Chris Handy

This document outlines how I prefer to work and interact with others.

Whether you report to me, work alongside me, or lead me, this is for you. My goal is to build clear, productive, respectful relationships by setting expectations transparently.

Central to my approach is the concept of operating at three levels:

• Street view: Detailed, tactical execution.
• Map view: Strategic alignment and coordination.
• Satellite view: High-level strategic vision and context.

We work best when we align clearly on the “Map view,” connecting detailed execution with strategic vision.

Guiding Principles

• Transparency over silos: Communication belongs in public channels, documents, and shared wikis - not hidden conversations.
• Bias toward action: Make decisions quickly. Recognize “two-way doors” (reversible) and “one-way doors” (irreversible) decisions.
• Context is everything: Provide clear context upfront (“Map view”) to ensure strategic alignment.
• Continuous feedback: Early, frequent, and constructive feedback loops enable our best work.
• Customer empathy: Prioritize customer experience over internal efficiency. Do what’s right, not just what’s scalable.
• Trust & autonomy: I trust you. My role is to coach, support, and empower you.
• Respect & kindness: Always treat each other with excellence, kindness, and respect - especially in moments of conflict.
• Explicit about trade-offs: Clearly document what we choose not to do, along with why and when it may be revisited.

Communication Preferences

Medium matters. If it’s urgent or I’m blocking your progress, text my cell anytime. Otherwise, lean into asynchronous methods like Slack or email. If I message you off-hours, don’t assume urgency–I’ll explicitly say if it’s critical.

Slack use: Public channels and threaded conversations strongly preferred. Slack DMs are reserved only for personal or sensitive matters.

Calendar transparency: My calendar is always updated and available. Please check it when scheduling meetings or calls. Personal events (like family obligations) are clearly marked.

Meetings: Aim for 25-minute meetings, not 30, to prevent back-to-back scheduling. Meetings running long indicate planning or facilitation issues. Proactively schedule deep-work sessions.

Quick calls and huddles: Use quick calls if discussing verbally is more efficient. Always close Slack threads afterward with brief decision recaps. Keep conversations short (under 10 minutes).

• If You Report to Me:
  Text or call if you’re blocked or need immediate clarity. Always feel empowered to request context. I’m here to help.

• If You’re My Peer:
  Feel free to proactively reach out anytime. Let’s align quickly and clearly if there’s potential misalignment or shared blockers.

• If You’re My Leader:
  I will proactively update you clearly on key issues. Expect open, timely updates to ensure alignment and clarity.

Collaboration Expectations

Common meeting ground: Let’s align detailed insights (“street view”) with overall strategic context (“satellite view”) through the “map view.”

Transparency and proactive communication: Share work early, frequently, and openly. Address blockers immediately through Slack. Daily stand-ups are not an expectation but may help for complex projects. Avoid relying solely on them.

Decision ownership: Every critical decision requires a clear owner. Step up proactively if ownership isn’t clear.

Documentation discipline: Continuously update documentation. Clearly document unfinished tasks and explicit trade-offs.

Conflict handling: Healthy conflict is expected and encouraged. Personal conflicts should be resolved privately and respectfully.

Project status clarity: Maintain a single source of truth (wiki, shared document, or project management tool). Provide proactive updates publicly if at risk.

• If You Report to Me:
  Clearly define decision ownership and speak up proactively if you’re blocked or need clarification. Expect clear coaching and guidance.

• If You’re My Peer:
  Let’s proactively manage shared responsibilities, transparently document decisions, and collaborate openly to resolve any conflicts or issues.

• If You’re My Leader:
  I commit to providing clear documentation and proactive status updates, ensuring you have clarity about any trade-offs and project statuses.

Feedback Style

Direct, continuous feedback: Expect regular, direct feedback publicly–always constructive, never personal. Lack of feedback means you’re likely not sharing early or often enough.

Negative feedback privately: Sensitive or critical feedback will be delivered privately, respectfully, and swiftly.

Receiving feedback: I welcome your clear, direct feedback and coaching. I’m human and will make mistakes–please help me become a better leader by coaching me openly and directly.

Managing up: I commit to providing clear, structured context proactively, ensuring my leader is consistently informed and aligned.

Feedback timing and frequency: Provide and receive feedback early and frequently. Celebrate successes to replicate positive outcomes.

