between speed vs. quality?

Joseph Gefroh • 0 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Startups prioritize speed for short-term gains but may suffer in the long run if quality is sacrificed.
  2. There are two main kinds of shortcuts: reducing quality and reducing scope. It is advised to prioritize reducing scope over sacrificing quality.
  3. Quality shortcuts can result in increased costs for startups, impacting speed and effectiveness. It might be better to invest in sustainable practices upfront.

War Stories - Defusing an executive kerfuffle

Joseph Gefroh • 0 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Leaders sometimes face no-win scenarios and may need to personally take the loss for the greater good of the organization.
  2. In times of crisis, a sudden flurry of messages or alarms can indicate an unexpected problem that needs immediate attention.
  3. Effective communication and conflict resolution are crucial skills for leaders to handle situations where executive feathers are ruffled.

On communication - How to communicate effectively as a leader

Joseph Gefroh • 0 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Communication is key for effective leadership. Many leaders fail due to poor communication.
  2. Repeat your messages consistently to avoid misinterpretations. Use multiple mediums and be precise to ensure clarity.
  3. Don't shy away from delivering bad news. Avoid the sandwich technique for feedback. Break down communication barriers to foster open and honest communication.
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On hiring - A rapid hiring process for busy startup engineering leaders

Joseph Gefroh • 0 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Efficient hiring involves building a pipeline and moving candidates through it with minimal effort. Creating a streamlined process like a Kanban-style project can help manage the hiring stages effectively.
  2. From a candidate's perspective, simplifying the hiring process by highlighting only 3 key stages can make the process feel lightweight and easy to follow. A clear and concise hiring workflow can be a competitive advantage.
  3. Utilizing different sourcing channels, such as LinkedIn, can be a valuable way to find candidate leads with low effort but high value. Building and leveraging a strong professional network can significantly impact the hiring process.

War Stories - How I matured a chaotic startup into a professional development team

Joseph Gefroh • 0 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
💼 Business Management
  1. The company faced challenges due to outdated organizational structures and lack of alignment between product and engineering teams, impacting project success and team morale.
  2. Centralized decision-making by product management caused inefficiencies and hindered innovation, leading to issues like technical debt, difficulty in resource allocation, and pay disparities among developers.
  3. Product managers lacked technical expertise and communication, resulting in fragmented project outcomes, delayed executions, and confusion across teams.

Making decisions - When does your Startup Needs Engineering Managers?

Joseph Gefroh • 0 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Deciding when a startup needs engineering managers can be challenging, especially for early-stage startups with limited resources.
  2. Hiring the right engineering manager is crucial, as allocating budget to managers means less for direct contributors to the codebase.
  3. Understanding the evolution of startups, the necessity of managers, and making informed decisions on hiring engineering managers is key.

On development - How to design an effective intake process

Joseph Gefroh • 0 implied HN points • 06 Feb 21
💼 Business Management
  1. Implementing an effective intake process is crucial for managing growth and improving teamwork. It helps individual developers work efficiently, allows for effective planning across the organization, and ensures clear prioritization.
  2. An intake process shines a light on hidden work, making it visible to everyone and aiding in proper planning and resource allocation. It promotes transparency and avoids inefficiencies caused by requests slipping through the cracks.
  3. Having a structured intake process provides valuable signals that can guide decision-making. By collecting data on requests and their handling, the team can identify trends, address issues, and streamline priorities for better outcomes.

Kanban Quickstart

Certo Modo • 0 implied HN points • 28 Jul 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Kanban is an efficient process for organizing team work, especially for interrupt-driven teams like Site Reliability Engineering, Operations, IT, or Customer Support.
  2. Implementing Kanban provides visibility, measurability, and easy reprioritization of work, helping build credibility and trust with stakeholders.
  3. Key elements of effectively managing Kanban include tracking all work items, creating clear work state columns, limiting work-in-progress, and using metrics to drive continuous improvement.

The Proposal: Will you Red Team Me?

Locks and Leaks • 0 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
💼 Business Management
  1. The Red Team Proposal is crucial for gaining buy-in, being prepared, and protecting against potential issues during assessments.
  2. Including legal safeguards and seeking approvals help in showcasing professionalism and increasing the likelihood of approval from leadership.
  3. A well-prepared Red Team Proposal should contain components like introduction, prioritization, context, intelligence & analysis, timeline, TTPs, safety plan, and more, making it a vital document for a successful red team operation.

WONDERING: When Strengths are Overused and Fun is Overdone

Granted • 0 implied HN points • 31 Aug 18
💼 Business Management
  1. The best advice highlights blind spots in our thinking and helps us clarify priorities, rather than specifying what to do.
  2. When seeking advice, people often want guidance on how to approach a decision, instead of being told which option to choose.
  3. Colleagues should be informed when mandatory fun isn't enjoyable, especially in a work environment where the focus is on work.

