The Vinny User Guide

A guide for working effectively with me — and enjoying the ride along the way.

The Fundamentals

Essential

Core principles that shape how I approach work

How I Work

Business-first lens – I start with the 'why.' Tie work to clear business outcomes or strategic priorities.
Clarity beats cleverness – I prefer simple, direct communication over jargon or buzzwords. If you can say it in one sentence, do it.
Iterate to excellence – I'm a big believer in drafts, feedback, and refinement. Perfect is the enemy of shipped, but shipped should still be excellent.
Bias toward action – Progress > analysis paralysis. If we're 80% sure, let's test, learn, and adapt.
Few patterns, done well – I'd rather have one great, well-understood process than five 'creative' ones that cause confusion.

How to Best Communicate with Me

Be concise, but complete – I love brevity, but not at the expense of leaving out key facts.
Context matters – Tell me why this matters before diving into the details.
Written first – I process information well in writing, whether that's Slack, email, or a doc. Bonus points for structure and bullet points.
Tell me the decision needed – If you're presenting options, make your recommendation. If you need my approval, say so up front.
Visuals work – A good diagram, table, or one-pager beats a 20-slide deck of bullet soup.

How I Make Decisions

Data + judgement – I want to see facts, but I'll also weigh experience, risk, and timing.
Trade-off aware – Every choice costs something; I expect us to acknowledge what we're giving up.
Listen first, decide once – I'll ask questions, seek multiple perspectives, and then stick with the decision so we can move forward.
Speed vs. accuracy – I'll push for speed when the risk is low, and slow down for high-impact or irreversible decisions.

Working Together

Essential

Building effective partnerships and team dynamics

My Expectations of the Team

Own it – Take accountability end-to-end. If it's yours, drive it without being chased.
Think like a product owner – Whether it's infrastructure, code, or process, know your 'customers' and deliver value.
Raise risks early – I'd rather hear about a brewing problem when it's a drizzle, not a hurricane.
Default to transparency – Share progress, blockers, and wins openly.
Focus on outcomes – Activity is not the same as impact.

How to Earn My Trust

Deliver on commitments – Do what you say, when you say.
Be candid – Tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly. I value honesty over optics.
Bring solutions, not just problems – Even if it's not the perfect fix, show you've thought about next steps.
Show curiosity – Stay curious about the 'why' behind our work and the 'how' of getting better.

How to Disagree with Me

Do it – I value constructive pushback. If you think I'm wrong, say so.
Come with reasoning – Bring data, examples, or logic, not just feelings.
We debate the idea, not the person – Keep it respectful and focused on outcomes.
Once we decide, we align – Healthy debate ends in unified execution.

Culture & Values

What matters most and how we create a great environment

Things I Value

Simplicity – The best solutions are often the simplest ones.
Learning mindset – Every win or miss is a chance to improve.
Cross-team partnerships – We're strongest when we break silos.
Celebrating wins – Recognition is fuel for high-performing teams.
A little humor – Work is serious, but we don't have to be serious all the time.

Things That Drive Me NutsAnd what to do instead

Endless meetings with no decisions – Send a pre-read and time-box the decision.
Surprises in critical deliverables – Share weekly status and escalate early.
Over-engineering simple problems – Solve for the smallest effective solution.
Hiding bad news – Flag risk early with mitigation and a new plan/date.
Vague requests – Provide context, options, and a recommendation.

My Commitments to You

I will listen – Your ideas and feedback matter.
I will clear roadblocks – My role is to make your work easier, not harder.
I will advocate for you – With peers, leadership, and partners.
I will share credit and own blame – Wins belong to the team; losses are on me.
I will keep learning – I'm committed to growing alongside you.

Final Thought: Working with me should feel like we're on the same side of the table, tackling the problem together. We'll move fast, stay focused on what matters, and celebrate along the way.

Last updated: August 2025

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