For every team that says “this is as good as it’s going to get,” there’s a doppelgänger team out there who refuses to settle. They are pushing & they will eat your lunch-unless you raise your bar.
This article by Wes focuses on the importance of raising standards in order to improve your team’s chances of success. Wes shares his experience of setting a high bar for quality and the benefits it brings. He explains that teams who refuse to settle and constantly strive for excellence are the ones who achieve innovation and success. On the other hand, teams with low standards make excuses and produce mediocre work, missing out on opportunities for growth. Wes argues that as a leader, setting high standards is crucial as it sets the tone for what is acceptable and celebrated within the team. As an individual contributor, providing constructive feedback can also help raise the bar.
Featured writing
Why customer tools are organized wrong
This article reveals a fundamental flaw in how customer support tools are designed—organizing by interaction type instead of by customer—and explains why this fragmentation wastes time and obscures the full picture you need to help users effectively.
Infrastructure shapes thought
The tools you build determine what kinds of thinking become possible. On infrastructure, friction, and building deliberately for thought rather than just throughput.
Server-Side Dashboard Architecture: Why Moving Data Fetching Off the Browser Changes Everything
How choosing server-side rendering solved security, CORS, and credential management problems I didn't know I had.
Books
The Work of Being (in progress)
A book on AI, judgment, and staying human at work.
The Practice of Work (in progress)
Practical essays on how work actually gets done.
Recent writing
We always panic about new tools (and we're always wrong)
Every time a new tool emerges for making or manipulating symbols, we panic. The pattern is so consistent it's almost embarrassing. Here's what happened each time.
Dev reflection - February 03, 2026
I've been thinking about constraints today. Not the kind that block you—the kind that clarify. There's a difference, and most people miss it.
When execution becomes cheap, ideas become expensive
This article reveals a fundamental shift in how organizations operate: as AI makes execution nearly instantaneous, the bottleneck has moved from implementation to decision-making. Understanding this transition is critical for anyone leading teams or making strategic choices in an AI-enabled world.
Notes and related thinking
Learn how to engage consumers, influence decisions and create brand loyalty.
Master data storytelling to engage consumers, influence decisions, and build brand loyalty with insights from Marigold's expert masterclass.
Jasper is a useful tool for developing employee training.
Transform employee training with Jasper by aligning programs to business goals, engaging diverse learning styles, and using innovative methods for success.
Climbing the corporate ladder from your couch? Think again. The hidden limitations of remote work are here. My friend Max is employed at a company that offers its employees the option to work from…
Discover how remote work can hinder career growth and promotions, as shared through Max's story and supported by studies on workplace dynamics.