You don't need a fancy tool to manage your team.

Complex software won't fix miscommunication or misalignment. Tools often distract, leading to over-documentation, micromanagement and wasted focus on processes over outcomes.

Management is clarity. Set expectations, align on what's important and build trust with open, honest conversations. Keep the focus where it belongs - on the work itself.

Just wrapped up my first gym session of 2025 and even snagged a badge for it in Garmin. Apparently, you can earn that kind of badge up to 250 times. Can't imagine anyone ever maxing that out!

Another illustration in the bag.

Yep, I know it's a bit messy and feels a little empty - but that's totally fine. Right now, it's all about getting into the rhythm of creating.

Quality isn't the goal yet. It'll come naturally as I keep practising.

Progress over perfection.

Cultivate and Cut

Happy New Year 2025!

The empty wall finally got its moment. Em, my wife, had a clear vision for where everything should go. I shared my thoughts too but let's just say they didn't make the cut. Fair enough.

Before

After

867km in 2024! That's about 17km a week on average - nice but time to step it up next year!

My first-ever illustration is ready! I really enjoyed the challenge of visualising a concept - it's harder than it sounds. And I've asked ChatGPT for feedback.

Leadershipis standing alone long enough for others to see the path forward.

ChatGPT feedback

This is a great start, and your illustration does a nice job of conveying the concept visually. Here's some feedback to make it even better:

Strengths

• Progression of Time: The "Day 1," "Day 30," and "Day 100" structure clearly shows the journey and gradual alignment of others to the leader's vision.
• Simplicity: The minimalistic stick figure style keeps the focus on the message without unnecessary distractions.
• Clarity of Message: The concept of persistence and leadership over time is easy to grasp.

Areas for Improvement

• Perspective & Visual Flow: The pathway leading to the flag could be more pronounced or evolve slightly over time (e.g., get brighter, wider, or clearer) to reinforce the idea of progress.
• Body Language: The stick figure's posture could subtly change to show confidence growing over time (e.g., arms outstretched or a firmer stance by Day 100).
• Background Variety: Consider adding a subtle background element (like hills or markers) to represent obstacles or progress.
• Engagement in Day 100: The figures saying "Oh, we see now!" are static; you could add small movements, like one of them starting to walk toward the flag, to enhance the sense of engagement.

Final Note The message lands well, and the simplicity is refreshing. With just a few tweaks, this could be even more impactful! Keep up the great work! 😊

Uncertainty defines startup life.

Prioritising the right problems keeps you grounded. Communicating your vision aligns your team. Flexibility lets you navigate the unexpected. These habits aren't luxuries - they're survival skills.

Adaptability and focus turn uncertainty into opportunity.

I've always enjoyed using whiteboards and diagrams to visualise work but I've never tried creating cartoons - a whole different way of communicating. I always thought I didn't have it in me. The drawings would look terrible, and I'd just give up.

But I'm giving it another shot. Right now, it's not about quality; it's about quantity and improving, one step at a time.

[

](https://x.com/nikitabier/status/1873498633536167953) While on a trip to Japan with my wife, we got talking about how much of what we do in life is shaped by movies - everything from beauty standards to how people are judged by their wealth, even to our ideas about who the "bad guys" in the world are.

Personally, I prefer sitting side-by-side. It feels more intimate and it's so much easier to share food that way. But it's funny how the default seating arrangement is almost always face-to-face.

Don't leave your meeting description blank - it's a pain for everyone! Respect your team's time.

1. Start with the purpose - explain why the meeting exists and what the team needs to do.
2. If you're using FigJam, Zoom or anything else include it upfront so no one's scrambling.
3. Share pre-reading and start your meeting with 5–10 minutes of reading time.
4. Is this for brainstorming, updates or decision-making? Let everyone know what to expect.
5. If someone can't attend, let them know they can share their feedback later.

Back from Balmoral! Spent some time walking the hills, followed by a swim - perfect weather for it.

I found a great hill to practise on for the UTA50 in May. It's 500m long with a 70m elevation gain. I did 3 reps today, which added up to 200m elevation.

Considering the UTA50 involves over 2km of elevation, I'm thinking a solid training session could be a 1km run plus 500m hill up and down x 10 times. That would work out to about 20km total with 700m elevation.

Definitely aiming to tackle this in March or April!

Big ideas need action to become real.

Break them into small, clear steps. Each win builds momentum and keeps you moving.

Perfection doesn't matter - progress does. Test, learn, improve, repeat.

No one will remember your first crappy step but they will when you cross the finish line.

Leadership thrives on creating fertile ground for growth. The right conditions allow potential to flourish, much like farming.

Not every seed yields the harvest you expect. Some turn out to be weeds, others the wrong crop for the soil. Identifying and addressing those misfits is just as critical as nurturing the right ones. Leadership isn't just about cultivating - it's about culling when necessary.

Growth depends on balance. The wrong elements choke the good ones but thoughtful pruning strengthens the whole.

The first workout after a 4-week break and being sick - definitely felt the drop in fitness but the goal today was just to push through the Hyrox stations at around 70% effort.

Session Summary Total Time: 1h 2m Calories Burned: 730

Workout Breakdown

• 1km easy run
• SkiErg: 500m
• Sled Push: 180kg, 40m
• Sled Pull: 140kg, 40m
• Burpee Broad Jumps: 40m
• Rowing: 500m
• Farmer's Carry: 20kg x 2, 100m
• Lunges: 24kg, 20m
• Wall Balls: 7kg x 20
• 1km easy run

Happy to have completed it - just building back step by step!

Great ideas are crafted, not found.

They come from clear problems, real insights, diverse perspectives and bold inspiration. Ideation sessions - prep, sketch and develop. Turn this mix into better solutions and stronger buy-in.

Prep sets the stage. Sketching sparks creativity. Development refines ideas into actionable next steps. Keep it sharp and ideas will shine.

We treated ourselves to a Christmas present - the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra! It should make keeping up with all the cat hair so much easier. 🎄✨

Removing a feature signals a mistake. Few people feel comfortable admitting that.

This hesitation keeps bad features alive. Teams cling to them, fearing the optics of walking back a decision. But doubling down on something that doesn't work costs more in the long run - time, energy and user trust. Recognising when something doesn't fit and cutting it isn't failure. It's progress.

Users notice when products improve. Removing what's broken clears space for what works.

Went for an "easy" 3km run today. After three weeks off..thanks to holidays, being sick and enjoying way too many snacks in Japan, I've definitely lost some fitness. Oh and I gained an extra 3kg of "holiday goodness."

The first few runs and workouts after a break always feel tough, like you'll never get back to where you were. But it's just temporary. I love the grind. Step by step, you get better than the week before.

Next up: UTA50 - an ultramarathon in the Blue Mountains this May. Time to focus on leg strength and hill training. Bring it on!

The exec team was drifting, priorities misaligned, goals scattered. With OKRs, we trimmed 50 key results to 15, forcing clarity on what mattered most. The tough trade-off conversations exposed clashing perspectives but created alignment. Had to be done.

In product management, it's tempting to move fast and break things. Sometimes, that works.

But moving with purpose works better. It means focusing on what matters, making smart choices, and building something valuable. Speed without direction leads to wasted effort. Purposeful action builds progress that lasts.

Fast fades. Purpose wins.