Matt Schouten

Thoughts on building people, software, and systems.

Category: Management

  • 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…

  • The Unreliable Narrator as Manager

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    In literature, the unreliable narrator can be a delightful way to introduce suspense or tension. An unreliable narrator tells lies or misunderstands the world, and therefore can’t be trusted. They seem believable at first, but the reader soon realizes they’re not credible. You need to doubt what they say, and figure out what is really…

  • Teamwork Stone Soup

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    Stone Soup is an old folktale. I remember hearing the story well before I was in school. And I remember my brother and I begging our mom to let us try making stone soup!1 For those not familiar with the story, here’s my short retelling. Then I’ll get to my point. Stone Soup, A Retelling…

  • Flushing Away Time – A Toilet Story!

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    Once upon a time, my family decided our powder room1 needed some improvements. When we bought the house, we’d noticed the hardwood floor was discolored around the base of the toilet, like there had been condensation or maybe a few overflows. The toilet itself was prone to clogging. So, we hired a contractor friend2 to…