Will Larson

Will defines systems thinking as modelling accumulations (stocks) and their movement rates (flows), illustrated with fish and fishermen in a lake.

Will argues every team already has a strategy and the first rule is to write it down so you can debug and improve it.

Will contrasts Stripe’s "optimise globally" with Uber’s team-first ethos, showing how opposing yet honest values guided decision speed in each company.

Will emphasises keeping only values that actively filter hiring decisions and dropping the rest to maintain focus.

He argues that steadily publishing quality work for years, rather than chasing hot trends, is the surest path to a durable, portable audience.

Carta experimented with grading the EM, PM, and business lead together—a practice Larson says powerfully aligned cross-functional execution by sharing incentives.

At Uber a strict no-cloud policy let the team spin up China data centres in three months, proving the value of owning infrastructure for geopolitical flexibility.

Mapping each hiring stage as interconnected stocks and conversion flows reveals whether sourcing, screening, or closing limits progress.

Will shares a three-rule test for any company value: it must be honest, directly applicable to daily work, and have a meaningful opposite so it can be reversed.

With hiring slowed, engineering directors must now excel at team leadership, technical depth, and right-sizing rather than just recruiting.

Will advises starting with Good Strategy Bad Strategy, then The Crux, and adding systems-thinking texts to model reality for sharper diagnosis.

He advises EMs and PMs to first understand each other's true incentives and needs before debating solutions, as most conflicts stem from misperception not malice.

Will recalls enforcing high standards early in his career, being labelled difficult, and learning that accountability must be balanced with collaboration.

Will reflects that unchosen, high-pressure projects forge strong bonds and lasting growth when tackled with people you respect.