Journal

Issue 22

The courage it takes to choose joy

It takes courage to choose joy — to be first into the cold water while everyone else hesitates. Does your team have the courage to innovate instead of waiting for permission?

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 21

Making money is not a mission

Making money is necessary, but not a mission. The leaders who last keep one coherent stories for their team and their investors - even under ambiguity.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 20

The truth dies in shame - it flourishes in a culture of empathy

In an environment of shame, the truth dies. Not because people don't know it — because they're scared to speak it.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 20

The truth dies in shame - it flourishes in a culture of empathy

In an environment of shame, the truth dies. Not because people don't know it — because they're scared to speak or hear it.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 19

From journaling to continuous storytelling

Leaders journal to get clear. But what gets the team clear? The engineering answer to hard problems applies here too: do it more often.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 18

How to not end up with yet another AI company

When a force as large as AI sweeps through your industry, you have to ride the wave, but also find a way to remember yourself.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 17

An effective way to give accountability that is received as a gift

Most leaders know accountability matters. Few realize the secret ingredient to make accountability feel like support, not surveillance: trust. A reminder how to build it.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 16

How Overthinking Made Me Slower Than a Beginner.

When ego takes over, complexity follows. Here is the story that reminds me to start simple.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 15

"Never forget: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools"

LLMs can increase velocity, yet teams still win or fail on human interaction.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 14

Mountains move slowly

A perspective shift from a family road-trip: the power of zooming out

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 13

Do you need a big hairy audacious goals or do you need to define more constraints?

Everything needs some balance. This article reasons about the power of audacious goals and how the right constraints made them a success.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 12

What do you really care about?

Knowing what you care about is not just a personal virtue. It's a competitive advantage.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 11

Founders and operators depend on dashboards to make hard calls, but numbers can create a dangerous illusion of control. This issue contemplates that metrics should always check for assumptions, not be interpreted as commands.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 10

Working on a computer connecting to the internet, is like working in the middle of a strip club

The internet is designed to steal your attention. Discover how to build internal boundaries, manage your processing capacity, and protect your most valuable asset—your focus—as a modern leader.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 9

Why integrity is one of the most popular company values - and how to foster it

Integrity is a process, not an achievable state. Discover why fostering honesty and strong moral principles in your team requires taking responsibility, ditching the rule book, and celebrating the effort of "trying.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 8

Collaboration lessons from mob programming

Synchronous collaboration in remote environments has its obstacles, but it is possible, and highly rewarding. This article summarizes my experiences with Remote Mob Programming.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 7

Learn the key to full commitment

How do you fully commit to the tasks ahead? By practicing fully letting go of anything that is in your way.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 6

Change is difficult - even if data proves its necessity

Change can be difficult to accept if it challenges your favorite beliefs. Without beliefs, it is difficult to see what needs to change.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 5

When you don’t get what you want…

Being true to your heart while being open to listen to everyone else, is an art. It also requires some courage. But usually it is rewarding.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 4

Helping others to get in charge of their calendars

Even if you feel in charge of your calendar, your colleagues might not. You may be invited to meetings in which you hear complaining or boasting from people that they were in back-to-back meetings since they started their work day at 8am in the morning.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 3

Accountability coming from the heart

Accountability is a beautiful concept that can provide clarity and alignment, or it can work against you, amplifying your own shadows, or leaving you with a sense of safety where there is none. This article reflects on how to connect accountability measures to your heart, so you can tell the difference.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 2

Are you in charge of your calendar?

Calendars extend our power, in good ways or bad ways. With the huge shifts in how we meet nowadays, it is easy to become overpowered by the created forces. This article shares some provoking thoughts to get aware again.

By Martin Drohmann

Issue 1

You are safe: Gen AI is dead...

AI chats lack the heart-to-heart connection of human-to-human interactions have. This article reasons about how the lack influences the generated results, and asks the question: "When is it worth it?"

By Martin Drohmann