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
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
Editor’s Note: Since this post’s publication, Atomic has refined its approach to our “Rainy Day Fund.” Keep checking in on Great Not Big as we
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,
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
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
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
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
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
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
In the late 1990s, when Kent Beck included “40 hour work week” in the original 13 practices of Extreme Programming, it was in the context