Need someone to lead product management at your software company? I build high-craft software and the teams that build it. I'm looking for my next opportunity. Check out my resume and get in touch.

Adam Kalsey

This is the blog of Adam Kalsey. Unusual depth and complexity. Rich, full body with a hint of nutty earthiness.

News and Commentary

But... schools

28 Oct 2014

There’s a political ad on the radio in California that’s arguing against an Indian gambling proposition that would allow some new casinos. The negative ad is funded by some of the big Indian casinos, but I’m sure it’s not just because they want to limit competition.

In the ad, a warning is given about how dangerous it would be to expand casinos in the state. It includes the phrase "what’s next, casinos near schools?" It’s stated as if it’s obvious that such a thing would be bad. What are they expecting would happen if a casino were near a school? Children skip class to play the slots? Crazed gambling addicts shaking down kindergartners for their milk money?

This idea of shielding schools from perfectly safe and sane things isn’t limited to casinos. Last month a local high school protested against an indoor gun range opening nearby. The principal was quoted as saying that a gun club close to the school is obviously wrong. But why? Guns nearby are going to make people go mad and increase school violence somehow?

This school alarmism needs to stop. For the children.

Recently Written

Should individual people have OKRs?
May 14: A good OKR describes and measures an outcome, but it can be challenging to create an outcome-focused OKR for an individual.
10 OKR traps and how to avoid them
May 8: I’ve helped lots of teams implement OKRs or fix a broken OKR process. Here are the 10 most common problems I see, and what to do instead.
AI is Smart, But Wisdom Requires Judgement
May 3: AI can process data at lightning speed, but wisdom comes from human judgment—picking the best imperfect option when facts alone don’t point the way.
Decoding Product Leadership Titles
Mar 18: Not all product leadership titles mean what they sound like. ‘Head of Product’ can mean anything from a senior PM to a true VP. Here’s how to tell the difference.
What branding can teach about culture
Jan 8: Culture is your company’s point of view in action—a framework guiding behavior, even in the unknown. You can’t copy it; it must reflect your unique perspective.
Think Systems, not Symptoms
Dec 15: Piecemeal process creation frustrates teams and slows work. Stop patching problems and start solving systems. Adopting a systems thinking approach helps you design processes that are efficient, aligned with goals, and truly add value.
Your Policies Aren’t Your Culture
Dec 13: Policies guide behavior, but culture is the lived norms and values of your team. Policies reflect culture -- they don’t define it. Netflix’s parental leave shift didn’t change its culture of freedom and responsibility. It clarified how to live it.
Lighten Your Process Burden
Dec 7: Everyone hates oppressive processes, but somehow we keep managing to create them.

Older...

What I'm Reading