Why does This Doc exist ? 🤔❓

Hi there 👋 🙂. This guide is meant to be a starting point for us to build a strong working relationship. It outlines some of my preferences and working style, but I'm equally interested in learning about yours. Think of it as an invitation to open dialogue, helping us understand each other better and work more effectively together. I'm always open to feedback and suggestions on how we can improve our communication and workflow. Please feel free to share your own preferences and working style with me as well. Remember, this is a two-way street, and I'm committed to finding common ground that works for both of us.

Working Style 🏗️

• 🤝 Collaborative: I thrive on teamwork and bouncing ideas around. I genuinely enjoy hearing different perspectives, so bring your thoughts to the table, I'm always up for a good discussion. Let's solve problems together!
• 🚀 Action-Oriented with Long-Term Vision: I'm all about driving progress through planning and execution, setting clear goals, and keeping track of our progress. I believe in quick iterations over extensive upfront planning—after all, “If at first you don't succeed, call it v1.0.” While it might sometimes look like the work is half-done, it's really about staying agile and adjusting based on feedback. I'm comfortable with quick hacks to keep things moving, but I always keep an eye on the long-term vision. Early in my career, I worked at a startup where my boss set a 2-day window for every iteration. If you couldn't make progress within those 2 days, you had to step back and revisit your approach. It was intense but incredibly effective and really helped improve the product. This time-boxed discipline stuck with me and shaped how I approach projects today—quick iterations with a focus on the bigger picture. I'm a big advocate for setting standards because they give us the freedom to iterate faster. I know this might seem a bit purist at times, but the goal is to think ahead and build sustainable systems. Our approach should be “iterate fast, but plan for the future,” so we can make rapid progress while laying down a solid foundation.
• 🤲 Hands-Off Delegation: I'm a big believer in giving people the freedom to own their work. Micromanagement isn't my style—it feels restrictive. I prefer to set clear expectations, then step back so you can take the lead. We'll align on what success looks like, and from there, I trust you to run the show. I'll step in occasionally for the big-picture stuff or if things seem off-track, but you're the captain 👮🫡. (I do appreciate regular updates and transparency, though!) If you ever need more support, just let me know—I'm always here to jump in and figure things out together.
• 📊 Evidence-Based Approach: I'm all about backing up ideas with solid evidence. If you're making a case or pushing a hypothesis, it helps to support it with facts, data, or real-world examples. This way, we can avoid biases and make well-informed decisions.
• 🧪 Experiment-Friendly: I love trying out new tools, tech, and workflows. Whether it's a fresh editor theme, a different terminal emulator, or a cool way to visualize data (like mind maps or fishbone diagrams), I'm always experimenting to see if it makes us more productive. Expect a bit of playfulness and experimentation! A true testament to this is the countless hours I've spent running containers and Kubernetes clusters locally—sometimes just for simple hello-world tryouts and other times to set up entire deployment platforms like Databases with ArgoCD and Argo Rollouts and managing secrets securely with Hashicorp Vault plugged with Open Source IAM solutions like Keycloak with LGTP stack. Working on these setups helps me dig deep and understand how everything fits together, and I've found it's the best way to learn and explore new ideas.
• ⚙️ System-Focused: As a backend/systems person, my focus is on making sure the platform is robust, performant, and scalable. While I might not be in the weeds of customer/user journeys every day, I understand that a solid backend leads to happy customers. I'm always open to connecting with users, hearing their pain points, and using that feedback to improve what we're building.
• 🌐 Distributed Systems Enthusiast: I'm all about distributed systems. If you're working with me, expect lots of chats around scalability, reliability, and efficiency. I love diving deep into these areas and exploring ways to make our systems better.
• 📅 Structured and Organized: Planning and organization keep me on track.
• 🤝 Disciplined, but Open: My approach might sometimes seem a bit pushy, especially if we're just starting to work together, but please know that I'm here to collaborate and value your input. I respect different viewpoints and am always open to a good debate. If my style ever feels overwhelming, just bring it up, I'm happy to adjust and find a balance.
• 🗣️ Vocal at Work: I tend to be vocal about work matters and enjoy discussing our projects and team goals. But I'm usually more reserved when it comes to personal topics. I know this might make me seem “all work, no play” or less approachable, but that's not my intention at all! I genuinely enjoy getting to know my colleagues and having a laugh, but I usually keep things professional during work hours.

Meetings 🤝

• 1:1s with My Manager: I like to catch up every couple of weeks to chat about progress, tackle any blockers, and make sure we're aligned. I'm a big fan of having agendas—it keeps things focused and productive. You'll usually see me using Notes to track our discussions, with sections for "Ask/Talk," "Notes," and "Action Items."
• 1:1s with Reports/Mentees: These are regular check-ins where we can talk about your career, any challenges you're facing, or just for some guidance. If there's something on your mind, feel free to bring it up—I'm here to help. I prefer if you take the lead on driving these sessions, so it's focused on what matters most to you.
• Bi-Weekly Team Syncs: These are for the wider team to get everyone on the same page and share updates. It's mainly for discussing long-running tasks and ensuring we're all aligned on priorities.
• 🧘‍♂️ Focus Fortress: I set aside dedicated time blocks for deep, uninterrupted work—my "Focus/ZEN time". You'll see these slots in my calendar as "Focus/ZEN time". Please respect these times, as I may decline meetings or be less responsive. I do leave 30-minute gaps between focus windows for any important meetings that might need to pop up.