Working with Nicolas

A user manual

Background

Studied journalism and philosophy
Thought better of pursuing a PhD
Started career as a copywriter
Began solving more interesting problems than blog articles and web page content, so I called myself a UX writer
Tired of jumping from contract to contract so I pivoted into design
Fell in love with web development
Found myself working more and more with accessibility in both small agencies and large enterprises
Shifted from accessibility testing and design consulting to program management
Continue to consult with founders and teams on how to build products, services, and businesses

Prefers asynchronous formats; reaches for synchronous, real-time meetings for particularly detailed or complex situations
Strives for well-ordered and structured communications
If there is no agenda, there is no meeting

Primus inter pares, or ‘first amongst equals’
Flat teams: the manager plays a support role and renders a service to reports
Eliminate, automate, delegate
Measured, intentional actions are as valuable as well-defined problems
Documentation is a side effect, not a result
Writing is thinking
Proponent of The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Plain Text Teams (opens in new tab)

The Map and the Territory: Observes from 30,000 feet and circles down to lower elevations
Exponential: Medium-long incubation followed by mastery
Systems and Games: Everything affects everything