👋 Hiya, work besties!

My boss said something to me the other day that I’m still sitting with.

Not because it was harsh. Not because it was a shock. But because it was just... true. And I hadn’t really prioritized it before he said it out loud.

“You need to get outside of your team.”

I knew he was right. But also... wasn’t that kind of on him? Like, isn’t it his job to direct me where to go? Isn’t that how this is supposed to work?

Spoiler: that’s not how this works.

The room you’re not in.

Right now, somewhere in your company, a group of people are working really hard on something super important that is perfectly aligned with your strengths.

Are they going to think of you?

If you can’t answer that with some confidence, that’s the thing worth fixing. Not your resume. Not your LinkedIn profile. That.

The three circles.

Think of your reach at work like three circles.

The first circle is your immediate team. The people who see your work every day. You’re known here. Probably very well known. And that’s great.

The second circle is your manager’s world. The meetings they’re in, the stakeholders they talk to, the cross-functional relationships they have. You might show up here occasionally, if your manager is a skilled delegator or actively focused on your development. But you’re probably an afterthought.

The third circle is everyone else. Not just your boss’s boss. Your counterparts in product, in sales, in ops, in engineering. The people owning the big projects that actually move the needle. The people who don’t know you or why they should loop you in.

These cross-functional relationships are often where the biggest impact happens. And where the best opportunities come from.

Most of us are doing incredible work inside circle one. And wondering why everyone else seems to be getting the exciting projects.

Why your manager can’t do this for you.

Here’s the thing about managers: they can advocate for you, but they can’t build your relationships for you.

If your counterpart in the product team has never worked with you, your manager saying “they’re really good” only goes so far. Trust is built through doing things together, not through someone else’s recommendation.

I gave someone feedback not long ago that they weren’t ready for a bigger role. Really talented person. But when I thought about who outside of our immediate team knew what they were capable of... nobody. Not because they weren’t doing great work. Because the work was done in a room with the door closed.

That’s a frustrating place to be. And it’s fixable.

What to actually do.

A few things that work, in my experience.

Ask your manager to bring you to one of their meetings that you wouldn’t normally attend. Not to sit quietly and look engaged. To contribute something.

Figure out where the cross-functional chatter happens. A weekly business review, a shared Slack channel, a working group on a big initiative. Show up there with something useful to say.

Once you’ve started to build some relationships, look for the gaps. What’s the thing that everyone is struggling with that nobody is solving? Do that. The people who step into those gaps get known fast.

And honestly? Keep your manager in the loop with what you’re doing. Tell them who you’ve connected with recently. Tell them what you contributed. Don’t assume they’re tracking it. Help them help you.

The one question.

Ask your manager this: “Who outside of our team knows what I’ve been working on?”

If they have to think too hard, you have your answer.

And your next project.

The deep dive? Adam Grant’s Give and Take is the most compelling case I’ve read for why the people who reach across team boundaries, help others without keeping score, and invest in relationships outside their circle end up with the most credibility and the best opportunities. And it’s a great read.

Get your name out there,

✌️ Steve

👋 Hiya, work bestie!

You know that sick feeling you get right before an interview? The one where you’re convinced you’re the World’s Biggest Imposter and you’ll probably throw up all over your keyboard on this Zoom call?

Yeah, I used to feel that way.

But now, here’s how I keep my lunch where it belongs.

Interview Mixtape

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Interview Mixtape

I print out this mixtape template the night before every interview. I can usually work through it in about 30-60 minutes. But then I can go to sleep knowing I’ve got the perfect playlist to pop in tomorrow to boost my confidence.

• The Gig: This is just the company and role you’re interviewing for.

• Audience: These are the specific people who’ll be in the interview.

• The Theme: This is the overarching thing that they’ll be evaluating.

The A/B Sides of Your Career

Think of the A-side as the good times where you really shined. The B-side is the dark times where you got beat up a little, but learned a lot.

