Slide sixteen. Still no ask.
Your lead talks for half an hour. You still don’t know what they need you to decide. Make them start there.
The honest version · Tom Kozacinski
Who signed off
on this shit?
If your team can explain exactly why the plan is fucked five minutes after you approve it, they had something worth saying five minutes earlier.
Bring me in. I teach your people how to challenge the plan while you can still change it. And I teach you how to hear the objection without making them regret speaking up.
I’ve led product teams, built a business and done stand-up. I’ve been the person pitching the idea, the boss defending it and the bloke with the microphone who’s just lost the room.
Why listen to me
My neck’s been
on the line.
I’ve been the founder asking for the feature and the designer explaining why building it was a bad idea.
Two decades in design and business. More than a decade in the Toptal network. Mentoring founders with Techstars.
I know what it costs to tell the person paying you that their brief is wrong. That’s a conversation I can teach.
What stand-up teaches
Nobody laughs
out of politeness.
Try explaining to a comedy audience why the joke they didn’t laugh at was actually funny. Good luck.
At work you can get away with a bad explanation for months. People nod because you sign their payslips.
I teach speakers to stop, ask someone what they heard and repair the bit that made no fucking sense.
The audience has already given you feedback. You were busy on slide seventeen.
Communication workshop
Funny
Business.
Bring the presentation you’re dreading. Yes, the actual one.
You give us the short version. The room tells you what it understood. You get another go.
- Tell us what you want us to decide.
- Give us the one example that makes your case.
- Ask someone to repeat your point. If they missed it, fix the fucking explanation.
You can keep the joke if it earns its place. Same rule for the pie chart.
One-to-one leadership coaching
What are you
putting off?
I coach leaders and managers one to one. Bring the decision your team is still waiting for.
You promised two deadlines. Your team can hit one. Who’s going to tell the other sponsor? Hint: it’s your bloody job.
Bring the numbers, the options and the bit you’re embarrassed to admit. I’ll tell you where I think you’re kidding yourself.
You make the call. We agree what you’ll do first.
Where I’ve done the work
Yes, I’ve done
this before.
Apple Developer Academy, Google Dev Fest Siberia, TEDx Zagreb, UX South Africa. Different rooms. Same obligation to earn the next five minutes.
Selected speaking appearances
Professional work & mentoring
Professional work with UNICEF and Toptal. Founder mentoring with Techstars.