GRANTED: The two kinds of respect employees want and why you should bet on older entrepreneurs

Granted • 0 implied HN points • 15 Jul 18
💼 Business Management
  1. Employees want two kinds of respect: owed respect, which is about being included and recognized as a human being, and earned respect, which is about being valued for contributions
  2. Betting on older entrepreneurs can be more beneficial, as 40-year-olds are more likely to found successful startups compared to 25-year-olds
  3. The evolution of self-esteem in a career involves transitioning from feeling unimportant to pursuing work that is important, which leads to increased productivity and impact

Bolder experiments for return to the office

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 14 Oct 23
💼 Business Management
  1. Organizations are struggling to get employees back into the office after working from home during the pandemic.
  2. Various strategies have been attempted, from forcing employees back to offering office perks, but the desired changes have not been achieved.
  3. A hypothesis suggests that forcing employees back to the office for a sustained period may help establish new routines and show the benefits of in-office work, potentially increasing office attendance in the long run.

How's Work From Home going?

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 10 Aug 20
💼 Business Management
  1. The forced work-from-home experiment during Covid-19 has led to longer work hours and increased meetings, possibly changing future work habits permanently.
  2. People have been surprisingly productive while working from home, leading to businesses reevaluating the necessity of physical office spaces.
  3. While working from home can be beneficial, there are disparities between richer and poorer individuals and impacts on businesses in city centers.

The Disruption Dilemma

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 23 Aug 16
💼 Business Management
  1. Disruption in business can stem from new technological opportunities that incumbent firms fail to take advantage of, leading to their downfall.
  2. The concept of Creative Destruction from Joseph Schumpeter describes how capitalism thrives on constant innovation and change, challenging the idea of long-term profitability for established businesses.
  3. Innovation that disrupts industries can come in different forms, like customer-disruptive innovations that initially underperform but later improve, and architecturally-disruptive innovations that change the fundamental design of products or services.

What does a Skunk Works do?

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 20 May 16
💼 Business Management
  1. Skunk works are organizational spaces for innovative projects away from the main operations, often initiated by established firms to explore radical ideas.
  2. Skunk works come in different models, like focusing on science and engineering, building research communities, acting as lead users, and aiming for audacious goals like a moon shot.
  3. Despite their innovative success, skunk works face challenges integrating their achievements into regular operations, requiring careful planning and management to ensure long-term success.

A Taste of Disruption

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 24 Feb 16
💼 Business Management
  1. Firms facing demand-side disruption have options to react and defend against the threat.
  2. Supply-side disruption requires firms to be more integrative in how they conduct their business.
  3. The articles mentioned provide a 'lite' treatment of the disruption dilemma for those seeking a quick overview.

Conflict Resolution For All

PeopleStorming • 0 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
💼 Business Management
  1. Conflict resolution is becoming a crucial skill in the workplace due to various crises and the impact of interpersonal conflicts on organizational performance.
  2. All professionals can benefit from conflict resolution training to effectively handle disagreements that often stem from mismatched expectations.
  3. Conflict can often be resolved by clarifying shared definitions and addressing the root cause of miscommunication.

No Time To Do My Job ⏰

PeopleStorming • 0 implied HN points • 25 Apr 22
💼 Business Management
  1. Work coordination consumes a significant amount of time, with middle/senior managers spending 60% of their time on tasks related to synchronization and collaboration.
  2. Efficient collaboration is crucial for organizational success, with a focus on minimizing overhead and maximizing productivity.
  3. To optimize productivity in a team setting, individuals should focus on allocating time effectively, communicating boundaries clearly, and elevating the impact of their work.

Embrace The Journey 🏔

PeopleStorming • 0 implied HN points • 29 Mar 22
💼 Business Management
  1. Successful companies are mission-oriented with a relentless focus on ultimate goals, leading to higher alignment and scalability.
  2. Individuals, like organizations, are goal-seeking, and goals require deliberate action for achievement. Goals can demonstrate ability and provide a measure of success.
  3. Balancing goal-orientation and journey-orientation is crucial. While goals are essential for producing value, valuing the journey and inclusivity can lead to meaningful experiences and attract like-minded individuals.

Nonsense: Equal Equity Split Among Founders, Infinitely

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 11 Jul 19
💼 Business Management
  1. Initial equal equity split among founders is a good starting point but may not remain fair as the company grows and individuals contribute differently over time.
  2. Co-founders need to have ongoing conversations about equity split evolution and be transparent about their individual contributions to ensure fairness and alignment.
  3. Commitment, accountability, and results are key in determining the distribution of equity among co-founders as organizations evolve and grow.

Paradoxical Singularities

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 15 Apr 19
💼 Business Management
  1. Within teams and companies, singularities exist - unique attributes that can be strengths or weaknesses.
  2. These singularities can lead to paradoxical effects, like early strengths turning into future liabilities.
  3. Investors can assist founders in addressing their imperfections by understanding their major behavioral patterns.

Some Obvious Things Our Best CEOs Do

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 12 Oct 18
💼 Business Management
  1. Best CEOs spend time analyzing data personally, searching for truth and meaning.
  2. They track employee behaviors through qualitative and quantitative data, promptly addressing issues and recognizing achievements.
  3. Best CEOs have strict hiring processes, clear compensation plans, and emphasize a clear vision, focus, and values for their employees.

