Olly Meakings

Embracing My Micromanagement Flaws While Building Uniform Team Culture

Yesterday was a horrible #buildinpublic day I got rinsed by 100s of engineers for being a micromanager I was defensive and overwhelmed, and trying to explain my own preferences for how Senja should be run I know I am not perfect and am working on myself But I also trying to build a tiny company where every team member works in the same way, and there are no exceptions for engineers I need to do a lot of reflecting and have already been working on my need for control with my therapist for several months That said I also think it's okay to have a working style many people would hate, even if it scares away certain talent Senja has always operated like a sports team where each Linear issue is rapidly being passed between team members like a ball Deep work is part of the day but typically we communicate beforehand that you will be out for x hours Even when working on an issue alone people are expected to document what they're doing regularly. Why? -> It produces better work when you're reflecting -> It cultivates high energy -> It stops people from asking what you're doing -> It reduces the need for meetings -> It makes sure no one else is blocked -> It allows others to take over the issue -> It allows me to understand how you think -> It gives the AI context I am being told to remove this expectation but I think this style is something I want to maintain but with a lighter touch and much slower ramp up You can also see this style in my own marketing work Document as you go