Annual Audits Are Absolute Agony
353K people liked a LinkedIn post about not wanting a performance review. That’s not viral content. That’s a suppressed scream. Here’s why the annual review is broken, gameable, and what it should actually be.
Too Good to Move: The Competence Trap Nobody Warns You About
Being too good at your job might be exactly what’s holding you back. Not a humble brag — an actual trap. The competence loop, the award-winning horse, and why irreplaceable ≠promotable.
🧠Panic Loops: Engineering, Anxiety, and Learning to Breathe Again
Panic attacks have followed me since childhood. My most recent one? Triggered by meaningless work and lack of leadership. This is how engineering fuels anxiety—and how I’ve learned to manage the loops when they hit.
👨‍💻 Truths for Engineers in Their 40s (That I Wish I Knew Sooner)
Turning 40 makes you reflect—on career, burnout, balance, and why you’re still doing this in the first place. Here’s what I’ve learned about building a sustainable life in tech without losing yourself.
The Blessing and Curse of Being a Truth-Teller 🤫
Being a truth-teller sounds noble in theory. In practice—at work and in life—it often sucks. Here’s what I’ve learned about the pros and cons of pushing for honesty.
You Never Notice the Janitor 🧹
I swore I’d never be a janitor like my dad. But in tech, I became one anyway—cleaning up code, teams, and culture behind the scenes. You only notice the janitor when everything’s broken. And that’s the point.
đź’Ą When Roles Change, So Do Relationships: How I Navigated a Strained Dynamic After Switching from Manager to IC
When I returned to being an IC, a trusted teammate and I clashed for the first time. Here’s what caused the tension, how we worked through it, and what I learned about leadership, trust, and shifting team dynamics.