iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 05/08/2026

A new window opens: "AI Notetaker". There are now three of you in this 1:1. My new article explores where AI works and where it doesn't. reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/living-in-...

reluctantleadership.substack.com

Living in the invisible

The one meeting I keep AI-free

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 13/01/2026

To an engineer, a manager is often just a source of latency. An unpredictable subsystem. The friction isn’t personal; it’s architectural. Stop trying to refactor their personality. Build a stable API instead. The missing documentation: reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/your-manag...

reluctantleadership.substack.com

Your Manager is a System. They Need an API

A systems-thinking guide to navigating human bottlenecks

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 31/12/2025

It is December 31st. You are tired. You are probably mostly cheese. Do not make a New Year's resolution to do more. Here is the gentle art of doing less in 2026. open.substack.com/pub/reluctan...

open.substack.com

The "Stop Doing" List (and why you need one)

The Gentle Art of Doing Less in 2026

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 05/12/2025

Doomed startups always rhyme: • Panic pivots • Imaginary customers • CEO manifesting cashflow • DevOps sensing doom first I pulled the highlights into one guide, for anyone who’s ever thought “that’s odd…” before it imploded. reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/the-canary...

reluctantleadership.substack.com

The Canary in the S3 Bucket

A slightly traumatised guide to startup oblivion

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 30/11/2025

New post: The Canary in the S3 Bucket A field guide to spotting when your startup is… not fine. reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/the-canary...

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 15/11/2025

Some managers give instructions. The best managers create the conditions for insight. If you’ve ever watched someone excitedly pitch your own idea back to you, you’ll recognise the dynamic. open.substack.com/pub/reluctan...

open.substack.com

Leading People to Their Own Best Ideas

Some managers give instructions - The most effective ones help people reach their own best ideas - Here’s how to lead without taking over.

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 28/10/2025

Being an EM at a startup means projecting calm while quietly questioning your life choices. You’re not in control. You’re a therapist, a firefighter, and somehow, an island of stability in a sea of chaos. Most days. Read the new blog: open.substack.com/pub/reluctan...

How to lead when no one knows what’s happening… especially you

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 03/09/2025

Engineering management isn’t just delivery and systems. It’s emotional triage, surprise resignations, and digging in when someone says “I’m fine” (they’re not). You’re not a trained therapist. But you might as well be. 📖 Read the full post: reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/the-engine...

Engineering Manager as Untrained Therapist

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 24/08/2025

Back from a summer break with a deep dive into how engineering teams can reach consensus without chaos. A guide to structured collaboration, decision milestones, and empowered team culture. reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/engineered...

reluctantleadership.substack.com

Engineered Collaboration: A User Guide to Consent-based Decisions

How engineering teams can reach consensus without chaos. A guide to structured collaboration, decision milestones, and empowered team culture.

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 06/08/2025

We're 10 articles into the Reluctant Leadership journey, so it's time for a review. Hopefully you'll find something that resonates with you. reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/ten-reluct...

reluctantleadership.substack.com

Ten Reluctant Articles: The Journey So Far

Reluctant Leadership - The hardest part of tech is people

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 23/07/2025

As engineers and managers, we think we build systems with our technical skills. We don’t. We build them on a foundation of influence. reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/concentric...

reluctantleadership.substack.com

Concentric Circles of Influence

Reluctant Leadership - The hardest part of tech is people

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 09/07/2025

Empathy isn’t a vibe, it's a skill. One that gets sharper when we start managing like human beings. reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/empathy-is...

reluctantleadership.substack.com

Empathy is not a soft skill. It's sharp

Reluctant Leadership - The hardest part of tech is people

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 03/07/2025

Are you articulate and confident in meetings, but secretly counting the hours until you can stop talking? You might have Functional Introvert Manager Syndrome. A painfully real post on emotional energy, and sticking your head in the freezer. reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/functional...

reluctantleadership.substack.com

Functional Introvert Manager Syndrome: Are You A Sufferer?

Reluctant Leadership - The hardest part of tech is people

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 25/06/2025

The tech job market is brutal right now. The silver lining? Most CVs are… shockingly bad. That means you don’t need gimmicks. You don’t need to print your CV on a watermelon. You just need to make it easy for hiring managers to say yes. reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/most-cvs-a...

reluctantleadership.substack.com

Most CVs Are Terrible. Write One That Isn’t

Reluctant Leadership - The hardest part of tech is people

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 16/06/2025

In my latest post, we explore the Anti-Mentor: the purest source of information about how not to lead. Be less Bernard. reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/the-anti-m...

reluctantleadership.substack.com

The Anti-Mentor as Leadership Guru

Reluctant Leadership - The hardest part of tech is people

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 12/06/2025

What if there were one thing you could do to go from good manager to great? One simple change to unlock your team’s full potential? Well, there isn’t. That’s a ridiculous idea. But there is something better. open.substack.com/pub/reluctan...

open.substack.com

Being a Force Multiplier

Reluctant Leadership - The hardest part of tech is people

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 10/06/2025

Bonus post today to get things rolling. "You go from one role where you are a respected and skilled subject matter expert, into a new role where you have to start again in so many ways. It’s no surprise that it's an unsettling experience." reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/the-identi...

reluctantleadership.substack.com

The Identity Crisis That Awaits Every New Manager

Reluctant Leadership - The hardest part of tech is people

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Reluctant Leadership @reluctantleadership.substack.com · 10/06/2025

It's launch day! How does the Peter Principle, functional introversion and fish-shaped empathy all affect you as a new manager? Find out in the first of my new series: reluctantleadership.substack.com/p/what-i-wis...

reluctantleadership.substack.com

What I Wish I Knew as a First-Time Manager

Reluctant Leadership - The hardest part of tech is people

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