Matt Schouten

Thoughts on building people, software, and systems.

Author: Matt

  • Involvement Levels

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    Sometimes, existing tools and frameworks won’t solve the problem that’s in front of you. A while back, I was working with a coaching client1 that needed to clarify involvement of various folks in their projects. The first tool most people reach for in that situation is RACI. If you’ve spent much time in projects in…

  • Rewrite With AI!

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    I wrote a post on LinkedIn recently. It was a professional rant—strong opinions, direct, and lots of imperative statements. Out of curiosity, I clicked the “Rewrite with AI” button. I was curious how close it would land to the original meaning, if it would capture the directness of the original, and if it would work.…

  • There’s No Right Answer. Execute Anyway!

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    If you’ve managed for any length of time, you know that management isn’t just about barking out orders and denying a couple of raises before heading off for a three-martini lunch and a round of golf.1 Some things about management are even hard, in ways that are different than a “normal” job.2 Now, this isn’t…

  • The One-Hour Employee

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    Imagine you’re a manager. You’re hiring. You have an intriguing candidate. Let’s call this candidate Barry. In one hour, Barry can produce 10 times what a good employee in this position can produce in a week. Code, doorknobs, sales leads—whatever it is your team produces. It’s at least as high-quality as what everyone else on…

  • Tacos and Baseline Workload

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    About a year ago, I wanted to become a certified lifeguard.1 Before I could take the course, learn the skills, take the test, and get certified, I had to take a pre-test. The pre-test consisted of a 300-yard continuous swim, a timed 10-lb brick retrieval, and treading water for two minutes without using my arms.…

  • A Tale of Two Firings

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    This is a tale of two firings. Names and several other details are changed to protect privacy. Besides, I’ve seen enough versions of Harold’s story that even if you’d been watching over my shoulder my entire career, you’d still not be certain who it’s about.1 The point isn’t the specifics of the two firings, or…

  • Make it Sound Good: Expectations and Agency

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    Some years ago, I was asked to step into a leadership role of a skilled technical team in an organization undergoing high-level changes in vision and approach. The changes would require the team to do their jobs much differently than they had in the past, with different and higher standards. That’s how I ended up…

  • Flyover Software

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    I live in Iowa,1 a mostly-rectangular state in approximately the middle of the United States.2 I grew up in Wisconsin, a lumpy state in the north central United States.3 Both states are about as far from the coasts of the United States as you can get and still be in the lower 48 states. Both…

  • Prioritizing Means You Must Say No

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    There is a simple activity called “prioritization” that is often misunderstood and done wrongly, in a way that causes confusion and frustration. Not just for you and your team, but for everyone that depends on you. The way I’ve most often seen prioritization done in real companies is to write down all of the things…

  • All the Freeze Flavors

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    There is a tiny soft-serve ice cream shop not that far from my house called “The Freeze”. I believe that once upon a time it used to be a Tastee-Freez. It’s a lot like a Dairy Queen, if you’re not familiar with Tastee-Freez. They serve the soft-serve standards: cones, sundaes, splits, shakes, and most important…