Jason Axley

Meaningful, impactful problem-solving

I enjoy working to solve big, hairy problems that linger despite widespread awareness, frustration, and past failures to address them.
I prefer impactful work that can make enginer's working lives better.

How I can be most effective

To be effective, I schedule my priorities and block time to focus and get into a "flow state". I leave time in my schedule to think and synthesize information. I live in a beautiful place so sometimes my best thinking is outdoors on a walk or maybe in a hammock.

My Approach

I spend a lot of time listening to understand the context of a system or problem-space and how people are currently thinking about the problem. I look for the obstacles that have prevented this problem from being solved as those are often a good place to focus.
Sometimes problems linger because not everyone has a common understanding of the problem or system. I look around corners for better problems to solve.

The whole is greater than the parts

I don't know everything (Shocker!) but I love to learn. Technology moves too fast - we need to benefit from the combined experience of many people. Synergy is also a great source of dopamine.

Contacting me

When I'm in focus mode, I tend to disable notifications to avoid distractions. I check email and slack a few times throughout the day. If you really need to get my attention, try Signal.

Make work visible

Many people assume I'm "too busy" so don't ask for help -- that's a shame. I can manage my time and I will tell you when I'm booked.
Our team uses JIRA extensively so that's an ideal way to get a request on my radar and for me to make sure it doesn't get lost. To manage my priorities, I need clarity on timelines when you would like a response and absolutely need one.

When Radical Candor is encouraged and supported by [leaders], communication flows, resentments that have festered come to the surface and get resolved, and people begin to love not just their work but whom they work with and where they work. When people love their job, the whole team is more successful. The resulting happiness is the success beyond success.

-- Kim Scott, Radical Candor

Radical Candor involves "Caring Personally" about people and “Challenging Directly”. My approach to mentoring involves both. We all need people in our lives to care enough about us to be honest so we know how we are really showing up.

It's easy to have feedback imbalanced and overly-focused on the negative. I need to have an opportunity to course-correct, but also need to know what I'm doing well so I know to keep doing more of that!