I have been a technical program manager now for over ten years at a mix of big tech (FAANG) and startups. I have been on both sides of dozens and dozens of interviews for TPMs. The one area of weakness that I constantly see (and the area that I struggled with the most in the…
Last summer, I moved to Silicon Valley for a new job, sold my car, and bought an ebike. After riding my ebike 1000 miles, I wish I had made the switch a long time ago. Here’s how I did it and what I learned from it. And why you should make the switch too. Why…
I remember when I started investing, I was excited about the idea of dividends. I could generate consistent cash flow with a known rate of return much higher than a typical savings account. I wasn’t alone. There are countless online communities and blogs obsessed with only investing in dividend stocks, always looking for funds with…
I recently setup my annual goals for the year, but I knew if I didn’t plan out time to devote making progress, I likely wouldn’t. The key is setting up a system so that the time is automatically part of your day and you don’t have to think about making time. Waiting until you “feel…
At most tech companies, Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) are a big part of the overall compensation. Typically a set amount of stock is given over a four year period, and the stock will vest every quarter, sometimes only after the first year. Since it’s not unusual for this stock to amount to six figures over…
Take a look at your desk right now. Is it clean and organized? Or are you having trouble seeing the surface? Flat surfaces are magnets for collecting junk and desks may be the worst of all. Papers, sticky notes, receipts, and badges from old conferences were common sights on my desk in the past. As…
You know how it is – a team gets together to solve a problem, someone proposes a solution, and the team eagerly sets out to implement the solution, tearing down any obstacles in the way to achieving success. But many times, the obstacles becomes larger, and the team starts solving problems related to the chosen…
I thought the trick to habit forming was about developing the will power to tackle anything. If I could train my mind to focus and build self-discipline, habits would be easy I thought. But the problem is that it never seemed to work. It always worked for the first time or two, but then I…
