SYSTEMS

Systems, not moods.

Operating systems for building things and building teams — the repeatable machinery behind a recurring decision, written down so it can be run, taught, and argued with.

ALL SYSTEMS

Engineering Management

The Hiring & Firing System

One operating system for building and un-building an engineering team. A complete, runnable system for hiring and firing engineers: one written bar used at every stage — the pillars, the interview loop, the scorecard and leveling rules, sourcing and offers, onboarding, performance review, the improvement plan, the termination conversation, and offboarding. Generalized from practice, with no company-specific detail.

Published 05 Aug 2026 · 10 parts

ON SYSTEMS

A system is what remains when you write down how you actually make a recurring decision — the pillars, the sequence, the thresholds — so the outcome depends on the method and not on the mood of the day.

These are systems I run in practice, generalized so anyone can adopt, adapt, or disagree with them. Nothing here is specific to a single company; the specifics stay where they belong.

Build the system once. Run it many times.