Here’s the thing: you’ve got tons of stories you could tell. So when your audience hits you with one of those inevitable “Tell me about a time when...”, you’re likely to come down with a case of analysis paralysis as your entire career flashes before your eyes.

My life hack... choose your stories beforehand. And by that I mean pick one A-side and one B-side story and limit all of your responses to just those.

Poof, you’ve just lowered your heart rate by 45 bpm.

Now when your audience asks, you just have to decide if your A or B-side is a better fit for the scenario. And then what angle of the story you’re going to tell.

But that sounds too easy, right? And what if they ask about more than two scenarios? Or your story doesn’t perfectly match their prompt?

It is in fact that easy. Nearly every behavioral interview question falls into one of two buckets: showing what you’re capable of (A-side) or demonstrating resilience and growth (B-side). The key is choosing bigger, stronger stories that can stand up to more than one scenario.

And don’t worry about circling back to the same story. That’s actually a good thing. Your audience already has some context as a jumping off point. And they get a fuller picture of what it’s like to work with you than a bunch of disjointed, vague examples.

And close enough is good enough. Just tell your story. They care more about how you think and communicate than getting a pixel-perfect answer. If they need more, they’ll ask for more.

Pro tip: Test your stories beforehand. Ask AI for 50 examples of “Tell me about a time when…” prompts based on the theme of this interview. Go through the list and see if you can quickly decide which story you’d pick and the angle you’d use. If you’re getting stuck a lot, you probably haven’t found the right stories yet.

Three Good Questions

Here’s another way to stand out: come up with three good questions. These are questions that make your audience say “That’s a good question,” and then pause for a few seconds while they think about their answer.

It’s a bad look if you don’t have anything to ask, but it’s also not helpful if you’re just regurgitating every other candidate’s throwaway questions.

For example: “I noticed the team recently switched from X to Y framework, what drove that decision?” is way better than “What technologies does the team use?” The first shows you’ve done your homework and you’re thinking critically. The second could’ve been answered by skimming the job posting again.

More inspiration: look at your audience’s LinkedIn profiles, at the company’s Glassdoor reviews, or just pretend this is your second week at this gig. What sorts of things would you be asking your audience?

Hype Song

One last thing (and this might sound weird):

Pick a hype song. Then right before you get on the call, blast it at full volume and move your body. Dance. Do jumping jacks. Go full inflatable tube man like at a car dealership and wave your arms around.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but getting your body moving literally changes how you feel. Our bodies and minds are connected in ways we don’t even understand. Get your energy up. Get your blood flowing. And you’ll show up as the version of yourself you want them to meet.

The deep dive? If you need even more help with what to do before, during, and after the interview, grab a copy of The Job Closer by Steve Dalton. You'll also want to check out the FIT Model and CAR Model that he and his former colleagues at Duke University put together.

You got this,

✌️ Steve

PS That extra space at the bottom? All yours for notes. And keep your mixtapes throughout your job search. You’ll start to see patterns in what’s working and what’s not as you go from interview to interview.

👋 Hiya, work bestie!

Most of the time, when someone gives job search advice, it goes something like this: “Apply to everything within the first week that it gets posted. And make sure you’re tailoring your resume specifically for each company.”

Hey, I get it. That's straight-forward advice. It even feels productive. You feed ChatGPT the job posting and your LinkedIn profile and blammo… out pops another perfect resume.

But here’s the thing most hiring managers aren’t saying out loud: “Resumes rarely decide who gets an interview.”

To understand why, think about what they’re actually dealing with.

Resumes are junk mail. Referrals are Yelp reviews.

Imagine the worst junk mail day you’ve ever had. The one when the mailbox wouldn’t even close. I bet you brought that mail inside and tossed it on the kitchen table. What if that happened every single day for a month?

Now imagine it’s winter. Your furnace just died and you need help NOW.

Are you going to sift through that towering pile of junk hoping to find an HVAC company, or are you going to jump on Yelp to find the best reviewed one in your area?

Your perfect resume is just one more piece of junk mail. Maybe the hiring manager looks at it, but even so, it was likely only for six seconds before it ended up on their kitchen table.