Best Practices for Board Meetings

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 18 Sep 18
💼 Business Management
  1. Founders should send a pre-read to investors before board meetings for discussion and to focus on the most challenging topics on the meeting day.
  2. The board meeting dynamic is crucial and should be led effectively by the chairman or CEO.
  3. After board meetings, debriefing, aligning on conclusions, priorities, and providing clear feedback to founders are essential for driving actionable outcomes and improving meeting effectiveness.

Damien

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 31 Oct 17
💼 Business Management
  1. Damien started his entrepreneurial journey at a young age, making money through computer repairs, organizing events, and venturing into smartphone repair business.
  2. Learning from his experiences, he realized the importance of listening, observing, and involving his team in decision-making, instead of being overly dominant.
  3. Despite facing challenges and setbacks, Damien was able to save his business with hard work, luck, and external support, highlighting the importance of resilience and learning from failure.

Sales Wanting !

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 29 May 17
💼 Business Management
  1. Selling a product or idea requires resilience, finesse, talent, and methodology.
  2. Sales is crucial for business growth and profitability, driving ambition and absorbing costs.
  3. Effective selling demands honesty, continuous product improvement, and addressing genuine customer needs.

Dear Founder, Please Read & Acknowledge Carefully This Onboarding Set

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 10 May 17
💼 Business Management
  1. The onboarding process for founders involves specific instructions and expectations for communication, updates, and collaborations with the investment platform.
  2. Founders are provided with resources such as guides, templates, and recommended readings to support their growth and decision-making within their organization.
  3. The emphasis is on continuous learning, maintaining control over key metrics and cash flow, as well as fostering a strong relationship with investors.

How To Build The A-Team

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 28 Apr 17
💼 Business Management
  1. Building the best organization requires hiring the right people based on organization/team fit first, before talent.
  2. Even experienced and talented individuals can only thrive within an organization if leaders focus on building the right system.
  3. Reading and reflecting on books like 'Who: The A-Method For Hiring' and 'The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team' can help entrepreneurs in hiring and managing A-Teams effectively.

Grow Up Before You Grow

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 11 Jan 17
💼 Business Management
  1. It's important to prioritize personal and professional growth before chasing rapid business expansion.
  2. Founders need to focus on clarity, vision, and execution to build a sustainable and successful business.
  3. Entrepreneurs should prioritize hiring, managing, and understanding their business data to make informed decisions and avoid common pitfalls.

KPI & Cash Control

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 02 Jan 17
💼 Business Management
  1. Startups can crash due to internal clashes or running out of cash. Make sure to master your KPIs to avoid the latter.
  2. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) act as a control tower, providing insight into the business status and potential problems.
  3. Tracking and mastering KPIs is crucial for building a proper profit & loss and cash plan to ensure business sustainability.

The Toilet Paper Theory

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 28 Aug 16
💼 Business Management
  1. Regularly tracking key metrics and data is crucial for seed-stage companies to observe founder discipline and consistency.
  2. Founders must pay attention to small details and regularly analyze company metrics to avoid potential organizational failures.
  3. The 'Toilet Paper Theory' emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and attention to detail, encouraging individuals to dig into small aspects to stay informed about their company.

Hello VC, Here’s A Gentle Slap in your Face: Contemplation is no Action, Success is Earned.

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 29 Jul 16
💼 Business Management
  1. Success in venture capital is earned through action, not just contemplation.
  2. European/French Venture Capitalists are urged to focus on improving governance, discipline, proactivity, software usage, and support for portfolio companies.
  3. Venture Capital should aim for long-term value creation, not just short-term gains, and actively seek out promising startups instead of waiting for opportunities.

Et toi, c’est qui ton Cyril Montanari ?

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 11 Mar 16
💼 Business Management
  1. Entrepreneurs often seek a key person like 'Cyril Montanari' who embodies experience, empathy, and leadership skills to drive company growth and cohesion.
  2. The success of a business depends not only on individual competencies but also on the collective collaboration and shared vision within the team.
  3. Finding the right person for a key role involves a balance of experience, personal growth, human connection, humility, and a collaborative spirit.

Drag Along Is Against Trouble Makers Only

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 17 Feb 16
💼 Business Management
  1. Founding teams should have control over activating a drag-along clause above a certain IRR or multiple - investors shouldn't force their hand.
  2. The drag-along clause allows majority stockholders to initiate a change of control, excluding troublemakers.
  3. LPs desire a return on their investment, but founders should have final approval over the drag-along clause in a shareholder agreement.

What We Expect From Founders

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 02 Feb 16
💼 Business Management
  1. Build a great team and focus on your hiring process and company culture for success.
  2. Constantly learn and grow, mastering the art of getting things done efficiently by learning from mistakes.
  3. Maintain honest, clear communication with investors, keeping them updated on the good and bad news, and always be transparent about finances.

An Ugly VC-Founder Story

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 25 Oct 15
💼 Business Management
  1. Investors should empower CEOs by providing guidance and resources, not running the company in place of founders.
  2. It's crucial for founders to carefully choose investors who understand their market and can genuinely support their growth.
  3. Interference from investors who lack expertise and make poor decisions can lead to tragic outcomes for startups, impacting founders' control and company success.