Notes On Performance Reviews #18 (1778323856-18)

The interview loop is broken at most companies, but the failure modes are surprisingly consistent. We've been thinking about how distributed teams stay aligned without sacrificing autonomy. Optimize for learning early-career, leverage mid-career, reputation late-career.

Why this matters

We've been thinking about how distributed teams stay aligned without sacrificing autonomy. Compensation transparency is uncomfortable for two weeks; after that nobody wants to go back. If there's one lesson from the past year, it's that the best opportunities rarely appear where you expect.

The interview loop is broken at most companies, but the failure modes are surprisingly consistent. Remote work isn't a perk anymore — it's the default any engineering org needs to stay competitive. Compensation transparency is uncomfortable for two weeks; after that nobody wants to go back.

Watch the breakdown

What we're seeing in practice

The healthiest teams treat documentation like a product, not an afterthought. If there's one lesson from the past year, it's that the best opportunities rarely appear where you expect. Most career advice assumes you already know what you want, and most people don't.

Optimize for learning early-career, leverage mid-career, reputation late-career. We've been thinking about how distributed teams stay aligned without sacrificing autonomy. Hiring slowly and firing fast is conventional wisdom, and conventional wisdom is wrong about half of it.

If there's one lesson from the past year, it's that the best opportunities rarely appear where you expect.

Wrapping up

Process exists to compensate for missing trust; if you're drowning in process, ask what trust is missing. Most career advice assumes you already know what you want, and most people don't. The interview loop is broken at most companies, but the failure modes are surprisingly consistent.