About This Document

Hi! I’m a Principal Software Engineer, and this document exists to help us work better together. It’s not a list of demands—it’s a guide to help you understand how I operate, where I excel, and where I have blind spots. Think of it as a shortcut to better collaboration.

Communication Preferences

Default to written communication. I prefer Slack for most things and I’m a zero-inboxer, so you’ll typically get fast responses. I check messages frequently throughout the day.

For urgent or deep topics, let’s talk. When something needs real-time discussion or has significant complexity, a call is better. Just keep it succinct and to-the-point—I value efficiency over pleasantries in professional conversations.

Timing matters:

  • I’m on the East Coast
  • 4:30-6:30 PM ET: Unavailable (family time)
  • 6:30-8:00 PM ET: Reduced availability
  • You’ll often find me working on side tasks on weekends—I’m passionate about what I do, and it helps me preserve focus time during the week

Work Rhythm

Mornings are my superpower. I get large blocks of focus time before West Coast colleagues come online, with peak focus around 10 AM ET. This is when I do my best deep work.

Afternoons are meeting time. I expect afternoons to be filled with meetings, and that’s fine. Just give me a bit of breathing room between meetings to synthesize and shift focus—back-to-back marathons drain me.

How I collaborate:

  • I prefer solo time to think through options, then collaborative time to review
  • I like to preempt questions and keep conversations moving forward
  • Extended pairing sessions or group whiteboarding drain me—I lose focus in those formats

Feedback Philosophy

I’m direct because I care. I come from a military background, so I prefer straightforward communication. Tell me what I need to know when I need to know it. No sugarcoating required.

I’m growth-minded. I see feedback—even negative feedback—as an opportunity to improve. Don’t hesitate to be honest with me.

When I give feedback: I make it actionable and tied to reality. I’ll explain the “why” behind the “what” so you understand the reasoning, not just the directive.

What I Need From You

From my manager: Clarity. Give me a north star—point me in a general direction and I’ll figure out the details. I value autonomy and will make my own way to success.

From everyone: Come prepared. My biggest pet peeve is lack of preparation in meetings. I will almost always show up prepared, and I expect the same. I don’t want to waste time because someone didn’t do their homework.

Successful collaboration with me ends with something actionable: answers to questions, new questions to pursue, or clear action items. I want output from our time together.

What I’m Great At

Systems thinking. I excel at thinking through implications and second-order effects. I make decisions that align with longer-term strategy rather than quick fixes that pigeonhole us later.

Complex problem-solving. I’m energized by hard problems that require in-depth analysis. My best days are when I can dig into a complex bug, understand it deeply, and pitch a well-reasoned fix.

Correctness and accuracy. I really value getting things right. I’ll push for precision and clarity in technical discussions.

Where I Have Blind Spots

Expectation management. I set a high bar for myself, and I sometimes unfairly expect others to match that bar without considering their context. I’m not always great about giving people grace when I perceive underperformance. This is something I’m actively working on—if you feel I’m being unreasonable, please call me out.

Routine work drains me. CRUD work and UI projects sap my energy. I’ll do them when needed, but I won’t bring my best energy to these tasks.

I can be impatient with incorrectness. If someone teaches or shares something that’s flat-out wrong, it frustrates me more than it probably should.

How to Get the Best From Me

  • Give me complex, ambiguous problems that need careful thought
  • Respect my focus time in the mornings
  • Come to meetings prepared with context and materials
  • Be direct—I can handle hard truths
  • When you need deep discussion, schedule a call rather than trying to hash it out over Slack
  • Give me space between meetings when possible
  • Value output and action over process and ceremony

Final Thoughts

I’m passionate about what I do and I genuinely enjoy solving hard problems with talented people. This document isn’t about building walls—it’s about building bridges. If something here doesn’t work for you, let’s talk about it. I’m always learning how to collaborate better.

Let’s build something great together.