What’s Hagakure?

Hagakure means “hidden by the leaves” and is the title of a Japanese practical and spiritual guide for the warrior by Yamamoto Tsunetomo. The Book of the Samurai — as it is subtitled — consists of a series of short reflections giving both insight and instruction on a wide variety of subjects, in no particular sequence.

This newsletter aspires to the same mindset. It exists to help technology leaders at all levels to explore, connect dots, and grow. Everyone’s welcome, though. ❤️

Who’s behind this?

I’m Paulo. 👋

🚀 I coach tech leaders at all levels who are looking to step it up, and do well while doing good. If that's you, and you feel like someone who can expand your thinking could be handy, connect with me on LinkedIn and let's chat!

🧠 I'm a former software developer, manager, and engineering executive who looks at leadership, management and organizations through the lenses of complexity, systems, psychology, and neuroscience. Served me and my clients well so far.

👹 The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world it’s either people or profit. It lives on because companies can't be A/B tested.

Why do I write?

Three reasons:

  • I write to think. Writing clarifies your thinking. Writing well is also a superpower. The more you write, the more you improve your thinking while also improving your writing. In my case, there’s a side quest of becoming a more disciplined and consistent individual. Writing on a schedule, every week, is good practice.

  • I write to help. Thanks to hands-on practice, and from the experience of others, I learned a lot about engineering leadership over the last decade. I intend to pay this forward and help others by sharing my own tacit knowledge.

  • I write to explore. I am not convinced about the way we work, generally speaking. Growth brings opportunity, but too often it squashes all humanity out of those doing the work. I got a glimpse of what’s wrong, but also where (and who) to turn to for making it better. My writing is then also partly about this exploration towards fixing the way we work.

Here’s a sampler of some of the top posts so far:

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Sense-making for tech leaders in a complex world.

People

Leadership Coach • Former VP Eng • Complexity Conscious • People Positive • Leading with the Brain in Mind