The Yelp review? That’s someone inside the company telling them: “Hey, I worked with this person before. They’re friggin’ awesome.”

And it’s how most interviews are happening in the real world. I mean, companies are giving their employees referral bonuses for a reason. They’re literally paying to not have to sift through that pile.

So why do most people avoid the referral route?

Because it’s uncomfortable. It’s awkward to reach out to someone you haven’t spoken to in two years. You don’t want to bother them and you don’t want to be rejected.

I hear you. I don’t like asking for favors either.

But here’s the thing you need to hear: you’re not asking for a favor. You’re offering them an opportunity. They’re likely getting some cash in their pocket if you get hired.

So here are my suggestions:

• Prioritize jobs where you know someone who works there.

• Reach out to them before you submit an application.

• Tell them you’re interested and ask questions about the company.

• They usually connect the dots and offer the referral all on their own.

• But don’t hesitate to ask directly. Remember, it’s a win-win.

If you want a referral, there’s an app for that.

I built Side Doors specifically to solve this problem. It's a Chrome extension that cuts through the noise on LinkedIn's job board and helps you find the right companies, the right people to talk to, and the best opening lines to land that referral. It's completely free, so go ahead and give it a test run and see why sending out junk mail is no longer necessary.

The deep dive? If you want to go even deeper on leveraging your network to find job opportunities, I highly recommend The 2-Hour Job Search by Steve Dalton. It's a practical system for organizing your search, identifying target companies, and getting referrals without feeling sleazy about it.

Remember, feeling productive isn't the same as being productive. When it comes to job searching, it's often just one person putting in a good word that creates the momentum you need to get to the finish line.

Referrals > Resumes,

✌️ Steve

👋 Hiya, work bestie!

Lately, everyone's asking the same thing: What's gonna happen to our jobs as AI gets smarter? Fair question, and yeah, some folks are getting a bit sweaty about it.

Here's my hot take. Our jobs aren't vanishing into thin air, but they're definitely getting a makeover. The real winners in this next leap forward won't be the traditional code wizards. Nope, it'll be people who can use AI tools to tackle the right problems.

We're entering the golden age of generalists with solid product thinking. Ya know, someone who can sniff out what’s broken, decide if it's worth the trouble, and whip up a quick prototype to test in the wild.

So how do you level up your product thinking?

Let’s break it down. A product mindset is getting nosy about problems, caring deeply about the people you're helping, and staying flexible enough to learn and pivot.

It means asking stuff like:

• Who's pulling their hair out over this?

• What's the actual headache we're solving for?

• How will we know if our solution slaps or is just mid?

Quick caveat before we go any further... I’m not saying everyone should get an MBA and ride off into the Product Manager sunset. There will always be a need for deeply specialized technical experts. But if that’s not the path you’re drawn to, I’m recommending you start borrowing from the Product Manager’s mental toolkit.

Ready to start building those product thinking muscles?

No fancy degrees or ten thousand hours on Udemy required. Just grab these four books, read ‘em in order, and you’ll have product juices flowing through your veins in no time.

📚 The Lean Product Playbook by Dan Olsen. This is your beginner’s guide to product thinking. Dan walks you through a clear, step-by-step playbook for identifying the right problems, testing ideas, and making decisions based on real learning.

📚 Sprint by Jake Knapp. Once you’ve grasped the basics, Jake shows you how to turn an idea into a testable prototype in just five days. Perfect for solo or small teams, this method helps you skip the fluff and get real feedback fast.

📚 Continuous Discovery Habits by Teresa Torres. After launching or testing, how do you keep learning? Teresa teaches you to regularly engage with users, gather insights, and make discovery a sustainable habit instead of a one-off effort.

📚 Inspired by Marty Cagan. This one zooms out to cover what makes great product teams tick. Marty dives into strong leadership, how top teams operate, and staying focused on solving real problems. Save this for last to see how everything fits together.

Reading is cool and all, but knowledge isn’t sticky until it’s put into action.

