“There’s a starman waiting in the sky, he’d like to come and meet us, but he thinks he’d blow our minds.” – Bowie Elon Musk has been grabbing more headlines than usual […]
Demma’s Notes: Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
4 Ways to Win Back Time From Your Phone
“You’re already a cyborg.” Elon Musk In 2012 I noticed how addicted I was becoming to screens, mostly my phone. I wrote this article about it. To clarify, I was then, and […]
Sad News, New Territory, 2 Great Books: 3 short posts in 1
What follows is a somewhat disjointed collection of updates from the past month. I probably should have made this three separate posts, but I’m short on time and I wanted to memorialize […]
Demma Family Update
Hello Everyone, I have some personal updates for all of our friends and colleagues out there. First, Kelly and I are excited to announce that we have welcomed our fourth baby into […]
Demma’s Notes: Orwell’s 1984 for Managers
1984 is a book about power, life, government, freedom (or lack thereof) of speech, human nature, love, strength, and weakness. It’s gripping, suspenseful, horrific, and at times, maddening. This post contains a summary of the book, some of my favorite (or most terrifying) quotes, and some applications for business people.
What is Leadership? Defining Leadership and What Leaders Do
The primary job of a manager is to provide leadership for their team. To be a leader. But what is leadership? This post is about my definition of leadership.
Management Skills: First, Do No Harm
Has it ever occurred to you that not only are you not doing a good job at work, but maybe you are actually making things worse? I think it’s a really good question to ask yourself, especially if you’re a manager. The answer might not be so obvious.
New Job, Mistakes, Travel, Family, and Discovering My “Why”
I have made some mistakes during my on-boarding, mostly centered around my ambition to start contributing quickly and my obsession with getting things done.
Announcement: The Next Demma Family Adventure
After nearly 12 years with Sleepy’s/Mattress Firm, our family has decided to take on a new challenge.
My Stand Up Desk Experiment
I decided about two months ago to give a stand up desk a try. A stand up desk is just like it sounds – it’s a higher desk that lets you stand up while working instead of sitting.
This is the Golden Age of Radio – How podcasts can change your commutes
The golden age of radio was not the 1920s (or whenever) when families would huddle around giant wooden transistors listening to fake stores about aliens. The golden age of radio is happening […]
How to Become A Manager
So you didn’t turn out to be a doctor or a lawyer. Your parents must be so disappointed. Just tell them to chill out. There’s still hope for a long, progressive, and […]
Management Skills: Run a Tight Ship
The first and biggest challenge for any new manager is finding the right balance between being a good people manager and an effective task manager.
Peter Thiel and My Underachievement
I saw the Peter Thiel profile on 60 Minutes a couple of weeks ago and read this New Yorker profile on him last night. Thiel is an eccentric Silicone Valley billionaire who […]
The People’s Champ
My boss likes to say that a huge part my job is to be the champion of my people. In other words, he reminds me how my employees need a leader who […]