Tech is a scary place for a lot of folks. We over-use acronyms and take a perverse joy in confusing the shit out of anyone listening. This is not an accident, this is by design. Not perhaps *purposeful* design, but design nonetheless. If we are not confusing, we are not valuable. Or so the story goes. But here’s the thing… given the speed the tech world moves in today, often times our expertise could be upended by a well-crafted Google search (well, Perplexity search anyway, but I digress). On of the most useful skills we hone in tech is

It’s been 25 years. I have encountered my fair share of challenges, obstacles, and moments of sheer panic. One valuable lesson stands out: maintaining perspective and not succumbing to the panic of others or, worse, my own anxieties. Deadlines exist, tensions run high, and people allow fear to control the narrative. But nothing gets resolved from panic, and no one wants to work with someone who has insulted their intelligence or raised their voice over a homepage font. We provide, amongst other things, technology to our clients. While some projects are more important than others, all of them matter

In 25 years of doing this, I’ve learned a few lessons about leadership, client relationships, and team management. One crucial insight stands above others: the importance of dictating the flow and not allowing clients or inexperienced team members to force processes that won’t work. This is not the same as being a dictator. This is not an excuse to not listen to input. You are the pro. Act like it. Early on, I said “yes” to every client request, believing accommodation was the key to success. This approach proved unsustainable and often led to failure. I remember a client