Here's your homework assignment:

1️⃣ Spot a daily pain. Look around and find something that makes coworkers groan. Maybe it's a process that drags, a meeting that feels pointless, or a handoff that always goes sideways. Don't overthink it. Just find what makes people roll their eyes.

2️⃣ Think like a PM. Instead of jumping straight to solutions, pump the brakes and ask: Who's suffering here? What exactly is the trainwreck? What do people actually need? You're not fixing yet, just getting clear on what's broken.

3️⃣ Talk to actual people. Talk to folks who deal with this pain every day. Ask open questions and soak up their perspective. What drives them bonkers? What have they tried? What would make them do a happy dance? Your goal is to listen, not pitch your idea.

4️⃣ Sketch a rough fix. After soaking up their insights, draft a possible fix. No need to be fancy. It could be a quick diagram, a process tweak, or a one pager. Just make sure it gets the idea across clearly enough to test.

5️⃣ Ask for real feedback. Share your sketch with the folks you spoke to. Ask what lands, what feels off, and what they’d change. Listen more than you talk. The goal is to shape ideas with real feedback, not just your own hunches.

This isn’t about launching the next iPhone. It’s about building the muscle: spotting problems, understanding people, and making smart moves that actually help. The product mindset starts small and that’s exactly the point.

The deep dive? If you want one solid resource to keep building your product chops, check out Lenny's Podcast. His chats with product leaders are gold every time. Start with these three episodes: Ethan Smith, Elena Verna, and Brian Balfour.

Product thinking isn’t just for fancy product managers. It’s for anyone who wants to solve better problems and create things that truly matter. Spend some time learning this mindset, and the payoff will be huge, not just for your career, but for the quality of work you produce.

Go sniff out those headaches,

✌️ Steve

👋 Hiya, work bestie!

It’s that time of year again, performance review season. And if you just groaned, I totally get it. Most people see performance reviews like a trip to the DMV: an annoying box to check before getting back to the real work. But I'm seeing them differently now. As a manager, this isn’t just another thing on my to-do list—it's honestly one of the most important parts of my job. And it’s one of the best tools I have to help people grow.

While performance reviews are a natural time for feedback, no one should ever feel blindsided. If that happens, that manager really needs to step their feedback game up. They need to start thinking about feedback like driving a car—you don’t wait until you’re in a ditch to jerk the wheel. You make the little nudges along the way to keep the car on the road.

You also don’t just stare out the windshield the whole time—you check your mirrors and ask the other people in the car to check your blind spots. That’s exactly what a good performance review does. You’re getting insights from your manager and your peers because no one person ever has the full picture.

How would you rate your performance lately? Have you been keeping a steady pace, following the road signs, and getting to your destinations on time?

How do you think your peers feel about the trip? Have you been letting them take the wheel every now and then, or at least help pick the playlist?

Managers, in particular, aren’t just looking at how you’re doing right now—they’re thinking about your future potential. They usually have a pretty good view of where you are and where you should be going. A lot of them even use a 9-box grid to sort things out. Think of it like a simple chart that maps out high, medium, and low performance vs. potential.

Which box do you think you’d land in right now? Are you flooring it in the fast lane, cruising at a steady speed, or pulled over on the shoulder somewhere?

How others see you can shape your career in big ways. If you’re looking for a new job, a solid referral can make all the difference. If you’re after a big promotion, having your manager in your corner is key. The best way to make that happen? Consistently showing that you're a strong performer with a lot of potential.

So when your next performance review rolls around, don’t treat it like just another formality. Use it as a chance to get the full picture of where you stand and what nudges you need to make to keep moving forward. Don’t just think about how you feel you’re doing—get real feedback on how others see your work and trajectory. The best way to do that? Show up to your review with honesty, openness, and curiosity.

The deep dive? If you feel like you’re not performing at your best or aren’t reaching your full potential, it might be time to check in on your motivation. If performance is the output, motivation is the fuel in your tank. Check out Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink.

Keep moving forward,

✌️ Steve