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User Manual

I'm learning and taking on new roles. Right now, I'm focusing more on marketing and copywriting rather than technical details. First and foremost, I'm learning how to be a manager and specifically delegate more work to my team so I can focus on the high-leverage work possible

What I value most

  • Constant learning and growth: I'm driven by the need to learn continuously. I expect the same from my team—always pushing forward.
  • Move fast and break things: Ex-Meta. Execute fast. If you're wrong, we can fix it later. Just don't wait around for approval, nothing we do is too big to fail.
  • Give me time freedom with asynchronous communication: I prefer async, if you message me assume I only have 5 minutes to process and respond, if it takes longer, I might lose the opportunity.
  • Be direct in communication: When you need an answer, keep it yes/no or number-based. Be brief, and don't bury important information.
  • Health first, minimize typing: I have had a hand injury for 4 years, it takes away from my health when I have to type for long periods of time. I prefer face-to-face time or video feedback instead of typing.
  • Take ownership and ask for clarity: If the task is hard, I probably didn't give enough details, assume everything is Jason's fault, ask me for what you need — I won't take it personally.
  • Simplicity is key: I really hate complexity that people have not earned. If I see a flowchart with like 12 things in it, I usually just lose my mind.

Understand my pet peeves

  • I hate silence: Not getting updates makes me anxious, 'working on this', 'this is done', 'i'm blocked here' are all good messages to send me. I'll get better I promise, but for now, I like frequent updates.
  • Context switching messes with my flow: I change contexts constantly, so remind me where things are when you update me, assume i read but don't remember the link you sent me 3 days ago.
  • Lack of feedback stalls growth: I need critical feedback regularly. If you're not telling me what could be better, it's holding both of us back.

How to communicate with me

  • Always use asynchronous first: Slack or text messages work best for me. Keep it brief—use bullet points over long explanations.
  • I'm often working on the go: Messages should be structured for quick skimming since I'm often on my phone or Apple Watch. Put the key info at the top.
  • Ask only specific questions: When asking for decisions, try to frame questions so they can be answered with yes/no or numbers. Consider "how can i help?" or "what do you need?" vs "do you think i should work on x?".
  • Prep me for meetings and follow up afterward: Send me the materials I need before meetings to help reset my focus. Afterward, follow up with a summary and action items.

How to message me

Message me on slack when possible, if its urgent text me, assume i'm about to open you message on my apple watch, no links, short messages. I want to reply but if it takes me too long to reply, It'll be way later.

  • Use clear subject lines: Make the topic or action needed immediately apparent.
  • Good: "Urgent: Client proposal needs approval by 3pm"

  • Bad: "Quick question"

  • Structure messages for quick decisions: Present options clearly, preferably as numbered choices.

  • Good: "Logo color options:
    1. Blue (#1A2B3C)
    2. Green (#4D5E6F)
    3. Red (#7G8H9I) Which do you prefer? Default to #1 if no response by EOD."

  • Bad: "What color should we use for the logo?"

  • Flag time-sensitive items: Use prefixes like [Urgent], [Time-sensitive], or [FYI] in subject lines or message starts.

  • Good: "[Urgent] Client meeting rescheduled to 2pm today"

  • Bad: "The client called and wants to meet earlier"

  • Use visuals when possible: Screenshots, charts, or quick sketches can convey information faster than text.

  • Good: "New dashboard layout: [screenshot]. Thoughts?"

  • Bad: "I've redesigned the dashboard. The metrics are now on the left side, with a larger font. The graphs are centralized, and I've added a new section for user feedback on the right. The color scheme is..."

  • End with a clear next step: Always include what action you need from me, if any.

  • Good: "Please approve or suggest changes to the press release by EOD."

  • Bad: "Let me know what you think when you get a chance."

  • Assume I'm on the run: If you have to choose between sharing a link and sending a screenshot, send the screenshot.

  • Good: "Any issues with the new opening message? [screenshot1], [screenshot2]"

  • Bad: "What do you think of the opening message? [doc link]"

  • Keep it short: Put the ask at the top. Give me a clear call to action.

  • Good: "Need approval on new logo design by EOD. Details below if needed."

  • Bad: "Hi Jason, hope you're having a good day. I've been working on the new logo design for the past week and I think I've come up with something really interesting. It incorporates elements of our brand identity while also bringing in some fresh, modern touches. I'd love to get your thoughts on it when you have a chance. Let me know if you want me to walk you through the design process or if you just want to see the final product. Looking forward to your feedback!"

  • Ask for forgiveness, not permission: Use phrases like "I'm going to do this, let me know if it's not the right approach" instead of "What do you think about this or that?"

  • Good: "I'm going to update the client proposal with the new pricing structure. I'll send it to you for a quick review before submitting."
  • Bad: "Do you think I should update the client proposal with the new pricing structure? Or should we keep the old one? What's your opinion on this?"

How I prioritize work and delegate

  • Client work always comes first: Client tasks are the top priority. We should always be in the process of moving things along or waiting for client feedback.
  • Use Fridays for personal work: If you're full-time, Fridays are a good time for personal projects, provided client work is in progress.
  • Delegate early to avoid issues later: If something isn't clear, ask for clarity early. I'd rather spend time upfront than have to fix it later.
  • Tell people you are blocking: "Hey Jason I am waiting on you to do X so I can deliver Y by this date, otherwise Z will happen".

How to work with me effectively

  • Own your tasks and make decisions confidently: Don't wait for my approval on every detail. I trust you to take action, even if mistakes happen. Just report back quickly if things go wrong. Again, assume if you mess up, it's Jason's fault. I didn't give you the right metric, or the right context, I didn't check in, or I didn't review clearly enough.
  • Give me consistent updates to reduce anxiety: Silence creates stress. Even small updates help me stay aligned. Keep me in the loop regularly. If you get 1% off every day by the end of the week you might be completely off from where I need you to be.
  • Always challenge me with feedback: Don't be afraid to tell me what's not working. I need feedback to grow, and I expect it.
  • Follow up with action items after every meeting: After we meet, send a clear summary of next steps and anything that needs feedback.

My approach to leadership

Remember, I'm a very new manager. Although I want to be very hands-off. If the team makes a mistake or executes poorly, I will shoulder that responsibility as an opportunity to learn how to be a better leader.