Newsletter

I want to show you something I see constantly. Here’s a LinkedIn headline from a real client (details changed, but the pattern is exact): “GTM Leader | Cross-functional Collaboration | Passionate About Innovation | MBA” You read that and you think... OK? Could be anyone. Could be any level. Could be any company. There’s no reason to click, no reason to reach out, no signal about what this person actually does or why they’re worth talking to. Now here’s what it looked like aft

I've written a lot about LinkedIn profiles in this newsletter. How your profile is a cheat sheet for the people trying to help you. How the language you used inside Amazon doesn't travel outside the building. How most senior people have never actually had to explain what they do to someone who doesn't already have the context. And a lot of you have taken that and done something with it. Updated your headlines. Rewritten your About sections. Tightened up the language. Some of

Last week I talked about the difference between a contact list and an actual network. A few of you replied (thank you — keep doing that), and there was a theme I want to pull on. Most of you have done the work. You’ve had the conversations. You’ve told people what you’re looking for. Great. But here’s what’s happening next, and nobody’s telling you about it. ​ After that conversation, the person you spoke to runs into someone at a team offsite, or they’re in a Slack thread wh

You can usually tell when someone is serious about changing roles. They’re not dabbling. They’re not “just looking.” They’ve updated their resume, started conversations, maybe even landed a few interviews. And yet — progress is slow. Or inconsistent. Or weirdly fragile. This is the point where most people assume the problem is tactical. I need better interview prep. ​​ I need a stronger resume. ​​ I need to apply to more roles. But after working with hundreds of senior candid

Big tech taught many of us that being “fungible” was a strength. You could move between teams. Your scope could change with a reorg. A new leader could look at your background and say, “We could use someone like you over here.” That worked because the system did the translation for you. Everyone shared the same language. Everyone understood leveling. Everyone had a mental model for what different roles actually meant in practice. You didn’t have to explain the problem you sol

One of the trickier moments in a job search looks like this: Things are finally moving. Conversations are warmer. Your name is circulating. And instead of feeling calm, you start thinking: “Should I be doing more?” ​​ “Should I broaden this?” ​​ “Am I being too narrow?” That impulse is understandable.It ’s also where a lot of people quietly derail themselves. The mistake I see at this stage When early momentum shows up, people often respond by expanding : More roles More titl

Every week, I see brilliant, senior people who led complex launches, programs, or GTM motions…struggle to explain their impact in a way that makes anyone outside their company understand (or care). And it’s not because they’re bad at storytelling. It ’s because high-performance cultures train you to value the wrong parts. A few examples: At Amazon , you’re rewarded for diving into the weeds. You succeed by knowing every defect, dependency, and operational nuance. Inside Amaz

If you’ve worked in big tech for any length of time, this week probably hit close to home. The Amazon layoff news is rippling through teams and communities everywhere — even for those not directly impacted. It ’s heavy. And it brings up a familiar mix of emotions: relief, worry, guilt, and the quiet question of “what if I’m next?” If you’re reading this from the other side — maybe you’ve already gone through one of the previous rounds of layoffs, or you left before the cuts —

Problem: Your confidence feels shaky. You don't know how to talk about yourself. Your story is fuzzy. If you can’t name the arc of your...

Most resumes and LinkedIn profiles sound like a job description: “Managed a team of 5.” “Led monthly reporting and analysis.”...

The story you’re telling might not be working as well as you think. Most LinkedIn profiles read like slightly upgraded resumes: “I owned this. I delivered that. I led a cross-functional team.” It’s not wrong. It ’s just… flat. If you’re job searching, thinking about a pivot, or trying to get seen for something bigger — that kind of language won’t help you stand out. It tells me what you did, not how you think . And that’s what actually moves the needle. Because here’s what h