Peter Cepeda

What happens when high performance gets misunderstood? When speed, depth, and initiative are labeled risky? This post breaks down the experience—and the playbook—for high performers navigating slow systems.

I was warned my review might land at “partially meets expectations.” Here’s the feedback I received, the context they missed, and the full-stack architectural refactor they misunderstood as a misstep.

Quarterly planning doesn’t have to conflict with Agile delivery—but only if you stop trying to call every play. Here’s how to lead with outcomes, adapt on the fly, and give your team room to win the game.

Leadership is about how people see you. Great leaders guide with vision—not control—offering clarity, perspective, and trust. They don’t walk every line with you; they help you see the path and walk it with confidence.

Stop validating features by how “good” they are. Start asking if they solve the right problem. A mindset shift for any team building software for real people.

What if engineers aren’t the ones AI will replace—but the managers? In many orgs, middle management is built on anti-patterns. AI just exposes how redundant it all is. This isn’t a rant—it’s a reckoning.