• If You Report to Me:
  Provide me feedback openly and frequently–coach me on how to lead you better. Expect frequent, clear, and constructive feedback from me in return.

• If You’re My Peer:
  Offer feedback proactively and openly; let’s help each other improve continually and transparently.

• If You’re My Leader:
  I appreciate clear, direct feedback. You can expect the same clarity, openness, and frequency from me to ensure strategic alignment.

Work Habits

Dynamic scheduling: My schedule adapts to family commitments. Reserve blocks for uninterrupted deep work.

Decision-making: Blend intuitive and data-driven approaches, quickly identifying decision reversibility.

Energy and productivity: Workouts or outdoor activities (biking, hiking, etc.) often fuel my best thinking.

Essential habits: Writing and voice recordings clarify thoughts. Shorter, clearer communications preferred.

Protecting deep work: Actively use focus modes. Quarterly three-day weekends help me recalibrate priorities.

• If You Report to Me:
  Protect your deep work time proactively. Communicate your schedule clearly, and know I’ll respect and support it.

• If You’re My Peer:
  Let’s respect each other’s productive time and schedules–clarify and protect our shared or collaborative spaces.

• If You’re My Leader:
  I will proactively manage my schedule to align effectively with our strategic priorities. Clearly communicate expectations around critical availability.

Personal Insights

How I show up: Here to have fun, coach, learn, and achieve great outcomes together. If overwhelmed, let’s talk openly.

Motivation: Your expertise inspires me. Family, kids, dogs, and outdoor activities deeply motivate me.

Misunderstood strengths: Deep passion for copywriting and customer empathy. Sometimes impactful work isn’t scalable, but it’s right.

Systems thinker: Enjoy creating repeatable processes. Processes must be clear before delegating.

Personal philosophy: Prioritize customer empathy over mere efficiency.

One personal thing to know: I’ve made mistakes and learned from each. I’m here to learn from you. Trust and appreciate your work deeply.

Product marketers and copywriters often talk about “the hook”. But never disclose the real secret: “the bait”. 🎣

In today’s “attention economy” you have to have something that gets their attention. And that’s the problem.

No, I literally mean “the problem”.

If you aren’t highlighting a PROBLEM (with a capital P) that you intend to solve at the very top of your messaging framework, you might be fishing without bait.

There’s more than one way to release and launch a new product… but release is not equal to launch.

Yesterday was five years, no booze. I’ve never felt better.

Hugh Howey is the author of the books the show Silo is based on. A couple of thoughts on this.

He’s out there in the conversation. He’s listening. He’s engaging. He’s SELLING.

But he’ll never know if that person watched. There will be no first or last touch attribution attributed to this one interaction.

He is out there operating in TRUE founder mode. Doing what he knows works, without the need to justify it.

Dell tossed out all its old naming conventions for a “Good Better Best Matrix”.

The Verge doesn’t like the names, but I do. It simplifies the decision-making and narrows you down much faster than feeds and speeds.

Student? Ok, good, better, or best.

Do you need a laptop for work? Ok, good, better, or best?

Need one for extreme video editing? Ok, good better, or best?

These are NINE SKUs. If they were all side by side, a segment of people would likely give up due to indecision.

What do you think about this positioning?

Positioning.

Got the annual briefing from the big guy.

Looks like I’m going to be rich.

Super excited about my evening meeting.

I spent many hours researching office chairs in 2020. I didn’t want to spend a thousand dollars, but wanted to get a nice one.

I went with this and have been VERY happy. I added the optional headrest on about a year ago.

It’s on sale right now. No affiliate link, just sharing a great product.

I’ve been using this guide on how to make oven bacon for many years. Thank you to Dan Benjamin.

“MAKE PERFECT CRISPY BACON EVERY TIME“

Read more: Bacon Method ➚

We’ve been running some tests to optimize this checkout flow and when we switched to one of them, results tanked. It led to a late night working to switch it back so we could try another revision.

Seemingly small changes have a HUGE effect on a person’s likelihood to convert. But it’s more about their ability to quickly understand things.

So here’s my prompt for you product marketers and copywriters out there is…. One of these screens in the Law Insider checkout flow gets 3x the number of signups compared to the other. Which do you think it is and why?