Joshua McDonaldOct 11, 2026The Ratchet on Your WristPentagon City, VirginiaBottom Line Up FrontThe problem. Many workplace targets run on the same rule as the Apple Watch’s Monday Move goal. Hit this quarter’s number and next quarter’s goes up, with no point at which it s
Joshua McDonaldSep 29, 2026In Defense of the Simple ChecklistWhen the work gets complicated enough that nobody can hold it in their head, five lines on a page will do more than another meeting.
Joshua McDonaldSep 16, 2026Your First Month Leading a New Team, Week by WeekRead and ask in week one, test what you heard in weeks two and three, set direction by month one. AI compresses about half the work.
Joshua McDonaldSep 13, 2026Agents Raise the Price of a Big TeamProject Aristotle said how a team works together beats who is on it. Agent-assisted work changes the how. Bigger teams now cost more to coordinate than they used to.
Joshua McDonaldSep 8, 2026The Human in the Loop Is Approving EverythingRouting by risk solves the throughput problem. It does not solve the harder one, which is that reviewers stop reviewing.
Joshua McDonaldSep 3, 2026Alchemy, Read by Someone Who Manages EngineersRory Sutherland’s 2019 book is filed under marketing. The chapter on why the need to look rational makes organizations act dumb belongs on every engineering manager’s desk.
Joshua McDonaldSep 1, 2026Four Hours to Build, Five Years to OwnAI cut the cost of building software. It did not cut the cost of owning it, and that is the larger number.
