We’re approaching a significant milestone in our company initiative to employ more women. When our last Accelerator member joins in mid-July, 25% of Atoms will
Can Matrix Management Work in a Services Firm?
I never suspected I’d come to think matrix management might be a great idea for managing project-based, professional services firms like Atomic. My undergraduate business
Visualizing Cash Flow for Shareholders with a Cash/AR Graph
Cash is the life blood that runs a business. If it’s mismanaged, it’s highly likely that the company will experience pain. Unfortunately, employees are often
Firing people: feelings, perspectives, and practical advice
This is a summary of what I’ve learned about firing people. I’ve had to do that difficult, unpleasant, but occasionally absolutely necessary task 12 times,
Succeeding with outside leadership hires
Many companies only promote from within for leadership positions. My own experience confirms the wisdom of this approach. Recently, we found ourselves taking a different
Expecting perfect understanding from your writing is a leadership pitfall
I write. They read. Some people are confused or upset. They complain. I’m frustrated. Live through this cycle a few times and it’s tempting to
Software project budgeting is more than estimating
We make successful products for our clients by maintaining flexibility in our process, folding in what we discover and learn as we build. We make
Embrace and resolve your fear, uncertainty, doubt and anger
It seems an inevitable part of the human condition that we hurt each others feelings, confuse our friends and colleagues, anger or worry people close
Sharing culture with new employees via a retreat with the founder
I recently spent 24 hours with four of our newest developers, all very recent grads. We ended up calling the time we spent together a
Silly names for important things – the power of naming abstract ideas
One of the things I’ve learned about helping people work well together in business is the power of naming your values, ideals, and expectations. Wielding