01Jul 15, 2026/4 minGlue Work: The Invisible Work That Doesn't Promote YouThe work that makes the team succeed and the work that gets you promoted are two different lists — and glue work is only on the first one…thinking principlesorganizationscareer
02Jul 14, 2026/3 minInterview Your ManagerYou spend weeks evaluating the tech stack and zero minutes evaluating the person who controls whether any of your work counts. Why the…thinking principlesorganizationscareer
03Jul 13, 2026/4 minReputation Forms Early and Updates SlowlyThe organization compresses you into a one-line label within your first 90 days, then confirmation bias maintains it — you change faster…thinking principlesorganizationscareer
04Jul 12, 2026/4 minSkip-Level RelationshipsYour manager's manager knowing your work firsthand is insurance against the single point of failure that is your manager. The single point…thinking principlesorganizationscareer
05Jul 11, 2026/4 minThe Internal Transfer MarketInside every big company there is a labor market; mobility is leverage, and staying put earns you a loyalty discount. Big tech companies are…thinking principlesorganizationscareer
06Jul 10, 2026/3 minThe Labor IllusionPeople price work by the effort they can see, not the effort it took — so effortless-looking delivery gets systematically undervalued. The…thinking principlesorganizationscareer
07Jul 9, 2026/4 minThe New-Manager ResetWhen your manager changes, everything they knew about you does not transfer. The promo case they were building evaporates. Re-onboard the…thinking principlesorganizationscareer
08Jul 8, 2026/4 minThe Proximity EffectOpportunity does not flow to the best person in the org chart. It flows to whoever is standing nearby when it appears. Most engineers model…thinking principlesorganizationscareer
09Jul 7, 2026/5 minThe Yes-TrapEvery yes is an implicit no to something else — usually to the work you're actually measured on. You have a fixed number of productive hours…thinking principlesorganizationscareer
10Jul 6, 2026/4 minTiming Your AsksMost asks aren't decided on merit. They're decided by when they land. You built a strong case for your promo. You wrote it up carefully…thinking principlesorganizationscareer