Best life
What time of day do you thrive?
My brain is firing between 8am to 12pm and then again from 8pm to 12am. I usually take calls, run errands, cook, and work out in the middle.
When you’re at your best, what are you doing?
I can think of two scenarios: convincing people of something I believe passionately about and creating diagrams of messy situations to drive consensus. When I'm lucky, I get to do both of these things at the same time.
What do you need to be successful?
Time to recharge with family and friends. Flexible working hours. A neat and clean desk (stocked with my favorite books and pens). Positive, energetic co-workers. A quality hip-hop playlist with an East Coast bias. And easy access to nature.
Quirks
What are some boring facts about you?
I asked my wife for help to avoid humble bragging. She did not disappoint.
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"You enjoy mowing the lawn"
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"You sleep like a dead person"
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"You have an iPad finger" (this is in reference to a broken finger on my left hand sustained while playing catch in Dolores Park)
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"You can't pronounce trollkarl" (this is the swedish word for magician and I get roasted by my daughters for not being able to say it)
What irritates you or drives you nuts?
Indecisiveness. Just make a decision and move forward, right? Also, the feeling of being stripped of agency. Like I'm not the protagonist in my own story. I hate that.
What is something you’re amazing at doing?
Loading the dishwasher. I'll die on this hill.
Trust
How can someone earn your praise?
Following through on commitments and promises. I think it's so important to take responsibility for your own actions, even if that means admitting when you fall short.
How might someone lose your trust?
I don't have much respect or patience for people who are selfish or who don't come to the defense of others — those who are singularly focused on their own success and not on their broader impact.
What is your relationship with forgiveness?
I'm cool with forgiveness. It might take me a while but I don't want to sit with bad energy for too long.
Inspiration
What drains you at work?
An irrational dependency on video calls when normal phone calls, huddles, or audio chats in Figma work great. But I think the most draining aspect of work is decision fatigue stemming from poorly written or communicated values (brand) or principles (design).
What motivates you at work?
A sense of purpose. Collaborating with smart, ambitious people. Learning and developing as a person. Actually making something!
What are some things that make you feel good?
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Going for bike ride! Either cruising on warm tarmac or jumping on a hard-packed trail in the forest. Riding my bike centers me, reduces stress and anxiety, and fills me with gratitude. It makes me feel alive.
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Family hugs and family dance parties! Every once in a while my daughters will insist on a full family hug or a disco dance off. I gotta enjoy these moments while they're young.
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Spicy miso ramen.
Communication
What’s the best way to communicate with you?
Give me a heads up so I can process and prepare. For example, you can send me a one-pager the night before or add an agenda to a meeting invite. You can give me a phone call or, better yet, invite me to go for a walk. All these things are better than an impromptu meeting in a cold, grey conference room.
What are the worst ways to communicate with you?
Not tell me something important and have me find out from a friend or co-worker. That's not cool.
What’s the best way to convince you to do something?
Explain why it matters to you. If it's important to you — chances are — it will be important to me too.
Feedback
How do you like to receive feedback?
I prefer feedback when an experience is fresh in my head. Like if I say something stupid in a meeting, it's better to tell me that day than a week later. Also, I prefer feedback that is specific and actionable over feedback that is broad and all encompassing — this is super important if there's an established pattern.
I want to improve and learn and grow. So I do appreciate feedback, even though it can be hard to accept.
What do you do with the feedback you receive?
I try to build feedback into my goal planning for the year. Obviously I'd like to improve on negative feedback and lean into positive feedback. I also try to remember a rule when considering feedback that doesn't feel fair or justified to me — what if only 2% of this feedback is true?
How do you like to give feedback?
I try to give feedback often and in realtime. It's easy to forget to deliver positive feedback for small accomplishments, so I go out of my to make sure to acknowledge these moments. It makes it that much easier to deliver negative feedback since there's an established relationship of trust and support.